Eugene, Oregon Cannabis Job:64. How Does Weed Help with Autoimmune Diseases? Treating Crohn’s Disease with Cannabis

[Tokeativity]

Raising awareness about cannabis & autoimmune diseases.

Did you know that between 5-8% of the population has an autoimmune disease - and that women are diagnosed with autoimmune diseases at a rate of 2:1 compared to men? On today’s episode, we learn about how cannabis helped one woman with the painful symptoms of Crohn’s Disease, and hear practical tips about cannabis medicine from a doctor who treats patients with autoimmune conditions. May is Crohn’s Disease awareness month, and we’re very grateful to Timeka Drew for sharing her story.

Transcript below.

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LINKS

Timeka Drew

Biko Flower

Dr. June Chin

CREDITS

Host: Ellen Lee Scanlon
Producer: Nick Patri
Brand manager: Madi Fair

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TRANSCRIPT FOR DO THE POT EPISODE 64

Ellen Lee Scanlon (20:12):

Some people don't feel comfortable smoking, even if it can help their symptoms. Dr. Chin gets a lot of questions about inhalable medicine in her practice.

Dr. June Chin (20:20):

I think the biggest thing is people think cannabis, smoke and tobacco, they just normally just lump it together. But the inhalation patterns of cannabis smoking is very different than cigarette smoking. So cannabis smokers, they hold their breath four times longer and they take in the cannabis smoke and then that's all they need. With tobacco, you're this chain smoking, you're using it throughout the day. Vaping is a safer form of inhalation than using the dried flower, unless you're using a pen that controls the temperature. So the key when you're using an inhaled form is healthier draw and temperature control. You can control how much it burns from your dried flower to the vape partridge.

Ellen Lee Scanlon (21:04):

Having control over how much burns is a good thing. Dr. Chin has a specific recommendation for the heat settings on a vape pen and a tip for staying hydrated.

Dr. June Chin (21:13):

The studies have shown that the sweet spot is about 390°. And so a lot of these brands that you can control the temperature, you can set to 390, that when you are using smokable version of cannabis, whether through a vaporizer or dried flower, what you can also do is just protect your mucus membranes. So maybe have some elderberry, zinc lozenges handy, chamomile tea. You can combine something like that when you're going to use it, so that your mucus membrane stay well hydrated and not as dry.

Ellen Lee Scanlon (21:43):

Well, I hope you found Timeka's story inspiring. Please remember that finding the right cannabis to support symptoms of Crohn's and auto immune diseases will likely take some experimenting. If you're ready to buy weed and try it, Timeka shares what amount of THC works for her.

Timeka Drew (21:58):

I've definitely been in a lot of different places in my journey in terms of cannabis over the last 20 years, from having access to very high quality cannabis, to really having nothing but shake for quite some time. With higher THC content might not take as much, I might be okay after that first half of the joint, and I'll be able to save the other half until later on during the day or after I eat lunch. And even when I had nothing but shake, as long as I smoked that joint, which is probably a lower, much lower THC percentage joint, probably something like 13% at the most, 15% at the very most, it would help stop things in their tracks.

Ellen Lee Scanlon (22:51):

For today's high five, treating Crohn's and other autoimmune diseases with cannabis. Number one, cannabis and Crohn's. About 3 million people in the US are living with Crohn's disease. And Crohn's is actually one of the auto-immune diseases that affect men and women equally. Number two, how does cannabis help? Cannabinoids like THC and CBD are potent anti-inflammatory and pain relievers that are able to treat the chronic underlying inflammation, which is the root cause of the disease. Number three, what consumption method works best for Crohn's patients? Inhalation or smoking works best for Crohn's because the carrier oils and tinctures can cause stomach upset. Look for the highest quality cannabis you can find, but it may not have to have a very high level of THC to provide relief. If you're using a vape pen, like a packs, set the temperature to 390° and some tea or lozenges around too.

Ellen Lee Scanlon (23:47):

Number four, mental health. Women with autoimmune diseases are more likely to experience anxiety and depression, cannabinoids can interact with psych medications, Dr. Chin recommends taking a team approach and working with your psychiatrist or therapist if you want to integrate cannabis medicine. Number five, drug interactions. If you're considering cannabis, experts recommend starting with the least crucial medications you're taking to treat your condition. Cannabis is known to modulate pain and help with nausea, so women often start experimenting with weed to replace what they're taking, to treat those symptoms. For a lot more on drug interactions, as well as tips for how to talk to your doctor, stay tuned to our next episode about auto-immune conditions and lupus. Today's strain is Timeka's favorite to treat her Crohn's disease, blue dream. Blue dream produces a happy, relaxed high without being sedating. Medical patients often get relief from symptoms associated with pain, depression, and nausea. It can bring on dry eyes and dry mouth and may cause headaches in some people.

Ellen Lee Scanlon (24:49):

Blue dream is a really popular strain that you can definitely find in most dispensary's. It will probably be listed as a hybrid. And if you can smell it, you'll notice a sweet berry scent. For today's podcast picks. I like the Happiness Lab hosted by Dr. Laurie Santos. The podcast is based on the psychology course that she teaches at Yale, which is the most popular class in the university's 300 year history. Try an episode called Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: Lao Tzu. And How to Do the Pot. The Mary Jane experience hosted by Strawberry Sequoia. Healing Crohn's With Cannabis. Yvette Stafford Jones' son was suffering from Crohn's disease. They tried everything and cannabis was the most effective treatment. She's now on a mission to spread the word so no one has to suffer the way that her son did.

Ellen Lee Scanlon (25:40):

Thank you for listening to How to Do the Pot. You can find us on Instagram @dothepot and for lots more information and past episodes, visit dothepot.com. A special thanks to Kimberly Murphy for her help with this episode. Thanks to April Pride, Madi Fair, our brand manager and our producer, Nick Patri. I'm Ellen Scanlon, and we'll be back soon with more of How to Do the Pot.

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