Q: Why is medical marijuana federally illegal? What is the history that led up to that? A: Cannabis has a long, complicated, and conflicting history in US politics. Historically it has been used as a food, a fiber, and a medicine for thousands of years in many different countries and cultures. In the US it has only…
DetailsQ: Is there an antidote for feeling too high? A: The medical definition of antidote is a drug that counteracts a poison. Narcan(naloxone) is an antidote for opioid overdose with 100% efficacy as an opioid receptor antagonist, meaning it completely interferes with opioid receptors preventing an opioid drug from attaching to an opioid receptor. Therefore, when administered…
DetailsQ: How dangerous are cannabis edibles for children? A: That is a very good question and with Halloween around the corner it is more critical than ever to treat edible cannabis products like any other medicine and make sure it is locked up and away from kids. Today cannabis products have THC levels that are much higher…
DetailsQ: Why does cannabis make me hungry? A: It is well known that consuming cannabis with THC can stimulate one’s appetite, a phenomenon often called the “munchies” in colloquial terms. The underlying physiology may be explained in a study published in Nature Neuroscience, researchers found that the CB1 receptors in the olfactory area of the brain (where smell is…
DetailsSynthetic cannabinoids are potent psychoactive intoxicating compounds that are made completely in laboratories. They are not derived from the natural cannabis plant. Many were originally developed more than 30 years ago by either pharmaceutical companies or researchers at universities, as tools to better understand the science behind the effects of cannabis in the body and…
DetailsQ: How does cannabis work to treat pain? A: This is a good question because chronic pain tops the list of reasons that people seek out medical cannabis for relief. According to a recent study, 62% of people using medical cannabis do so for pain relief. Additionally, a CDC report indicated it is estimated that 1 in 5 US adults…
DetailsQ: Why does cannabis make me nauseous? A: If consuming cannabis makes you feel like vomiting, you may have something called Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome. Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS) is a condition caused by chronic daily cannabis use, and is characterized by symptoms of cyclical nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain with cramping. Oddly, the symptoms are relieved by…
DetailsQ: Is cannabis a gateway drug? A: The short answer, for me, is that I do not believe that there is a preponderance of evidence that supports this notion that use of marijuana or cannabis, leads to use of other “hard drugs” such as heroin or cocaine. But for my long-winded answer, let’s first look at the…
DetailsTHC and CBD are very chemically similar organic compounds found in the cannabis plant. Their chemical structure is C21 H30 O2. They mainly differ in one chemical bond[1] causing an open ring in CBD and closed ring in THC. They both have aromatic benzene rings and hydrocarbon tails with only a couple hydroxyl groups that…
DetailsAs an emergency physician in inner cities such as Detroit and Baltimore for the last 25 years, I am, unfortunately, very familiar with caring for patients with addiction. Over the years, I have seen the nomenclature change from drug abuse to substance abuse, to now substance use disorder. I became interested and started my cannabis…
Details
