Body of Wonder - Recommending Medical Marijuana (Cannabis) with Rebecca Abraham, RN, BSN

Cannabis has been used as a medicinal substance for more than 5,000 years.
And, for good reason. Cannabinoids, the active compounds found inside cannabis, offer potential solutions and symptom relief for a wide range of ailments, including chronic pain, neuropathy, muscle spasms, and anxiety.
Until the 19th century, cannabis was part of the United States Pharmacopoeia and widely used by doctors. But, in 1942 the U.S prohibited the substance and all forms of use.
Today, cannabis is still a Schedule 1 Substance, which is defined as a drug having a high potential for abuse and no accepted medicinal use. And yet, acceptance and attitudes toward cannabis are rapidly evolving.
In the U.S., 37 states have approved medical cannabis, and more than 3.2 million people report using the substance for a wide range of conditions.
As acceptance of cannabis grows and demand increases, more healthcare providers seek guidance on prescribing methods.
Our guest today is Rebecca Abraham, a critical care nurse, medical cannabis expert, and founder of Acute on Chronic - a medical cannabis clinic working to help patients navigate the safe and effective use of cannabis for hard-to-treat medical conditions.
In this episode, Rebecca discusses how nurses are leading the charge in recommending medical cannabis.
She describes how nurses assess patients for cannabis use. Dr. Victoria Maizes and Dr. Andrew Weil ask important questions about dosing recommendations and ingestion methods for safe and effective treatment, and the challenges cannabis faces within our healthcare system. Rebecca describes common conditions and symptoms that respond well to cannabis and also shares common drug interactions to look out for.
Body of Wonder is hosted by Dr. Victoria Maizes and Dr. Weil and produced by the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona. View other Body of Wonder episodes here: azcim.org/podcast
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Provided by the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona. awcim.arizona.edu/
In the Body of Wonder Podcast, Dr. Weil and internationally recognized integrative leader, author, and women’s health expert, Dr. Victoria Maizes will discuss integrative medicine with thought-provoking researchers, authors, and doctors. For two decades, Weil and Maizes have led a training program at the University of Arizona. Today, 2,000 healthcare practitioners have completed the Fellowship in Integrative Medicine and continue to apply the knowledge in their care of patients worldwide, develop clinical research, author medical textbooks, and more.
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