I don’t have any need for these products…yet… knock on wood! However, I’m curious…how/where do you purchase them? Your local CVS or grocery store drug aisle? A dispensary only?
I’m also curious more about how people use the product - and what’s so “magical” that it takes pain away?? (CBD specifically).
The confusion of the posters here underscores why the FDA is doing what it is doing: every approved drug has to meet certain standards, and the makers of any generic versions have to prove that they are equivalent. People complain about paying $50 for a prescription and don’t bat an eye at paying twice that much for a tincture that may or may not be of any help… because it may or may not have any active ingredients.
@conmama some states only became legal last year but most were before. It’s legal everywhere now afaik
Yes, There are now CBD candies and products in some grocery stores–think Whole Foods type.
I agree that this needs to be regulated so that the consumer is paying for what they think they are paying for. I researched the dispensaries and went to a well known one that specialized in medical marijauna in the beginning.
If you find a good place they take time to educated you and then it is trial and error and talking with friends who have not yet admitted their use ;). My favorite place is often filled with folks my own age. It is becoming a huge “no big deal” here but then this is Oregon…
“I agree that this needs to be regulated so that the consumer is paying for what they think they are paying for.”
There is a giant pushback from the industry against any regulations. As long as there are no medicinal/treatment claims made, the supplements can be marketed… Buyer beware.
How would cbd with thc compare to Percocet? That’s what I was just prescribed for after my surgery and trust me when I say it’s desperately needed. I don’t get addicted as it doesn’t make me high and I usually have to weigh whether how bad I feel taking it is worse than the pain.
But there comes a time when the pain is bad, at like 7 or so and I need relief without the terrible nausea and blech feeling from oxy level meds.
@oregon101 before it became legal, my parents were part of a weed “church” and they were among the younger people there. And this is Michigan! Lol
Timely article that I gained some good info from - a good CBD for dummies. 
So one of the things about the Medical marijuana states is that the contents is tested and the percentages of CBD vs THC are indicated. So you probably have a better grasp of what you’re buying.
Here’s a website with some information. https://www.verilife.com/ma
Right now cannabis and its various forms and extracts is enjoying a huge boom, especially online. It’s being touted as a miracle treatment for a whole host of diseases - many of them unrelated to the others - cancer, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, epilepsy, Crohn’s disease - you name it. That makes it sound suspiciously like a modern version of a 19th century snake oil cure-all.
I’ve got nothing against cannabis as such. I’m perfectly willing to try some cannabis-derived medication for my own health problems after it has been rigorously proven to be safe and effective. In other words after it has been shown by real science to be a real medication and not merely another marketing hype miracle-cure or a glorified placebo effect. But currently the medical cannabis field is very confused. The cure claims are all over the place.
Real medical science will make modest claims accompanied with cautions and limitations. Pseudoscience and online hype will loudly make extravagant claims of miracle cures for a whole host of diseases. A true miracle drug might be able to treat two or three different problems – usually related conditions that share a biological pathway or origin. More questionable treatments will claim to cure a long list of ailments - say 10 or more often unrelated conditions.
+1 @Scipio. What I see is not the underlying condition being treated but rather symptoms being dealt with (knock a person out, and she will not feel the pain as much). Which is not a bad thing, but it is not a miracle cure.
I don’t think there is any question it can help with symptoms of certain conditions. Things like pain, inflammation, stress, etc. I don’t think it “cures” anything. A big issue is the varieties, availability, and dosing consistency.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta did a couple of very thoughtful documentaries for CNN over the years (2013-2015?) that are available to watch in YouTube. Dr. Gupta himself had a change of heart regarding medical cannibus useage (from not so sure to very sure of its properties) and has written white papers on the subject as well. He traveled the world where medical cannibus has been in use for years. Myself, and many my age (and younger and older) are turning to it vs traditional pain medication (sometimes in conjunction with traditional pain medication). The local senior citizen housing development has partnered with a well-known dispensary, and once a month the dispensary sends a bus to transport its senior patients to/from. My 90 year old aunt says medical cannibus gave her her life back after having hip replacements back to back over 2 years.
In addition to subscribing to the product(s) I am also an investor - putting my money where my proverbial mouth is. I use creams (salves), edibles and vaporizers. I live in a legal state.
My daughter’s mother-in-law is a lovely person, an upper middle class suburbanite and former Catholic school administrator. She does not have a rebellious bone in her body. I am confident that she never (or hardly ever) inhaled in her youth. She is a gigantic fan of CBD cream for just about anything. Arthritis pain relief (her main use), allergy symptoms, general aches and pains, stress. If permitted, she will talk for hours about it and insist on slathering some on you.
My foot was starting to ache in a specific place this afternoon. I put some of the cream they gave me as a sample. I kid you not, within 5 minutes the pain was gone and I don’t have it still.
From what I’ve read it’s important to buy from a source that publishes independent lab assays by a third party which should include the percentage of CBD, and heavy metal report The process by which CBD is made is important for purity and Knowing the source of the plant (USA only)
Weird question here, if you put it on your skin can it be detected in a traditional drug test? I work for the government and use of any CBD or other marijuana related products are prohibited. I am intrigued by products for joint pain that are creams. Will avoid though if it means losing my job.
I know something about all this because I deal with it at work and also did a lot of research into it (both CBD and THC) for use with my pets. I have some THC cream that I got in Colorado last summer to try to help a running injury. It wasn’t a cure, but it did make it feel better. THC is the regulated substance and it is not legal for either medicinal or recreational use in my state. CBD has exploded, as has been noted. I was just at a small town festival and there were 4 CBD booths. I had already ordered some oil that you take orally with a dropper. The dosage is hard to figure out and the stuff tastes terrible- like fish oil. I can get it down my cat. I haven’t been consistent, but it is supposed to help with joint pain (goal for the older dog) and behavioral issues (the cat). It’s expensive and I just haven’t really figured it all out.