There are many different varieties of cannabis. Like any medicine it is important to find someone who knows which strain will give you the desired effect. I have used some mj that triggers episodes and other strains that don't.

There is anacdotal evidence that mj effectively treats bi polar symptoms but more research is needed. There also seems to be effidence that it is counter effective with young people. It has been known to trigger episodes among teenagers but lack of research means we can't know why. Is it the drug itself or the quantity of drug consumed? No one knows.

I do know people who use it for bi polar and depression and they swear by it after unsuccessfully getting any relief from pharma drugs. It doesn't need to be smoked. It can be made into a tea or put through a vaporizer or put in your food. Using mj as a medicine is not the same as using it for recreational purposes. I think people fail to make the distinction and unfairly brush mj with a single stroke.

Here are some links to information about how to get a medical mj card in California.

http://www.medicalmarijuanalifestyle.com/
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/mmp/...20program.aspx

Good luck and let us know how it goes. I am very interested.