I will soon be going to Seattle to visit family, and I'd like to go to a pot dispensary since it is legal there although I can't return with it to my state. I'm interested in trying pot while in Seattle to help with pain and sleep.
I don't want to get high since it's not good for my particular brain, but from what I understand, there's a strain that is low in THC, but still has medical benefits.
* Have any of you used pot for pain and sleep problems?
* Do dispensaries let you buy very small amounts?
* To get a sleep benefit, do you use it right before bed?
I've lived in Seattle all my life and have been using vaporized medical marijuana for muscle spasms from fibro flares for about 6 years. The only pain that I've found it useful for is muscle spasms from fibro flares, with relief in 10 minutes.
I've had access to some of the best medical marijuana in Seattle, grown by individual patients for their own consumption and to share with their friends/family/other patients. These growers have been growing for decades.
I tried my own edibles for sleep, and found that while they made me drowsy, the edibles also increased my appetite, so instead of slumbering off to bed, I wanted a SANDWICH, really bad. Ever try to go to sleep when you're starving? It doesn't work. Edibles take too long to take effect, so I never considered them my go-to drug for pain relief. I don't even remember if they work for pain.
Dispensaries will let you buy just one gram if you want, and that might run you $10-15 per gram, depending on the strain. Before I made connections with individual growers, I bought one gram at a time of a few different strains, so it's no big deal to buy a small amount. If you smoke it or vaporize it (you'll need a vaporizer for that, which could set you back $100) the onset of effects will be immediate. If you're fumbling around and can't or don't want to roll your own joint, you can buy a "pre-roll" which is just a joint, for about $5-10 (don't quote me, I don't buy my stuff this way).
Edibles have a delayed onset of 90-120 minutes and will make you feel sleepy and a bit high at the same time. Unless you make your own, edibles are a very expensive way to do medical marijuana.
As of July 1, 2016, the state shut down all medical dispensaries. The only way to buy any weed at all is to go to a recreational store. Some recreational stores have a medical endorsement and some do not. The ones with a medical endorsement have "specially trained" bud tenders who can recommend strains or products to suit your medical condition or whatever health effect you're after (pain control, sleep, etc.)
I'd recommend only going to recreational stores that have a medical endorsement, because the recreational stores that don't have a medical endorsement cannot (lawfully) offer you any information on health effects (pain, sleep, etc.)
Here is an interactive map for locating one:
http://wslcb.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=a84ba123b8d94a65aa03ae573a65c1aa
There are two main divisions of cannabis: indica and sativa. Indica strains will make you feel relaxed and a little lethargic. Think of lounging on the couch watching a movie. Sativa strains won't make you feel as sleepy, and they might even make you feel more sociable. Think of indicas for evening and sativas for daytime, and that may help you decide what you want.
When you go into the store, say you're looking for a strain that will do x, y or z. All marijuana will get you high, sorry, that's just the way it is.
Even the so-called high CBD strains will work better if some THC is present. But bud tenders are used to getting requests for high CBD strains, so it's no big deal. I've had pain relief from both indicas and sativas, although typically indicas are recommended for pain.
I did smoke once 5 or 6 years ago, and I really didn't like it. I got paranoid and felt like I couldn't talk. It seems to be so much stronger now than when I was young.
Definitely let the bud tender know this. I think high-THC strains (sativas) can do this to some people.
Recent article:
http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/spincontrol/2016/jul/01/state-maps-medical-marijuana-stores/