4 Things You Need to Know About Cannabis

The last few years have had significant impact on the mental health and well-being of many people. Lockdowns and restrictions have heightened financial insecurities, increased anxiety levels and left many dealing with various bouts of depression. Drugs and alcohol became coping mechanisms and as dependencies developed, health issues surfaced. In light of this, Gent’s Post chatted with cannabis-trained pharmacist Samantha Aitken, R.Ph., BScPhm., of the Medical Cannabis By Shoppers about a few things you need to know about cannabis.

Medical & Recreational Are Not The Same

a health care professional aims to treat a specific condition so they are looking out for your best interest. Whether it’s dosage amounts or frequency, a medical professional can offer advice based on your specific condition. When you have an illness, you don’t decide how much antibiotics to take, you talk to a professional. Going through a medically licensed provider ensures you have safe oversight.

Cannabis Is Complex

Cannabis products are not as straight forward as you might think. Walk into a dispensary and the hundreds of options can be dizzying. But let’s break it down. Within the cannabis plant there are two major cannabinoids, THC and CBD. “THC is the part responsible for the major psycho active effects associated with cannabis, those feelings of euphoria and changes in perception.” CBD on the other hand has some “evidence that points to it having anti-inflammatory and anti-anxiety effects although everything is still emerging.”

Something to consider here is that the ratio of CBD and THC, and other plant chemicals, can alter the effects. Your medical history and experience with cannabis use and your method of intake can also affect how you experience it. This is further reason to support reaching out to a medical cannabis professional depending on your need and condition.

Inaccessibility?

There’s a misguided notion that recreational cannabis is generally cheaper than medically prescribed cannabis. Samantha notes this is simply untrue. She says it can be more cost effective for seniors or anyone with a medical condition. She also says there are options available for individuals to see a reduced cost when trying to obtain the product.

While many people think it’s hard to get a medical document, it’s more streamlined than people think. “The first step is speaking to your medical professional or calling us at the call center if your doctor is not versed enough to have an informed conversation with you about whether it’s a fit.”

Be Careful Who You Ask

We often reach out to friends, family, colleagues for advice on a number of things so it’s only natural that we ask our circle about cannabis. Given the complex nature of cannabis, and the uniqueness of each individual, Samantha recommends that you avoid seeking advice from anyone other than a medical expert. “Previous history of psychosis, unstable cardiac conditions, severe liver and kidney disease, these are reasons why cannabis may not be the best product option.”

Resources

Anyone looking to get more information on how they can get access to medically prescribed cannabis can contact the Medical Cannabis by Shoppers via their website here. There is a link to a partner clinic that is a free of charge online clinic to set up an appointment with a medical practitioner to assess if medical cannabis is appropriate for them. The call center is open Monday-Friday 9am-7pm and the phone number is 1-844-633-2627.

Feature image by Louis Hansel