Blog

  • If You’re Prescribing Opioids, Why?

    Opioids.jpg

    Don’t get me wrong. I am not part of the anti-opioid crowd. My only interest is in patient well-being which, of course, led me to practice cannabinoid medicine. I firmly believe that there are patients who need opioid medication. So the question really isn’t why are you prescribing opioids, but rather why aren’t you prescribing cannabinoids first.

  • Intoxicating Hemp Products: Why They Matter and Why They Don’t

    Intoxicating Hemp Products

    Recently there has been a lot of discussion in various states about regulating or banning hemp-derived cannabinoids and intoxicating hemp products.  This has come up in part because these hemp-derived products are circumventing state-legal programs as well as posing public health risk due to lack of regulation.  Let’s take a look at why this is important and also where current focus misses the boat.

  • Member Spotlight: Jesse Christianson

    Jesse Christianson RN Spotlight

     

    Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

    My name is Jesse Christianson, and I have been a registered nurse (RN) since 2016. Currently, I am in the final stages of completing my graduate studies to become an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), commonly known as a Nurse Practitioner (NP) for those unfamiliar with the terminology.

  • Don’t Smoke Your Medicine

    Smoke cloud

    Whether cannabis is used in a medical or recreational context, doing so in the safest manner possible is paramount.  While there is good evidence that smoking cannabis is less risky than tobacco (1), it likely still poses some risk.

  • Ask Us Anything: A Student Education Forum

    ACS Presents: Ask Us Anything

    On March 26, the Association of Cannabinoid Specialists (www.cannaspecialists.com) hosted an event in conjunction with the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy.  The event was career focused and used an Ask Us Anything template with questions submitted by students prior to the event.

  • The Endocannabinoid System: Slowly Unraveling the Unknown

    Endocannabinoid_system.png

    The human body is a complex network of interacting systems, each with its own set of responsibilities. Among these intricate systems is the endocannabinoid system (ECS), a fascinating and relatively recent discovery in the field of neuroscience.

  • Is Delaware on the Right Track?

    Delaware.png

    Recently, the Delaware House of Representatives, following ideas from Washington D.C., passed a law to do two things:  (1) remove the list of qualifying conditions from their medical cannabis laws, and (2) allow people over the age of 65 to “self-certify” that they need marijuana for medical purposes.

  • ACS Guidance to Hawaii on Anxiety Treatment

    Hawaii.png

    Dear Madam/Sir: I write to you to support the petitions before you to include anxiety, depression, and insomnia as qualifying conditions for medical cannabis treatment in Hawai’i.

  • Come See ACS at AAPM Booth 1! March 7-10, 2024

    AAPM_Event.png

    The Association of Cannabinoid Specialists will be active at the American Academy of Pain Medicine's 40th Annual Meeting in Scottsdale, AZ from March 7-10, 2024.  Come talk to us, learn from us, and join us as we work toward making cannabis a mainstream pain management option.

  • Cannabis and Heart Disease: What Do We Really Know?

    Heart_disease.png

    This week there has been a flurry of discussion about cannabis’ harmful effects on the heart.  I have received numerous anxiety-ridden emails from colleagues, patients, and my mother (she’s not on cannabis, go figure).  This all stems from a recently published scientific paper in the Journal of the American Heart Association. (1)