About the Episode

Start feeling like your best self with a Cannabis treatment plan!

Join Dr. Misha Kogan, medical director of the George Washington University Center for Integrative Medicine, as he breaks down the science behind the benefits of Marijuana as treatment for various illnesses.

Listen now to learn more about the medical applications of Cannabis and start feeling better!

What We Discuss

Medical vs Recreational Uses of Cannabis

The only line separating medical and recreational Cannabis is its use. States where Marijuana has been legalized have seen drastic decreases in mortality rates from traffic accidents, opioid overdoses, and alcohol poisoning. So, recreationally speaking, Cannabis is one of the safest exit drugs available.

While working approving prescriptions for medical Marjuana, Wendie noticed the impact it had on patients with cancer. As of now, researchers don’t quite understand the anti-cancer properties of Cannabis, but early studies do show an ability to kill cancer cells in petri dishes. There’s a lot to still be studied, but Cannabis has also proved effective when treating different symptoms, such as pain and nausea associated with many cancer treatments.

Cannabis to Treat Insomnia

Dr. Kogan first works with his patients to develop better sleep hygiene and mindfulness techniques, but he doesn’t hesitate to offer CBD as part of their treatment plan. It’s also more cost-effective than acupuncture or herbs, which can be quite expensive.

Although Dr. Kogan doesn’t usually recommend CBM on its own, he will recommend patients try it in combination with CBD. Another important aspect of insomnia treatment is to get to the bottom of what’s causing sleep issues, whether it be pain, inflammation, or anxiety. That will determine which form of Cannabis will be most effective. Educating patients and giving them the resources to do their own research is also crucial to designing a treatment plan that will work best. Even the best-case scenario will require quite a bit of experimentation.

Skincare and Other Uses

There is evidence that CBD helps with anxiety, but because there are so many different causes, Dr. Kogan doesn’t use Cannabis as the first choice of treatment. However, Cannabis has proven especially helpful in treating other health ailments, including chronic pain, sleep disturbances, and nausea. For diseases like Multiple Sclerosis, which causes spasticity, Cannabis has shown effectiveness in reducing spasms.

Topical Cannabis treatment can also help treat eczema, rashes, and other localized skin issues, although topical CBD is quite under-utilized as a treatment option. When using topical CBD, you’ll need to use a concentrated version for it to work.

Listen now and learn how to add Cannabis to your treatment plan to start feeling like your best self again!

Guest Bio

Mikhail Kogan, M.D., is the medical director of the George Washington University Center for
Integrative Medicine and associate professor of medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine. Dr. Kogan has recommended medical marijuana to thousands of patients and is a frequent lecturer on medical cannabis to professional audiences across the nation.