My weekly vlog is focused on cannabis (again), and the attitudes of those people who have been misinformed about its medicinal properties, so I manage to write a script for it straight off the top of my head (no research required).
The UK government announced yesterday that they will reschedule cannabis-based medicines within weeks. That’s a great headline, and it is a step in the right direction, but it truly isn’t the end of the matter. The government also seems determined to make it very difficult for anyone to qualify for medicinal cannabis, and to only permit pharmaceuticalised medicines, which is a complete nonsense – one of the best known cannabis-based medicines is Sativex, which (according to GW Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer) is a whole plant extract with added alcohol and flavouring; what was wrong with just using the whole plant? Profits, that’s what! I’m afraid that UK policy on medicinal cannabis will be shaped by the fact that the government wants to appease pharmaceutical companies and party donors rather than do what is best for medicinal cannabis patients – time will tell, I guess…
Hello, Ian. I appreciate your informative vlogs. I have RLS & have read that you’ve had some success with cannabis. It’s legal here in California, but my cannabis trials for PD symptoms (not necessarily RLS) have been inconclusive & vary over time, so I gave up. What works for you? How did you determine type of delivery (oil? bong? tincture? oral? skin absorption?), how much, strength, when, how often? I’d like to try again but don’t know where to start. It seems too confusing, individual, difficult & changeable over time. Can you help?
Hi Paula. I found out what was best for me through trial and error, I’m afraid. A lot depends on the symptom that you are trying to treat, as well. I find that high THC cannabis is required for tremor and dystonia control, but something with a little more CBD is better for anxiety and sleep issues. A high THC content can sometimes aggravate my RLS, but that is usually when I am overtired. I generally use a vaporiser to take my medicine, but have used edibles in the past, which proved very effective also. It is, I’m afraid, a very individual thing – what works for me won’t necessarily work for you.
Cheers,
Ian