For some, cannabis is a brand-new field of medicine that they know nothing about. For others, cannabis has been a long-term ally, and now they are ready to change their relationship to the plant and use it more consciously and therapeutically.
Cannabis nurse consultants encounter patients all along this spectrum. We meet patients where they are at in their journeys to provide focused and personalized education with a goal of optimizing the therapeutic potential to be gained from cannabis medicine. No matter your past or current relationship with cannabis, it is important to get education and guidance from a provider well-versed in both conventional AND plant medicine.
Individualized cannabis consultations begin with a discussion of your personal health and wellness goals. It is important to review any current medications or supplements to ensure that your medications will not interact negatively with cannabinoids like CBD. These potential medication interactions can be strategically avoided or decreased. One way to decrease medication-cannabinoid interactions is by adjusting doses and methods of consumption (inhalation, sublinguals, edibles, topicals, patches, etc), and we will include this education in our consultations as well as the pros/cons of each method. We can discuss the most widely available plant cannabinoids (for instance CBDA/CBD, THCA/THC, CBG, CBN) and how to use them alone and in combinations. Finally, we will work together to create an individualized dosing plan based on your personal goals and preferences.
Cannabis can be an amazing catalyst for wellness self-discovery. The process of trying various cannabinoids and methods of consumption and tuning in to what works best for YOU can be applied to so many aspects of health. This may look like asking yourself:
- What foods make you feel energized, and what foods make you feel depleted?
- What are your sleeping patterns, and how can you best manage and improve them?
- How would it feel to schedule more downtime through the day or week?
- When you remember to drink your water or herbal infusions, how do you feel?
- When you have the energy to go for a walk, how is your mood affected?
All of these aspects of wellness are linked, and sometimes a little cannabis and some curiosity can help us connect the dots. This is very different from the “do as I tell you” conventional medical model that we have been trapped in, in which doctors are the experts and patients must be unquestioning and compliant. By learning about what works best for your body and understanding your medications and health conditions—as well as how to integrate plant medicine into your lifestyle—you can take ownership over your health and wellness.
I love to incorporate my knowledge of herbs, nutrition, yoga, Reiki, and other holistic wellness practices into my consultations as well as my knowledge of pharmaceuticals and conventional medicine. As an integrative health coach, I see the individualized consultation as the first step of a partnership with a mutual goal of empowering you to identify your wellness goals and access your inner wisdom.
For the past five years I have been working as a Cannabis Nurse Practitioner. I began this work offering medical cannabis certifications in Massachusetts, New York and Maine. In addition, I have been providing individualized cannabis consultations as a Radicle Health Clinician, with the Green Network Providers as well as my own practice, Azalla Wellness. Cannabis nursing really is a “growing” field, as cannabis nurse consultations are now available nationwide. No one should remain in the dark when it comes to their health; using evidence-based practices to guide and support patients on their wellness journeys, cannabis nurses help shine some light.
Ready to book your individualized consultation? Click HERE to schedule your appointment!
This blogpost is also published at https://nursegrown.com/our-blog/what-is-an-individualized-cannabis-nurse-consultation-and-why-should-i-get-one/