Cannabinoids and Your Medical Care: Tips for A Successful Conversation
If you’ve heard rave reviews and read multiple articles concerning the medical value of CBD and cannabis, you may want to try these products on your own aches, pains, or other health challenges — especially if you’ve had limited success with other forms of treatment. Although it isn’t always easy to talk about cannabinoids with medical practitioners, it’s still a conversation worth having. Here are some tips to help you guide that conversation with your doctor toward a productive end.
Understand Why Some Doctors Resist Discussing Cannabis
Some doctors may seem resistant to the idea of using cannabis products for medical purposes, despite the fact that cannabis has served as a staple of traditional medicine for ages. But this resistance isn’t necessarily a moral judgement or knee-jerk reaction — it’s simply the result of training. Modern Western medicine tends to de-emphasize the value of “folk remedies” in favor of more controlled treatment methods. Doctors may also feel skittish about recommending a substance with medical properties that the doctor cannot actually prescribe under law.
Discuss What CBD and Cannabis Can Realistically Do
The more you understand about the curative powers of cannabis, the more usefully you can discuss it with your doctor. The internet is saturated with information on these products, including articles pointing to numerous scientific studies. Save the most helpful of these studies and submit them to your doctor as part of the discussion.
An ever-growing body of research indicates that CBD and cannabis products can be particularly helpful for specific health challenges such as chronic pain, inflammatory disorders, anxiety, depression, asthma, seizure disorders, headaches, and nausea. If you suffer from such a condition, talk to your doctor about the potential for treating that condition with cannabinoids. This focused conversation will serve you better than trying to discuss cannabis as some sort of “cure-all.”
You should also discuss some of the unintended consequences of CBD and cannabis use. For instance, some of these products could cause you to fail a drug test, depending on the sensitivity of the testing process or the specific requirements of the testing institution. They might also impair your motor function or reaction times, potentially placing your safety at risk in certain circumstances. Make this part of the conversation as well.
Accept Your Doctor’s Verdict
Ultimately, you rely on your doctor as your trusted advisor on primary medical care. Unless you feel like severing that relationship, accept your doctor’s final opinion and advice as to whether you should incorporate CBD or cannabis products into your health regimen. Doctors maintain an extensive knowledge of how various medications and other treatment options work — including how they interact with substances such as THC. Cannabis products are known to interact with certain drugs in unhealthy ways. (For example, they can increase your bleeding risk if you also take wayfarin.) It’s just one more reason why you must have a clear and honest conversation with your doctor on this subject.
If you and your doctor agree that cannabinoids can genuinely help you, All Greens Clinic can serve as your resource for CBD and medical marijuana. Feel free to browse our online product listings and contact us with any questions!
