CANNABIS IS MEDICINE. DON'T MAKE IT KNOW WELL!!

Most of the clinical fiascos I have seen and heard associated with cannabis use have involved the use of edibles, dating back to the time when two of my bohemian college roommates visited Amsterdam, they ate two "space cakes", They waited 30 minutes, ate two more, and spent the next 20 hours clinging to each other and hiding in the closet. I asked them, "How was Amsterdam?" In unison, they replied, "We don't know."".

 

I was recently surprised to be called a "joint freak" when I suggested, on Twitter, that cannabis should not be formulated into gummy bears or other succulent treats that a small child or pet might consume in excess. By my logic, if cannabis is, or can be used as medicine, we should make it look and taste like medicine. If we weren't putting ibuprofen in a candy, why would we put a psychoactive substance like THC in a chocolate bar.This is obvious to me, but some people seem to take any limitation to their inherent right to take medicine or get high by eating a gummy bear.oma.

 

Edibles have fueled the debate about cannabis safety.

 

The issue of edible cannabis products is a hot spot in the debate over how cannabis should be legalized and regulated, with arguments of freedom and personal responsibility colliding with public health concerns. As with a lot of things related to cannabis, the issue is highly politicized and usually when a new study comes to light on some benefit or harm related to cannabis, such as levels of use by adolescents, rates of crime, medical uses or statistics on vehicle driving, there is no consensus on the validity of the data or on the consequences of the same. It can be difficult to get a clear picture of the true benefits and dangers of cannabis.

 

Availability of groceries and visits to the emergency room

 

A recent study in the Annals of Internal Medicine looked at emergency room visits that were "deemed at least partially attributable to cannabis," meaning that other conditions and factors could have contributed to admission. The study authors suggest that ED visits for cannabis edibles have increased steadily in Colorado as a consequence of cannabis legalization. Another explanation for the perceived increase in cannabis-related ER visits is that, with legalization, patients can finally expose the real reason they are in the ER without fear of getting into trouble with the police or social services for using an illegal drug.

 

Personally, I think the premise that ER visits are because of cannabis, in part because of the availability of edibles, and because of the many anecdotal stories I have heard throughout my life related to this topic. For example, an acquaintance, trying to be open-minded about a family member using medical cannabis, consumed a THC-infused medicinal chocolate bar from that family member that they found, unmarked, in the refrigerator, and ended up in the emergency department with a panic attack. This should never happen. By leaving a medicated but unmarked grocery lying around you put someone else's well-being at risk. And if that person tried to drive then even someone else could have been harmed. The same goes for cannabis-infused barbecue sauce, pizza, honey, etc. I suggest that these items are inherently too dangerous, in terms of accidental or incidental risk to others, to trade or sale.a.

 

On social media, some people advocate this type of risk, or the risk of exposing a small child or pet to some cannabis-infused treat, saying, more commonly, "People should be responsible," "Some few irresponsible people shouldn't ruin it for the rest of us ", or" Parents shouldn't leave it within reach of their children. " I don't want to be cynical, but after practicing as a GP for 25 years, I can confidently say: not all adults act like responsible adults. Also, even responsible adults can make mistakes. Any unlabeled edible risks the well-being of anyone who is not aware of that fact.

 

Edibles are not for novice cannabis users

 

The main benefit of cannabis edibles is that they last long - up to 12 hours - which can be helpful for patients with chronic pain or chemotherapy. But the long-acting nature of edibles may also explain part of their threat: If you've had too high a dose, you're stuck with it for too long, and if this causes a panic attack, it can be extremely uncomfortable. It can also be difficult to measure the dose correctly, as edibles can take 30 to 200 minutes to take effect, and people often make the mistake of taking the dose again too soon, leading to an overdose and experience miserable.

 

Edibles don't always have the same effect

 

Edibles work faster on an empty stomach, and their absorption depends on the amount of fat in the last meal. They are not always accurately labeled in dispensaries, and when cooked at home, cannabis is not always evenly distributed throughout the brownie batter. The effects of edibles are chemically different from those of smoked cannabis, because cannabis taken orally passes more directly through the liver as opposed to the lungs and the THC, which causes the high, is chemically converted to a different cannabinoid, called 11-hydroxy-THC, which has a different, and potentially stronger, psychoactive effect.e.

 

¿What if you have consumed too much without knowing it?

 

In the clinic, with medical cannabis patients, I try to avoid problems with edibles entirely by advising all but the most experienced cannabis users to avoid them altogether, and reminding all patients to "start down and go slow. " If a recreational or medical cannabis user is in the unenviable situation of having consumed too large a dose of an edible containing cannabis, the best practice would be to sit in a quiet, quiet place, practice a little mindfulness, drink the hand of a friend, drink plenty of water, try some CBD if you have it which can antagonize the effect of cannabis. Many people believe that consuming CBD helps negate the effects of THC, but this has not been definitively proven. Remember this will go away, and you will be fine. This method almost always works. However, if you start to have a total panic attack, shortness of breath, chest pain, or start to have any unusual psychiatric symptoms, you should consider having a friend take you to the emergency room at that point.s.

 

If it can be used as a medicine, make it look like a pill

 

I think some sensible regulations would reduce the problems caused by cannabis edibles: making them look and taste like medicine, in pill form, in pill bottles, with specific labeling specifying exact dosages, and with child-resistant packaging. . This could go a long way toward protecting our pets and children, as well as those who find a benefit in cannabis and those around them. Sensible edibles regulation could lead us to seek greater common ground on which to shape future cannabis policies.