Been there, done that Gloria...only it was in brownies that a friend made and didn't tell me she put that "stuff" in them. I thought they tasted kind of weird but didn't want to offend my friend by telling her that so I just ate the brownie as fast as I could. And basically found myself later on praying that same prayer you did...except I said I would never eat another brownie in case somebody fooled me again. No, I don't know the street language, etc. and don't plan to get "chummy" enough with all that stuff to need to know it. If I ever get to that point where I need it legally for medicinal purposes I'm pretty sure I know where to get some "untainted seeds" to grow my own.
If you look on the aerogarden groups on facebook, it appears that a lot of people are doing just that, Babs. From what I have read, you lose most of the benefits by smoking it, if you want to take it for health and pain relief. There are many different species of hemp/cannabis, and the ones they sell to get high are the ones with the THC that makes you high; but that is not the part that helps with pain. Supposedly, the best way for it to help with pain is to eat it, and they suggest putting it into a smoothie (fresh picked) and drink it, and then you get the full benefits. Also, from what I am understanding, a whole different part of the plant is used. To get high, people smoke the “bud” which is where the THC is concentrated. For actual healing from the plant, the leaves have the most of that part. I would grow some and try it if it were legal here, just to see if it helps. Personally, I think that it should be legal to grow it for your own use anywhere.
Here is an interesting article that I had read and saved about basil. It is perfectly legal to grow, and is supposed to have about the same healing properties as medical marijuana has, but without the properties that make people high. I grow basil, and have used it in salads and cooking, and sometimes in smoothies; but I have not used it consistently enough to see if it would help much or not, as far as an anti-inflammatory for pain relief. http://www.offthegridnews.com/alternative-health/medicinal-uses-and-health-benefits-of-basil/
I'm just amazed at what a wealth of information you are @Yvonne Smith. If I'm ever in the position where I would need it for pain or nausea....I would smoke it first to see if it would work...because after eating that brownie with it in it the thought of eating marijuana ever again is downright scary! However I do like smoothies so I might be able to handle putting some in that...if the need ever arises...and I hope it doesn't. I wonder if making a "green" smoothie with the leaves has other health benefits besides helping with pain and nausea. I always thought it was the crushed up leaves that was being rolled up and smoked. That's what it always looked like to me way back when. There was a lot of people getting high off those leaves back then. Maybe the bud was crushed in with the leaves. I think it should be legalized too. Untainted marijuana to me was no different than drinking a couple of beers way back in my hippie days. And I liked that it didn't make me feel bloated like beer did. I think eventually it will be legalized but as I said in an earlier post I think the Drug Companies will try to get control of all usage of it so they can profit from it and us.
http://www.governing.com/gov-data/state-marijuana-laws-map-medical-recreational.html State Marijuana Laws in 2017 Map Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia currently have laws broadly legalizing marijuana in some form. Seven states and the District of Columbia have adopted the most expansive laws legalizing marijuana for recreational use. Most recently, California, Massachusetts, Maine and Nevada all passed measures in November legalizing recreational marijuana. California’s Prop. 64 measure allows adults 21 and older to possess up to one ounce of marijuana and grow up to six plants in their homes. Other tax and licensing provisions of the law will not take effect until January 2018. Several legislatures in states recently passing legalization measures are debating regulatory proposals around the use and sale of marijuana. Massachusetts lawmakers were weighing bills earlier this year that would lower the amount residents can legally possess and place restrictions on retail stores. A number of states have also decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana. Some medical marijuana laws are broader than others, with types of medical conditions that allow for treatment varying from state to state. Several states (not shown on the map below) have passed narrow laws allowing residents to possess cannabis only if they suffer from certain rare medical illnesses. Our map shows current state laws and recently-approved ballot measures legalizing marijuana for medical or recreational purposes. Final rules for recently-passed medical marijuana laws are pending in Arkansas, Florida and North Dakota. Information is current as of Sept. 14, 2017. Marijuana Legalization Status Medical marijuana broadly legalized Marijuana legalized for recreational use No broad laws legalizing marijuana Some states shown above with no laws broadly legalizing medical marijuana provide limited access under certain circumstances. States like Alabama and Mississippi, for instance, maintain laws permitting medical marijuana for severe epileptic conditions. I could not get the map to show here but if you click on the link it will show the map...and also the fact that here in Louisiana marijuana has been legalized for medicinal purposes...and I had no idea it was.
That's good news...but to tell you the truth Yvonne...if I have to ever use it for medicinal purposes I think I'd like to keep the the "high" part of it too.
@Chrissy Cross marijuana is legal in your state so you definitely could try it if your pain gets to bad. It's also legal in @Ken Anderson's state according to that map I put the link too. Strange things are happening and I haven't even been paying attention.
It's confusing though....federal I think supercedes state law. I know there's been problems with it in Fresno but I'm not exactly sure since I haven't considered using it.
@Yvonne Smith Thanks for the basil article. I may see if Trader Joe's sells basil when I go there tomorrow. They sell potted herbs. @Babs Hunt It's scary how much big business all medical is. They don't want any alternate used if they are not making tons of money off it.
You are so right about that @Kitty Carmel and that makes me really mad at times. There are so many natural remedies out there but if someone brings up a natural remedy big business and the FDA will try to tell you it won't work...and it's not safe to try it because it hasn't been approved. I'd rather try natural remedies anytime before having to resort to chemical compounds that have such horrific side effects so often.
Basil is not hard to grow, Kitty; and you can keep the tops trimmed, and it will get bushy just like a coleus plant does, so even. Couple of plants should provide quite a bit of basil. You can also root the stalks easily (again similar to a coleus) and start more plants, and it can be either outside or inside, except in the winter, of course. Mine are outside now, and I have both the purple and the green basil, but except for the color, I have not noticed much difference.
@Yvonne Smith Thank you for the information. I just thought of having it inside in the winter though. My tabby will never stand for it. She'll be in attack mode. I'll have to figure out a up high place and hope that will stop her. She is very determined to be bad!