This is my post for #freewriters 2766 prompt take one more step hosted by @mariannewest
Since my doctor does not want me to take anything with THC in it and I am trying to wean off the pain meds, I have been looking into other natural pain relievers. One that I am interested in is called wild lettuce, Lactuca virosa is the scientific name.
My problem with it is, I am not sure which plant it is. I have different ones around my yard. I would like to take this while I am weaning off the pain meds because it is not going well. It would be nice if I could find another natural way to get relief.
I used the plant identifier, and it gave me different names, Musk thistle, Bull thistle, and Tall lettuce, but now I can not remember which is which. None said wild lettuce.
This one has yellow flower buds, they have not bloomed yet, but I can see the yellow. What I read is that wild lettuce has yellow flowers. I can take one more step to try to identify them, but I do not know how reliable this step will be. There is a Wild Lettuce group on FB. I could ask them.
The reason I say they are not reliable is that I have seen some say it has prickles on the underside of the leaves, and others say it doesn't. I do not see prickles on any of these.
If I can correctly identify it, I would like to try it. I know that while I am still on the meds, I need to talk it over with my doctor before taking it. Some people roll up a leaf and chew on it, others dry the leaves and make a tea. Some cut the entire plant up and cook it down to a paste, but the most popular way I have seen is to make a tincture from it, some said they even smoke it.
photos are mine
