All right, well, 420 is tomorrow.
I know we were just talking about that.
And many people are probably getting ready to celebrate the
unofficial cannabis holiday.
But before the day rolls around,
let's get an understanding of the health benefits it brings.
Sitting here with me now is Bahia Lee,
a CEO and president of Midwest Canada Nurses.
Hey, Bahia. Hi, thanks for having me.
So for so long, cannabis has had this almost negative
stigma to it.
But now with the legalization of it,
it's kind of opened up the gateway for that stigma
to change.
So from better sleep to improve mood,
even helping combat, you know,
certain conditions like cerebral palsy,
the plant is really changing folks lives.
So tell us a little bit about the science behind
those therapeutic events.
Yeah, absolutely. So the the components of cannabis that it
has,
the health benefits in the 1st place are called cannabinoids
and those have a variety of different functions.
The main two that we know of our THC and
CBD.
And between the two of those you get a combination
of pain relief,
you get some decrease in inflammation,
you get anti anxiety effects,
they help combat seizures and so on.
The plant is very, very versatile,
can be used for a multitude of health benefits.
So let's talk a little bit about some of the
common misconceptions about cannabis.
We hear people talk about the addictive side and you
know how it kind of has like those side effects,
you know, maybe a lazy stoners or something that I
hear often.
But do you think that's all dependent on the person?
Absolutely, absolutely. We all have our own individual cannabinoid,
endocannabinoid system and we all respond to cannabis differently.
It does have
a lot to do with the types of products that
you are consuming.
Some of them have the psychoactive effects,
some do not. Some can be more
euphoria producing or mood lifting and that's exactly what you
want.
And then there are other cannabis products that will have
you more relaxed,
more in a sedated mood and a little bit more
comfortable.
So it really depends on your product choice,
the symptoms that you are trying to target,
and ultimately the the dose and environment that you consume
your cannabis in.
So you just mentioned this a little bit,
but we know that there's all these different,
like cannabis products coming out.
We got the vapes, the oils,
the gummies, all of these different cannabis products.
So how does the popularity of these products influence cannabis
users?
And better yet, does that affect the health of benefits?
So does each each different products or the oil,
the vapes, all of that,
does each one have different health benefits?
Are oils better because you aren't inhaling it?
Well, I mean, first and foremost,
no matter what the route of administration is,
we are still seeing those baseline cannabinoids in the products.
Now in terms of the product that you'd like to
choose,
it's based on a couple different things.
First and foremost, that's high on the the list.
There is your preference of consumption.
So there are certain people who like to inhale cannabis,
but for others, they may feel more comfortable with something
a little bit more subtle like a tincture or a
gummy for example.
Again, it's going to depend on the symptoms that you're
trying to target.
For those needing long relief and edible is more optimal
because you know that the duration for that is about
5 to 8 hours.
However, if someone is needing quick relief,
quick onset, you know inhalation may be a better option
for them.
Ultimately, you want to think about what your goals are
and also think about some of your other chronic conditions.
If someone has lung issues,
we're not going to recommend that they inhale their cannabis,
but perhaps they're going to go for a tincture.
And for those people, people who may have GI or
digestive issues,
you know, we may suggest another route of administration.
Topical cannabis is another great way to get that dosing
in without it infiltrating your system for folks who need
to be tested for cannabis.
So again, it's a variety of different ways you consume.
I wouldn't say one is better than the other.
Just again, what's your individual preferences and the symptoms you're
going to target?
So with your company, you actually do take that holistic
approach and you kind of broke it down a little
bit there and help people discover which cannabis product they
need. So you told us a little bit there,
but can you talk more about kind of your process
that you all take at Midwest Canada nurses to help
people discover the can't the correct cannabis product that they
should be using to treat?
Yeah, whatever they have going on?
Yeah, absolutely. So I mean,
first and foremost, we start with a general conversation.
It's just the same day,
the same way we would do in
a regular nursing encounter. So we get to know the
patient,
we get to know what their goals are and try
to figure out the symptoms that they want to treat.
Now, one thing I want to make very clear is
that cannabis is not for everyone.
So part of that, the intake conversation that we're doing,
is determining whether cannabis is an appropriate option for you.
And once we've determined that,
we'll go back to the science.
We look at the literature.
Are you trying to use cannabis for something that we
have sufficient evidence for?
And if the answer is yes,
we will walk you through step by step what you
need to do to engage in safe and informed consumption.
So that looks at what your medications are,
what your history is. It also goes over the particular
products that we'd like you for you to try,
how you should go about dosing those products and even
where you can access those products.
So it's really comprehensive for us
and real quick, tell us where we can find more
information on Midwest Canon Nurses and kind of indulge in
some of these services that you offer.
I see you're repping your set today.
You got the jacket on,
you got the pen on.
I'll grow the stigma. I love it.
Absolutely. So you can find us on our website,
www.mcn.health. If you are on social media,
we are on both Facebook and Instagram at Midwest Canon
Nurses.
All right, well, thank you so much for joining us
today by you.
Absolutely. Thank you for having me.