by Ruth Hill RN BSN MAT CHPN

Anyone still wondering if cannabis is safe and medicinally effective must be living under a rock. Social media is now exploding with posts on the medicinal efficacy of cannabis. Physicians and nurses are recommending cannabis treatment. Medicinal cannabis organizations are expanding. To feel this excitement scroll the web pages of the Society of Cannabis Clinicians (SCC), and the American Cannabis Nurse Association (ACNA). Cannabis users are piercing through the propaganda bubble of the FDA.

This article will expound on this excitement by reporting on the first conference of the SCC held at UCLA on September 2, 2023, cohosted by the Releaf Institute. Expert physicians presented cannabis as a first-line alternative treatment to unmanageable stubborn symptoms not responding to pharmaceuticals, the very definition of a refractory disease.

Bonnie Goldstein MD, a pediatrician, kicked off the first lecture by describing the Endocannabinoid System (ECS). The ECS is a homeostatic regulatory system active throughout the brain and body, discovered in the 1990s by Rafael Mechoulam, an Israeli chemist. The ECS is an adaptive response to cellular stress, it also maintains cellular homeostasis, fine-tunes synaptic transmission, and mediates synaptic plasticity. Most attendees had a basic knowledge of the ECS, but Dr. Goldstein took us on a deep dive into the chemistry and physiology of this newly discovered system.

Dr. Genester Wilson-King lectured on Cannabis and Endometriosis. Wilson-King wasted no time in her condemnation of the overt bias of the medical industry toward Black women. This bias results in gross underdiagnosis of a malignant condition unresponsive to current treatment. Endometriosis has a 44% recurrence with medical treatment and a 55% recurrence with surgical treatment. Studies show cannabidiol (CBD) stops the migration of endometrial cells and resolves insomnia, nausea, pain, and dysmenorrhea.

Dr. Patricia Frye presented the use of cannabinoids in the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The incidence of ASD is 2.76% of the U.S. population (9.6 million). In the year 2000, the incidence was 1:150. In 2020 the incidence exploded to 1:36. Researchers found children with ASD have low anandamide levels (endogenous THC). Dr. Frye used graphs to illustrate the extraordinary research on biomarkers developed by Goldstein for ASD.

Goldstein returned to the dais and revealed another U.S. patent on cannabis paid for by American taxpayers. The patent is on cannabidivarin (CBDV). It states that CBDV together with tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) far outperforms the use of pharmaceuticals for seizure disorders. The current practice of stacking one antiseizure drug after another induces side effects manifested by the child’s abhorrent behavior. After noticing a response, Goldstein’s treatment slowly tapers children off the multiple antiseizure drugs. There is NO research that verifies the efficacy of stacking antiseizure drugs. So, why do neurologists practice this?

Because trial and error use of pharmaceuticals often fails, how then do we palliate these women and children? Denying the use of cannabis as a first-line treatment is cruel and inhumane. This was emphasized over and over by our expert medical cannabis physicians. CBD has shown these drugs can be reduced by 56%. The research is there. Avoid sugar, lose weight, and focus on nutritional wellness instead of disease.

We got our druthers twisted by Dr. Tim Fong who revealed how ineffective physicians are in diagnosing and managing Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD). If I knew someone with CUD, I would refer them to Dr Fong. He presented a long list of medications with dosages that I am sure many ER MDs are unfamiliar with.

SCC Latin American Chapter led by Dr. Sandra Carrillo and Dr. Max Alzamora is spearheading some exciting projects to enhance the caliber of their cannabis programs.

The landscape of Latin America is rapidly advancing, and the SCC LATAM Chapter will be publishing cannabis science classes in Spanish.

Most remarkable to me was Dr. Sherry Yafai’s palliative treatment of dementia. 5.8 million people in the United States have Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Yafai presented four case studies where she recommended Nabilone, Dronabinol, or plant THC, CBD, and CBG-formulated products. All of her patients showed improvement in symptoms, one came out of hospice care.

Variables affecting responses included age, cannabis product, and the length of time from initiation. It is imperative to focus on tapering down current pharmaceuticals with the corresponding titration up of cannabis. Research shows no efficacy with cannabis when the anti-seizure drugs were not simultaneously tapered down. This creates adverse events not related to cannabis, patience is required to successfully change drug protocols. The best timeframe for revealing results is after four weeks. Presently in California, the family needs to administer cannabis medications in a medical institution.

A panel discussion of the obstacles patients experience, when their right to take a legal plant in a medical facility is prohibited. A typical Yafai treatment plan was: Average CBD: 120-127mg/week = 18 mg/day; Average THC: 52 - 55 mg/week = ~ 7-8 mg/day, a mix of inhaled and oral use was mentioned. The panel concluded that legalized cannabis is not enough, that there is an urgent need to implement the delivery of this miracle plant to everyone. Long-term use is prohibited when opioids are paid by the government with pennies on the dollar. We must combat the government’s War on Drugs propaganda.

I’ve summarized the conference in this article but I do highly recommend the audio recording: listen to these outstanding physicians by clicking on this link and purchasing the webinar HERE.