Casual Conversations #37 Supporting Caregivers
In this Casual Conversations episode from the Association of Cannabinoid Specialists, moderator Christine Goedhart, PhD speaks with Jordan Tishler, MD and Suraj Tandon, MD about caregivers of medical cannabis patients.
They describe common caregiver roles for children and aging parents, and highlight major barriers when patients enter institutions like rehab centers, nursing facilities, halfway houses, or residential schools that refuse to administer cannabis despite benefit, forcing families into difficult workarounds and underscoring the need for clearer legal and institutional support.
Dr. Tandon shares Canadian perspectives from palliative care and long-term care, where caregivers often help advanced cancer and dementia patients use cannabinoids for symptoms such as pain, insomnia, appetite, and behavioral issues, but still need more education, after-hours guidance, and financial help since cannabis is not subsidized like other medications.
The panel calls for destigmatization, clinician and public education, and moving cannabis into patient-centered care.
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