A few months ago I wrote a blog entitled CBD & Me: My Journey to Colorado. In it I discussed the profound effect that CBD & THC had on my health, not just helping pain, but actually eliminating it! However, since marijuana is illegal where I live I’ve been looking for alternative options.

CBD, short for Cannabidiol, is derived from the stalk and seed of cannabis plants. Cannabidiol oil is a natural botanical concentrate that is high in the compound CBD. Of the more than 85 cannabinoids so far identified in the cannabis plant, CBD is the second most common after tetrahydrocanabinal otherwise known as THC.

Hemp plants are naturally abundant in CBD and unlike their cannabis counterparts are low in THC. Thanks to a special extraction process, they are able to yield a highly concentrated CBD oil that also contains other nutritious materials suhc as omega-3, fatty acids, terpenes, vitamins, chlorophyll, amino acids, and other phytocannabinoids like CBD, CBG, CBN and CBCV. But best of all, CBD oil derived from hemp plants is legal in the US.

Hemp oil can be used in many forms including, cbd oil liquids, tinctures, capsules, gum and topically. The past few months I have been experimenting with the different methods of delivery to try to see what works best for me.

I started with Dixie Botanicals 100mg Dew Drops in Cinnamon Flavor. This is a pump system that you place two pumps worth under your tongue and hold till it all starts to dissolve. While it is cinnamon flavored, the hemp flavor is very strong, but after awhile you start to get used to it and forget that their was a time you didn’t know what hemp tasted like! When solely using this I averaged two pumps every few hours. At this dosage it did help take the edge off the pain, but did not eliminate severe flair ups.As with most things in life it’s a trial and error process to determine what dosage and delivery system will work best for your body’s needs.  Purchase Dixie Dew Drops

Most drop systems tend to take 45 minutes to an hour for your body to process and for the effects to set in.This means that you need to take these in a preventative form instead of reactive. If I wait till I’m doubled over in pain, waiting for the drops to kick in in an hour from now isn’t going to help me at that moment. In light of this I decided to venture into the world of vaping.

The first thing I purchased was Blue Moon Hemp’s BlackKat 100mg vape liquid. As described on their site it is “A Classic breakfast cereal flavor, like Lucky Charms with a touch of Cinnamon Toast.” Basically it’s delicious and I love it! The benefits of vaping is the quick delivery of the vapor into your system. I no longer had to wait and hour for it to take effect. According to their instagram, Blue Moon Hemp has now released a 400mg dosage of BlackKat as well. Purchase BlackKat Vape Liquid.

While the 100mg of BlackKat tastes delicious and the quick delivery did help my pain, once again it wasn’t touching the severe flair ups I was frequently experiencing. So I decided to up my dosage to 1000 mg. Go big or go home am I right? I purchased the blueberry flavor which is light and subtle and perfect for someone who has issues with nausea. I counted over forty-six flavors available on their site. If I could request a flavor I would opt for ginger! There are several things I like about this particular company. They have free shipping on orders over $25 which is great because a lot of companies selling CBD hemp products charge a minimum of $10 on shipping. They also offer a rewards system based on your purchase history and after my first order I qualified for $25 off my next purchase. When I received my shipment they also included coupons and a free 15ml bottle of blue raspberry. Purchase Napa Valley Vape Liquid 

Now, I bet you’re wondering what I am vaping with! I started with a G1 vaporizer and while I like it’s size, portability and carrying case, ultimately determined I needed something that would produce a better vape.

After doing some research I decided to Purchase the Minion Vape Mod Kit.  This was a major upgrade compared to the G1 vaporizer. The tank holds a substantial amount of liquid so you don’t have to worry about running out throughout the day. It also holds its charge for about a week depending on usage, which is amazing! If you’re thinking about venturing into the world of vaping I recommend starting with a quality vape kit. Don’t waste your money on cheap pens because you will end up upgrading!

The Beard has also starting vaping using Hemp Hookahzz Pineapple Express in 600mg. He has found it to help reduce stress and help with overall relaxation. The 600mg dosage did help with my pain, however due to my nausea I could not handle the strong flavor of the pineapple. I confirmed this one day when I had a migraine and was vaping and gagging, vaping and gagging. I could feel the migraine lessening with each pull but my stomach was saying stop it!

Side note about nausea: I probably spend around 70% of my life nauseous. If my pain levels are high so is my nausea. The two are best buds. I switched to an electric tooth brush years ago because manually brushing my teeth was a daily battle of trying for good dental hygiene and trying not to throw up. While the hemp oil does help with pain, it does not provide the same nausea relief I experienced with the 1 to 1 ratio of CBD and THC in Colorado. I had more of an appetite during my visit to CO than I have had in years. So to help with my general nausea I’m a big fan of ginger, hence why I would love a ginger flavored vape liquid!

In the mean time we have discovered a few ginger products that are like gold in my house.

The Beard discovered these at Fresh Thyme and my first experience with them I wasn’t sure. But just like the taste of hemp, it rapidly grew on me and now I love them! You can also purchase these on amazon in a 6 pack. That’s right, we don’t mess around. Purchase Ginger Mints. 

My other go to is Q Ginger Beer. As it says on the can, “Sharp Ginger Bite, Not Too Sweet.” I have found this to be a major life savor for my nausea. As opposed to ginger ale which sometime has this thick sweet syrupy consistency, this is crisp and punches you in the mouth with ginger! Also, you can’t beat the list of ingredients: Carbonated water, organic agave, ginger extract, extracts of lime, coriander and cardamom, citric acid. This can also be found at Fresh Thyme or on Amazon. Purchase Ginger Beer 

As always, I’m not affiliated with any of these brands or products, I’m just sharing what works best for me in hopes of it helping you or someone you know. My goal isn’t to just manage my pain, my goal is eliminate it. And if that involves trying different dosages, delivery systems and even moving across the country that’s what I plan to do. For now, enjoy some of these awesome shots the ever talented Beard took.

 

The Couple that Vapes Together