Today I had the opportunity to take care of a 28 year old patient named Edgar who was diagnosed with a brain tumor called an oligodendroglioma in the temporal lobe of the right side of his brain. He was diagnosed in 2006 and had to have immediate surgery. Unfortunately it has come back and spread to his thyroid gland and other lymph nodes. It is incurable. No chemo, radiation or surgery is going to save Edgar. He is using cannabis to treat headaches, insomnia, poor appetite and pain.

As medical director for Medical Cannabis of Southern California I have many patients who are combat veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Unfortunately the military has a ZERO tolerance towards any drug use and does not recognize cannabis as a medicine. The majority of these patients have made the decision to use medicine for one of two things:

Many patients often ask me how cannabis will affect their blood pressure. Hypertension is one of the indications to recommend cannabis and I have many patients that use it for that purpose.

Today in my Irvine clinic I evaluated a 44 year old man who suffered from chronic pancreatitis. He had recently discovered that cannabis helps relieve his abdominal pain, increase his appetite and reduce any associated nausea.

Today in my Irvine clinic I had two patients who were suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). One was unfortunately physically and verbally abused by her boss and the second was involved in a very traumatic car accident where he lost one of his best friends. Both of these patients experienced a combination of difficulty sleeping, recurring nightmares, avoidance and depression.

As medical director for medical cannabis of southern california I often evaluate patients who take regular high doses of prednisone. Prednisone is the atomic bomb for inflammatory conditions such as crohns, ulcerative colitis, sever asthma and many other medical conditions. Unfortunately it’s effects do not come without significant side effects. Many patients can get relief of these side effects by using cannabis.

This morning a mother by the name of Anne brought her 21 year old autistic son to my Irvine office to be evaluated for treatment with cannabis. He suffers from sever autism; very agitated, violent, and is unable to speak at all. He requires 24/7 supervised care which his parents assume. Anne described never having any total relief from the stress of taking care of him.

This morning I had the pleasure of taking care of a 24 year old male who has been sober from heroine use for two years. He has managed to maintain sobriety using methadone and suboxone (Subutex). Both of these medications are opiates as well and can be equally addictive. Today was his last day of using subutex and he plans on using cannabis to manage any withdrawal symptoms that he experiences after finally stopping all opiate medications!

As medical director for Medical Cannabis of Southern California I often evaluate patients who want to stop drinking alcohol. Alcoholism obviously destroys the life of the patient and the people they have relationships with. I have had several patients who have been able to stop drinking and instead have substituted with cannabis.

As medical director for Medical Cannabis of Southern California I have taken care of patients who have been diagnosed with Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (CVS). Cannabis is an incredible treatment for patients who suffer from this disorder.