MORE AND MORE ORDINARY PEOPLE ARE TURNING TO MEDICAL MARIJUANA FOR RELIEF.

Just this morning my first patient was a 46 year old man who has been working as a landscape architect his whole adult life.   Since 2008 he has been out of work and has had to take handyman jobs here and there just to make ends meet.   He has been happily married for 20 years but the financial strain has been “so hard on my wife and I”.   As he is telling me this story tears are forming in his eyes and his head down at his chin.   He is a very hard working, proud man.  He wants to take care of his family but “does not know how much longer I can handle the stress.”  READ ON…

I can not tell you how many patients come in to see me every day with his same story.   The economy is affected peoples health adversely.   The reason he wanted to try medical marijuana is that the Xanax made him too groggy in the morning and he has been drinking more than usual in the evenings.   He recently read of an NHL hockey player (Derek Boogard-New York Rangers) who overdosed on xanax and alcohol and he became very afraid of the same thing happening to him.   His goal is to replace both the alcohol and xanax with medical marijuana in the evenings.   He admitted to using it sporadically for the past 2 months with excellent results.

The bottom line is that medical marijuana can be an excellent sedative for sleep and an excellent anxiolytic for anxiety.    If used in small amounts, patients can still function throughout the day without having to get “high” like back in the 1960′s.    If vaporized they do not have to expose themselves to any carcinogens or carbon monoxide.

As far as the strain, patients can pick which one works best for them.   Traditionally, indica strains are more sedating and less psychoactive (less “high”) than sativa strains because of the lower concentration of THC.     I recommend that patients try multiple strains to find the one that alleviates their symptoms the most and that they tolerate the best.

If you have questions regaring medical marijuana or would like to make an appointment feel free to contact me at 877-721-0047.

Be blessed,

1.  Because cannabis is psychoactive, meaning it affects a patients judgement, balance, perception, coordination and cognitive functions like concentration and short term memory, there are risks inherently associated with its use.  For example, elderly patients who use cannabis have to be extremely careful when using cannabis.  They can lose their balance, fall and fracture their hip or other bones.  Patients who use cannabis and drive are more susceptible to accidents.  I often tell my patients “‘just because no one has overdosed doesn’t mean you can’t lose you balance and fall down a flight of stairs and break your neck.”  So that is the first and most important risk associated with using cannabis.  That risk can be reduced by taking basic safety precautions.

2. Cannabis can speed up your heart rate (medically termed tachycardia).  Have you ever used cannabis and felt like your heart was racing?  If so it is because cannabis has what is referred to as anti-cholinergic affects on the body and can seep up your heart rate.   This is a concern if patients have had a significant cardiac history such as a heart attack or stroke.    I always ask my patients that have cardiac histories if they currently exercise at all.  If so then the risk is limited, but certainly something to consider.

3.  Cannabis should not be used with other central nervous system depressants like alcohol and benzodiazepines such as Xanax/Valium and because of the increased risks associated with compounding the psychoactive effects of the medication.

4. If you speak with addiction specialists who treat patients who have been using cannabis chronically for long periods of time they often describe a syndrome where patients lack motivation and have a general apathetic mood.  This is certainly concerning if people are truly not reaching the full potential of what God intended for them.

Overall, cannabis is a much safer drug then the majority of medications that patients take for pain, anxiety, sleep etc. but I just wanted to share some of what I think are the real risks associated with its use.

If you would like more information on the medicinal use of cannabis please feel free to visit our website at www.MCSoCal.com  You can pre-qualify for free online from the comfort of your home.  Our clinics are located in Encinitas, Irvine and Long Beach.   877-721-0047

Many patients do not realize that cannabis (marijuana) is an incredible anxiolytic (anti-anxiety medication).   I works by binding to receptors in our central nervous system (brain/spinal cord) and peripheral nervous system (nerves which leave the spinal cord and extend to the rest of the body)   Within 3 minutes of inhaling (vaporizing) patients will experience a generalized body relaxation.  Soon after patients can experience euphoria which is great for patients who also have depression.  This  state will usually persist for 3-6 hours depending on the dose.   If used prior to going to bed patients often get a restful nights sleep and wake up feeling refreshed.   The advantages of using cannabis is that it is not toxic to any of the major organ systems, has no potential for overdose and also does not produce a physical addiction.   Many patients are also unaware that there are different strains of cannabis which produce different results when used.   Indica Strains tend to be lower in THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) which is the main psychoactive cannabinoid.   Patients will typically describe the effect as a general body relaxation vs a head high.  This allows patients to medicate and still be able to carry out normal conversations with family, friends and co-workers.    Because most people’s experience with cannabis has been from marijuana obtained illegally from the street they tend to have used Sativa strains which are much higher in THC and have more of a mind-altering effect.    Regardless, because cannabis is so benign from a toxicity standpoint, it is definitely worth a try to see if you will benefit.  I always tell my patients that the great thing about cannabis is that if you try it and it doesn’t help, you simply stop using it and in the meantime have done no harm to your body.   However most of my patients experience great relief from their symptoms.

For more information about Dr. Sean Breen please visit his website at www.mcsocal.com  Medical Cannabis of Southern California has three offices in Long Beach, Irvine and Encinitas.   Patients can pre-qualify for free online from the privacy of their home.   If you would like to make an appointment to see if you can benefit from the medicinal use of cannabis give our office manager a call at 877-721-0047