Remembrance Day

On this Remembrance Day, we honour all those who have served, and are serving. Thank you. 

Many of these brave men and women have been physically and/or emotionally injured in combat, and suffer from chronic pain and PTSD. In response to feedback from our veterans, their advocates, and medical experts, Canada was one of the first countries to develop a medical cannabis reimbursement policy for our military veterans. 

For more information, visit the Veterans Affairs Canada website (link) and talk to your doctor about the process: https://bit.ly/3pdvT93

Medical Cannabis Awareness Week in the UK

This week marks the beginning of Medical Cannabis Awareness Week in the UK - and boy is this needed. Forgive the long-winded post, but I have a lot of thoughts on this one as it’s something I feel very passionate about.

Medical Cannabis has been legal in the UK for two years, but the country has been lagging behind in providing true access to patients. Since its introduction, only a small number of prescriptions have been issued by the UK’s National Health System (NHS), forcing patients to turn to the illicit cannabis market to treat chronic conditions. Not only is this expensive, but it’s extremely dangerous and completely avoidable. 

I had high hopes that the UK would take the learnings from their Canadian cousins and avoid some of the challenges we faced in the early days. There’s always room for improvement, but our system generally works well, and provides significantly greater patient access than the UK.

Lack of quality medical cannabis education and a cumbersome & bureaucratic prescribing process are two of the major issues preventing British patients from accessing cannabinoid therapy. 

With strong evidence indicating its efficacy in treating chronic pain, treatment resistant epilepsy, sleep disorders, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, etc.--and a lower risk of harm--medical cannabis should be part of every physician’s toolbox, where there is a legal system in place. 

With quality virtual training options that connect experienced cannabinoid medicine physicians with practitioners that require upskilling, it has never been easier for practitioners to advance their knowledge in this field. I’ve personally had the privilege of working 1:1 with hundreds of physicians around the world who felt their current knowledge was too limited to prescribe. Lack of education and “not feeling comfortable” are no longer valid excuses--especially in a healthcare system as well-respected as the NHS.

More information available here: https://bit.ly/3euU2Dn.

Patient Testimonial - Kathy | Chronic Pain

“I was experiencing hip pain for almost a year. My quality of life was greatly compromised. No amount of chiropractic was working. Massage therapy would last an hour and then I would be right back where I started. I was taking narcotics which upset my stomach and caused constipation. Anti-inflammatories were of no benefit. The pain during the day would prevent me from taking walks and riding my bike. I would toss and turn all night, never getting a restful sleep. I started cannabinoid therapy and within one month I was feeling substantially better! I am returning to all the activities I love. I am so grateful for this relief. I just regret I didn’t see Dr. Pearson sooner.” -- Kathy 

Chronic pain is one of the most common diagnoses I see in my practice. It can make life unbearable and impact people’s ability to carry out every day activities. It can also impact sleep and lead to depression over time. 

This is a real challenge for physicians, as there aren’t a lot of quality, evidence-based pain management options at our disposal. Cannabinoid-based medicine offers an evidence-based, multimodal treatment option with a lower risk of harm than most other pain management options.

Opioids and Cancer - Friend or Foe?

The effect of opioids on cancer progression, metastases, and recurrence is increasingly being questioned by researchers and clinicians, and serves as an important reminder of the urgent need for more research into safe and effective non-opioid alternatives.

In a review published in the journal, Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care, investigators examined the evidence for the action of opioids on the processes involved in cancer progression. In other words - they’re trying to figure out if taking opioids to treat cancer pain could actually cause the disease to progress faster. 

The analysis showed there is sufficient in vitro and animal model work to make a plausible case for a detrimental effect of opioids on cancer progression and advised: “In the light of the uncertainty of opioid effect on cancer, any decision making should be tempered by knowing that stress and pain undoubtedly contribute to cancer progression.”

Given the high rates of pain prevalence amongst cancer patients, the importance of identifying non-opioid alternatives cannot be overstated. While more research is undoubtedly needed, the role of cannabinoids in treating cancer-related pain is promising and urgently warrants further investigation. 

Cannabinoids are already a well-known and evidence-based treatment option for chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting. While treating this symptom, I’ve seen several patients also experience reductions in their cancer-related pain and anxiety, which has allowed us to reduce their opioid and anti-anxiety medications in some cases. In many cases, cannabinoid therapy has also helped reduce or eliminate other intolerable side-effects caused by these powerful medications, including constipation, insomnia and lack of appetite.

Full article available here.

#CannabisISMedicine #MedicalCannabis #CancerTreatment #AlternativeMedicine #MindfulMedicating #CBD #CannabinoidMedicine #BreastCancerTreatment #Chemotherapy