Choice strains

Berkeley Patient’s Care Collective offers these medical cannabis trading cards

I have headaches. Is there pot for that? I have joint pain, back pain, indigestion and migraines. Is there pot for that? Is there a particular variety that will cure my anxiety, insomnia, writer’s block?

The answer is complicated. I first began covering medical cannabis in New Mexico, where the “medical” part is taken a lot more seriously than in California. The New Mexico Legislature and the state Department of Health limited the herb’s usage to a set number of conditions, and dispensaries must have medical professionals on their boards. So, to answer this question, I turned to Len Goodman, founder of New MexiCann Natural Medicine.

“I’m beginning to no longer believe in any specifics for anything,” the somewhat frustrated grower told me. Goodman recently conducted a survey of his patients and the nine strains the dispensary offered in the last year. There was little variation in the patients’ responses between the strains. All you could tell from the graphs is that most people liked NY Diesel and Trainwreck across the board, for every condition—from depression to seizures. All marijuana seems to be good for pain, Goodman said.

“It’s not penicillin,” he said. “All people can do is find out what works for them.”

Of course, that’s no help to our readers, many of whom have expressed frustration to me privately about the difficulty in deciding between the vast amount of strains available at area collectives. If they’re going to experiment, surely they have to start somewhere.

So, I went back to the drawing board and attempted to find some sort of consensus among California collectives, including Best Buds and Mother Earth in San Diego and Berkeley Patient up north.

The general rule of thumb is that there are two types of marijuana, sativas and indicas, though most plants are a combination of the two with one type dominant. Sativas tend to be more cerebral—that is, better for mood conditions and daytime use. Indicas tend to have more of an impact on the body and are better for treating pain and sedation. When you visit a collective, asking for an indica or sativa will narrow it down a lot, and you can also ask in terms of “clear” (for a clearer head) and “heavy” (for a more powerful “stone”). If your budtender shrugs at you, you probably need to find a collective that’s a bit more, err, legitimate.

I’ve selected the following strains based on their wide availability in San Diego (you can search for where specific strains are sold at Weedmaps.com). A word of caution: I’m not medical professional and few collectives have them on staff. Use this information at your own discretion; we provide it for informational purposes and do not claim any responsibility for its accuracy. Results vary, big time. In other words, don’t sue us.

Afghani Goo / Afghooey (indica): Nighttime pain relief, insomnia, nausea, post-traumatic stress disorder, appetite

Blue Dream (hybrid): Daytime pain relief, stress, anxiety, appetite, arthritis, migraines

Grand Daddy Purple (indica): Night-time pain, gastrointestinal issues, insomnia, arthritis, migraines, appetite

Jack Herer (sativa): Daytime pain relief, anxiety, depression, fibromyalgia

Romulan (indica): Nighttime pain relief, insomnia, glaucoma, muscle spasms, arthritis, anxiety, appetite

Sour Diesel (sativa): Daytime pain relief, depression, frontal lobe headaches, migraines, PTSD

A few more tips: It doesn’t hurt to keep a log, marking down the effect each strains has on you.

• When trying out smokeable marijuana for the first time, start with just one hit and wait 20 minutes before deciding whether to go any further.

• Smoking marijuana comes with many of the same health risks as tobacco, and many people find the inhalation painful. Collectives often offer alternatives such as vaporizers, which are indeed easier on the throat. Edibles are also an option, though, as CityBeat has reported, the county is not currently enforcing health codes when it comes to marijuana kitchens. Many practitioners, including Best Buds, swear by topical ointments containing THC. You may consider using this for site-specific pain before attempting to inhale or ingest marijuana.

• With edibles, you’ll want to try only a portion of the product and be aware that the effect will last, and can intensify, over several hours. Many first-time patients experience heightened anxiety and, as a result, find themselves in the emergency room. This is often unnecessary; be prepared to ride it out in a safe place.

• If cost is an issue, you can often ask for “shake,” the loose bits of marijuana that fall off the buds, since intact nugs are often sold at a premium. You should also ask whether the collective offers discounts or free cannabis for members experiencing economic hardship.

• Mother Earth Co-op has an extensive guide to strains and usage online at motherearthcoop.com, and Berkeley Patient’s Care Collective has recently released printable “trading cards” outlining its top 10 medicinal strains and their uses at berkeleypatientscare.com.

Write to davem@sdcitybeat.com and editor@sdcitybeat.com.