By Dan Williams
Cannabis: from convulsions and partial paralysis to normality in less than a minute.
Part 1 consisted of my history and brief experience with cannabis as a seizure treatment; it can be found in the previous issue of Candid Chronicle or on candidchronicle.com/seizures-and-weed.
Now I will get us into the nitty gritty of it. What strains are supposed to help, and which ones I’ve tried, and what types work best.
Many have heard about the little girl that had dozens of seizures a day. When her parents decided to give their child the oil extract of a certain strain the seizures totally stopped, as long as they remembered to administer it. Her name is Charlotte, and the strain was given her name: Charlotte’s Web. It does wonders for seizures, yet can be difficult to find. It took me five years to find it, and that was by accident, after moving to Humboldt County, CA.
Charlotte’s Web and the many other strains that help with seizures contain a higher level of the CBD molecule compared to the THC molecule, which is responsible for getting you high. Think about it this way, Create a Better Day (CBD) and The High Chemical (THC). I mean, THC certainly makes the day better, but it’s the CBD that has the real medical benefits. The High Chemical will help you to not care about your pain, but that which Creates a Better Day will ease the conditions that cause the pain, at least with seizures.
I use a Charlotte’s Web vaporizer pen quite often and in any location. If someone has a problem with it, I let them know that the alternative seizure is far more of a problem than a medical vaporizer that has almost no smell.
Other strains I have found success with include, but not limited to, Cannatonic (high CBD), Trident (balanced), Girl Scout Cookies, Sour Diesel, Harle-Tsu, and Strawberry Fields.
Strains I’ve researched, but haven’t tried, that are supposedly good: Bordello, 3D CBD, CBD Critical Cure, Canna-Tsu, Doctor Doctor, Harry Potter, Irish Cream, Jamba Juice, Little Dragon, Nebula II CBD, TJ’s CBD.
There are many more which are helpful. Most strains will help in some way, though there are some that can be detrimental. Anything that vastly increases anxiety is something to avoid. I’ve gotten a few strains from other sources that have really messed me up bad. Just the other night, Jerry Garcia sent me into a mess of convulsions. It’s often a guessing game, even with research. I try to avoid anything mixed with Headband or Train Wreck.
I’ve also found that sativa-heavy hybrids seem to work best. I’m trying to stop the paralyzation, not put me “In Da Couch.” But a full sativa can often be a source of anxiety. The Sativa is good for getting yourself energized: being active, creative. Indica is good for relaxing but can cause body-lock, or the “in da couch” effect. Having a good balance can provide enough relaxation to stop the pain while providing enough energy to function like a normal human.
I choose not to use edibles because it takes far longer for them to take effect, and it is much more difficult to control the negative reactions (the high,) especially with baked goods. There are two forms of THC; the high effect is from the inert THC being heated and changing forms. This is what causes edibles, which requires heating to make the butter, and then again if baked, to cause such a greater high than liquid drops, oils, or even smoking. Personally, I would rather not wait the half hour for the THC to digest and get into my system and end up super high. The vape pen and smoking work instantly and it is relatively easy to control how high you’re going to get.
About a year ago, I heard about a boy with seizures that his parents put a cannabis oil on the bottoms of his feet, which stopped his seizures. I haven’t tried this, but it is an option. Many people will also mulch the entire plant, and juice it. The raw cannabis juice is supposed to be very beneficial. All this stuff can be researched on YouTube, and I highly recommend that anyone interested in what forms work best, and what strains, do a lot of YouTube research. But I hope this has been helpful, too.
