A Detailed Look at How Leaf411 Cannabis Nurses Help You Find the Best Cannabis and CBD Hemp Products for Improved Mental Health
Medically reviewed by Katherine Golden, RN
Written by Denise Rustning
Leaf411 co-founder and COO Jennifer Axcell has a lot of experience in using cannabis to effectively manage chronic pain and PTSD she suffered many years ago as a result of a car crash. She previously shared her story in our very first Leaf411 blog post.
But when coronavirus hit, Jennifer’s PTSD crept back up as stay-at-home restrictions and uncertainty took hold.
“I was struggling, I couldn’t eat or stop crying. I was not feeling like myself. Nothing seemed to help—not even my normal cannabis products. I was afraid that I would have to go back on the same pharmaceuticals that I’d used years ago, along with their terrible side effects,” Jennifer said.
Instead, Jennifer decided to first check in with her friend and Leaf411 co-founder/CEO Katherine Golden, RN, to get her input. Katherine quickly recognized that a change was needed.
An Inside View of the Leaf411 Cannabis Hotline Triage Process
“When I spoke to Jennifer that day, I triaged her just like I would a caller on the hotline,” Katherine said.
Those triage questions included:
- What is your daily cannabis consumption?
- How many milligrams of CBD and in what form (CBD hemp product, isolate, etc.) do you use?
- How many milligrams of THC and what type? (Knowing the brand helps us look at the terpene profile if any)
- How did this cannabis routine help you prior to this sudden change and what have you done differently since?
- Describe your feelings when using the products. (This is good to know when trying to figure out someone’s tolerance).
After obtaining all the necessary pieces of the puzzle, Katherine was able to determine that:
- Jennifer had continued to increase her CBD hemp from 25mg/day to 50mg or more/day thinking she needed to consume more to reduce her anxiety. She knew that CBD could have biphasic effects (having the opposite effects when used in higher doses), though she thought this occured only with much higher doses than she was taking. CBD can actually worsen conditions or be completely ineffective when used too much, which to Katherine sounded exactly what Jennifer was experiencing. Her CBD was no longer working at the higher level, so Katherine suggested she reduce down to 10-20mg/day BUT also try a tiny amount of THC for its uplifting effects.
Katherine suggested our business member Conscious Medz product Durban Poison tincture since it has a nice amount of limonene (shows benefits for anxiety and depression) plus a large amount of terpinolene which shows to be very uplifting for daytime use. She suggested that Jennifer only use a micro dose of 2.5mg to start, which should avoid any type of impairment but would be a high enough dose to lift her spirits.
- Jennifer had switched from her THC inhalation (due to COVID precautions) to an edible. The product she was using was made from a distillate with minimal other compounds and no added terpenes. It worked for her prior to the increased stress, but Katherine knew that Jennifer needed something that had a chemovar that included its terpene profile. Katherine suggested Conscious Medz again since their Remedy tincture is a 1:1 Indica with a wonderful amount of sedating terpenes. Katherine again suggested starting with a micro dose and increasing one drop at a time each night until an optimal dose was reached. This meant reaching the point of sedation with a small amount of euphoria and also having the terpenes that benefit anxiety.
This regimen ended up being the perfect combination.
“After five hours of taking the Conscious Medz Durban Poison tincture, I cracked my first smile in as many days,” Jennifer said.
Jennifer continued, “The biggest ‘aha’ moment for me was looking at the terpene profile. I know I am not the only patient who tends to focus on cannabinoid content (because those are always listed clearly on the packaging) and had forgotten the role that terpenes play. That’s one of the things I like about the Conscious Medz products—the terpenes are clearly listed on the packaging.”
Jennifer’s new cannabis regimen is a huge shift from where she started and has been for years, which was being an extremely educated inhalation user, to realizing that even small amounts (micro doses) of the right chemovars and cannabinoid ratios may work well for her body’s supplement needs.
Now, Jennifer is feeling better mentally and physically. However, she knows that many others are facing similar challenges as they find their normal cannabis consumption is no longer providing the good sleep, relaxation or pain relief that it has in the past.
Why Your Usual Stress Relief Routine May No Longer Work
We all have routines that help get us through normal times, but many of those routines have either been interrupted or overwhelmed by the last few months of change.
Anxiety is at an all-time high, according to research. We’re worried about our own health and especially that of our family and friends. We’re worried about how COVID-19 will impact our children’s education. We’re worried about our finances and the economy.
Many of our usual tools for dealing with stress and anxiety are not available—no trips to the gym, weekend brunch outings, or get-togethers with friends to commiserate and provide in-person support. While many resources have moved online, it’s a tough transition.
That means the tools we do have left—including CBD hemp (containing less than 0.3% THC and legal at the federal level) as well as marijuana (containing over 0.3% THC and sold at dispensaries in legal states)—have a lot of heavy lifting to do!
Reassessing Your Cannabis and CBD Hemp Needs
Perhaps in the past, you only consumed marijuana or CBD hemp edibles every once in a while to help with sleep after a stressful workday, but now you’re finding that you’re using edibles every night.
As you can see from Jennifer’s example, everyone is different when it comes to the challenges they are facing and the potential for CBD hemp or marijuana to help. Our Leaf nurses have specialized training to thoroughly assess your needs and provide guidance for safe, effective plant-based medicine that’s tailored to your needs. Call us via our toll-free hotline at 844-LEAF411 (844-532-3411) or chat us from our homepage during hotline hours.
Embracing Other Wellness Strategies and Support
We often remind people that cannabis is only one of many tools in your toolbox. The power of cannabis is amplified by other supportive practices, from good nutrition to exercise and mindfulness.
Going back to the sleep example, we suggest not only looking at your cannabis use but also your other nighttime routines. Perhaps you always scanned through social media before going to bed. However, with the current public discourse often leading to online arguments, you might find you need to sign from social media in evenings instead of winding up in a debate with some internet stranger.
In Jennifer’s case, in addition to updating her cannabis regimen, she also committed to taking breaks from daily news and social media, which also helped.
Leaf411 Can Help You Find the Best CBD Hemp or Marijuana Regimen for Your Needs
The current COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted ongoing health routines while also drastically increasing anxiety and stress, which take a toll on both physical and mental health.
Many “canna-curious” folks are deciding that now is the time to give either legal marijuana or CBD hemp a try as an alternative for stress relief or wellness.
And for experienced consumers, many are wondering if a different cannabis chemovar (strain) or product type might provide better results when dealing with our current times.
Our cannabis-trained fully-licensed Leaf nurses can help! Give us a call at 844-LEAF411 (844-532-3411) or chat us from our homepage during hotline hours.
The Leaf411 cannabis nurse hotline provides free, anonymous education and directional support to the general public about the safe use of legal cannabis. We partner with select business members who meet our rigorous standards to extend our education and outreach efforts.