Special Committee Meeting on Medical Cannabis Committee Chair
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Special Committee Meeting on Medical Cannabis Committee Chair Baker and committee members. Thank you for hearing this very important topic on medical cannabis. I very much want to talk to you today from the viewpoint of a cannabis nurse who knows the medical potential of plant therapy and the subsequent improvement in quality of life that many patients across Kansas will experience once they have access to medical cannabis. I must make it clear that I am for controlled medical access not recreational use. Many cannabis supporters who are medical professionals across the state have been in the past, reluctant to speak up about cannabis. The stigma tied to “marijuana” (cannabis) use is being lifted and we are no longer willing to stand by in silence while patients suffer. I have reached out to hundreds of nurses in Kansas and the majority support medical cannabis use. Science verifies that Cannabis offers us a legitimate alternative to pharmaceutical products to treat medical conditions. It has been used for over 4000 years safely worldwide. Research and technology tell us cannabis should not be categorized as schedule one for many reasons, the most important being it does have accepted medical use. Since the beginning of prohibition truthful information about cannabis has been suppressed. The Federal government has provided and still does provide cannabis to glaucoma patients, (two on the program are still alive and continue to receive pre-rolled cannabis cigarettes) and the Federal Government has had a patent on CBD since 2003. If the Federal government acknowledges the benefits of cannabis, why can’t Kansas? What I am asking you to do today is to include input from cannabis educated medical professionals when formulating any cannabis legislation. We offer patient centered considerations that may be overlooked by those not familiar with how medical cannabis is being used for healing. Raw cannabis, dried cannabis, flowers and leaves of the plant are critical for treating many illnesses and science supports this. There are a lot of critical considerations you will be asked to make about this issue and sadly you will have to sift through negative personal bias and statements that are made to protect those who stand to lose or make a lot of money if Kansans laws change. We have a unique opportunity being one of the last states in the union to formulate medical cannabis legislation. We are being afforded the opportunity to examine what is working in other states as well as what is not working and come up with amazing legislation that is truly focused on patients. I would like to explain what a cannabis nurse is. First and foremost, we are patient advocates. We strive to advance excellence in cannabis nursing practice through advocacy, collaboration, education, research and policy development. Cannabis nurses have advanced training in the endocannabinoid system and its functions, cannabis products and their use, dosage guidelines, safety while using cannabis, drug interactions, standards of practice, and we offer cannabis education to other medical professionals and general public. Thousands of nurses across the nation have formed professional cannabis nursing organizations. We attend and present National Symposium on cannabis, review medical studies, learn from scientists, researchers and physicians about the latest studies and trends in the industry. Our knowledge base is strictly backed by science and our organizations are led by nurses. Physicians, and nurses have clear standards of practice and continue developing cannabis use guidelines. We offer cannabis education, and act as a resource for patients, other medical professionals and are developing college curriculums for medical and nursing students relating to the endocannabinoid system. Many of us are involved in cannabis product development, formulation, sales and have developed patient centered businesses like care clinics. Kansas will realize many business opportunities that will encompass every aspect of this industry, from seed to sale including patient care when cannabis for medical use is legalized. Therefore, we feel strongly that you involve cannabis knowledgeable nurses and physicians when laws are being formulated. We know what patients need. There are a couple of key points I would like to make about cannabis with the first being that we must understand cannabis is an herb. Herbal products work differently in our bodies than single pharmacologically active substances. Herbal drugs are considered less potent than prescribed medicines. The latter usually contain one highly concentrated active ingredient(s), while herbs may have several active ingredients that are chemically similar. Scientific research supports that cannabis has over 425 known compounds that are contained within the plant. Because we are uniquely individual, how one person responds to herbal plant products does not necessarily mean another person will respond in exactly the same way. Secondly, the most important point I can make today is that using cannabis as medicine is NOT about being intoxicated, it’s about triggering the endocannabinoid system we all have within our bodies and relieving symptoms. This is important when we look at restricting amounts of cannabis that might be allowed. Patients that are using cannabis for pain control in a hospice setting will require a much higher dose than someone who uses it for arthritis or inflammatory problems. We must also take into consideration that raw cannabis has its medicinal value too. Raw forms of cannabis are nutritious and NON-intoxicating. Cannabis has long been recognized as a nutrition herb and in the past was grown in gardens throughout the US. Patients must be allowed to grow a limited number of plants. New research for TCHa and CBDa the raw forms of THC and CBD shows great potential for use as an anti-inflammatory, neuroprotectant and pain killer. In an exhaustive review, the National Academies of Science and Medicine recently confirmed the efficacy of cannabis for chronic pain in adults. Interestingly, when given access to cannabis, individuals currently using opioids for chronic pain decrease their use of opioids by 40–60% and report that they prefer cannabis to opioids. Cannabis is being used to successfully treat opioid addiction with resulting drops in overdose deaths. We should have this option in Kansas. THC continues to be vilified in Kansas for reasons I don’t understand because scientific research continues to show it is necessary for the synergistic healing effects within our bodies. In other words, it takes all the plant constituents to work in harmony to effect change within the body. It is true that a lot of cannabis plants contain higher THC content than ever before because the illicit growers were meeting consumer demands from the recreational market. As we continue to evolve treating disease with cannabis, we realized the importance of other cannabinoids. Plant breeders are working to bring back cultivar, (old cannabis strains) that contain lower THC levels and higher levels of other cannabinoids. This will be a wonderful opportunity for our Ag related colleges to take part in developing cannabis cultivar and researching plant constituents. Cannabis brings lifechanging healing to many but is not for everyone. There are some serious considerations patients will have to make before using cannabis. Some people simply can’t and should not use cannabis. This must be a personal decision made between the patient and physician not something dictated by the state. Cannabis trained physicians and nurses are aware of potential problems and work hard to educate patients so they can avoid untoward side effects. Access to tested, organic cannabis will also protect consumers from health complications seen when users consume contaminated illicit cannabis. I currently travel and teach a “Cannabis 101” class to nurses. I also have talked to hundreds of Kansans about cannabis over the last 2 years. Nurses are one of the most trusted medical professionals and as such people tell me a lot of things they would never admit to others because I don’t judge them or pose a threat by exposing their information. At all my classes I start by asking if attendees use any type of cannabis or know someone who uses cannabis for medical reasons. Consistently I have a 90% positive response. I ask people who admit they use cannabis where they are getting their cannabis from and I have discovered it comes from many sources. Some is obtained from licensed dispensaries from recreational states and is brought back in vehicles or by plane when returning home. Some comes from Kansans who grow cannabis and sell it to those who use it as medicine or recreationally. Some is obtained on the illicit market in legal states because the cost of tested products from dispensaries is more than people can afford. Some get cannabis from family members who live in legal states. Lastly, some grow plants at home and make cannabis products for themselves or family members. People have realized they can improve their health by using cannabis. Because patients must do all this in secret and alone without support, we are seeing problems that we would not see if they had guidance from medical professionals. We have concerns just as you do related to overuse syndrome, safety for self and community, prevention of child access as well as meeting educational needs of consumers. These concerns can be successfully addressed in our state just as they are successfully being addressed in other states. In the past we have heard concerns about children and teens having access to cannabis if we allow medical use. It is critical to remember medical cannabis products are not marketed for children, teens or the recreational market and we will need to educate parents and youth about cannabis safety. When you are presented with statistics please examine them and ask yourself if it is a statistic that reflects recreational use or medical use? Can medical cannabis products be diverted for recreational use? Of course, they can and that being said, it will be important to have stiff consequences for diverting medical products for illicit use.