How do you buy cannabis oil?

Factual Questions
1

My dad has epilepsy and dementia and my mom has trouble sleeping. A couple of coworkers have told me that they take the oil in a gummy bear form that they buy from a dispensary that is just down the road from me (I am on Vancouver Island, if it matters).

My mom would like to try some of the gummy bears so we went today to the store. In my mind it would be like a health food store with various bottles and things on shelves that you take a look at, read the labels…

It wasn’t like that, at all. There is a window and a person behind the counter and you go and tell them what you want. We don’t know what we want or how much anything costs or even the names of products. So we stood around, awkwardly, for a few moments while other customers were being helped, and then left.

How does it work? What do we ask for? How much do these things cost? What’s the dosage?

2

There are lots of search results on eBay for this–it is apparently hemp oil.

3

Thank you, that’s very helpful.

4

I’ve never been to one of these dispensaries, but from what I’ve heard and seen on news reports on them, many are like that. So perhaps look for another store? You might find a more friendly one in the city.

5

The two main ingredients are THC and CBD. I guess some cannabis products will have both but you may want to try products that focus on CBD first, it’s far less likely to result in unpleasant experiences or too much impairment.

Here’s a short video from an informative channel: CBD: Marijuana Without the High - YouTube
While doing your research beforehand is a good idea, it’s ok to ask questions at the dispensary. You can’t be the only one who’s curious about cannabis use but isn’t an expert.
You could also make cannabis oil on your own although that can be hit or miss.

6

cannabis oil is a newer form of woo where people claim it cures just about everything. dementia, cancer, psoriasis, etc. I think there was one here but I can’t find it.

7

My husband tried some for his wrists. He went in and asked questions. The people behind the counter were more than happy to help. He told them his problem and what he was trying to do (get pain relief, anti-swelling if possible), they recommended some options, he picked out a few things and tried them.

You might look for a dispensary that markets itself more as a medical place, then a recreational one. At this point, there are a lot of strains, packaged a lot of ways (you want edibles it sounds like). A medical dispensary might have more information on what would be helpful for your mother, solely based on feedback they get from their customers.

8

er, did they work?

9

Thank you for the helpful replies. I also got a couple pm’s with links/info. I feel a bit better equipped to go back and ask some questions.

Anyone have any anecdotes about the oil working/not working/helping/not helping?

10

My 88 year old mother takes 3:1 CBD:THC tincture drops under her tongue when she feels a migraine coming on. It has pretty much solved that problem. They do make more potent CBD mixtures, and she would like to try that.

I can see that it is helping. Bright sunlight doesn’t bother her nearly as much as it used to (bright light was a trigger for her migraines). She also says that it has helped her tinnitus. My mom is VERY sensitive to any type of pain killers/opioids (she broke her hip and has cracked vertebra). She hates them, and would often rather deal with the pain. CBD does not affect her the same. I actually just talked to her about this. It does not make her feel ‘loopy’ (as CBD shouldn’t)

I have horrible constant tinnitus where I need hearing aids now. I’ll give CBD tincture a shot, but don’t have great expectations.

For the OP, MJ has helped many that have seizures, perhaps it will help with epilepsy. I rather doubt that it will help with sleep problems. But who knows. And that’s the problem. Nobody is studying it because of arcane laws in the US. And it’s a bit of a two edged sword. It is mostly affordable now, but if big pharm gets their mits in it, well, I doubt the price will go down.

If it matters, yes, I live in a legal MJ state, and smoke for recreation perhaps once a week. One or two hits and a movie makes for a nice night at home.

11

Gimpy, do you think your father could stick to a low carb diet? I presume he doesn’t make his own meals. If it’s a possibility, you may want to look into a ketogenic or low carb diet to reduce the symptoms of epilepsy Ketogenic diet - Wikipedia

and skying?

12

Guessing you meant skiing. Nope. I’m surrounded by world class ski resorts, but I hate skiing. Took me a few years to figure that out.

It was a bit of a :smack: moment.

I get plenty of time ass deep in the snow without actively seeking it.

13

I got some at a vape store. The bottle says “Legal in 50 states” I take a drop on the tongue sometimes.

AFAIK CBD is not as present in weed nowadays because of agricultural practices. So one might take it to make a cannabis experience more of the “entourage” effect of all the active ingredients historically in cannabis, and not just to have as high THC as possble.

14

I’ve known a few people who didn’t get the expected benefit from using marijuana as medicine … they tend to stay quiet about it since it’s so damn Politically Incorrect around here to say such things … it’s another tool in the doctor’s toolbox and and sometimes marijuana just doesn’t help at all …

15

I’ve heard medical mj can help reduce lip cysts.
:flees:

16

You have to be careful buying oil. Here’s why in a short somewhat incomplete reason. Cannabis is legal in my state.

Cannabis has 2 ingredients you need to be aware of.
The first is THC, that little substance that’s psychoactive (you get high).
Also in the plant is another substance, CBD.

If you want Mom to sleep better at night, get a high THC, Low CBD herbal (plant) offering. Learn to vape it with a portable vaporizer (about 200 bucks) Do NOT smoke it. CO and soot are present in the smoke. Not in the vaporized “steam.” Looking at the prescription information I have from my MD, Indica strands are recommended for people not sleeping well. As she’s about to retire for the day it won’t matter if the substance is psychoactive, she’ll be asleep. Expect to pay about 10 to 12 bucks for a gram of premium top shelf stuff from a recognized farm or cooperative. Dosage is a matter of MD judgment, and I’m not qualified to go there.
I’ve seen Indica and Hybrids (sativas) with reported THC levels of 28+%. By comparison, the “pot” from the 60s tests about 3 to 5% THC. Typically, these are in the indica or hybrid (indica pollinating a sativa ) group. Indica, or in-da-couch as it’s called, is stronger, way stronger.

Now, THC really means nothing, other than a reference to the strength of the cannabis, because CBD is also present in the plants. CBD destroys the psychoactivity of the cannabis. High CBD with high THS is a wash for the psychoactivity. This is a good thing in part. CBD oils are NOT psychoactive, that is, they don’t leave you “stoned.” So a person using a CBD oil does not experience the high, and is otherwise “normal” assuming the oil is properly labeled. Also, there are herbal offerings (plant) that are high in CBC if vaping is your choice. Parents treating their children (under a MD’s supervision) use very high CBD for that reason. And it apparently works.

Basically, to do this right, you need a MD to check your parents and approve them for the therapy. Then you need a reliable and ethical source and someone who understands your needs and has the appropriate “correctly labeled” offerings.

There are many other things to consider and I don’t want to cross any board lines here and , of course, IANAMD. If you still have questions, I’ll try to help get you find the appropriate authority on the matter.

I just checked the local “dispensary.” They currently have about 50 different indicas, and 52 different sativas available. Almost all of which was grown indoors. (Don’t use anything grown outdoors) Plus a long list of oils, edibles, creams and drinks, all with THC or CBD.

17

In the bolded portion: Are you sayng CBD affects the THC effect? A wash means it does. I had thought that chemicals acted together in cannabis, but not in a mitigating sense.

So you wouldn’t take CBD when you were using THC? What about the entourage effect? Any opinion?

18

THC and CBD are present in all cannabis in differing amounts. CBD lowers the potency of the psychactivity (the THC), but not the other medicinal purposes of cannabis. Example. AC/DC is a high CBD strand of cannabis that is marketed as CBD. IE, a warning that the CBD is high, so the psychoactivity is low or not there at all. CBD is not either/or in a cannabis plant.

19

I spend some time looking seriously at the issue when California was looking for an appropriate test to determine if a motorist for instance, was intoxicated on cannabis.

Hold on, I’ll ramble a bit, then I’ll get there.

The states determine that THC presence in your system is indicative of being intoxicated on cannabis. This is not the case for 2 major reasons.

  1. Unlike alcohol, which is water soluble and therefore easily measured on your breath, THC is fat soluble and is such, takes considerably longer to leave your system. 30 days plus. You can show positive 25 days after use and they can’t tell if you used 25 days ago, or last night.

  2. High CBD cannabis (yes, it has some THC, but the effect of the THC is neutralized to the extent that CBD was present). So, a person using a CBD strand, would have 0psychoactivity, having never being stoned for a minute, yet test positive for THC in their system.

The entourage effect. Some of the Eastern states who are struggling with medical use right now, (I don’t want to google which ones they are), allow only certain parts of the chemicals, certainly no THC, to be used. The problem with this is that the 17 (IIRC) chemicals present all work together to do their magic. When separated, they fail.
I don’t know how the oils are extracted, and what steps are taken to isolate the various chemicals or if in fact, it works. Basically, I’m referring to the herbal offerings here.

22

Thanks for your response. Can I clarify one thing: Are you saying that if I take CBD oil, when I am using cannabis, it will be a waste of resources, because one of them mitigates the other?

BTW I haven’t been able to track the chemistry of the strains I’ve had. Maybe some time.