I had a work trip to CA and unexpectedly had an extra day in LA. I went to Venice beach and talked to a man steering folks to see a "Kush" Doctor. I explained that I suffered from Small Fiber Sensory Neuropathy.

My disease is extremely painful with the nerves in my legs and feet sending false signals to my brain that my feet were on fire, being electrocuted, or bitten by Fire Ants. The pain is always there 24/7/365 and much worse at night. As I am allergic to most medications I take very strong pain killers (I no longer handle a docket).

I could not go in and get a prescription as I was flying out the next day. A man came up and bummed a smoke (I still smoked then) and when I gave him 3 cigs he was surprised and handed me half a joint. The Kush guy said "I guess now you will find out how well it works."

That night at my hotel I did something I hadn't done in 25 years and smoked the joint. My pain disappeared! It as the first time in 10 years that I didn't hurt! I laid on my bed and cried! I slept well for the first time in ages.

Back in Texas I get drug tested like a probationer just to receive my medicine, which has more side-effects than any pot I could smoke. The fact that I cannot have something that helps me so much while in other states they get to use it for recreation galls me no end! I cannot have it because police would lose a lot of budget money, alcohol manufacturers would lose some sales, and drug companies would also lose out. Our country is seriously F'd up!

I think folks are moving there from all over the country. I'd like to see some data on effects of legal weed on the economy too.

Need to research the Colorado healthcare exchange; I know they set one up. The insurance bastards just collectively withdrew all PPO plans from Texas, as if in collusion. I'm afraid the ACA is not aging very well, right when we might actually need it!

You want to hear a kicker, if I smoke a small bowl for 3 days in a row, I can stop for almost 3 days without the pain returning. If I'm going out of town for a week, I smoke up for a week and get a 5 day reprieve from the pain.

I'm a hardcore lawbreaker as I live in a state where it is not legal to possess or consume.

This is ridiculous, but I'll keep doing it to feel better.

Fwiw, I usually prefer Indica heavy hybrids which relieve the pain and help me sleep like a log with no side effects.

and yes, Mr. Rosenberg, it IS medicine, whether eaten, vaped, or smoked. Did Obama appoint this clown? He should rescind the appointment. No one this ignorant should be in charge of the DEA.

DEA chief, on smoking marijuana: ‘Don’t call it medicine’

The acting chief of the Drug Enforcement Administration on Wednesday called the concept of smokable medical marijuana “a joke” — and he also implored, “don’t call it medicine.”

In his black-and-white assessment of medical cannabis, DEA chief Chuck Rosenberg also contradicted one of the most important and thorough evaluations of marijuana’s medical applications — an exhaustive analysis published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in June.

“There are pieces of marijuana — extracts or constituents or component parts — that have great promise” medicinally, Rosenberg said while briefing reporters on Wednesday, according to CBS News. “But if you talk about smoking the leaf of marijuana — which is what people are talking about when they talk about medicinal marijuana — it has never been shown to be safe or effective as a medicine.”

Original. Part of the problem here is that marijuana is still a Schedule I drug, and so research on weed as a medicine has been hard to come by. Remove it from Schedule I and the evidence will begin flowing. Most of what we have now is only anecdotal evidence, and mine is that my wife only smokes it (does not eat or vape it) and she gets tremendous pain relief in her neck and back. Combine that with the stress-reducing effect, and marijuana is one of THE most effective "medicines" out there.

BTW, another successful trip to CO for medicine. Denver is the place to be if you want the best and least-expensive strains.