Medical Cannabis Roundup on 4/20

The haze is in the air as we celebrate cannabis on 4/20. Both recreational and medical users alike, take part and are festive on this holiday. In the United States (US) there are 38 states, along with Washington D.C. that have legalized medical cannabis. With the pending rescheduling of cannabis from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the cannabis plant will move forward a new step on its journey to being respected as a medical tool for various health ailments.

Overview of the Research on Cannabis for COVID-19

Given the fast and furious mobilization of the global healthcare community to understand the nature of the coronavirus, how to treat it, and, eventually, how to prevent it, the sheer volume of research on COVID-19 is not at all surprising. What is, perhaps, surprising, especially given how recently it’s been since the COVID-19 breakout, is that there are so many research publications on the potential for cannabis to be used to treat the virus. On the other hand, perhaps the abundance of research on cannabis for COVID-19 is not so surprising. After all, it is a virus that causes an immune response, which may escalate into a virulent inflammatory reaction. And an enormous body of research on cannabis—and cannabidiol (CBD) in particular—has shown cannabis to induce strong anti-viral and anti-inflammatory effects. It is still early days, so no clinical studies establishing the efficacy of cannabis for COVID-19 have yet been conducted, but studies have established several clear mechanisms of action for using cannabis to treat COVID-19.

Read the full article on research and COVID-19 here.

Studies on Cannabis for Anxiety and PTSD: A New Webinar from Healer

This two-hour webinar, hosted by Dustin Sulak, DO, co-founder of Healer, on February 7th, 2024, gave an in-depth analysis of several studies published within the last six months that used cannabis to treat symptoms of anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Healer webinars, Dr. Sulak explained, were started in 2018 to help filter through the large number of cannabis studies being published. The recent increase in studies on cannabis for anxiety and PTSD, plus Dr. Sulak’s own experience treating patients with these conditions, prompted the focus of well-received webinar.

The first studies Dr. Sulak reviewed were on cannabis for treating anxiety. For each of the studies presented, he discussed the setup, effects of the type of cannabis or the cannabinoids used, results, and limitations, focusing in particular on duration of symptom relief, drug substitution for the first-time cannabis users, and major takeaways from each study.

Read the full overview of Dr. Dustin Sulak’s Healer webinar here.

Cannabis Nursing: A Paradigm Shift in Healthcare, a PreConference Workshop at Cannabis Science Conference Spring 2024

Designed with the dedicated nursing community in mind, and in honor of National Nurses Week (May 6–May 12), this comprehensive workshop aims to provide nurses with invaluable insights into the therapeutic potential of cannabis in patient care. Powered by Cannabis Nurses Network™ (CNN), the Cannabis Nursing: A Paradigm Shift in Healthcare workshop is scheduled for May 7, 2024, in Kansas City, Missouri.

In this interview, CNN founding members Heather Manus RN, HN-BC, HWNC-BC and Marcie Cooper MSN, RN, AHN-BC, HWNC-BC, GHNA, share their insights into the upcoming workshop and their experiences in cannabis nursing. In the Medical Track at the conference, Manus will co-present “PTSD and Trauma-Informed Cannabis Care,” and Cooper will present “Reducing Polypharmacy for the Aging Population."

Listen to a sneak peek into the PreConference Workshop at Cannabis Science Conference Spring 2024 here.

Empowerment through Education, Part V: Navigating Medical Cannabis Regulations

In Part V of this cannabis education series, Jeremy Robbins and David Benedicktus, co-founders of Cannabis Patients Pacific Northwest (CPPNW), explain how physician perspective, the current scheduling of cannabis, and the differing state laws surrounding medical cannabis create challenges for accessing cannabis education and medicine.

Listen to Part V of the Empowerment through Education series here.

Catch up on past interviews or watch the whole series!

Empowerment Through Education, Part I: An Introduction to the Founders of Cannabis Patients Pacific Northwest

Empowerment through Education, Part II: 'It's a Big World of Cannabis Out There'

Empowerment through Education, Part III: ‘It’s Not Food Science, It’s Cannabis Science'

Empowerment through Education, Part IV: Medical Cannabis Grow Laws and Cultivation

Empowerment through Education, Part VI: Cannabis Courses and Outreach

Empowerment through Education, Part VII: Rescheduling, Banking, and Beyond