GRAND Magazine - Summer 2021 - 31

wellness
Pharmacy Times TV interview with Dr. Tishler
Cannabis can be used to treat a wide range of
symptoms: pain, insomnia, poor appetite, nausea,
and vomiting (usually brought on by cancer chemo),
and well as anxiety and depression. It can be helpful
for diseases like ALS, MS, dementia, Crohn's and
Ulcerative Colitis, and Rheumatoid Arthritis. The cannabis
regimen that will work best depends on what is
wrong and will have to be adjusted to your situation -
just like any other medication.
However, we are now confronted with a new source
of misinformation: the cannabis industry. This new
industry is not yet appropriately regulated to ensure
that patients are properly served. As a result, there are
an ever-widening array of products that simply are not
actually useful or medically appropriate, and the dispensary
staff give mountains of financially self-serving
medical advice despite being unqualified to do so.
For just a few examples, we, physicians, do not recommend
that you smoke cannabis, since smoke is
not particularly good for you. However, inhalation by
vaporization of the cannabis flower (not oil) is safe
31 GRAND Summer 2021
and effective for some problems, but not for all. Other
problems do better with oral cannabis in the form of
edibles. The choice is based on the illness, not personal
preference as suggested by the industry.
"
How are we to sort through all the
baloney and get to a regimen that
is safe and effective? The answer is
simple: ask your doctor.
"
Similarly, in the industry there is a lot of discussion
about strains (all the different types of cannabis) but
no scientific evidence that they make a difference.
CBD is being pushed by this industry to make money
and has become extraordinarily popular but has never
been shown to be safe or effective for the things
people use it for. In fact, CBD appears likely to cause
liver damage!
As with most medicines, it turns out that dose and
timing are the keys to success. This is a less is more
situation. However, the industry views this as standing
in the way of sales and is constantly pushing patients
to use more. This is where the risk comes in.
How are we to sort through all the baloney and get
to a regimen that is safe and effective? The answer
is simple: ask your doctor. Many folks are concerned
that their doctor will disapprove, but I have found
most docs to be open to what helps their patients. It is
true that many doctors are not familiar with the data
and use of cannabis medicine, but they can help refer
you to a cannabinoid specialist who is. It really is the
cannabinoid physician's responsibility to prescribe the
right cannabis regimen for you, and to provide followup
care to adjust that regimen as needed. Again, just
as we would expect in any other field of Medicine.
You and your physician should know about the
Association of Cannabinoid Specialists. This is an
evidence-driven non-profit dedicated to helping
patients, like you, and educating physicians to know
how and when to use this medication. Further, the
ACS is focused on sound medical policy at the federal
level to ensure that patients get the medical treatment
that they need and that regulations are set up to aid
their physicians in providing that care. You can learn
more about the Association of Cannabinoid Specialists
at their website cannaspecialists.org.
Jordan Tishler, M.D. graduated from both Harvard College
and Harvard Medical School, trained at the Brigham and
Women's Hospital, and is faculty at both the Brigham and
Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. He is a cannabis
specialist, author, teacher, speaker, and tireless patient
advocate. Through his training in internal medicine and years of
practice as an emergency physician, Dr. Tishler brings his knowledge,
reason, and caring to patients at his practice inhaleMD.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0994809700/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=grandmagazi0d-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0994809700&linkId=c0cf2342749a51234e00421ef2df453e https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003B6QYSW/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=grandmagazi0d-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B003B6QYSW&linkId=74a78ba0a510c9871c2e38f745d59213 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3s2uE0DNyg https://www.cannaspecialists.org/ https://www.cannaspecialists.org/

GRAND Magazine - Summer 2021

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