Every week I am amazed by the remarkable improvements many of my patients have been making with the use of various medical cannabis products. I will share stories from time to time because I know many of you love hearing success stories.
A couple of weeks ago I saw an 80-year-old man for a follow-up appointment at our Family Medical Cannabis Clinic. He had been suffering from seizures for the last 50 years. Before starting medical cannabis, he was still having seizures despite being on a cocktail of three different anti-seizure medications. This patient had never used cannabis (recreationally or medicinally) before my certifying him earlier this year with the State to receive medical cannabis. Like many of our patients, he was hoping to improve his condition of health without getting “high.”
My approach to patients with no cannabis experience or who wish to avoid the euphoric effects is to start out with a low dose of cannabidiol (CBD, the non-euphoric cannabinoid), and gradually work up the dose. After seeing how things go with the CBD treatment, these patients can then decide if they wish to introduce tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to their treatment. THC is a cannabinoid that produces a “high,” but also has many helpful medicinal properties. If THC is elected, I introduce it at a lower starting dose than CBD, and then gradually increase the dosage in smaller increments. Patients often tell me they experience minimal, if any, of the “high” feeling associated with THC when they take it in conjunction with a high enough amount of CBD.
At the follow-up appointment, this gentleman and his wife reported that he had been completely seizure free for the previous four months, and had successfully weaned off one of the anti-seizure medications without having seizures. This outcome was accomplished with a once daily 15 mg dose of CBD only. For those who know about cannabis dosing, yes, you read that right! I almost fell out of my chair when they told me this! I have had other patients either reduce or stop seizures when using quite a bit higher amounts of medical cannabis.
I hope to share many more similar success stories in the months and years to come. I believe we are only at the tip of the iceberg regarding what we will be able to accomplish with this amazing medicinal herb!
Family Medical Cannabis Clinic and Wholistic Pediatric and Family Care have been treating patients with medical cannabis since 2016. As the Tampa Bay area’s leading authority on medical cannabis treatment and one of the nation’s most experienced pediatricians treating with medical cannabis, Dr. David Berger is committed to first understanding his patients’ needs. He then customizes a medical cannabis treatment plan that will produce the most effective results. For more information about medical cannabis treatment in Florida, please visit our website by clicking here. Existing patients may also contact the clinic directly through their patient portal.
