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cannabis patient care
it—because another thing I don't think people understand is
that typically when you're testifying on a bill, it's not just like
one time and it's done," said Fuimaono-Poe. "Typically, that bill
will have several moments for testimony because that must go
through all of these different committees. Say it's in a health
committee, you testify, and you post it, and you post links, then
people can testify when it's in the Judiciary Committee."
Find the causes that mean the most to you. Take these steps:
sign up for alerts, find bills that you want to support, share it
on social media, and testify at the legislature level. Those are
the steps you need to take to become an advocate.
It may seem a bit overwhelming to enter the political are-
na but, if you want to see change, sitting in the backseat isn't
the best approach to make it happen. Other advocates need
your help to make a difference and to help tackle the stig-
ma attached to cannabis. Being a Schedule I drug prevents
the medicinal plant from being seen as anything other than
a recreational high, as well as many politicians and anti-drug
supporters viewing the plant with caution. Through advocacy,
cannabis has the opportunity to help millions of people with
their health conditions, but it needs people to be there to
stand up for it and have its back. By joining others with similar
goals as yourself, you will not be alone and will be able to ac-
complish so much more. It'll create a united front and give you
the tools to shift things around in the cannabis industry. Advo-
cates are out there waiting for you, so get out there and testify
for more access to cannabis and to change the legal landscape!
References
(1) https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/chronic-pain.
(2) https://www.maliecannabisclinic.com.
(3) https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2018/bills/HB1893_.HTM.
(4) A.C. Bradford, W. David Bradford, A. Abraham, PhD1, et al., JAMA Intern
Med. 178(5), 667-672. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.0266 (2018).
(5) https://post.ca.gov/proposition-64-the-control-regulate-
and-tax-adult-use-of-marijuana-act.
(6) https://www.courts.ca.gov/prop64.htm.
Next Steps
Casale's work with veterans and other health care providers
continues, as she probes why nursing schools and medical
schools still resist any training about cannabis.
Her personal journey, her discoveries along the way about
how cannabis works for pain, are all part of what drives her. "I
have been to Washington, D.C. to promote cannabis for veter-
ans… but it's just a tedious, involved process that you just can't
give up on," she said. "I think we're heading around the corner
because it's becoming more accepted. People are using it and
getting results that they couldn't get any other way."
She wants cannabis out of Schedule I through legislation.
"I think that will definitely free up the environment and allow
researchers to do more research and get funding to find out
cannabis' full potential," Casale said. "Secondly, it would allow
us to see cannabis integrated into nursing and medical curric-
ulums, including studies of the endocannabinoid system, and
give health care professionals training about more of a holis-
tic integrative approach to pain management."
Conclusion: Casale's Message to Nurses
Casale wants other nurses and health care professionals to
know that there's been more research on cannabis than any-
thing else. "The government has a patent on cannabis. We all
have just been lied to for the last 40 years. It's all political and
business. That's just the bottom line.
"Part of the propaganda was calling it marijuana and not
cannabis, and that people just wanted to smoke and get high
all day. But it's like any other medication that needs to be
respected and monitored," she said.
"Like I said to nursing students, cannabis is going to revolution-
ize health care, and they want to learn about it," said Casale. "And
hopefully next fall, the Dean of Nursing will be incorporating s ses-
sion on cannabis and nursing, and the endocannabinoid system, as
a part of a viable alternative and complementary to health."
References
(1) https://www.linkedin.com/in/linda-casale/
(2) https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/
label/2006/040330s015,040341s013,040434s003lbl.pdf
(3) https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/complementary-
alternative-or-integrative-health-whats-in-a-name
(4) https://healer.com/about-us/
(5) https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/didactic-teaching
(6) https://www.ncsbn.org/nclex.htm
(7) https://www.ncsbn.org/The_NCSBN_National_Nursing_
Guidelines_for_Medical_Marijuana_JNR_July_2018.pdf
(8) https://www.pharmacy.umaryland.edu/academics/ms-
medical-cannabis-science-and-therapeutics/
(9) https://www.nationalacademies.org/news/2017/01/health-effects-of-
marijuana-and-cannabis-derived-products-presented-in-new-report
(10) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965229921000169
About the Author
DAVID HODES has written for many cannabis publications,
and organized or moderated sessions at national and inter-
national cannabis trade shows. He was voted the 2018 Jour-
nalist of the Year by Americans for Safe Access, the world's
largest medical cannabis advocacy organization.
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