Alternative or holistic medicines and
homeopathic treatments have been used for centuries.
It is only since the commercialization of our medical
systems that pharmaceutical drugs have become the
"only" doctor approved remedies. Drugs are
big business, with huge multi-billion dollar companies
offering some form of pill for anything and everything
that ails you. Pharmaceutical preparations are "patented"
protecting the formulation and their duplication by
others. We have said elsewhere that you can't patent
a plant. Hence big corp doesn't want you to be able
to self-medicate with something you could grow in
your back yard. They would lose their revenues!
People choose cannabis because it is
completely natural, and provides much needed relief
from a multitude of ailments. The dosage is easy to
regulate when smoked, providing just the amount required
to be effective, and the side effects are pleasant!
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Please remember that although you can
legally possess and consume cannabis for medicinal
reasons when you have your Health Canada permit, there
is still no legal way for you to obtain your cannabis
unless you grow it yourself.
In an attempt of bridge the gap between
the legislation and the medicinal need of individuals,
the gray area of "Compassion Centers" is
helping to fill prescriptions. These are basically
grass roots organizations that provide cannabis to
people possessing Health Canada cannabis exemption
certificates. These operations are not legal by law,
however they are "tollerated" because of
the need they fill.
The following organizations should
be able to help you with any questions concerning
medicinal marijuana. Including how to find a doctor
who will help, how to fill out the Health Canada Exemption
forms, or to fill your cannabis prescription. When
contacting them please let them know that you found
them through us, we'd appreciate it!
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Cannabis is either smoked or eaten (and
in special cases applied topically). Each method of
use has its advantages and disadvantages. They can
be used separately or together.
Smoking is the most common way people
use marijuana. It is very fast acting. Within a few
seconds of inhaling, THC reaches the lungs and it's
absorbed by the blood system. As soon as it reaches
the receptors in the brain and organs, usually in
less than a minute, its effects can be felt.
Smoked marijuana is especially advantageous when there's
a problem with nausea or lack of appetite, since you
don't have to eat it.
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| Methods
of utilizing medicinal marijuana include: |
Joints:
(marijuana cigarettes) probably the
most common way people smoke marijuana. They are convenient
to use, easy to carry and dispose of, leave no paraphernalia
trail, and are easily shared.
Pipes:
Growing in popularity, many people prefer
them over joints. Since they use no paper or glue,
so the smoke contains no impurities. They usually
have small bowls, so that just a small amount of bud
can be used. This prevents waste from sidestream smoke.
They come in different designs from very basic to
very artsy. Pipes can be made out of glass, wood,
metal and plastic.
Waterpipes and bongs:
Waterpipes work by drawing through a
water filter. This both cools the smoke and removes
particles from it, making the draw smoother. A bong
is a specialized type of waterpipe; it has a larger
chamber in which the smoke is held before is inhaled.
When the carburetor is released, a large amount of
smoke is inhaled quickly.
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Vaporizers:
consist of a large glass sphere containing
a heating element on which the cannabis is placed.
When the cannabis reaches the point of vaporization,
the sphere fills with mist. A long plastic tube extruding
from inside the glass sphere is used for inhaling
the vaporized cannabinoids.
Ingestion:
produces somewhat different effects
from inhalation because material that is eaten is
first processed by the liver before it reaches the
brain. Ingested marijuana takes longer to be felt
and its effects last longer. The long lasting nature
of ingested marijuana can be very helpful. Some people
regulate their condition by eating small amounts or
marijuana, they barely feel any effect from the drug
except for the relief of their symptoms.
The major drawback of ingestion is that
the effective dose can be hard to predict. A given
oral dose may be absorbed more or less easily. It
may take several hours to take full effect.
External application:
External applications of marijuana to
the skin in the form of ointments, lotions or poultices,
for treatment of other joints and other ailments.
Topical cannabis applications have been used in folk
medicine in India and Latin America. One popular treatment
for arthritis in the Mexican-American community in
to wrap the affected joints in a poultice, or a bandage
of cannabis leaves. In order to promote extraction
of the cannabinoids, the leaves are soaked in alcohol.
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