@asksethclark

Why medical cannabis users need guidance

From cannabis-infused syrups and balms to “canna cigars,” moon rocks, sun rocks, and nano-emulsified cannabis beverages, the world of marijuana in 2021 is an entire solar system reaching far, far beyond pot brownies and pinners of brick weed.

With so much variety on the shelves, consumers who are looking to use this plant as a health and wellness tool can easily fall between the cracks.

Everywhere I go and connect with someone about cannabis, there are tons of questions about cannabis, so I know that people are struggling with how to use this plant in a way that’s consistent. For a lot of people, going to a dispensary only leaves them feeling more confused which causes overwhelm, and they don’t know where to turn, so they just end up turning away.

How does the average person know how to easily and effectively hone in on what will work best for them?

In the absence of reliable, well-informed advice from healthcare professionals, how can medical cannabis patients be confident that they have the knowledge and guidance they need to find the medicine that will work effectively and consistently?

How do they choose between edibles, tinctures, smoking, vaping, and topicals? How do they know whether they should be taking a nano CBD product or a full spectrum one.? What about incorporating CBG, CBN or Delta 8?

Also, once they do find a medicine that works for them, how will they know the right dose to take and when to take it?

Cannabis is a remarkably safe medicine, but patients can still find themselves wading through so much misinformation and taking years to find something that actually works for them. Cannabis and cannabis-derived medications can have potentially harmful interactions with specific prescription medications, and not all cannabis preparations work the same for every condition or every patient.

Every endocannabinoid system is different, and when we start looking at it from that perspective, it becomes much more nuanced than saying just "smoke a few puffs of this and you’ll feel sleepy or awake."

For instance:

a specific high-THC formulation could work wonders for a patient coping with the pain of arthritis, but could also potentially aggravate their anxiety or paranoia.

CBD has anti-inflammatory properties that can help ease a number of inflammatory health conditions, but could potentially cause nausea in high doses.

Terpenes have specific benefits, not all are beneficial to all.

Misinformation regarding cannabis can also stifle its potential to help all types of cannabis consumers.

In addition, certain patients may be better served by a specific THC to CBD ratio, and may not have the know-how or the time to sort it all out by trial and error. And just because a doctor is certified to prescribe medical marijuana doesn’t mean that they have the time or the expertise to give patients practical, actionable advice. This is where a cannabis coach can make a big difference.

What is a cannabis coach?

A cannabis coach is a well trained, experienced health coach who specializes in cannabis education. From a cannabis education perspective, cannabis coaches know how the plant works in the human body and can help others navigate the dispensary shelves.

A cannabis coach as someone who is an advocate for cannabis and how it can help people, and are confident to answer a wide range of questions about the plant, and understand how to effectively support someone as they make changes in their lives.

It's more than just being passionate about cannabis and having the ability to give advice about the plant. It takes deeper know-how and a specific set of skills to guide clients around such a dynamic plant medicine.

On the other hand, as trained health coaches, they also know how to ask the right questions, support habit change, and help their clients stay consistent and track what’s working over time.

When you combine the two tools of health coaching and cannabis education, you get much better results for clients that go beyond what they see when just supplementing with cannabis alone.

The research says that 35% of client improvement outcomes are based on creating a supportive relationship, so if you just come in with advice about how cannabis works and how to use it, your clients won’t have the experience they could have if you knew how to develop rapport and to use the skill set of coaching.

On the day-to-day, every cannabis coach’s job looks different. They may spend their days doing cannabis consultations, writing content, developing recipes, facilitating cannabis clubs, working with healthcare professionals, leading workshops or retreats, or working with their clients one-on-one and in groups.

What a cannabis coach isn’t

Cannabis coaches are not psychiatrists or therapists. They do not provide counselling or therapy sessions for their clients, though they do make use of some of the same skills, including the ability to listen to their clients express what concerns them, and help them find ways to achieve their goals.

Cannabis coaches are also not trained medical professionals. They cannot provide certification for a medical cannabis permit, nor can they diagnose any health conditions.

They can, however, help patients navigate getting their cards in medical states.

Cannabis coaches in every dispensary?

It is absolutely necessary that people who are providing access to this plant know exactly how it works in the human body. Unfortunately they don’t, most budtenders solely get retail product training.

When someone walks in and they say they want to sleep better, their knowledge typically ends at what bud is on the shelf is labeled ‘Indica’. We need to do better for patients.

As the cannabis industry expands, consumers are asking questions, but for the most part, they don’t know what questions to ask. And more often than not, budtenders don’t have science-backed answers.

People probably need a cannabis coach way more now than they ever had before. Because although we have so much more access to information, it’s not all great. And it’s really, really hard to navigate for a lay person.