Cannabis Cloak & Dagger

In this article: Key uses for topicals, cancer pain, anxiety, and tendinitis, teen risk.

For the last ten years, I’ve been helping my patients with cancer and chronic pain acquire CBD Oils to improve their quality of life. To illustrate how much times have changed, I used to give my patients the phone number of a guy in Woodland, CA who grew and extracted his own high-quality CBD oils.

Are You Being Followed?

Getting access to these products was no small feat. First, my patient would have get a note from an MD willing to support this alternative approach. Then, they’d have to go through a cloak and dagger routine to get in touch, get buzzed through the gate in the middle of farmland, and then drive in to the main house and wait in the car until the proprietor could verify no one had followed them down the driveway. Considering today’s marketplace, it’s amazing to me that patients who really needed this medicine had such a hard time getting it.

CBD vs. THC

For those of you new to the world of marijuana extracts, CBD- short for cannabidiol- is a chemical component especially effective at treating pain and relieving anxiety. THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the psychoactive compound in marijuana associated with the ‘high’ or euphoric feeling people get when consuming it.

Topicals Salves and Creams

The main reason I’m writing this article is because of the recent success I’ve have had using topical THC & CBD products in my practice treating both pain and neuropathy. I use products higher in CBD (1:3 THC to CBD) for neurological issues like peripheral neuropathy and nerve pain and products higher in THC for tendinitis and muscle tension (3:1 THC to CBD). Two brands I love are Papa & Barkley- they do high-quality research– and Dr. Kerklaan. I have set up a special partnership with Caliva in San Jose get you access to these products at a 20% discount. Just use coupon code TED at checkout!

Are These Products Right For You?

Good question. If you have either an acute pain issue like tendinitis or neck pain; or a chronic problem like peripheral neuropathy, topical creams and salves containing CBD/THC may be a stronger and more effective alternative to whatever you are using now. If you are using a prescription medication for insomnia or anxiety, my opinion is that sublingual extracts (vaping is still harmful to the lungs) can be a much safer alternative. I am happy to discuss options with you by phone or by email. You can also read this excellent summary put together by P&B available at ISSUU.com. Lastly, there are many TCM herbal formulae that are effective for anxiety, stress relief, and insomnia.

Counterpoint- Teen Safety

Today in California you can get all manner of marijuana products and paraphernalia delivered to your door within minutes. While this is a Godsend for chemotherapy and cancer patients, it comes with significant risks to our kids. I have growing concerns with the ubiquity of these substances and the access our kids have to them. Put simply, marijuana is neither a safe nor harmless alternative. Ultimately this is a parenting and educational issue so I encourage you to talk to your own kids to make sure they understand the difference between access and acceptability of use. I guarantee you they are only one or two people removed from someone using marijuana in their peer groups.

Conclusion

The recent legalization of marijuana in many states across the U.S. has created an extremely large and lucrative marketplace for manufacturers and resellers. The upside of this is the convenience and accessibility of high-quality, safe  products in a multitude of delivery methods. Those who need these products have easy access. CBD/THC products have the potential to replace dangerous medications (especially sleep medications and opioids). The downside is that our youth also have access to products that are both easy to conceal, harmful to their health and potential derailing academically.