Mental Health vs Different Strains

Medical
#1

Greetings to all my fellow Medical and Cannabis friends:
Let’s talk about a serious subject for a moment and that is the wide variety of modern cannabis strains and mental health issues (conditions).

I am a veteran with PTSD, Depression, Chronic pain and epilepsy. Sativas or Hybrids too high in Sativas or certain strains of Sativas can actually cause rage and extreme anxiety in me. Not a good thing.

Indicas seem to be a magic bullet for me and especially some of the more older “Landrace Strains/Cultivars” or what some may consider some of the more “Old School” type strains.

What strains work for you? Are there any Strains you need to avoid because of your condition? Do some strains seem to help with depression or anxiety more than others for you?

Looking to help others with mental health issues collaborate different strains that can be useful to us and to help each other find strains that may help via our own experiences. Peace and Great Health to all!
Warmly,
Jackie

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#2

@kanashiihawk I have some of the same issues myself and potent sativas are not good for my anxiety or ptsd. I found its mostly the combination of high thc, the wrong terpenes, and lower cbd.

I like a focused high where I can gather my thoughts and slow my brain down. Indicas slow me down too much and make me feel depressed if I don’t fall asleep so I usually use hybrids some sativa dominant and some indica dominant depending on my needs at the time. I have found that some of the cbd sativa strains are best for this and that the higher cbd helps counteract the negative effects of thc allowing me to have a higher energy but calm clear headed high.

I have also found that strains rich in limonene, beta-caryophyllene, linalool, and alpha-pinene terpenes work best with higher cbd strains and amplify the calming effects of cbd counteracting the effects of higher thc.

So my ideal strain is a slightly sativa dominant hybrid high in cbd with moderate thc with those terpense in abundance.

I have also found that the best way to take advantage of the terpenes in strains is to use a dry herb vaporizer or to decarboxylate flower and make edibles so the terpenes are preserved to better create the “entourage effect” as it’s called.

Regular pipes or bongs burn so hot most of the terpenes are destroyed before your body gets a chance to even use them so vaping at lower temperatures or using edibles is the best way to go.

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#3

Very true! It is a type of game of finding the right blends. Right now I am favoring

  1. Bubba Kush
  2. Critical Purple

I currently have some GoldLeaf Auto growing. This is my first time trying the strain and I have heard really positive things about Gold Leaf (when used moderately to sensible dose) without too much anxiety or paranoia.

I will also be growing some Lavender (fem) and Purple Kush x Mazar (fem) So I am very excited to try those.

Also thanks for the advice on the vape/flower. Mainly right now I dabble in tinctures/oils/edibles and even topicals (and of course a good smoke now and then!) so like you, I pay attention to the terpene profile. Thanks for sharing some of the ones you use.
Linalool and myrcene. Very nice terps indeed! And I concur, I too often decarb at around 385F some older sugar leaves and whole plant to make FECO oil.

I hope to share photos and results of my new strains/grow and see how it works to help the pain as well as not cause to much “mental spikiness”.
Best of health
Jackie

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#4

Gold leaf is one of my personal favorites. I just picked up some gold leaf auto myself to see how it compares to the original.

Right now the ones I am enjoying are the Critical Purple auto for night use. It’s really high thc but it has a surprisingly clear headed high and it numbs me up pretty good for bed.

The other one I am growing again is Blueberry X Big Devil auto which is a mellow strain good for gaming, music, and watching TV but it still kills the pain and calms the mind. The only issue I’ve had with this strain is giggle fits. :joy:

I also really like Moby Dick, Agent Orange, and Jack herrer. I’m thinking of crossing the Moby or agent orange with the critical purple and BlueberryXBig Devil and then crossing those F1s into a gold leaf fem to see if I can make a day time use one with my favorite strains. Should be a fun few year project. :joy:

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#5

I have chronic pain from losing cartilage in my lower back after a car accident, and PTSD from being assaulted/being beaten almost to death (two brain bleeds/cracked skull) and it is hard to have enough medication on hand to be able to use for pain, ptsd, and depression.

For me I try and find strains that help me calm my mind down at night when my trauma starts to replay nightly (incident happened November 21st last year). For pain I like indica heavy strains like GDP or Honey Bananas or indica leaning hybrids like 24K Gold. My anxiety/ptsd is best healed with my favorites like like Sour Diesel, Sensi Star, Forbidden Fruit and Lemon Haze or if not just smoking enough indica (if I have any) to knock me out :grimacing: (though also I get the thing of smoking and just laying in couch lock with the mind racing too often)

I know this isn’t a great solution, but is keeping me sane for now.

I also get big hives-like rashes when smoking certain strains, I think I have identified it to strains with a lot of pinene in them, and afghan kush seems to hit me the worst out of any strain. It still has favorable effects of the cannabis, I just get itchy and red :hot_face: This doesn’t ever stop me if I’m out of herb though :joy:

Edit: the redness and itching comes on within minutes of smoking then leaves 10-15 after I stop

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#6

Wow dear soul, you sure have been through a lot! I understand what you mean about night time being really hard for a lot of us PTSD folks. And I have occasionally noticed the kushes can make me itchy as well at times. Maybe a mild side effect? As you mentioned, it is so minor that just some gentle lotion or Shea butter can help.

I love seeing each persons special strains and your reason for using them. As someone who is interested in the Entourage Effect and various terpenes I find this whole conversation very enlightening.

Has anyone ever tried any of the strains mentioned on this site to promote stress relief? For example like
“3 Kings (Fem)” etc? This is indeed enlightening, what would you recommend as some of your own personal strains to shut out “night noise” in your head. (Similar to what CoolBubs mentioned in reliving the incident/trauma which is very common for us PTSD folks.)

It stinks being couch-locked but your brain is wide awake and spinning like a hamster on a wheel. Argh!

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#7

I’m here for the same issues as @CoolBubs basically. In April of 86 I was beat to death by a gang ending in severe brain trauma and a bunch of broken bones and what not. Then 6 car wrecks later I was thrown off a bridge and ended up with more broken bones and nerve Damage in my back. I lean towards Indica strains they for sure help with the nightmares and insomnia but I have not found anything that helps me with the bone &nerve pain. Sativas makes me paranoid if I do more than 1 hit at a time. So theres my 2cents worth

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#8

As an interesting side note to the conversation, I have an adult son who is on the Autism Spectrum (High Functioning). He does great with most hybrids and some mild sativa leaning blends. He mainly has to watch THC levels (he can be very easily overwhelmed by anything to sedating or euphoric) so he prefers more of a 1:1 blend. (CBD/THC) I make a tincture for him, with my Magical Butter Machine (MB2). I also add a little UN-decarbed (or RAW bud) to get THCa/CBDa/ which can help the whole entourage effect.

Again, this is just notes I’m sharing with the community. Also as an interesting note, I notice now as a 58 yr old female I seem to process cannabis much more differently than I did back when I was in my young adult years, etc.

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#9

Cbd 1:30 is a strain i am looking into for my pain and ptsd. I wish indicas helped me with sleep but the high thc in modern strains makes me couch locked and I’m stuck in my own head unable to move or control my thoughts usually for hours before I can fall asleep. It feels like a waking night terror. The only ones I have found so far that work are what I have already mentioned and White Widow.

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#10

@dmtscravey pain from injuries is nociceptive pain which can also cause neuropathic pain. The best strains for nociceptive pain are strains like White Widow, Moby Dick, G13, etc… most of those are white widow hybrids as well. Including that white russian you grew.

A lot of cannabis’ effectiveness on pain though is all in how you use it. Smoking can give immediate relief but for severe chronic nociceptive and neuropathic pain i would use oils, RSO, or edibles for stronger and longer lasting relief because they not only concentrate the thc, cbd, and cbn but it also keeps all of the terpenes viable.

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#11

I agree with @MDBuds love G13 and Agent Orange, haven’t had White Widow on its own before, but growing the autoflower now and hoping it is comparable to how great everyone says the photoperiod is.

Here is what I use on my back and it is basically biofreeze, but works okay. Something like this might help a bit @dmtscravey. Sorry to hear that happened to you. Very temporary solutions

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Then I also have a straight cbd tincture that gives me about 30mg per dropper dose. I use this if my anxiety gets real bad.
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#12

Have you ever tried a Delta 8 THC/CBN tincture or vape cart? I have used 1:1:1 (THC/CBD/CBN) and 4 Squared (THC/CBD/CBG/CBN) Some of the are often found in lotions etc, in dispensaries and through trial and error I have tried various sublinguals/edibles/tinctures and oils that seem to really help with a good medical routine. For severe anxiety/stress during daytime I carry a portable vaporizer. :slight_smile:

But yes, thank you all again, for my son (and even my retired Service dogs) I often use the really high CBD/Low THC type Charlottes Web and White Widow, Dr. CBD etc.

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#13

CoolBubs: Thanks for sharing your favorite products! I picked up something similar in my dispensary, it is a 1:1 (CBD/THC) and I also have a wonderful transdermal cream that is from my dispensary and contains a thc/cbn/cbd mixture.

The CBN can indeed help with deeper sleep and even sometimes help calm over active psychotropic or “too intense trip” effects in case you over medicate or are trying a new untested strain.
Best of health all…Finally off to sleep for the night.

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#14

MDBuds: Just wanted to take a moment and thank you for all your kindness and help in the forums with your knowledge and posts. I’m always learning something new, and there are some very sage people here. Everyones knowledge and support is always appreciated. Thanks!
Warmly,
Jackie

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#15

I haven’t tried any of those yet. I can’t afford to buy them at the clubs so I make all of my own medicinal products. I have no way to test to see the levels of thc/cbd/cbn/cbg or the terpines. I have to rely on the old school taste, smell, and touch.

My RSO is extremely potent though and it works wonders as a daily regimen. It’s got all the things ever in it. I just wish I could afford to test it to see what its values are.

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#16

@kanashiihawk thank you. I appreciate it. I do the best I can to help out. I know how much it sucks to be broke and in pain just looking for anything that can help and how horrible it is when you spend what little you have on something that just isn’t working out. I try to be as helpful as I can. I really do appreciate your acknowledgment and validation.

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#17

I will post in a more appropriate forum/topic about some easy ways over the many decades, I’ve learned to do easy but healthy work arounds in making some easy dosing topicals WITHOUT tons of fancy equipment etc…Believe me, I know how hard it is squeezing every $. Peace to you-
Jackie

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#18

Jackie, thank you for your service. My husband is also a veteran, rated 100% disabled due to PTSD & unemployability. I’m glad you have found strains that work well for you. Wishing you the best :blue_heart:

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#19

For me personally I fighting both PTSD (military service) and several neurological issues from a car wreck in 2007. For the mental issues (anxiety, ptsd) lemon haze, or any variant of it is excellent for those symptoms. For the muscular issuesI try to go for anti inflammatory strains, mostly indica.

I’ve only ever found 1 strain that helped me sleep, and I’d almost kill to find it again, Mr. Magoo. 2 hits and I was out. Greatest sleep I have had in over 15 years.

I have to watch the cbd/thc ratio, too much CBD and I get irritable quick, too little and I get paranoid/anxious.

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#20

I haven’t tried any topicals or any CBD products because they are sold EVERYWHERE and I don’t know what brand to trust and I don’t have money to waste. I do want to get some high cbd strains and press my own rosin for making stuff.

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