Let me start by saying I have no medical experience or training whatsoever, everything I am writing today is, based on personal experience. Fate has sadly dealt me two nasty health blows. In 1998 I was afflicted with a quite disgusting disease, Guillain Barré Syndrome. It paralysed me for twelve weeks and gave me some ongoing life health issues. For one I cannot take flu jags or malaria, dengue fever, etc. I could end up contracting the very thing I am vaccinating against. This was also the case when the dreaded Covid vaccines appeared. I was unable to take Astra Zeneca or similar as they contain some of the dead virus in their make up. I therefore, was only able to take Pfizer or Moderna both which use different technology to administer protection against this deadly virus.
The second problem for me health wise is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or COPD for short. It is the fifth biggest killer in Scotland behind Heart attacks, Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, Lung Cancer, Cerebrovascular disease (Including strokes.) Those of you not familiar with this particular disease it affects lung capacity and makes breathing difficult especially when any exertion is employed. It is degenerative and no cure is on the horizon only treatment.
I was diagnosed with this in 2017 and since then I have done all that I can to hold this disease at arms length. There is no cure and you can only delay the inevitable. I have carried out extensive research to try and fight back as best as I can. I eat as healthy as possible I don’t smoke and try and avoid smokers at all times. I can’t avoid street pollution however my home location is up a mountainside. I swim and walk as much as I can to give my lungs the maximum capacity possible. Sadly, I also have to avoid the damp cold climate of Scotland, especially in winter. I understand not many people are as fortunate as me to live in a climate that is beneficial to their health conditions.
The medical treatment I have received in Catalonia is second to none. I have all the latest medicines, available that have been approved by the medical authorities and the Big Pharma companies. My consultant is a young man with a very good bedside manner. Every year he ensures I receive, X Ray’s, Heart and Lung scans and unlike the UK the doctors here in Spain they actually share all your health outcomes with you. I have copies of every scan and X Ray report carried out on me. I also get regular tests to determine the capacity and deterioration of my lungs. After this series of tests in 2019, my consultant was, able to tell me that only 60% of my lungs were now functional. I must admit it was a shattering blow when he told me this. However no point in crying over spilt milk and all that.
Shortly after that I discovered that Cannabis Oils CBD and THC can help with lung conditions and in particular the research I did pointed to a reduction in inflammation on the lungs with these oils. I looked to source these oils and while they are indeed easy to find they are not cheap. A 10 mil.bottle of CBD can cost around €20 depending on the strength of the oil. A similar bottle of THC €240. It is scandalous. I started using CBD and found an immediate improvement in my health. My breathing was easier my ability to exercise or dig the garden suddenly wasn’t beyond my previous capabilities. Though as a pensioner this extra cost was a slight worry. As with most things the dosage begun steadily needs increased as time goes by so €20 a month quickly became €40.
Fortunately, two factors were to my advantage THC has better effects on conditions like mine and I live in Spain. Here you are allowed to grow two Cannabis plants per person each year as long as it is for your own consumption. You must not resell or otherwise involve others. Spain also has Cannabis private clubs where people can quite openly enjoy cannabis products. It also means you have easy access to good quality seeds. I availed myself of this and bought my first seeds in 2019.
By the end of the summer, I had my first crop of cannabis. Armed with my YouTube videos and countless articles I cut, stored and dried my flowers. I waited several months and then made my oil. Again I gave it time to blend/ferment then proceeded to use my own home made oil. I have not worked out an exact cost of cultivation to product. However, seeds, soil, special fertilisers, sprays etc I reckon at maximum 50 cents a 10 mil bottle.
The saving in money is not the reason I write this, although it is an important factor. It meant that THC Oil was affordable and available to me. Due to Covid my annual visit to my specialist was delayed until March 2021. We did all the tests as usual and looking quite confused my doctor informed me my lung capacity was now 70% not 60% as it had been two years previously. What he or I will never know is if the previous number was wrong or this years number is incorrect or accurate in both instances. That is not the point I am trying to make. I am of the belief that the natural healing of the THC has improved my health.
In Scotland there are 129,000 diagnosed with COPD annually. That is a huge amount of our population that suffer from this terrible, killer disease. How many of them could afford to be paying €240 to €480 a month for a medicine? A medicine that will never cure them, however it may certainly enhance their quality of life and extend it too. They could afford this medicine if they were, as in Spain legally allowed to grow their own two plants and make their own oil just like me.
I know there are lots of potential problems with this.There will always be people that use this to profit, to beat the system. Surely though we could come up with some structures that would contain most of the criminality and profiteering? Literally hundreds of thousands of Scots lives could be transformed with this oil.(IMHO)
As always the usual obstacles remain, a government that lacks the interest, and a middle-class snobbery around ‘drugs.’ Drugs are reserved to Westminster, a matter which it seems our Scottish government seems incapable of challenging. The biggest obstacle, of course, is Big Pharma they want to control all medicines they never want self-cures for anything, only their expensive treatments. They do not want ordinary citizens growing plants that might do that job. If that caught on the 1% might lose a chunk of their wealth. Dividends might be lower, and heaven forefend, profits down a little.
One of the few Scottish politicians to champion Medicinal Cannabis has been SNP MP for Inverclyde Ronnie Cowan. He is a good guy that has been banging this drum alone. Perhaps, some of his fellow, Westminster colleagues could assist him in this worthwhile cause, it is not as if they are too busy trying to get Scotland Independence. They might as well make themselves useful now and again.
What brought me to write this particular article today is this, I have been very ill recently. I was in Dubai and contracted a Bacterial infection/pneumonia. It has affected my breathing and lungs quite dramatically. As it was Dubai, I, of course, did not take my THC Oil with me. I am left wondering if my recent bout of illness would have been easier and my respiratory problems less if I had my THC with me. I will never know. I do though know, I could have been arrested and be facing a very long prison sentence for bringing my herbal medicine there. It is the same in many countries. It really is quite ridiculous in the 21st century that the view of this particular plant is so skewed. We need to change attitudes and minds. At the end of the day the Cannabis Plant is just that, a plant. Its healing elements are well known, it is not addictive, you cannot overdose on it. Attitude, ignorance and snobbery are the biggest obstacles that need smashed.However, by far the biggest roadblock is the greed of big Pharma and the attitude of many of the public.
https://www.healthline.com/health/can-you-overdose-on-marijuana
I will finish this as I began it. I have no medical training, only life experience and my experience of THC/CBD with COPD is favourable. You make up your own mind, speak to your doctor and family. Don’t though just think it can never get better and the medical people and government know best. Let us make this herbal medicine available and affordable for all.
Interesting that the THC appears to have given you the improvement, especially for COPD. I wonder if there are any clinical studies out there to back that up. Could be worth a dig, but probably running into ethics and Big Pharma quite quickly. As for the SG, way too timid on everything it seems, especially drugs policy being reserved, and used time and time again to beat them up for poor performance. Backbone required, can you grow one of them for them?
Remember reading about this study at the start of Covid – have heard nothing further though http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/French-study-Smoking-may-offer-some-protection-15221951.php
https://www.rxleaf.com/can-thc-help-after-a-copd-diagnosis/#:~:text=The%20first%20studies%20about%20cannabis%20and%20COPD%20emerged,decreasing%20muscle%20contractions%20and%20spams%20in%20the%20bronchi.
FYI, just a quick look on a search term; copd thc oil study (to take smoking out of it).
https://www.google.com/search?q=copd+thc+oil+study
Lots of references there to follow-up, like this one..
https://www.healthline.com/health/copd/cbd-oil-for-copd#copd-symptoms
which references the following paper.
https://jcannabisresearch.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42238-019-0014-9
anti-inflammatory effects discussed plus possible mechanisms.
First – good luck with the fight!
I think most people have now forgotten that the first medics were “herbalists”. I fully support modern medicine but like many professionals they want to present their trade as modern.
Those with thousands of years experience discovering which bark to chew (cinchona for Malaria) or which flower to mix with another plant are now shunned.
I would never exclude any option available. I would draw a comparison to one of the great engineers, Brunel, who applied a simple rule “if it doesn’t look right then it probably isn’t”
In Science, Medicine and Engineering solutions are often found in ancient knowledge.
Academic expertise can also be a blindfold. You continue to apply a practical approach and all that really matters is the measured result and more importantly the sense of “doing something / fighting”
Good Luck.
“In Science, Medicine and Engineering solutions are often found in ancient knowledge.”
In my research of ‘small’ ferries I found that the most efficient vessels under around 120m length are catamarans, which the Polynesian’s used for thousands of years. Catamarans comprise two long slender hulls joined by a cross deck which is located above the sea/waves, giving a lower displacement than similar capacity monohulls.
By contrast CalMac’s/CMALs heavy displacement monohull ferries require a great deal more materials, and added power due to their far higher displacement, so cost a lot more to build and operate – three times as much! But that’s they way they’ve aye duin it, and they and RMT are refusing to change, despite the repeated offer of far superior and lower cost proven multihull catamaran solutions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRoE7UQFdyg&t=12s
https://mullandionaferrycommittee.org/webinar-videos/
I agree with you. The person I care for also has COPD and uses THC for anxiety and depression.
Cannabis is, indeed, a wonder drug which is completely misunderstood by many people and which is deliberately demonised by big pharma because it can, with some care, be home grown and therefore cuts out the need for their overpriced, addictive, harmful drugs.
Very few people live their lives without some sort of drug – whether it be caffeine, nicotine or alcohol – each of which are more harmful in that their LD 50s are respectively 300mg/kg, 0.8mg/KG (worse than cyanide) and 7060mg/kg. Researchers have been unable to give any animal enough marijuana to induce death and there is no known LD50 for marijuana in humans – even water is more dangerous and has an overdose level of 90000mg/kg.
The plant itself has a variety of uses in other industries such as rope and textile making – more environmentally friendly than nylon or plastic fabrics made from oil, the skin care industry uses it and, it could, potentially be used as a source of biomass fuel energy.
Capitalism hates anything that can bypass big pharma and the oil industry – hence the reason the plant is so demonised and nothing to do with the perceived “dangers”.
The idea that it causes mental health issues appears to come from the fact that many with existing mental health issues use it to self medicate – in other words – the problem was already there and not brought about by cannabis use. You often find many with mental health issues are also addicted to nicotine and so it could be argued that nicotine is the “gateway drug” and not cannabis.
The chattering nanny-state, middle class, of course, think that if it were legalised then everybody would use it and the working class would down tools and stop working – they always seem to project their own values on to us. Here’s the thing folks – people are using it anyway and carrying on with their jobs in a perfectly reasonable way. Making it legal won’t suddenly make those who had no desire to try it become “stoners”. Smoking and drinking are both legal and dangerous and many of us have never had the need or wish to try either.
I believe, from what I hear from users, that it also gives people insight and can bring about “deep thinking” – the last thing our govts want is for people to actually stop and think – they might waken up to what is actually going on in the world.
When you consider that the Scottish govt is fine with giving kids harmful puberty blockers, the effects of which cannot be reversed, and allowing surgery that permanently mutilates the body and leaves one infertile, you must wonder if they actually care about the health of the people of if the health issue is just an excuse to keep a versatile, natural, herbal remedy illegal – because someone might actually enjoy some of the effects. How very Calvinistic.
I’m on a Cannabis clinical trial for Funtional Neuropathic Disorder and have seen massive improvements in the function of my hands and feet. The really big surprise is the effect it is having on my Cystic Fibrosis seeing a more than 70cl capacity return. Thats more than a can of coke for each lung which is pretty much unheard of in CF, you don’t normal get lung capacity back only lose more. So things are looking up for those of us with CF. The CF isn’t part of the clinical trial but a side effect if you will. The Cystic Fibrosis Clinic are monitoring my progress. So good luck Roddy and feel free to get in contact if you want to blether more.
This is a really important article, and I’m so glad you’ve something that works to ease the condition.
The medical industry is far too dismisive of experiences like yours, however it is conversations like this one that many people rely on, in order to get some positive movement on long term conditions.
My step mum had COPD, so I understand how bad it can be. She was recommended a Salt Inhaler and found it of benefit.
May I also suggest the recent book Breath by an author Nugent? It’s in the best seller list. Really strong on the scientific facts for the techniques.
On a personal level, chronic fatigue has been my bain. For those in the same boat, Dr Ron Davis from Stanford Univercity is the site to look up. His son got ill with it, so he started up and heads up the research for this now. With really good break throughs.
That proverbial alien-from-outer-space would return home convinced that THC/cannabis consumption had already been legalised in Scotland, such is the pungent reek of grass frequently encountered in the streets. That a fly toke is enjoyed (amongst other illegal substances) by many of our elected administrators is an odds-on certainty, too. Continue taking the best possible care of your health, Roddy, by whatever means you deem appropriate.
Interesting Roddy. My father fell foul of GBS, very nasty; COPD is mine, though I haven’t tried the oil, yet… I’ll keep it in mind.
There can’t be many elderly people who are free from joint pain. Well, it sorts out that problem also. In fact, cannabis oil seems to be a miracle cure for all sorts of ailments. I’m with you and Ronnie Cowan on this one as it’s about time all ignorant political eyes were opened.
“Joint pain”,Carol? Brilliant! Joking aside, though, I believe you’re 100% correct, and that’s no joke for an awful lot of elderly people.
If you don’t want the stoning affect just up your cbd intake which cancels it out.
She who must be obeyed says No though https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-57728365
Long past time, and when you find out that the UK is the biggest grower of medical Cannabis, you have to wonder? Why are they willing to sell it to the rest of the world but deny their own citizens? Maybe because they can’t maximize the profit? People wouldn’t NEED to buy it! They could grow it themselves! Like everything else about this warped country, profit before the people, profit on the backs of the people.
LOL Thats very conspiratorial (and also complete rubbish) , the only people denying it to you in the UK
are all the Politicians and the NHS ( the NHS is fully devolved in Scotland to the Scottish Government) as
i posted earlier its Nicola Sturgeon stopping it being available in Scotland. If it were allowed to be
grown here legally it wouldn’t be long before the Gangsters moved in , most of the illegal growing is already
done by Chinese Gangs.
UK might well be one of the largest producers of Cannibis but its a only with a strain of Cannibis with very little THC so is only suitable for making certain prescription drugs https://inews.co.uk/news/long-reads/inside-britain-biggest-legal-cannabis-farm-explained-medicinal-marijuana-769414