Cannabis For Pain Relief from RLS
or How I Learned to Kick Back and Love Cannabis in my 60s 
⇒ Overview
I first experienced RLS as a teenager but had no idea what it was. It seemed to go away and then returned in my 50s. In my teenage years it was an almost automatic kicking of my legs because they were restless. In my 50s it was simply pain that became unbearable. I checked into pharmaceuticals and decided that would be a dangerous path to take. I then researched Cannabis for pain relief from RLS. While I am knowledgeable about the quality control and ethical responsibilities of growing and selling Cannabis, I was not a Cannabis user. I am now.
The information below is my personal journey learning how quickly and effectively Cannabis treated my pain. With the added bonus of the psychoactive compounds teaching me to relax and enjoy. (It wasn’t always that way for me.) I am so very grateful to everyone who shared information online, for the wonderfully helpful people in the Vancouver Cannabis shops and for Cannabis itself giving me my life back.
→ Please note: I am not a medical professional, just a somewhat normal person. This is the story of how I found relief from my debilitating RLS. Also, lucky me, I live in Canada where Cannabis is legal countrywide.
Thank you for reading, I hope you get something out of this info to help your RLS – or any pain you may be experiencing.
⇒ Quick Links
What is Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)
What is Cannabis
My RLS Story
My Early Cannabis Story
Supplements For RLS
Prescription Drugs for RLS
So, What’s a Woman, or Man, To Do?
My Research re Cannabis and RLS Pain Relief
My Experience Using Cannabis to deal with RLS Pain
Western Doctor Response
My RLS and Cannabis Use Today
My Toolbox: Vapes, Bubbler, Cannabis, Other Essentials
⇒ What is Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) 
Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a neurological condition characterized by an overwhelming urge to move the legs, often accompanied by uncomfortable sensations like crawling or itching, particularly when at rest. Symptoms typically worsen in the evening or at night and can disrupt sleep and daily activities. *
⇒ What is Cannabis
Cannabis is a plant genus known for its psychoactive properties, primarily due to the compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). It is also known for its other cannabinoid compounds, such as CBD, CBGA, THCVA, etc. These cannabinoids interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system, influencing various physiological processes such as mood, pain, and appetite. Different Cannabis strains have different cannabinoid content combinations. *
⇒ My RLS Story
My RLS started as a teenager. At night in bed, I would have to kick my legs just because. It seemed to go away but in my 50s it returned with a vengeance. The urge to kick my legs lessened but the pain in my legs started as an irritated tingling and ramped up to feel like hundreds of bees were stinging my legs. It only happened at night when I got into bed. I would wake up from this pain throughout the night. My calves were the worst but it would also move into my left leg thigh and sometimes my arms. I would get up and walk around and sometimes that worked, but it got so bad that I was having up to 3 baths a night to soak and rub my legs. Often, I found no relief and would just sit and cry.
⇒ My Early Cannabis Story
Growing up in the Ottawa Valley, Ontario in the 70s, we didn’t have much access to Cannabis. It was a hashish scene. Occasionally Thai Sticks would appear but not often. Regardless, it was smoked in joints. I could not handle smoking, and I never got the wonderful high feeling but instead found myself feeling self-conscious. Which is why I tuned into psychedelics so early in life :)
⇒ Supplements For RLS
Magnesium – I tried taking magnesium which seems to have helped many. But even with a low dosage ended up with hypermagnesemia. Not fun.
Iron – On the advice of my doctor I take an iron supplement each day to help with RLS. Have had no issues with the iron and get regular blood work to check. But the iron alone did not reduce my RLS.
⇒ Prescription Drugs for RLS
Gabapentin – drug used to relieve nerve pain and treat RLS. Side effects can include drowsiness, fatigue, and unsteadiness, allergic reactions, mood changes, and suicidal thoughts. *
Pramipexole – drug used to treat Parkinson’s disease and RLS. Side effects can include nausea, dizziness, narcolepsy like symptoms, hypersexuality, shift in sexual interests, pathological gambling, compulsive shopping and binge eating. *
Ropinirole – drug used to treat Parkinson’s disease and RLS. Side effects can include impulse control issues, including compulsive gambling, and narcolepsy like symptoms. *
Crazy eh? I was so desperate I was almost ready to try one of these drugs. I was losing my life – not sleeping at night, terrible pain and unable to function during the day. I drive so I knew I would have to give that up – no one wants a driver prone to narcolepsy. I’ve never been a shopper, a gambler or a binge eater but didn’t relish the thought of any of those things taking over my life either.
Drug Tolerance / Withdrawal Issues
If the side effects weren’t enough there was also the issue of drug tolerance with these pharmaceuticals. Drug tolerance develops when one requires higher doses of a drug to achieve the same effect due to neural adaptation. And should you wish to stop taking these drugs, withdrawal symptoms have their own difficult effects and issues.
⇒ So, What’s a Woman, or Man, To Do?
RLS is more common in women than in men, with women being twice as likely to develop the condition. It can affect individuals at any age, but the risk increases with age.
⇒ My Research re Cannabis and RLS Pain Relief
In 2022, I took to the internet to see if there was any research or first-hand stories about the possibility of Cannabis helping with RLS – where had I been?? It was all over the net. Including strain recommendations. I would encourage you to check out the different suggestions as it’s impossible for me to cover them here, there is more information now than in 2022 and the people behind the websites know a lot more than I do about all the different varieties.
What I found in 2022 was a lot of sites recommending Romulan – an indica-dominant cannabis strain that produces a body high making it effective for nighttime use for pain relief and stress reduction – a twofer!
So, I walked into my neighbourhood Cannabis shop and asked for some Romulan flower. Talkative by nature, I said to the person, ‘I’m guessing it’s high in CBD and low in THC?’ ‘Oh no’, they said, ‘the exact opposite: High in THC and almost no CBD’. What I thought?? I’m going to try Cannabis for RLS but then also go through the whole paranoia thing. Aaugh, as Charlie Brown would say. But I was committed, and desperate, so I made the purchase.
→ I am a purist so I purchase only certified organic flower. Nothing processed or disposable.
⇒ My Experience Using Cannabis to deal with my RLS
Okay, I got my Cannabis and was ready to try it. I never learned how to roll a joint so that was out. I bought a little pipe and started with it. I would smoke just before I got into bed at night. Then I would tell myself that everything was okay in my life and I had nothing to worry about. Over and over again. Before any paranoia crept in, I was fast asleep. I would wake up throughout the night and have a few tokes. Always getting up and going into the kitchen – I remember those stories of people falling asleep in bed with a cigarette and was taking no chances. My throat and lungs hated it, but my RLS pain decreased so I told my lungs and throat to try and deal.
After a month, I investigated vapes. I purchased an entry level one. (More about the vapes in the My Toolbox section.) That reduced much of the harshness to my throat and lungs. Later I upped my vape to a more expensive model that I have been using ever since. A friend bought me a bubbler – an accessory that cools the vapour. That’s been a game changer to take away the hot vapour that was harsh on my throat and lungs at higher temperatures.
Another great thing about vaping is that, in my case, there is no lingering smell. So my places have no smell of Cannabis afterwards.
As soon as I started using Cannabis, the pain was lessened. There was no waiting. Each year I use less Cannabis to get relief.
Why Vaping? Some of you may be wondering why I didn’t take Cannabis by other methods: eating it, drinking it in infused tea, tinctures. Few reasons. (1) I am a purist. I don’t want extra ingredients, I want only Cannabis. (2) I am a dosage fanatic. No matter what the substance I’m always concerned with precise dosages. Using a vape I feel I can better monitor my dosage. (3) Vapes (and smoking) deliver an almost immediate pain relief. I can take 2 tokes and if I feel in a few minutes I need one more, I can take one more.
Eating any substance, while having its own merits in other situations, involves a longer response time. One can underdose and then take more and it’s too much. Those of us from the 70s remember that classic scenario with acid. While I love my substances, I also respect them and vaping gives me the ability to find my perfect dosage. We are all different and our personal dosages may vary widely.
Okay rant coming, you don’t have to read – The whole ‘heroic’ dosage thing drives me around the bend. Each person is unique. I am a lightweight – it doesn’t take me much to get high. Some of my friends require much more than I do to get to the same space. Many factors contribute to your perfect dosage so be courageous, find what works for you and don’t blindly follow the crowd.
Anyone using and respecting Cannabis is a hero and whatever dosages work for them to get to their chosen space is heroic. Heroic in my world is not taking huge quantities and then bragging about it. Heroic is establishing a mutual relationship where the plant/mushroom gives you benefits and teaches you, and in turn you learn from the teacher, and respect and protect their environment to help them flourish. So, be a hero!
⇒ Western Doctor Response
I did tell my doctor about the amazing results I was having with Cannabis. They didn’t even seem to register it. I thought that was unfortunate but who knows, maybe they did and didn’t show it. I mention it every time I seem them, but no interest from their side.
⇒ My RLS and Cannabis Use Today
Can’t believe it’s been 3 years already that I’ve been using Cannabis for pain relief from my RLS. I’ve changed up my strains. Romulan > Comatose > Cherry AK > Death Bubba (I know, what a name if you have paranoia issues, but so awesome) > LA Kush Cake (because I can’t find any D Bub these days. Works as well as D Bub. I don’t love the flavour of LA Kush Cake… wow, look at me, I’m a pot connoisseur now :).
RLS – The pain relief has been tremendous. My sleep is now deep and restful. I wake up 2-3 times a night and take 1-2 puffs from my vape (in bed since it won’t burn the place down and the vape turns itself off). Each year the pain becomes less and I use less Cannabis. So, no tolerance.
Cannabis – As I stated above my use of Cannabis for my RLS has become less and less over time. My sleep becomes longer and longer before I wake up. Sometimes I just wake up to pee but feel my legs tingling a bit and then I take a small hit from my vape as preventative. I’ve noticed if I don’t do that the pain starts to ramp up after I’ve woken up.
And here’s some other really good news. The paranoia is gone. Once I started using D Bub I noticed that when I vaped I got happy and relaxed. It was fun. I thought, ‘so this is what everyone’s been talking about’. And I love the flavour of it. I was reluctant to use another strain but now that I’m using LA Kush Cake, the joy and happiness and fun are still there. Yay. Whether it was the D Bub or the fact that I had been using Cannabis for 2 years before I got onto D Bub and my body finally ‘got it’ I don’t know. Either way I am very grateful for the new happy Cannabis experience.
⇒ My Toolbox: Grinder, Vapes, Bubbler, Cannabis, Other Essentials
→ I have no affiliation with any businesses/products I mention.
→ I can be stubborn, dislike watching YouTube videos, and tend to wing it. So my learning curve is self-inflicted.
I only use Cannabis flower. I’m pretty particular about not using processed products. I like the original natural packaging. I also only use certified organic.
· Grinder
For flower, a grinder is a must. Easy to use. Just take a bit of the flower and put into the top of the grinder, in-between the metal pieces. Then put the top on and grind it back and forth. Open up the grinder and voila! nicely ground up flower. I usually grind up as much as my grinder will hold, fill my vape and then put the rest into an airtight small glass container so I don’t have to grind up more each time I refill my vape. I keep a small toothbrush handy to brush out all the ground flower from between the metal prongs. Some grinders have 2 sections and others have 3 with a bottom section that is for kief (the tiny, resinous trichomes from cannabis flowers, which contain high levels of cannabinoids like THC) but in reality I never see much kief in there so it’s not necessary imo to have a 3 section grinder.
· Vapes
I use Utilian brand vapes and that’s all I’ve ever used. I’m sure other brands rock.
Utillian 420/421 vaporizer – Starter vape. My first vape. Now my backup.
For flower, fits in my hand, glass mouthpiece, inexpensive, 180°-230°C, Digital display, Easy to clean.
When I got mine it was the 420. Utilian has upgraded the 420 to 421.
Utillian 620/621 vaporizer – Intermediate vape. My second vape and the one I use exclusively now.
For flower, fits in my hand, glass mouthpiece, more expensive than 421, 160°-220°C. Digital display, Easy to clean. Convection heating chamber. More of that vapour trail on exhale.
Again when I got mine it was the 620. Utilian has upgraded the 620 to 621.
Differences from 421: Smaller overall size, smaller bowl size, convection heating.
I purchased both vapes online from TVape Canada. My first 620 battery went and they sent me a replacement immediately. I didn’t have to send the old one back to them so I have it for used parts! Great customer service.
Vape Use – I had no idea what I was doing when I got my 420, I could have watched YouTube for info but as my friends know I dislike watching videos. So I just read the booklet and went by the seat of my pants. Not saying that’s a good thing, it’s just my thing.
At first I was refilling the bowl every night. Did that for about 6 months until one day I thought, if it still smells like fresh bud maybe I could use the same stuff the next night. Duh.
Once I started using the 620, I thought it interesting how the bowl is smaller. But small is mighty with the 620. With the Cannabis helping relive my leg pain so much as I went along, I gradually went from 2 nights per bowl to 4-5 nights to sometimes 6. Take that pharmaceutical drug tolerance!
First night, I begin at 190°C. That’s my sweet spot for blowing out a vapour trail and getting the right amount into my system. I take 3 tokes, holding each in for a count of 5. I keep the temperature there until I don’t see any vapour trail and then I increase the temp by 5°C. Often it’s at 190°C for 3 nights before I ramp up the temp. When I’m on at 200-205°C I figure it’s my second last night of the bowl. The last night I hit 210-220°C.
I admit I wanted to look cool exhaling a cloud of vapour, even though I was alone! I don’t get those big puffy clouds, more a small stream of cirrus. But I still feel cool, even if I don’t look it. I use the vapour trail (as I call it) as a marker. It seems to me that when I see that vapour trail it means I’m getting the most out of the Cannabis. When I no longer see it, I turn up the temperature on my vape 5°C at a time until I do.
One other thing to note – you may notice that when using a vape the draw resistance is higher than smoking a joint. It seemed a drag (pun intended) for me at the beginning, but like anything else one gets used to it and it seems normal now.
· Bubbler
I am contradictory cheap by nature. I agonize over small purchases but then I see something big I love, and somehow I find the money – although I’m still saving up for the Mah Jong couch I’ve wanted since the 80s. But I digress. I really wanted to try the bubbler but the $35 seemed like money for something I didn’t really need. A friend put me out of my misery and got me one. Scary how my friends know me so well.
First time I was like, I dunno… I dunno if I’m getting the same effect through this bubbler. Stupid me. It’s awesome. A game changer. The vapour is cool on my throat and lungs and now I don’t know how I managed without it. I’m on the ‘just right’ OCD spectrum so I’m never sure if I have the right amount of water in it, but experimenting showed me what I thought was not enough works well in practice. I just slowly pour in water so the center tube fills up, turn the bubbler right side up, towel off any water from the bottom and good to go.
The bubbler seems huge – because it is, relative to the vape. I put the vape with the bubbler attached into a cleaned out plastic tahini container and set it on my bedside table. I wanted a fancy glass one but the plastic is better due to the bubbler being glass – you don’t want that to break. The tahini container is the perfect size and height.
Filling the Vape and Bubbler – I use a small silver coffee spoon of my grandparents (purely size and sentimental reasons) to spoon the ground flower into the vape bowl. I then use a wooden chopstick to tamp down the flower in the bowl. Not to hard, not too soft. You’ll figure out what’s best for you but don’t overthink it, like I do! I’m still trying to figure out my exact tamping after 5 years. Probably never will. Be sure to fill the bowl because the vapes works best with it full.
As I think I’ve already mentioned, to add water to the bubbler hold it upside-down and slowly pour water into it until the water fills the inside chamber of the bubbler. Then turn right side up, wipe away any water on the (now) bottom of the bubbler where it fits onto the rubber stopper and push it down over the stopper.
Cleaning the Vape and Bubbler – I clean both each time I need to refill the bowl. I clean the vape and bubbler soaking the parts in alcohol for 10 minutes then washing with dish soap. The parts of the vape that can’t be soaked I wipe with a cotton swab and alcohol.
· Cannabis Strains I Have Known
Romulan – Worked well for pain relief. Still self-conscious when high.
Comatose – Worked well for pain relief. Still self-conscious when high.
Cherry AK – Worked well for pain relief. Strong cherry flavour. Still self-conscious when high.
Death Bubba – A woman in my local shop in Vancouver’s downtown eastside recommended this to me. I was hesitant just because of the name – what a name if you have paranoia issues – but… so awesome, tastes great, got rid of my leg pain and gave me a gentle, happy, fun high. Wow, I was blown away. Bred by Matteo Suleyman of Sea to Sky Cannabis in Vancouver – many thanks!! And yes I do call it D Bub in my head.
Death Bubba Kush – Funny I bought this and it was in a fancy jar and more expensive than the Death Bubba in the package but it doesn’t have the same great flavour and just doesn’t vibe with me as well. Don’t know what the difference is but yeah, weird. Please see Update – Different brand.
LA Kush Cake – Great pain relief. Not loving the flavour. But hey, it sure takes away the pain.
Psychoactive Effect: I don’t know if it was the D Bub strain that go me into a fun and happy place on a Cannabis high. The other option is that it was just a matter of time. No idea. All I know is that I now get what Cheech and Chong were talking about. A few tokes using the vape now makes me happy, hopeful and relaxed. It’s a good feeling. I still only use Cannabis at night for my RLS but now I also look forward to the mental and emotional relaxation.
Cost: I purchase 3.5 grams of Cannabis flower for around $34. The last package I bought lasted me 66 days. That’s around $.50/day.
Storage: I remove my Cannabis from the package when I open it and store it in a small glass mason jar at room temperature. Sealing the lid on tight,
Update: I buy organic, so the Cannabis recommended at my local Vancouver shops is from 1964 Supply Co. It’s been consistently high quality, imho. Just noticed the Death Bubba Kush I bought was from a different supplier. (Yup, just noticed that now :) Maybe that accounts for the different experience. I’m a neophyte in this area. But very interesting. I’d just say if you find something that works for you – great, stick with it… But don’t be afraid to try other strains or brands. You may find something that works even better or you may realize you were already on to a good thing with your initial strain and brand. You got this!
· Other Essentials
Compression sleeves, tensor bandages and knee high socks: When my RLS ramped up initially I was wearing compression sleeves on my calves. The tension helped with the pain. After a while, I found them too tight and went down to loosely wrapped tensor bandages on my calves. With the continued use of Cannabis, my legs became less painful and now I simply use knee high socks and the slight compression from them is all I need. I cut the feet out and use them as sleeves. Just once so far have I gone a night without pulling on my knee socks. If I go to sleep wth them not on I find I have to put them on later in the night. But I did have that one night where I didn’t need them so I’m hopeful that I may not need them forever.
When my arms started having the same symptoms as my legs, I pulled the compression sleeves on them. But I haven’t had my arms painful in a long time – thankfully because when it’s both your legs and your arms it’s really exhausting.
Heat pack: A heat pack is another item that really helped me. I bought a microwave just to heat it up. When the pain was intense, I’d heat up the pack and place it wherever the pain was worst. Weirdly, if the pain started going away from one spot, it seemed to also go away in the others. But lately I haven’t needed a heat pack either.
I did try a cold pack but by nature I don’t like feeling cold and the heat worked so well and felt so good that I just did heat.
Thank You for reading.
I hope this information helps you find relief from RLS or any pain.
Best of everything to you all! ♥
Have thoughts? Like to share your story? – We’re listening.
Together we grow, we learn, we find solutions.
→ This is my own writing but for some specific information I also incorporated info from DuckDuckGo’s AI *. Thanks DuckDuckGo.