Me and Mary Jane: My one experience trying marijuana for Parkinson’s

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with marijuana. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy.

I am part of a Parkinson’s walking group that meets every Tuesday. We walk for 30 minutes, then sit down for another 30 minutes or so to visit. Recently, I started introducing a discussion topic when I send out the email reminders. The reason is twofold: First, it’s a bit of an icebreaker, and second, it gives everyone a chance to talk, even the quiet people in the group, because we take turns discussing the topic.

So far, the topic that generated the most feedback was: Have you ever tried marijuana to ease your Parkinson’s symptoms? Online sources report that marijuana may ease tremors, bradykinesia, and pain, and improve sleep and appetite. However, negative effects can include worse balance, impaired memory, and changes in anxiety.

Everyone was very curious about this topic, but nobody had any experience to share! We were all too worried about the possible negative effects of marijuana on our already compromised Parkinson’s brains. My own experience with it is minimal, but here goes.

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In the spring of 2020, my husband, John, and I decided to grow marijuana plants. Since John was an organic farmer, it seemed natural. Canada legalized recreational marijuana in 2018, after medical legalization in 2001.

Here was an opportunity we didn’t want to miss. I thought perhaps the marijuana would relieve some of my Parkinson’s symptoms. At that time — the year before I decided to have deep brain stimulation surgery — I was desperate for relief.

We were allowed to grow up to four plants, so that’s what we planted. We got the transplants from a friend. John nursed those plants all summer long, and by August, they were towering above us. The window of opportunity for harvesting is quite precise, so we were checking them obsessively to make certain the buds were picked at their peak.

Finally, they were picked and dried, and after months of anticipation, we looked at each other and said, “What now?” Since we don’t smoke, but our daughters knew we were growing this, they gave me a cookbook called “The Easy Cannabis Cookbook.” That settled it: edibles it was!

It was a bit of a process to cook with marijuana, but I did make some chocolate chip cookies that I was too nervous to eat. John wasn’t interested in trying them, so they sat in our freezer until one night when my tremor was driving me crazy, and I thought, OK, this is the time.

John had already gone to bed, and I was alone downstairs. First, I ate only half a cookie (it was delicious), but then I thought, why not just eat the other half, too?

Down the hatch went the second half.

After a while, I realized that I was starving and needed a snack, which struck me as hilarious. Eventually, after innumerable crackers with cheese (who knew how delicious saltines with cheddar could be?) I made it upstairs to bed, still giggling and debating whether to wake John to discuss the wonders of the English language — no, any language. Communicating with each other was obviously nothing short of a miracle. Who wouldn’t want to talk about such an interesting topic at 1 a.m.?

Was my tremor any better? I’m not sure. I mostly remember being a giddy fool.

Those cookies stayed in our freezer for a year before we threw them out. I accepted that marijuana wasn’t for me and gave the rest to a friend, who was thrilled.

Since then, I’ve thought about trying marijuana again, and even purchased a package of gummies. They’ve now been sitting in my cupboard for over a year, untouched. I’m hesitant to try them partly because of my previous reaction and partly due to uncertainty about their effects. However, I keep them as a reminder that I don’t always have to be so serious, and that relaxing and having a good laugh can sometimes be all the healing I need.

Note: Parkinson’s News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Parkinson’s News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to Parkinson’s disease.