I got my medical marijuana card almost a year ago. I felt like I had nothing to lose, since my fibromyalgia had destroyed so much of my life already. I really feel a difference using the medical cannabis. I am more productive and less aware of my pain. So far, I have used various edibles, the balm, medical cannabis flowers, and vape cartridges. My favorite is the edibles!
The edibles are great because they can last up to 8 hours, but they take up to an hour to kick in. You do have to be careful how much you eat the first time too, or you end up extremely stoned. That is what happened to me. I got the taffy that was also gluten free (since I also have Celiac Disease), and they told me to cut it up into 10 small pieces (each was about the size of a skittle, if you balled them up). Just that one little skittle sized piece worked and then some! Another recommendation is to start with a small dose and then every hour eat a little more, so you figure out how much to eat the next time you take it. Also, different edibles have different amounts of cannabis in them, so it is important to check the labels to see how many milligrams are in each serving.
Smoking medical cannabis or using a vape pen can be great if you are in need of immediate pain relief. Yes, it isn't recommended to smoke it, because smoking isn't good for your health, but I eventually gave in and tried it. However, it really does help when my pain spikes and I need results now, not an hour later.
Also, each kind of flower strain helps with different ailments, so it is good to check which strains are recommended for your specific needs. I tend to use a Sativa during the day because on top of pain relief, it also helps to fight my fatigue, and keep me alert. At night, I use an Indica to help me relax, fall asleep, and (of course) relieve pain. Also, if I ate an edible an hour before bedtime (as apposed to smoking some before bed), it will last 8 hours instead of just a couple of hours, which means I could actually sleep through the whole night for a change!
I do want to note that smoking it and eating it has also helped with my nausea and my migraines too! Plus the balm, that I use, offers some relief when I rub it on my joints. It has a bit of a medicinal smell to it though. The balm also, to my surprise, helped my skin, where I had a mole removed, heal faster than normal and it prevented scarring (this is compared to other moles I have had removed and didn't use the cannabis balm).
Hope my experiences with medical cannabis helps answer some of your questions!