Born and raised in Amsterdam, I have to put my penny in the plate ;-)
First of all, they strongly advice AGAINST smoking medical marijuana, it is not the best way to get best benefits from it. It can be drunk as a tea or taken through a special inhaler.

The issue of taking medical marijuana when you have kids, has been held over here as well. Most parents take it in the evening when young kids have gone to bed, having a cup of 'tea' in the evening. It is clear for older kids that MM is different from the stuff you smoke at parties. In Holland it is a prescription drug and not at all easy to get hold of. I realize I'm repeating myself, I responded to this post first time around if you're interested.

This didn't seem to come up, but RA can sometimes trigger glaucoma (in combination with iritis??) My cousin had this and lost the sight in her left eye. She is very straight, but regrets she never had the opportunity to at least try it, to save her vision. Now it is legal in Canada, although you have to get it prescribed. My lungs are bad, so I never considered it, but tea is my favorite, so if the nerve pain and flares ever get worse, I will put it on my to-do list!

As many know, California has legalized medical marijuana, although there is still a lot of contention with Federal law. There are a lot of "shady" establishments, as one would have to expect in the *criminal* enviroment that marijuana exists in, but there are plenty of dispenseries that are completely legitimate. Medical marijuana isn't dispensed by an variety of strains, but the good dispenseries send samples to labs to test THC content and test for the present of molds, so that *product* can be labeled properly.

I personally haven't found any pain relief from marijuana, per se, but I have found that it takes my mind away from pain (as well as most everything else) briefly.

I feel that marijuana should be legalized and regulated, and there should be the same kind of penalities that exists for drinking and driving. I don't see that morality enters into the discussion on marijuana, but I certainly understand anyone's objections, as well as their objections.

There are other ways of using marijuana. You can buy foods with it, instead of smoking. just a thought. I've never used it, I tried it when younger, but my oldest son mentioned it to me.
cathy

I used to smoke pot, a long time ago before the RA, but I don't have any recent experience to contribute. However, if you don't want to smoke it, why not make cookies with it? You can make "butter" with it to use it in your baking (don't ask me how, though) - cookies, cakes, banana bread, etc. I have quite a few acquaintances who are marvelous bakers!

I heard that if you can't buy baked products with it already in it, then it is not cost effective. I don't know that is just what i have heard. you have to use to much to get any result. you could try a vaporizor that actually doesn't burn the weed just vaporizes it into a bag. I have never tryed it that way but i hear it is good. i just smoke it when i am in pain. i find that is just the best way for me. it cost enough to buy and here in fl it is illegal so it is just a big project to get it. so by the time i get it i just want to just sit and just make the pain go. i smoke it , it is fast and easy. i use the kind of pipe with a cover on it so i cover it as soon as i take my hit so it won't burn at all then the none of the weed gets wasted with joint weed is wasted. my advice but then who am i. just an average person trying to make this hell called RA not make me go insane from the pain!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol,lol,lol which ever way you go i hope it helps you.

:)

some of you have mentioned you put mj in tea????????? please explain this. I would like to try this. do you just put the leaves in the tea?????????? lol,lol,lol I know this sound silly but I have never heard of this.

thank you