This book provides instruction for health professionals wanting to gain knowledge about the clinical aspects of cannabis medicine. How to use cannabis with real patients, not just theoretically, its pitfalls and challenges, as well as rewards, is a vastly under-covered topic. Now that some form of medical cannabis is approved in almost all US states, health care providers and patients Need to Know how to achieve maximum benefits by best use of this versatile herbal medicine.
Medicinal Cannabis: Pearls for Clinical Practice introduces the scientific background of how cannabis acts medicinally, its components and how cannabis affects a specific condition.
Key Features:
- Provides instruction for health professionals wanting to understand the clinical practice of cannabis medicine
- Reviews the chemistry, physiology and mechanisms of action of cannabinoids, endocannabinoids and cannabis with a focus on clinical relevance
- Presents information on practice management of specific patient populations, including pediatric, youth, adult, elderly and pets
- Features over 150 case reports with learning "Pearls" from the author’s clinical practice for 35 medical conditions
- Discusses specifics of dosing and delivery of cannabis in detail, with strategies to promote the benefit/risk ratio
About the Author
Deborah Malka, MD, PhD, is a holistic physician with certification in Integrative Holistic Medicine. Prior to clinical practice, Dr. Malka completed her PhD in Human Genetics from Columbia University, and studied both natural and traditional medicine, with degrees from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine and the Santa Fe College of Natural Medicine. She has specialized in cannabis medicine for the past 15 years, treating over 30,000 patients.
Contents
Foreword....................................................................................................................ix Preface.......................................................................................................................xi Acknowledgments................................................................................................... xiii Author.......................................................................................................................xv
List of Abbreviations..............................................................................................xvii
Part I Introduction and Scientific Background
Chapter 1 The Evolution of Cannabis in Medical Practice...................................3
Chapter 2 Cannabis as a Botanical Medicine...................................................... 17
Chapter 3 The Endocannabinoid System.............................................................29
Chapter 4 Cannabinoid Chemistry and Physiology............................................. 45
Chapter 5 Cannabis Secondary Metabolites........................................................63
Part II Patient Practice Management
Chapter 6 Adverse Effects, Risks........................................................................77
Chapter 7 Delivery and Dosage of Cannabis Medicine..................................... 129
Chapter 8 Adult Cannabis Practice.................................................................... 151
Chapter 9 Pediatric Cannabis Practice.............................................................. 157
Chapter 10 Youth Cannabis Practice................................................................... 165
Chapter 11 Elderly Cannabis Practice.................................................................173
Chapter 12 Pet Cannabis Practice........................................................................179
Part III Clinical Case Examples for Medical Conditions
Chapter 13 Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia........................................................189
Chapter 14 Anorexia, Low Appetite....................................................................195
Chapter 15 Anxiety..............................................................................................201
Chapter 16 Arthritis (Immune-Mediated)...........................................................209
Chapter 17 Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease...........................215
Chapter 18 Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder..........................................221
Chapter 19 Autism Spectrum Disorder................................................................227
Chapter 20 Autoimmune Disorders.....................................................................233
Chapter 21 Back Pain, Neck Pain........................................................................239
Chapter 22 Brain Trauma.....................................................................................245
Chapter 23 Cancer...............................................................................................251
Chapter 24 Cardiovascular Disease, Hypertension.............................................259
Chapter 25 Chronic Pain......................................................................................265
Chapter 26 Depression, Bipolar Disorder............................................................271
Chapter 27 Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome........................................281
Chapter 28 Gastrointestinal Disorders (Upper)...................................................287
Chapter 29 Glaucoma, Corneal Edema...............................................................293
Chapter 30 Harm Reduction................................................................................299
Chapter 31 Headache, Migraine..........................................................................305
Chapter 32 Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.........................................................................................311
Chapter 33 Insomnia............................................................................................317
Chapter 34 Intestinal Disorders...........................................................................325
Chapter 35 Movement Disorders.........................................................................331
Chapter 36 Multiple Sclerosis, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis...........................337
Chapter 37 Muscle Spasm, Spasticity.................................................................. 345
Chapter 38 Nausea, Vomiting.............................................................................. 351
Chapter 39 Neuropathic Pain............................................................................... 359
Chapter 40 Opiate Substitution............................................................................ 367
Chapter 41 Osteoarthritis, Joint Pain................................................................... 375
Chapter 42 Parkinson’s Disease........................................................................... 381
Chapter 43 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder......................................................... 387
Chapter 44 Schizophrenia, Psychosis.................................................................. 393
Chapter 45 Seizure Disorder, Epilepsy................................................................399
Chapter 46 Skin Conditions.................................................................................407
Chapter 47 Women’s Health.............................................................................. 413
Appendix …………………………………………………………………..……419
Index ……………………………………………………………………..……..425
Biography
Deborah Malka, MD, PhD, is a holistic physician with certification in Integrative Holistic Medicine. Prior to clinical practice, Dr. Malka completed her PhD in Human Genetics from Columbia University, and studied both natural and traditional medi-cine, with degrees from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine and the Santa Fe College of Natural Medicine. She has been supportive of patient empow-erment and alternative medicine throughout her career. She practiced as a primary care physician, directing a holistic medical clinic in Aptos, California, for 15 years. Following this, she specialized in cannabis medical consulting serving over 30,000 patients to date. Her private practice, "Cannabis Plus," provided medical cannabis evaluations and natural health consulting with offices in Monterey and Santa Cruz, California. She has been committed to educating the public and professionals about medicinal cannabis, teaching at conferences nationally and internationally. She developed and served as faculty director for the first online CME accredited course in Clinical Cannabinoid Medicine sponsored by the Society of Cannabis Clinicians. She currently provides private cannabis medical consultations and natural health guidance for clients from her home office in New Mexico.
With a background in molecular biology and human genetics, studies in both traditional and natural medicine, and a 15-year medical practice in this area, Malka (private consultant) is particularly well positioned to discuss medicinal cannabis. The book is organized into three parts: the first describes the history of therapeutic cannabis use, its chemistry, and the physiology of its use. This section requires that readers possess a solid background in human physiology and biochemistry. Part 2 includes discussion of various aspects of patient management: potential adverse effects, dosage and delivery options, and developmental variations. One chapter discusses using cannabis to treat common pet ailments. The final, longest part includes 34 short (4–10 page) chapters on using cannabis to treat a diverse array of common mental and physical ailments. In these final, condition-specific chapters, Malka presents case examples from her clinical practice, ending each example with what she terms "clinical pearls." These passages generally summarize what she learned from the particular example. The book is very well referenced throughout. Health providers who care for a clientele already using or open to trying medicinal cannabis will find this a useful reference. Those without such experience may find the book a challenging read. It will be a welcome addition to any medical library.
--T. D. DeLapp, emerita, University of Alaska Anchorage
Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals.
