Check out all things around my TEDx talk at Pillarsofwellness.com/tedx
A national discussion is needed. There is way too much emotion without looking at facts and the research. Shooting from the hip is ok in a western movie, but not acceptable in the medical profession.
My goal is to help lead the discussions and would welcome people from all sides to send me questions and potential podcast guest on my podcast at questions@chalmerswellness.com.
In today’s question there are many facets to cannabis, and stereotyping is one of the biggest hurdles to cross. My question video and full TEDx talk are embedded below. Also listed is some of my research links and articles I have written.
The Dr. Chalmers Show question video.
TEDx Talk “How medical cannabis could reduce pain – Matt Chalmers - TEDxUCincinnati
The following is an automatic transcription and has been edited only for grammar.
What's the advantage of suddenly with stress? It gets in your body a lot faster. You don't have to smoke it, so it doesn't damage your lungs. You don't have vapors, damage your lungs, throat, mouth, and all that type of stuff. And it doesn't go through what's called first pass; it has to go through the liver first. So it's a lot cleaner, a lot safer way of doing it.
It's faster, and there's no smoking involved. So it's awesome. Was the typical activation time for Southern well strips compared to other forms of oral stuff that you will do?
So gummies, brownies, cookies, and stuff like that. 30 to 45 minutes for you. Getting functional activation strips will take anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes. Just depends. So, under the tongue or on the cheek, if you put them on your tongue, you will swallow most of it. So, under the tongue or on the cheek in the front of the gums also works like a dip. But that's that's how we do that one.
How do I refute the notion that cannabis produces substantial unwanted psychological effects? Because all of the research that says it does is bullshit. It is hilarious. I read one about how it causes schizophrenia.
What the problem was is that when you read the research, like we had these six people, and they like cannabis, and they'll end up with schizophrenia when they got older. So, you know, is that the cause? It did not discuss any psychological trauma. It did not discuss any genetics. Ron So, like, did the parents have it? Do the grandparents have it or have schizophrenia?
There were no studies beforehand. They were just like, hey, we found these kids, and they ended up with schizophrenia, and they liked cannabis. Okay, Yeah. So you took a thousand kids. They all ate cannabis. Six or seven ended up schizophrenic, and you single those guys out and say it was because of the cannabis. I
It's trash. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. There is no real research that shows any deficits because of cannabis. All the ones are trying to say, Well, you know what? These kids smoked a lot of pot when they were 13, and now they're dumb.
Okay. But many people I know who were smart when they were 13 are dumb now because they didn't apply themselves. So, trying to say that it was because of the cannabis is foolish. I have tons of people that I know who I think are really smart lawyers and doctors and engineers who've been using cannabis since they were teenagers.
So, I have not seen any research, and I read it all the time, and I would 100% not get into it and put my name behind it. If I had read research that said that it did anything negative. One thing we see a lot is if people like it, they like the way they are the person they are in it.
They like the way they feel. They think that they're calmer, more relaxed, laugh easier, and think, hey, those qualities are something I want in my life. That was my decision. I like the person I am when I'm on cannabis.
Now, let's let's walk through this one real quick. There's a difference between having one shot of vodka and seven martinis. If you have seven martinis, you're going to be hammered. You're gonna be drunk and sloppy and silly, and yes, you're drunk, and you're hammered. If you have one shot of vodka, are you drunk? Most of us are going to say no. Are you under the influence of alcohol? I still have a lot of people who are like, not really, because you don't have the effects, I'll grant you.
Yes, you're under the influence of alcohol. Now, here's where we get into it. If you consume a little bit of cannabis, are you high? That's a question we're all going to have to answer. This is why I want a new national conversation about cannabis because I would tell you that if no one can tell and you're just relaxed and you're calm and you can function, that you're not high. Now, when you're sitting on the couch, and your eyes are open, you can barely see through them and can't move in. You're laughing at everything. Yeah. You're hot. Yeah. There you go. Yeah, but there's a therapeutic range in here where you don't have any pain. Your stress is gone, you're relaxed, you can finally calm down, you can digest all your food.
You can just be at peace with the world around you. You can laugh easier. In this case, yes, you're under the influence, but I wouldn't consider you high again. We're going to come up with a definition. We all can agree on that one. But, like being drunk, you can look at someone who's had one shot and be like. I don't think you're drunk. And then we all know what drunk looks like.
So we need to have that conversation in there as well under the influence versus high. But that's kind of how we kind of look at that one. If you guys have any questions, contact us at Chalmers Wellness dot com. Thanks.
The following are some excerpts from my 6 first articles and research on the opioid epidemic.
In 2018, we had 2 million people clinically addicted to opioids in the United States. However, because there's very few clinically or socially acceptable alternatives that number went from 2 million in 2018 to 3 million in 2022. I'll do the math for you that's 21,000 people added to the addicted list each month, every month for four years.
Dr. Matt Chalmers If you think that's about our Death numbers are even worse. In 2019, we lost 50,000 people to Opioid Overdose, or in 2020 we lost 70,000 people to
opioid overdose that's 140% increase in one year.
I have been studying this plague and researching how we can turn this plague into simply a memory. It was truly an honor to be on the TEDx stage talking about the epidemic, and more importantly bringing solutions to the forefront.
Check out the full talk from the TEDxUCincinnati YouTube Channel
Mariel Embed Video HERE -
Also, please take a look at my other 6 articles on this topic in the last several months below.
What is the difference between opioids and cannabis? You would be surprised what the research shows.
What is the psychological stance on using cannabis for pain relief?
Research matters in discussions around cannabis, and medical uses. What do you think?
What do you think about cannabis? Well, my opinions have changed through additional research.
Addressing the opioid addiction is a huge issue in the United States, and together we can make a difference.
Check out all things around my TEDx talk at Pillarsofwellness.com/tedx
Check out Chalmers Pillarsofwellness.com for Wellness updates! And ask me any questions you have at questions@chalmerswellness.com. I answer all of them and look forward to hearing from you.
The Chalmers Wellness Stubstack just launched. Comment, Like, and Interact with other people on their wellness journey. Communities can make a difference. DrChalmers.substack.com
Dr. Matt Chalmers
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only. Before taking any action based on this information you should first consult with your physician or health care provider. This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions regarding a medical condition, your health, or wellness.
Additional resources and references:
How medical cannabis could reduce pain Matt Chalmers TEDxUCincinnatiHighlights of the Ted Talk
00:00 - Intro
00:36 - Statistics from the Center for Disease Control or the CDC
01:24 - Opioids are the most addictive substances we have available to us medically for pain
01:48 - Dr Matt Chalmers experience with Opioid Medication
03:08 - Cannabis is the solution to our Opioid Epidemic
04:12 - One of the ways that Cannabis is substantially healthier for us and better than opioids is the way that actually works in the brain05:22 - Cannabis the higher the Euphoria from Cannabis, makes it unusable for daily life
05:56 - It's impossible to Dose Cannabis
06:17 - Sublingual Strips are extremely doseable
06:43 - Cannabis Produces Substantial unwanted Psychological effects create anxiety and things like that
07:10 - Amygdala holds all the bad things about mankind Fear, Hate, Anger, Terror, Anxiety
07:52 - My ten year old son had have surgery to remove a plate and six screws from his arm
08:56 - The Research is showing that states that legalize Cannabis see a 24% drop in Opioid Overdose Deaths the first year after legalization
09:32 - Our society cannot sustain the levels of Addiction and Death we are currently allowing
10:25 – Outro
Automated Transcript: May have edits for grammar and not content. Please refer to the TEDxUCincinnati YouTube video for content.
Shows via MRI that CBR1 in the amygdala (attenuate) suppress anger and fear. Thus, decreasing anxiety
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2657360/
Same study different write up. Shows suppression of BL amygdala
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4360235/
Again referencing the same study same conclusion
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2841401/
Showed that baso-lateral specifically R lateral activation of the amygdala helped suppress the feelings of pain and thus decreased the reported subjective pain felt.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3549497/
Activating the 5 HT1 receptors in the BLA can suppress the learned failure response and thus reduce future anxiety. Viewing anxiety as perceived failure (conditioned defeat) in the future that holds fear now as if you are living in the failure at the moment. The 5 HT1 receptors help increase serotonin levels to the cleft.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3242817/
More on 5 HT1 receptors
Showing that Delta 8 is just as effective with less side effects as medications already on the market.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34797727/
Cannabis
Showing that cannabis greatly reduced pain and the only real issue was cost and stigma. Reduced opioid use by 64% with a 17% reduction in opioid fatalities.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK574562/ (5)
Many of the studies showing negative effects of cannabis on pain were set up to fail. Cannabis has been shown to be better than codeine
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK224384/
Pretty solid overview of how the receptors CBR1 work and where they are. The evidence that CBR1 is almost entirely inhibitory to neuronal tissue is pretty apparent. This widespread systemic placement of ligand based and cytoplastic receptor function that again is inhibitory shows a cannabinoid specific and dose dependent functionality of cannabis all over the body save the upper brainstem where the breathing center is. Activation of CBR1 greatly reduces excitotoxicity and reduces glutamate which by itself could stop seizure activity.
This also demonstrates significant protection against oxygen deprivation and reperfusion so the benefit to concussion and all oxygen deprivation function like epilepsy, and Parkinson's where oxygen deprivation is a significant issue especially from sleep apnea issues.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5877694/
Showing that the medulla has a low amount of CB1 receptors
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2826.2008.01671.x (6)
Opioid issues:
https://www.addictionresource.net/opioids/overdose-deaths/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35105535/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553166/
Nearly 70k deaths in 2020
https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/deaths/index.html (2)
Death rate of 2019 just under 50k
https://www.aha.org/news/headline/2020-07-16-cdc-drug-overdose-deaths-46-2019 (1)
More info government numbers
https://www.hhs.gov/opioids/about-the-epidemic/opioid-crisis-statistics/index.html
More death numbers with graphs and age delineation
https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates
Estimated 2 million Americans are addicted to opioids 2018
https://psychiatry.org/news-room/news-releases/nearly-one-in-three-people-know-someone-addicted-t (3)
Nearly 3 million Americans addicted in 2022
Opioid receptors in the pons:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22747535/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3545180/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2642894/
Opioid vs cannabis overdose
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6135562/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4392651/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33367882/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5563007/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4392651/
Deaths from cannabis
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32370933/
Many of these studies look like they are trying to blame cannabis. The sidney study showed that of men with Aids that smoke cannabis they still died of Aids. They are somehow trying to tie the cannabis to Aids deaths its from 1997.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK425742/
Also many of the deaths that are attributed to cannabis are not solely or even closely related to cannabis. Many of them are motor vehicle accidents, most 47% had high levels of alcohol, and many of the deaths were suicide, while still others had other drugs in the system. It is very hard to find cannabis deaths where only cannabis was involved.
Cannabis and blood pressure
This area of research is very odd as there is evidence that cannabis lowers blood pressure when they gave it to people that already had high blood pressure. However, from a we looked at people that used cannabis and we saw higher blood pressure they also mention that the people in the study also used a lot more alcohol. I lean on the study where they already had the BP issue and cannabis helped. Again the mixing of other substances, drugs or alcohol, makes many of these studies useless.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5237375/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33483174/
Reducing the amount of opioids via coadministration of cannabis shows promise
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6135562/
Anxiety and cannabis
Shows that cannabis is a solid choice for anxiety from a prescription point.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7531079/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8458732/
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How medical cannabis could reduce pain Matt Chalmers TEDxUCincinnatiHighlights of the Ted Talk
00:00 - Intro
00:36 - Statistics from the Center for Disease Control or the CDC
01:24 - Opioids are the most addictive substances we have available to us medically for pain
01:48 - Dr Matt Chalmers experience with Opioid Medication
03:08 - Cannabis is the solution to our Opioid Epidemic
04:12 - One of the ways that Cannabis is substantially healthier for us and better than opioids is the way that actually works in the brain05:22 - Cannabis the higher the Euphoria from Cannabis, makes it unusable for daily life
05:56 - It's impossible to Dose Cannabis
06:17 - Sublingual Strips are extremely doseable
06:43 - Cannabis Produces Substantial unwanted Psychological effects create anxiety and things like that
07:10 - Amygdala holds all the bad things about mankind Fear, Hate, Anger, Terror, Anxiety
07:52 - My ten year old son had have surgery to remove a plate and six screws from his arm
08:56 - The Research is showing that states that legalize Cannabis see a 24% drop in Opioid Overdose Deaths the first year after legalization
09:32 - Our society cannot sustain the levels of Addiction and Death we are currently allowing
10:25 – Outro
Automated Transcript: May have edits for grammar and not content. Please refer to the TEDxUCincinnati YouTube video for content.