Overview
There is a lot of noise around medicinal marijuana; so much so that just the thought of trying it might be overwhelming. There are actually many proven benefits when it’s used the right way, some of which I’ve even experienced myself.
When I was recovering from mold toxicity combined with C. diff and a slew of other factors that ruined my gut, I was so nauseous that I couldn’t eat and was rapidly losing weight. None of the anti-nausea medications I tried were working, but marijuana did.
Now, there are a lot of nuances to its use and much more research to be done. To understand what the data currently shows us on medicinal cannabis and where someone might start if they’re curious, I’m excited to sit down with an expert on the topic, Dr. Misha Kogan.
Dr. Kogan has extensive experience researching and using medical marijuana with his patients. We dive into an explanation of the body’s endocannabinoid system and how marijuana interacts with it. Dr. Kogan explains the differences between activating our CB1 receptors (neurological effects, pain, anxiety) versus CB2 (immune upregulation, metabolic support). Dr. Kogan’s motto is “start low, go slow, and deliver it where it needs to go,” which he elaborates on throughout this episode with examples from his own practice.
Pain, nausea, and spasticity issues like multiple sclerosis are the top three symptoms medicinal cannabis has been proven to help. Dr. Kogan and I talk about some of the interesting research in these areas, including that the National Academy of Science rates marijuana higher for pain relief than opioids. We also get into the topic of cancer which Dr. Kogan doesn’t use marijuana to treat directly, but instead uses it to treat the side effects of cancer treatments.
Cannabis may be one of the oldest documented herbal medicines on earth. I was interested to learn more about the modern data we have on it and I think you will be, too.
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