Cannabis Education is Key

If you wish to re-publish this story please do so with following accreditation
AUTHOR: Heather Allman
PUBLISHER:  CANNABIS LAW REPORT

 

EDUCATION (noun) ed· u· ca· tion | \ ˌe-jə-ˈkā-shən — Definition of education (Merriam Webster – 2020)1a: the action or process of educating or of being educatedalso : a stage of such a processb: the knowledge and development resulting from the process of being educated

A screen shot shows the CannaMedU.com website, co-founded by Pamela Trapp, Heather Beuke Diers, and Amy Nichols. The trio records the Freshemp educational podcast which can be streamed on the site.

A screen shot shows the CannaMedU.com website, co-founded by Pamela Trapp, Heather Beuke Diers, and Amy Nichols. The trio records the Freshemp educational podcast which can be streamed on the site.

It all started last summer with an idea formed by Heather Diers and Pamela Trapp:

—HOW DO WE EDUCATE HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS  ABOUT MEDICAL CANNABIS?

It was a big idea and it definitely got some traction in Indiana, culminating in this Aug 29, 2019 column by Shari Rudavsky for the Indianapolis Star titled Weed 101: Three Indiana women want to teach doctors about medical cannabis:

Three Central Indiana women have launched a business to educate doctors and other health care providers on a topic about which many in the medical field know very little: cannabis.

Three Central Indiana women have launched a business to educate doctors and other health care providers on a topic about which many in the medical field know very little: cannabis.

“The interest behind CannaMedU began after personal experiences led the trio to try CBD oil for themselves or family members. They all sold the same brand and recommended it. 

“Over time they developed expertise in its use and a desire to learn more about cannabis. Next came hosting gatherings for others interested in the topic.

“From their own experiences and comments from people who attended their meetups, they knew that many doctors did not recommend CBD oil or cannabis in general to patients. Those who did could offer little guidance on how to take it.”

“We know more about cannabis medicine than many doctors do,” said Heather Diers, one of the co-founders of CannaMedU.”

Both Diers and Trapp are passionate, articulate, professional, and approachable when it comes to all things cannabis.

—WHAT IS OUR BACKGROUND?

  • Pam Trapp
PAMELA TRAPP

Pamela Trapp

Pam Trapp is inspired by all of the work that has been done in the cannabis industry and the patients whose lives has changed. As co-founder of Freshemp podcast and CannaMedU national education initiative, her mission has been to tell the world. Ellementa is the perfect partnership for her.

Freshemp Podcast | Pam Trapp

  • Heather Diers
Heather Diers

Heather Diers

Heather Diers is a co-founder of Canna MedU and Freshemp podcast, where we educate on all things cannabis and work hard to change the conversation about the most medicinal herb on earth. She is a certified Medical Cannabis Wellness Advisor and cannabis advocate and is also passionate about animals and pet nutrition. As a certified pet food nutrition specialist, she loves working with pet parents to help them customize a diet for their special needs pets (and humans!).

—HOW DO WE EDUCATE THE PROFESSIONALS THROUGH CANNAMEDU?

“Originally the group had planned to offer daylong continuing medical education courses for health care providers in Indiana and the neighboring states. Medical marijuana is legal in Ohio, and Illinois next year plans to join Michigan in legalizing it altogether.

For now, though, they will focus on providing in-house teaching for health care providers in their offices.”

One Indiana healthcare organization in took them up on their offer of medical cannabis education:

“The Indiana Health Group, which has more than 40 providers who offer behavioral health care, already has invited CannaMedU to speak with its staff.

“A few years ago the group’s president, Dr. Chris Bojrab, started fielding more questions as well as personal testimonies about CBD oil from patients. He dove into the literature himself and last July began offering a CBD product for patients, and he invited the women of CannaMedU to make a presentation for his staff, impressed by how invested they seemed in the science behind cannabis.”

I don’t have a problem with them coming from outside mainstream medicine as long as everybody is playing by the same rules,” Bojrab said. “I really bristle when I hear people saying you can’t apply the rules of regular medicine to these kinds of products; you have to go with your gut. That’s not how we science.”

“Like many other doctors, Bojrab said, there was no discussion of cannabis as medicine when he attended medical school. Most medical schools today are just starting to consider whether and how to weave the topic into the curriculum.”

Although 33 states have now legalized medical cannabis, all right mainstream Western medicine has not reached agreement on where medical cannabis fits into the healthcare picture. It is agreed by all however that more research needs to be done.

“While CannaMedU is filling a niche by offering to educate doctors in person about cannabis, it’s not the only source of such information.”

For example, Green Flower offers online classes on cannabis, its medical benefits and even how to cook with cannabis. In the five years since the California company began, more than 220,000 people from 66 countries have undergone training, said Max Simon, chief executive officer and co-founder.

“Many of those have come from the health care industry because so many of their patients have been asking about cannabis, Simon reports. “There’s an intense desire to understand what’s happening in cannabis.”

—WHAT ABOUT CONTINUING THEIR PERSONAL CANNABIS EDUCATION?

In Pam Trapp’s insightful March 2, 2020 piece, I Am Still Learning About Cannabis, she illuminates the black hole of medical cannabis education and research:

“In the medical cannabis business, continuing education is perpetual. You don’t know what you don’t know. Educators, clinicians, formulators, farmers, extractors, the list goes on and on, must constantly continue, their education. Research in the US is now, thankfully and finally, ramping up. 

Education about this truly ancient, but heretofore suppressed, medicinal supplement is critical.” 

KEY POINTS:

  • Critical to clinicians and practitioners, most of whom aren’t even aware that humans have an endocannabinoid system. They have been woefully underserved by traditional medical education.
  • Critical to cannabis industry professionals. A generous description to some in the business.
  • Critical especially to consumers who are in desperate need of the plant for the litany of symptoms related to chronic conditions. 

“It’s profound preventative properties are enough to make it desirable for those in perfect health. At the risk of sounding trite, as with most things in the cannabis industry, education is like the wild west.

Consumers are justifiably confused and are asking their doctors, most of whom are just as confused, and therefore, reluctant at best, to discuss the use of cannabinoid supplementation.

Dosing, chemovar specificity, terpene recommendations, product purity and potency, are all important issues to evaluate when it comes to use. This is why it is important for consumers to demand better.”

Trapp closes with a call to action: “Let’s rise to the challenge.”

Indeed.

—HOW ARE THEY EDUCATING THE PUBLIC? THROUGH THEIR FRESHEMP PODCAST:

Freshemp! Podcast

Freshemp! Podcast

‎Freshemp! Whats new. What’s hot. What’s health. What’s not.

“Diers and her colleagues believe that cannabis has a key role to play in a range of conditions. Diers —with Trapp hosts a monthly podcast, Freshemp — points to a complicated and little-understood part of the human body known as the endocannabinoid system.”

Freshemp podcasters and co-founders of CannaMedU are Pamela Trapp, left, Heather Beuke Diers, center, and Amy Nichols, right. (MICHELLE PEMBERTON/INDYSTAR)

Freshemp podcasters and co-founders of CannaMedU are Pamela Trapp, left, Heather Beuke Diers, center, and Amy Nichols, right. (MICHELLE PEMBERTON/INDYSTAR)⁵

EDUCATING THE PUBLIC THROUGH THEIR INDIANAPOLIS ELLEMENTA GROUP:

ELLEMENTA MEETING INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, JANUARY 16, 2020

ELLEMENTA MEETING INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, JANUARY 16, 2020

ABOUT  ELLEMENTA:

As people begin to better understand that cannabis is a medicinal plant – and as more states legalize its use – many women are asking:

“Is cannabis right for me, for my loved ones, for my partner?”

Ellementa is a global wellness company educating women about plant medicine, including cannabis and CBD, and guiding them to quality products from trusted brands that want to reach them.

Ellementa is a global wellness company educating women about plant medicine, including cannabis and CBD, and guiding them to quality products from trusted brands that want to reach them.

We’re a women-owned company formed to connect women with trusted information, supportive community, and reliable resources focused on the health and wellness benefits of cannabis. We guide women on how to integrate cannabis legally, safely, and discreetly into their lives and introduce them to experts as well as brands with quality products and services to serve them.

“We bring together diverse women with different levels of experience with cannabis – from the long-time consumer to the curious and exploring, from the medical user to the woman looking for a natural way to unwind at the end of the day. We connect women with trusted experts and brands so they can make educated decisions about the products and services they purchase on their cannabis journey.”

ELLEMENTA WOMAN

ELLEMENTA WOMAN

WHAT IS THE ELLEMENTA PHILOSOPHY?

“As women, we are often the caregivers of our families, our aging parents, even our ailing friends. We must also take care of ourselves so we can handle juggling the many aspects of our lives.

We are at the Epicenter of Care for our loved ones and ourselves.

We believe that women are the driving force to bring cannabis wellness to the mainstream. We aim to empower as many women as possible with quality information and supportive communities to enhance their exploration of cannabis for a healthier, happier life.

In this interactive conversation for women, we’ll help answer your questions such as:

— How does cannabis or CBD affect your body and brain?

— What does a wellness routine look like with plant medicine?

— What products out there are safe and reliable? And much, much more.

“Whether you are looking to learn more about addressing chronic or acute health conditions, Ellementa is here – along with our experts and community of women.”

—ELLEMENTA MEETING, INDIANAPOLIS- JAN 16, 2020

Pam Trapp, Fishers, Indiana (Left) and Heather Allman, Pensacola, Florida (Right)

Pam Trapp, Fishers, Indiana (Left) and Heather Allman, Pensacola, Florida (Right)

Above, six women meet at Coffee Co., Indianapolis, Indiana for the January 16, 2020 Ellementa Indiana gathering, titled “Your Best YOU for the New Year!” All from different backgrounds and knowledge based, but all curious about cannabis as a regimental therapeutic treatment.

It was an electric evening as women told their stories and asked their burning cannabis questions. Information was shared, insights gained, friendships blossomed. The Indiana “Green Wave” starts with small ripples such as this!

Ellementa Meeting, January 16,2020, Indianapolis, Indiana

Ellementa Meeting, January 16, 2020, Indianapolis, Indiana

I attended the event as a participant and reporter, and it was a good night for healthy cannabis conversation. Several women came from the community who needed to know more about dosing for their children. Intriguing dialogue was had between all parties. The time passed too quickly.

—ELLEMENTA INDIANA INFORMATION AND RESOURCES:

  1. Get Our Emails! Subscribe
  2. Meet Us Find a Local Gathering Near You
  3. Bring Ellementa to YOUR City!
  4. On Instagram
  5. On Twitter
  6. On Facebook

—REFERENCES:

¹Cannabis Certification:

https://www.cannamedu.com/cbd-cannabis-certification-courses

²Green-Flower Medical Cannabis CEO podcast,Green-Flower Academy Courses, Highlighted in Cannabis Tech

³https://cannabinoids.huji.ac.il/people/raphael-mechoulam

https://www.labroots.com/trending/cannabis-sciences/8456/endocannabinoid-system-discovered

IndyStar reporter Shari Rudavsky, 317-444-6354, shari.rudavsky@indystar.com

Primary Sponsor

 


Karma Koala Podcast

Top Marijuana Blog