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Chronic Conditions and MMJ Consumption Options
by Leah Maurer , contributing writer
One of our avid readers recently wrote me asking , “ I was recently diagnosed with a chronic condition and cannot process foods well or smoke . What are the best MMJ consumption options for me ?”
Leah
Leah Maurer , a native Missourian , is now a canna-journalist and activist living in Portland , OR . She is a co-owner of
www . TheWeedBlog . com , a top national cannabis news and information publication , where she serves as the Editorial Lead . In 2014 , Leah founded Moms for YES on Measure 91 through grassroots efforts alone , it proved pivotal in the passage of the Measure , successfully legalizing recreational / adult-use cannabis in the OR . Leah is a social justice and cannabis activist at the core and hopes to see an end to the prohibition of cannabis globally .
22 February 2022
Many medical marijuana patients seek the use of cannabis for the first time , or for the first time in a very long time , to treat chronic conditions and the symptoms they cause . This can create a multitude of feelings for patients that can range from hopeful to nervous , but remember to be thankful that we even have access to medicinal cannabis as an option for helping treat medical conditions .
Many of the medical marijuana ( MMJ ) qualifying conditions are ones in which patients may experience a great degree of discomfort or outright pain if they were actually to smoke cannabis flower . Likewise , many conditions do not allow for the ingestion of cannabis , especially in the form of chocolates , gummies , or other edibles you typically find on the market . Thankfully there are other ways to get relief from cannabis that do not require ingesting edibles or smoking flower .
Tinctures
The first product that I recommend for patients who are in this situation is tincture .
● Tinctures , while placed in your mouth with a dropper , are actually a sublingual method of delivery rather than ingestion . Rather than getting absorbed through the digestive system , which happens when you eat an edible , tinctures ( and other photos courtesy Farmhouse Extracts
sublingual products ) rely on absorption through the mucosal membranes under your tongue . Dense with capillaries , these membranes provide a direct route for cannabis to enter your bloodstream . By holding sublingual products under the tongue , patients are able to medicate quickly and with ease .
● Tinctures are the most common product for sublingual delivery , but there are also sprays , strips , mints , and other products that dissolve under your tongue . What they all have in common is their method of absorption .
Sublinguals differ from edibles because they bypass the digestive system and are absorbed almost immediately . Effects can usually be felt within 15 minutes of ingestion .
● For medical marijuana patients who need fast relief from symptoms that come on quickly , sublinguals are a