I Use Weed Every Day To Help My Endometriosis, Here Are The Products I Use

I have been using some form of cannabis to manage my chronic pain since I moved to California from Indiana in 2014.

Hi, world! Lara here, and in case you have not yet had the pleasure of reading about my Vagina Problems, please be advised that I live with endometriosis, vaginismus, and other related conditions that cause me pain on a daily basis.

Lara Parker / Macey J. Foronda for BuzzFeed

^^ Yes, this graphic is from 2016, and yes I've used it in approximately 10 different things now. Support me.

Because of the amount of pain I am in on a daily basis, and because I (like most people) still have a life that requires I get out of bed most days, I've tried a lot of different things over the years in an attempt to help manage my pain. But I can say that, without a doubt, the thing that has helped me manage my pain the most with the least amount of side effects is cannabis...aka WEED!!

Lara Parker

I currently rely exclusively on cannabis in various forms to manage my pain.

I am lucky enough to live in California, a state that legalized the use of recreational marijuana in 2016. However, prior to 2016, the use of marijuana was legal with a medical marijuana card and because of my endometriosis and related conditions I had a medical marijuana card. Therefore, I have been using some form of cannabis to manage my chronic pain since I moved to California from Indiana in 2014.

Lara Parker

Despite cannabis not yet being legal nationwide, I am writing this because I think it's extremely important that the general public be aware of options for pain relief — and specifically how it has helped me. Even if it doesn't help everyone, I want people to be aware that it may be an option, depending on where you live of course.

And it may go without saying, but please, please consult a medical professional prior to beginning your own journey with cannabis. I am not a doctor. I am just a person who experiences daily pain and this is based solely on my personal experience.

Now that we got all of that out of the way — here are the products I have had the most success with in terms of pain relief with some explanation as to how I use them and why!

Alice Yoo /BuzzFeed

Because a lot of my pain is centralized to a general area (my lower back, abdomen, hips, etc.) I have had a lot of success with different balms and rubs and applying them directly onto these areas.

1. Kush Queen's Pain Relief Lotion

Lara Parker/BuzzFeed

I cannot emphasize this enough: this shit is amazing. It has equal parts CBD and THC (100mg of each) but it also has a lot of great essential oils. One of the symptoms that I experience pretty often is bladder pain — burning, aching, swelling, etc. I use this lotion every single time. I can feel it start to work within a few minutes. And it feels so, so good. It feels like I am putting water on a flame and I can feel it slowly sizzling out. It also smells amazing. It kind of scares me how much I rely on this stuff, but it's just that good.

2. Papa and Barkley's Releaf Balm

Lara Parker/BuzzFeed

This particular rub is 3:1 THC to CBD meaning it's higher in THC and lower in CBD. They also offer a balm that is 3:1 CBD to THC and I have used both and love both. I honestly don't notice a *huge* difference between the two, but do prefer higher THC levels personally. I like this balm for a lot of reasons but the main ones are that it a) goes on easily and doesn't require much (this balm is not cheap, so a little goes a long way) b) smells amazing, and c) offers pretty fast relief. I find myself using this balm most when I have lower back pain. It feels amazing and isn't too sticky/heavy therefore making it fine for everyday wear.

3. Humble Flower Co.'s Muscle Balm

Lara Parker/BuzzFeed

This balm from Humble Flower Co. is another amazing balm. As you can see in the picture, this particular balm has 100mg of CBD + 50mg of THC. I do not notice any "high feeling" anytime I use any of the balms mentioned in this article. But with that being said, I am also a frequent cannabis user and that may be a contributing factor. I use this balm on my abdomen when it's very swollen. It's a bit stickier than the Papa and Barkley one above so isn't as easily worn under clothing — but smells and feels amazing.

Alice Yoo / BuzzFeed

It's no secret that inhaling smoke of any kind isn't the best thing you can do for your body, teeth, or lungs. So when I can, I do try to avoid actually smoking weed and do my best to ingest it in different ways. Vapor pens are a great option for this.

4. Dosist's "Relief" Vapor Pen

Lara Parker/BuzzFeed

I really like this pen, I take one with me almost everywhere I go. It's very sleek, small, and gets the job done. This particular formula is 2:1 THC to CBD, so it's not nearly as strong in THC as some pens, but I still notice more relief when using this pen as opposed to just CBD on bad pain days. I also don't feel *too* high after inhaling. I also enjoy these particular pens because they come pre-dosed and will slightly vibrate when you've inhaled an effective amount, so it's easy to make them last longer.

5. And Dosist's "Arouse" Vapor Pen

Lara Parker/BuzzFeed

This particular pen is a formula of 10:1 THC to CBD, so it can and will definitely get you high. In case you don't already know, one of the biggest symptoms I experience due to my illnesses is muscular vaginal pain. Penetration is essentially impossible for me, and arousal of any kind can cause shooting pains in my pelvic floor muscles. I've found that this pen in particular helps me a lot with those pains. It also just happens to give me like, really great orgasms, so I felt like it was important to share.

Alice Yoo / BuzzFeed

As mentioned previously, I have a lot of vaginal pain! But since it's not 1887, I think it's pretty fair to let you all know that just because it often hurts to become aroused or be sexual, this doesn't mean that I don't want to do that!! These products in particular help me a lot with pain associated with intimacy.

6. Kush Queen's Ignite Lubricant

Lara Parker/BuzzFeed

I. LOVE. A. GOOD. CANNABIS. LUBE. And this one is no exception. It has 30mg THC but hasn't made me feel particularly high by itself. Outside of using this to be intimate (which I highly recommend), I also use it day-to-day for mild discomforts ~down there~ as needed.

7. Foria's Vaginal Suppositories

Lara Parker/BuzzFeed

I've been using Foria's vaginal suppositories for a couple of years now — both for intimacy reasons, and for general pelvic pain. They now offer two kinds of suppositories, one that includes THC and one that is purely CBD. I've included pictures of both, because I use both on a semi-regular basis. I use the suppositories most often during PMS / my actual period, but will also use them for general pelvic pain on bad days. And for anyone wondering — they don't fall out of my vagina. At least they haven't yet, lol.

8. Foria's Awaken Lube

Lara Parker/BuzzFeed

Foria, again, has both a CBD-only lube, and a lube with THC. I've used both, I love both, both have given me great orgasms and less pain with arousal/during intimacy. For me, I prefer the one with THC, as I feel like it has a stronger effect on my pain/more intense orgasms, but both have done wonders for me. Like with Kush Queen's lube, I also use Foria's lubes outside of intimate situations for just....vaginal relief? Is that a thing? It is now. Both are pricey, but both don't require much product to be effective and therefore last me a long time. I honestly could not recommend these lubes more.

Alice Yoo/BuzzFeed

Because smoking everyday is objectively not the best idea for anyone, I've experimented a lot with edibles. I use edibles a lot on days when the pain is enough to be annoying, but not enough to force me to stay in bed.

9. Satori's CDB-Rich Milk Chocolate Strawberry Edibles

Lara Parker

I really like these edibles because they are 3:1 CBD to THC, so I don't feel as "high" when I take them, and can function better with a more clear head. There are a lot of high-level CBD and low-level THC edibles on the market these days, but I found these a few months ago and have been pretty loyal to them since. I also have a serious sweet tooth and these taste good as hell, so...

10. 1906's "Chill" Edibles

Lara Parker

The feeling I get after taking these edibles is truly wonderful. I just feel at ease. I *do* feel chill. My biggest complaint about these edibles is that they come in a pack of three. That should be illegal. But, I will say, I have never taken an entire one of these at one time, I usually take half a time and still experience less pain/a more relaxed overall state for my body.

Alice Yoo/BuzzFeed

Like I said above, I try to avoid smoking when I can. But if I'm being honest here (and I am!) smoking is inevitable on my worst pain days. Absolutely nothing eases my pain as quickly or as effectively as getting stoned out of my gourd by smoking weed on a bad pain day. And that's where the rest of this comes into play.

11. Lowell Herb Co.'s Pre-Rolled Joints

Lara Parker

I have never in my life experienced a better, more effective high for pain relief than I have with these pre-rolled smokes from Lowell Farms. I prefer the pre-rolled option as opposed to actual flower because when I'm in a lot of pain, grinding a weed flower and sticking it into a pipe can sometimes feel overwhelming. I know that might sound insane, but believe me when I tell you that it's so hard to function when you're in extreme amounts of pain. The joints make it so easy, and the effect is almost immediate. I always do an indica strain — for a body high — but don't have a preference when it comes to flavor of indica strain.

12. Or just a plain old indica strain!

Lara Parker

On bad pain days when I'm not completely incapacitated, I opt for a regular ole indica strain of cannabis flower. I will then grind it up, stick it in my pipe, and smoke it that way. It's still pretty effective for pain relief, and really helps me have an appetite on days when eating feels literally impossible.

Alice Yoo/ BuzzFeed

Because endometriosis is inflammatory, I rarely ever just feel pain or discomfort in one part of my body, which is why I enjoy using bath salts/soaks so much. There are few things in life that I enjoy more than sitting in a hot bath with cannabis bath salts feeling my joints relax. It is pure heaven.

13. Humble Flower Co.'s Relaxing Bath Soak

Lara Parker

Few things in life feel as good as taking a hot bath when your entire body is inflamed and in pain. I take a lot of baths (I am genuinely sorry, Mother Nature) and when I do, I like to include CBD+THC bath salts or soaks when I can. This soak from Humble Flower Co. smells amazing. It also feels amazing. I don't use very much of it at a time because it is very potent, which makes it last longer.

14. Kush Queen's Relieve Bath Bomb

Lara Parker

Bath bombs are fun! Bath bombs are even more fun when they make your body feel less in pain! I love the "relieve" bath bomb from Kush Queen. It smells good, is fun, and helps overall inflammation pain. The one thing I don't like about it is that it's just a one and done, there's no way to break it up into sections to make it last longer.

15. Papa and Barkley's Releaf Bath Soak

Lara Parker

This soak has 3:1 THC to CBD, so I find that I feel ~very~ relaxed and at ease when using it. It feels so good, you guys. And because it comes in a "salt" form, it's easy to just use a little bit at a time based on your needs for the day. I think I have to go take a bath now.

I also want to note that it's difficult to include pricing because prices of these various products may vary from dispensary to dispensary and state to state. But to give you an idea, here's a (very rough) breakdown of what I spend on cannabis products. I am very fortunate to be able to afford to use these products. Many people with chronic illnesses do not have this same luxury.

For balms and rubs: I generally spend around $40–$60 for a balm or rub, but they last me for 3–6 months.

For vapor pens: The vapor pens I use are $40 each, and have 50 doses each. So if I used one dose a day, it would last me 50 days.

Lubes and suppositories: The lubes I use do not require much product to be effective, so they last me months. The lubes both run around $50 each. The suppositories vary in price, but run around $70 for a pack of 8, or $150 for three packs of 8.

My edibles: Around $15–20 for a pack. A pack will last me a month or longer, as oftentimes I just take half an edible.

For actual flower/ joints: I *love* the Lowell pre-rolled smokes that I outlined below, and usually pay around $60–$70 for a pack of 7. One joint usually lasts me a week, depending on how bad my pain is. Otherwise, I will buy an 1/8th gram of indica strain at around $40–60 depending on the flower.

Bath salts: Around $40 a piece, but I use 1/3 of it each time, so it will last for 3–4 baths depending on the size of your bath!

Now, for anyone who lives in a place where recreational cannabis is legal...

Interscope Record / Via youtube.com

If you do not currently reside somewhere that cannabis is legal — I also wrote about the CBD products I use on an almost daily basis.

And if you're dealing with painful sex, or pain with intimacy, here's where I wrote about all the products I use to help me have less pain with sex and better orgasms!