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RE: How to talk to your doctor about cannabis
Great article. The only thing I would add is that if someone receives treatment at the VA, they shouldn't tell their provider if they are also using cannabis. They can (and often will) refuse you various treatments and referrals if you are honest about using cannabis for any reason.
Great point @mtgmisfit ! I just spoke with someone at the VA about this for a different article. While the VA does now allow veterans to utilize medical cannabis in states where it is legal, they can still refuse other medical treatments in conjunction with cannabis. I've heard to veterans being taken off of their pain pills (like opiates) suddenly, when their doctors find out they are also using cannabis. This can be a dangerous and painful situation. Still, keep in mind that if you have no medical provider who knows about all your medical treatments, you may put yourself at risk for combining medications that DO interact poorly with cannabis . For example, many heart medications are risky to use with cannabis. If you need to avoid talking to your primary care physician, be sure your cannabis recommending doctor knows about all medications and treatments you are on.
It's a bigger concern for mental health patients, as many veterans are choosing cannabis over benzodiazepines for managing their anxiety. Unfortunately, the same veterans also suffer from endogenous chemical imbalances caused by exposures and traumatic brain injury, and being forthcoming about your cannabis regimen can result in not being treated or evaluated conditions.
I have ADHD that was diagnosed decades before my cannabis use, but suddenly one doctor at the VA has decided that my ADHD symptoms are due to cannabis side effects, not the same neurochemical deficiency that has been easily treatable with medication for years. Can cannabis cause these cognitive issues? Sure, as cannabinoids fill the same receptors as our endogenous anandamide. But that assumes that my baseline anandamide and dopamine levels are normal, which peer review literature suggests are not
At the end of the day, the VA refusing cannabis patients diagnostic and pharmaceutical treatment is political, orchestrated by the DEA because of irresponsible pharmaceutical company marketing of opiates, and not in the best interest of patients.
I totally agree! It is such a frustrating situation and so politically misguided. Thanks for sharing about your experience @mtgmisfit - Sorry you had to deal with this miseducated doctor. I had a similar experience once when being treated by doctors who worked for the university I was attending. I was getting sicker and sicker from being on benzos and antidepressants for years, but my doctors were convinced it was the cannabis that I had started using to deal with the effects of my medications! When I got off the benzos, things got waay better - but I had to go find a better primary care doctor (one I ended up paying for out of pocket) who understood it wasn't the cannabis. He helped me with the withdrawal process safely instead of trying to stop any of my medications all at once.
Grateful that you're a cannabis journalist so that you can help bring awareness to these issues. at some level, it becomes a basic human rights issue. Alcohol is bad for diabetics, but you wouldn't take aware their blood glucose monitor and insulin if they were an alcoholic.