#63 Medical Marijuana: Is it really dope?

Expand your consciousness around medical cannabis (aka marijuana) with expert Dr Donald Abrams, Chief of the Hematology-Oncology Division at San Francisco General Hospital and a Professor of Clinical Medicine at the University of California San Francisco. We explain the cannabinoid system, THC, CBD aka cannabidiol, limitations surrounding cannabis research, current and future medical uses for medical cannabis (marijuana), and potential conditions it may benefit. We take a deep dive on the potential harms of medical cannabis and how to counsel patients on safe use. Plus, the return past guest and new correspondent, Dr Molly Heublein, Assistant Professor of Medicine from UCSF. Thanks to Dr Molly Heublein for writing and producing this episode and it’s show notes! Full show notes available at http://thecurbsiders.com/podcast Join our mailing list and receive a PDF copy of our show notes every Monday. Rate us on iTunes, recommend a guest or topic and give feedback at [email protected]. Clinical case from Kashlak Memorial:  MM is a 62 yo woman with a history of osteoarthritis and breast cancer, now on an aromatase inhibitor. She struggles with aching and stiffness in her hands, shoulders, knees, and hips. A friend suggested she try medical marijuana. She wants her provider’s opinion on if this is safe and effective. Time Stamps 00:00 Intro 01:30 Picks of the week 03:40 Guest bio 05:11 Getting to know our guest 11:03 Clinical case 11:40 Limitations for cannabis research 12:59 Discussion of THC and cannabidiol 14:50 Smoking versus ingesting cannabis products 16:40 Recap of cannabinoid mechanism of action 18:30 Cannabis and cannabinoid products available 20:20 Synthetic THC (dronabinol) 21:46 How “recommending” cannabis and dispensaries work 25:46 Conditions that respond to medical cannabis 29:15 Potential harms of medical cannabis 34:51 Future directions of cannabinoid medicine research 37:24 Cannabis induced hyperemesis syndrome 39:00 Possible lung cancer risk 40:12 Take home points 42:54 The Curbsiders recap and share their views on the medical cannabis controversy 49:40 Outro