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Cannabis & Harm Reduction

Happy September, back to school, and national recovery month!

As a Cannabis Clinician, people often ask me; “Is Cannabis a drug of abuse or a wonder drug? To answer your questions, let’s start by breaking down addiction and recovery.

Addiction is defined as a chronic, relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use despite adverse consequences. It is considered a brain disorder, because it involves functional changes to brain circuits involved in reward, stress, and self-control. Those changes may last a long time after a person has stopped taking drugs.

Recovery is a complicated path, often with periods of abstinence and relapse where a person slowly regains control of their life, thinking, and behaviors.

When it comes to addiction and recovery, we have to look closely at the real dangers. According to the American Medical Association, addiction is driven by opioid pills, illicit fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine. More than 107,000 deaths were reported in the United States between December 2020 to December
2021, doubling since 2019. Medications are the first line of treatment, substituting a less harmful drug for those that are more lethal and dangerous. We call this harm reduction, and it is critical.

Cannabis remains categorized as a Schedule 1 drug, with no medical benefits, highly dangerous, and addictive to users. The irony is that it is impossible to overdose on cannabis because there are no receptors in the brainstem like there are for opiates. While cannabis is the most frequently used substance, addiction rates are the lowest.

Since 1996, 37 states have legalized cannabis for medical use, and 20 for adult use, and statistics show a favorable trend. States with medical cannabis laws have seen a 20-35% reduction in opioid mortality

People find a reduction in physical and emotional pain and use fewer opiates. Many can stop completely and find freedom. This is not only true for opiates. In Canada where cannabis is federally legal, surveys show that 47% of users replaced other substances with cannabis. Of those who replaced alcohol, 85% reduced the number of drinks while 18% eliminated it altogether.

Cannabis can be a great harm reduction tool! When it comes to cannabis, you can use many types, routes, and cannabinoids, and never have to be high or impaired. CBD, CBG, and CBN are effective anti-inflammatories, and help reduce pain, anxiety, and overall discomfort. THC is the cannabinoid that causes the high, but can be controlled with dosing. Client fears about euphoria are often discussed when a new patient meets with their nurse. We teach what happens in
the brain with activation of CB1, dopamine, and serotonin receptors, and how a small dose of THC improves brain function, motivation, energy, levels of joy, and relaxation.

We spell HIGH as: Hope, Inspiration, Growth & Healing!!!

Specials

To celebrate Back to School month, we are offering two program sales.

Enter code NURSE50 for 50% off our Cannabis Health Coach Program.

Enter code HOPE25 for 25% off the Holistic Wellness & Cannabis Program.

Upcoming Events

CANNABIS NURSES NETWORK CONFERENCE
SEPTEMBER 1ST & 2ND

The Green Nurses will be presenting at the Cannabis Nurses Network Conference
in San Diego.

Nurse Sherri will be speaking on Spirituality as the Root of Cannabis Care.

Nurse Jamie will be speaking on Psychedelic Nursing.

Nurse Denise will be presenting on how to use lifestyle as medicine with Energized Living.

Register for the Cannabis Nurses Conference

TAKING DEEPER DIVE INTO CANNABIS AS A HARM REDUCTION TOOL!
SEPTEMBER 14TH 12PM PST

Welcome to our Monthly Medical Cannabis & CBD Webcast where we bring Hope and
Inspiration for Growth and Healing.

We’ll educate you on a clinical condition, explain how cannabinoids may help
reduce symptoms and improve quality of life, and provide tips on how to get
started.

We are here to change the dialogue and stigma around what it means to feel good
or be high, hence H-for Hope, I- for Inspiration, G-for Growth, H-for Healing.

Register for the Monthly Webcast

Watch the Monthly Podcast Live

CONSULTATIONS

The world is tense, and Covid has forever changed our home and work
environments. As troubling as that is, the potential for plant medicines to heal our world is exciting.

We’ll help you take a harm reduction viewpoint, and approach cannabinoids and other progressive therapies that enabled millions to find freedom from other
drugs.

From pediatrics to geriatrics, we specialize in caring for the whole person at Holistic Caring & The Green Nurse. If you’d like to take that first step please book a 1:1 patient consultation with one of our nurses.