Cannabis Patient Care - March/April 2022

Cannabis Patient Care March/April 2022

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35 cannapatientcare.com march/april 2022 | 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. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 32

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