How to speak to your healer or doctor about Cannabis dosing

Cannabis dosing and tolerance

Things would be a lot easier if there were just one kind of Cannabis plant and doctors would have an easier task of recommending a certain Cannabis dose. But the truth is that there are thousands of different strains some very potent and others which don’t have much effect on the body or mind. Different delivery routes also complicate the matter further because different routes have different effects. Despite all these mysteries surrounding Cannabis medicine dosage can be measured in order to achieve the desired healing effect each patient is looking for. At the end of the day dosing is relative to the potency of the THC content of the plant material. Dr Donald Abrams MD is a Professor of Clinical Medicine at the University of California in San Francisco. He is one of the few medical doctors who have written about Cannabis dosing. He offers final dosing recommendations which ii use in my own medicine as a guideline. Plants which tests result in around 10% THC he suggests a daily dose of between .15 to 5.55 grams which is a suitable dose for most illnesses but certain cancers will need a much higher dose. As THC levels increase dosage should decrease in grams. Cannabis testing at 20% THC for example would reduce to a daily dosage of around .08 to 2.79 grams while 30% THC would reduce to .01 to 1.86 grams and so on but the important thing to consider is that dosage is an deeply individual issue and often ii will treat two patients with the exact same medical diagnoses with different dosages and again this is because of individual Cannabinoid receptor expression.

It really is true that less is more and ii am a huge fan of micro dosing or miniscule dosing in my healing work and especially with Cannabis medicine. Research is now starting to prove that just tiny amounts of Cannabinoids can stimulate the body to make more Endocannabinoids and build more receptors. This is exactly why so many first-time Cannabis users do not feel any effects the first few times they consume but by the third or fourth time, their bodies would have built more THC receptors and will be ready to respond. More receptors increase a person's sensitivity to Cannabinoids; which means that smaller doses have larger effects, and the individual has an improved foundation for optimum Endocannabinoid activity by consuming just a tiny dose of Cannabis on a regular basis. Some of my oldest patients in their 90’s already are literally consuming six raw Cannabis leaves a day as part of a miniscule maintenance dosing plan. Other patients maintain their health with daily doses Cannabis seeds while others might have established their personal tolerance at say 10 ml of coconut infused Cannabis oil per day. Dosage consideration requires a deep understanding of individual receptor expression in patients. 

When it comes to man-made drugs, it can be difficult to control the dose of synthetic medicines and often the patient doesn’t really have a choice but to commit to the medicine at the prescribed dose and endure whatever side effects come their way. It starts becoming obvious that the whole herbal version of Cannabis can offer many positive side effects which are not present in synthetic versions. The important thing to bear in mind is that synthetic man-made Cannabis medicines are definitely not as effective as when working with whole herbal plant extracts.  Here is a quote by Dr Ware of Health Canada, he says:

“By virtue of purifying those resins, isolating them, and putting them into pharmaceutical products, you sort of give rise to a more standardized and clean product…the challenge is that even though we have these existing prescription cannabinoids that these prescription medicines don’t seem to work the same way that the herbal product does.”

This is the truth and ii really don’t mean to bash the pharmaceutical industry because they do have a lot of excellent products which are also helping many patients but it seems obvious that doctors will have to educate themselves about whole herbal Cannabis healing and not only the synthetics they will be allowed to sell. A lot of the doctors ii have worked with have shown enough enthusiasm to learn about this complex and highly evolved plant by realising that Cannabis medicine doesn’t really fit into any of the conventional medical boxes and so it needs to be handled in its own right and with individual treatment programs to be fully appreciated. The reason why the actual plant cures more effectively than synthetics is because of The Entourage Effect. This is the understanding that all of the plants chemical components must be present in the recipe. All of the different Cannabinoids and terpene profiles are involved in the healing process and they actually all have to work together to achieve the magical healing properties we are seeing with whole herbal Cannabis. We must all realize that THC and CBD are only a part of the equation.

The concept of the Entourage Effect comes from the Hebrew University in Israel from the laboratory of Professor Raphael Mechoulam and describes how all of the chemical compounds of Cannabis must work together in symphony to create the total of all the plant parts which then transcend to the magic powers of this plant of renown. The entourage effect is the natural combination of an array of the over 140 known Cannabinoids as well as hundreds of other chemical components which together produce the specific natural effects of whole herbal Cannabis. There are even terpenes and terpenoids of which over 200 have already been identified and which also mimic the actions of Cannabinoids and also have their own special healing powers so no-one really knows the true number of chemical components within the Cannabis plant.

Potency as with other medical drugs is not only concerned with how strong the effect of a medicine is but rather at what concentration or dose these effects are achieved in different individuals. For instance THC and CBD have different potencies at different targets because of the different ways in which they interact with the different receptors and of course everyone’s receptors work completely differently. This is important because at higher doses THC and CBD are able to engage more targets. Estimating which doses are needed to engage different targets is the secret to healing with this medicine. The research involving my own recipe The Cannabis Coconut Connection took 12 years of field study to bring to the public after almost 20 years of growing and researching the human companion plant. Over the years the challenge has always been to try to produce a quasi-standard recipe for the most common ailments like insomnia, nausea, pain, inflammation, menstrual problems, lack of appetite, obesity, constipation, headaches, high blood pressure, depression, and anxiety. In general when working with a Cannabis strain which records around 6 to 8% THC and a 1:1 ratio of THC to CBD meaning that the CBD ratio would also be between 6 and 8% an effective formula has proven to be 10 grams of pure Cannabis flowers to 100 ml of virgin organic coconut oil to make small amounts of medicine.

One of the biggest differences between Cannabis medicine and pharmaceutical drugs is that the pharmaceuticals generally only have high potency at one specific target, meaning a specific receptor which they are engineered to target. Cannabis targets all of our receptors and this is why this medicine works so fast and so effectively for such a wide range of health issues. This is also why Cannabis works so well with other pharmaceutical drugs and this has been a blessing over the years as many doctors were not even aware that their patients were taking Cannabis as part of their treatment. The truth is that Cannabis will never really be a medicine which can be standardized and this is because our Cannabis receptor system is as unique to each of us as our fingerprints so factors like receptor expression, tolerance, dual purpose, retrograde transmission and the chakra system also need to be understood. This is not only because everyone is different it is also because no two Cannabis plants are the same and even on the same plant no two buds or branches contain the exact same chemical makeup. Nothing about the EC system is constant or predictable because it is an everchanging system unlike any other system we have ever studied.

Establishing Cannabinoid tolerance also varies from person to person especially in respect of the main psychoactive compound THC. Scientists are actively studying the mechanisms which underlie the development of this tolerance. And it is interesting to note that the extent to which any one of these mechanisms is involved in the establishment of this tolerance seems to be brain-area based and ii really believe that this is because the brain is the main target of THC. In chapter 8 we will take a closer look at the psychedelic properties of the plant.

Many medical practitioners and paediatricians and even veterinarians continue to be amazed at the virtually miraculous healing abilities of the Cannabis plant and truly this plant has shown us many miracles which people continue to experience even when doctors say there is no hope. Many people have seen me at their death bed and then weeks later we are drinking tea together. A lot of doctors must be wondering if Cannabis medicine will work for their patients but they don’t really know anything about how the medicine works or even if it is a real medicine. Some doctors feel that once Cannabis is legal for everyone there doesn’t seem to be any point in doctors prescribing it. Doctors can expect obvious questions from patients such as “How much to take? When to take it? And what type of effects will be felt?” These are the type of things you should be able to discuss with your doctor or health care provider. And there will always be a need for whole herbal Cannabis dispensing because not everyone likes gardening and most people are either too busy or too ill to tend plants. So doctors will still need to assist in making this medicine available to their patients where they can be sure that it contains what the label says it contains and possibly has been tested for toxins and heavy metals.

The truth is that there are many people producing various Cannabis medicines and often ii think there are more producers than patients but the fact is that you really do not know what is in these products and the only way to be totally sure of what you are consuming is to grow the plants yourself and produce your own medication otherwise you will need to put your trust in another human being who really is no more qualified than yourself. Many doctors today are in fact aware of the medicinal healing properties of Cannabis and everyone should be urged to discuss this very serious matter with their health care practitioners to find the best solution for their personal medical disorders. It is quite possible for conventional and natural medical practitioners to work together for the overall healing of the people. We can see how more and more doctors are beginning to realise the truth about Cannabis however they lack the scientific research to adequately administer this medication in its natural form.

Going forward more and more people will need information from their doctors about Cannabis medicine because it is helpful for so many day to day complaints. Doctors must not feel awkward when discussing Cannabis with their patients even though the patient might be far more informed.  It is important to rather focus on the evidence of the healing abilities of the plant and realise that this is a barrier which needs to be broken down for the benefit of everyone especially sick children and their suffering parents.

While most doctors are approachable and are accustomed to discussing alternative treatments if your doctor is unfamiliar or hesitant to prescribe it you should take it upon yourself to explain the science and medical support for your specific experiences because the best way to approach your doctor is from a position of knowledge and this is exactly how a lot of doctors will learn about Cannabis medicine from their patients. My limited medical training was most helpful because a healer can be very gifted but at times it does become necessary to confer with doctors on various patients when a medical treatment becomes the more appropriate intervention. Without this training it is not easy to communicate with the medical professionals so healers with training and practice in western medicine automatically bring something extra to their work and can act as a bridge between the traditional world and the medical world. The biggest difference between doctors and traditional healers is that we are shown through our connection to the ancestors the exact nature of a patient’s problem. It is different from listening through a stethoscope to find clues to form an opinion. This is how we are able to tell the patient exactly what they are feeling and what symptoms they are experiencing before they even begin to speak. No one can do this no matter how many medical degrees they might have or how successful their medical practise is. And if you as a patient have to tell a traditional healer what is wrong with you then you can be sure that this is not a genuine healer. As a healer ii really value cooperation with medical professionals and ii have tried to cultivate relationships where we each respect one another and many doctors have told that ii have wonderful medicine. They want to know more about it and they refer patients to me because ii specialise in some areas and they specialise in other areas and we should refer to each other for our own specialities as we do amongst ourselves as well.

Medical professionals must try to understand the myths, the facts, the fears, the challenges as well as the rewards of working with this medicine in order to become a dependable doctor who can confidently treat patients with Cannabis medicine. They need to understand the different delivery routes of this medicine and why it is so important to choose the appropriate method for each individual patient. Individual personalised treatment is one of the core principals of prescribing Cannabis medicine. It is my hope that doctors might see this as an opportunity to provide an excellent healing service to their patients and to actually cure them so we need doctors and patients to have an open mind about Cannabis medicine. Personally ii feel that the doctors who will benefit the most are the paediatric neurologists especially when treating epilepsy for instance. No one can say that there is not enough research or evidence to prove that Cannabis is helping thousands of epileptic children and their families to live relatively normal lives.

Acknowledging the sacred relationship between Cannabis and humans is what will determine whether doctors and healers will comprehend the intricate network of the true natural healing powers of the Cannabis plant and its receptors in our bodies. In the future ii would like to see Cannabis being the first port of call for preventative and curative treatment through the focus on receptor expression rather than a last resort.

We really do need more cooperation between doctors and healers throughout the world. We all have our specialities, our strengths and weaknesses. We must refer to other healers and doctors who are best able to assist the patient. Some diseases are better treated with traditional herbs while others respond best to western medicine. For example western procedures are seen as best for emergency and critical care and most healers will have an ambulance on standby for such cases. Hospitals are able to replace patient’s fluids if they become dehydrated and can offer blood transfusions where necessary. Millions of people especially in Africa have placed their faith in traditional healing for generations, yet they hear about the miracles of modern science. As health care providers we must all try to offer patients the best of both worlds. Not so long ago it was unacceptable for the medical community to work with traditional healers but now we are reaching out to the doctors and visiting their clinics. Today we can see that this cooperation will only grow stronger and stronger and have great benefits for everyone.