An overwhelming number of patients and caregivers report that cannabis–especially CBD and low-dose THC–can have a significant impact on patients suffering from dementia and/or Alzheimer’s disease. Cannabis may help reduces some of the symptoms experienced by patients with these diseases.

Of course, more research is needed, but much existing research supports the benefits. Anecdotal evidence and patient reports tell us that medical cannabis often improves the quality of life of patients with dementia and their caregivers. We expect future research to further confirm and explore the clinical findings. 

Here are five ways cannabis may impact dementia. 

CBD as a Neuroproteant 

This historical fact might sound unbelievable to some, but it is 100% true: In 2001, the United States government filed for a US patent on CBD, cannabidiol, claiming CBD is a neuroprotectant. This implies CBD helps protect brain cells from further damage from the disease process and may even have restorative properties. 

In their abstract, the US Department of Health claims, “Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties, unrelated to NMDA receptor antagonism. This new found property makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and HIV dementia.”

We don’t have enough research to consider cannabis an official front-line treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, however, we do have research supporting the antioxidant actions of cannabinoids. Additionally, in vitro studies show CBD can spur neurogenesis in human brain cells, suggesting the compound may protect brain cells. 

Controlling Agitation & Psychological Outburts

Agitation and emotional outbursts are challenging symptoms experienced by many patients with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Psychological outbursts can be particularly challenging for the families and caregivers of patients. 

Patients and caregivers regularly report that adding, cannabis in the form of CBD and/or THC, to a patient’s healthcare regimen often reduces or eliminates behavioral outbursts. 

A prospective observational study conducted in 2019, determined, “ An oral cannabis extract with THC/CBD, in higher dosages than in other studies, was well tolerated and greatly improved behavior problems, rigidity, and daily care in severely demented patients.”

We also have clinical research examining the synthetic form of THC, nabilone, which clearly reduced agitation in patients with dementia. 

Fight Memory Loss

Let me start by saying that cannabis is NOT a magical treatment that will allow patients to recover all their lost memories and return to life before dementia. Sadly, there is NO medication or treatment that can do that. However, research and anecdotal evidence support the idea that cannabis may stimulate the brain to gently improve memory and memory-related behavior.  

We don’t have human studies to support this, but animal studies show that regular administration of CBD and THC did improve memory and performance in animals suffering from age-related and illness-related memory issues. Caregivers also report modest improvements in memory-related activities after patients begin a regular cannabis regimen. 

Increase Appetite 

Diminishing appetites, wasting syndrome, and failure to thrive are common issues experienced by patients with dementia. These symptoms can be extremely alarming for caregivers.

Cannabis is world-famous as an appetite stimulant. In animal models, researchers found delta 9 THC triggers hunger hormones. 

Drobinol, a synthetic form of THC, has been used to address a failure to thrive. Cannabis is used regularly to increase appetite among patients with cancer. While synthetic cannabinoids are the only option for some US patients. Cannabis clinicians routinely encourage natural plant-derived cannabinoids over synthetics because they tend to cause fewer side effects compared to synthetics. 

Improve Sleep 

The research about how cannabis affects sleep and sleep disorders is conflicting, but the anecdotal evidence is clear. Caregivers consistently report that adding cannabis improves sleep in terms of time and quality for patients suffering from dementia. 

Improving a patient’s sleep can dramatically improve the quality of life not only of the patient but it can significantly improve the quality of life for the patient’s caregivers as well. 

Reduction in Rigidity and Pain

One of the most popular uses for medical cannabis is addressing chronic pain. Patients with dementia frequently experience unexplained chronic pain. Many patients also experience muscle rigidity which can cause significant pain.

Patients with dementia are also often unable to effectively communicate the quality or quantity of their pain and that can make treating it extremely difficult.

Adding medical cannabis can effectively address issues of chronic pain thus significantly improving the quality of life for the patient without suffering from the risks or side-effects of traditional pharmaceutical pain-relievers. Research show’s low-dose THC and CBD can help reduce rigidity in patients thus decreasing pain and increasing function.

Conclusion

There are many potential benefits of adding medical cannabis to the healthcare routine of a patient with dementia. Historically patients with dementia have experienced improved appetite, improved sleep, a reduction in rigidity and pain, and a reduction in behavioral outbursts when adding medical cannabis.

Many patients wonder how much cannabis to take. Finding the ideal dose can be challenging. Overall patients with dementia often report positive effects on a daily regimen of CBD and low-dose THC, but everyone is different and occasionally patients require higher doses.

Patients and caregivers should always speak with their healthcare provider before adding a new substance or medication to their healthcare regimen.

 Trending Now

Often patients with serious chronic issues benefit from adding cannabis to their healthcare regimen. This is especially true for patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Crohn’s Disease. Some patients with mild cases may be able to eliminate pharmaceuticals completely. Many others successfully utilize cannabis in combination with pharmaceuticals. 

Anecdotal evidence and research show cannabis may affect the symptoms of Crohn’s disease in a variety of ways thus enhancing the patient’s quality of life.

Here five different ways cannabis can impact Crohn’s disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Nausea, Vomiting, and Diarrhea 

Patients with Crohn’s Disease often suffer from a variety of distressing symptoms. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are frequently among the most disabling symptoms a patient may endure. For many patients, episodes of nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea can be completely debilitating.

Cannabis is famous as an antiemetic. It’s highly valued in oncology for its effects on chemotherapy-associated nausea. Ample research and anecdotal evidence show cannabis can decrease episodes of nausea and vomiting. While a 2014 Canadian population study found that  28.6% of patients with IBD reported improved diarrhea after beginning a cannabis regimen. 

Pain

Patients with IBD and Crohn’s Disease frequently report episodes of pain. Some episodes may be localized while others may be widespread. 

A 2014 study examined the effects of cannabis on patients with Irritable Bowel Disease who used cannabis. 83.9% of the participants reported cannabis improved abdominal pain, 76.8% reported that cannabis improved abdominal cramping, and 48.2% found cannabis improved joint pain as well. 

It’s important to note that this particular study researcher also noted cannabis users with Crohn’s disease more often had worsening disease than people who did not use cannabis. We don’t know if cannabis masks the symptoms of Crohn’s disease, or if people with more serious instances of the disease are more likely to use cannabis. 

Inducing Remission

Achieving remission is often a goal of treatment for patients with Crohn’s Disease and IBD. Remission is when the disease is no longer in an active state and symptoms recede. 

A small-scale placebo-controlled study conducted in Israel in 2013, found 10 out of 11 participants experienced a significant positive clinical response after beginning a medical cannabis regimen. 5 out of 11 participants went into complete remission after 8 weeks of regular cannabis administration. 

Similar research was presented in 2018, “In a randomised, placebo-controlled study, researchers from Israel have shown that cannabis can produce clinical remission in up to 65% of individuals after 8 weeks of treatment, but that this improvement does not appear to result from a dampening down of the underlying inflammatory process.”

There’s no evidence to suggest cannabis decreases gut inflammation directly, but cannabis is coveted for its anti-inflammatory properties in general. 

May Mitigate Complications

Many people live successful happy lives with chronic Inflammatory Bowel Disease, but in some cases, the disease process can result in complications that can be dangerous and deadly. 

A retrospective cohort study in 2019 found cannabis users were less likely to have active fistulizing disease, intra-abdominal abscesses, blood product transfusions, colectomies, and parenteral nutrition requirements.

The study concluded that “cannabis use may mitigate several of the well-described complications of Crohn’s disease among hospital inpatients. These effects could possibly be through the effect of cannabis in the endocannabinoid system.” 

Another study found “ Fifteen of the patients had 19 surgeries during an average period of 9 years before cannabis use, but only 2 required surgery during an average period of 3 years of cannabis use. Again, much more research is needed to truly determine the effects cannabis has on Inflammatory Bowel Disease, but the current research available is promising.  

Increased appetite

Weight loss is another challenging symptom experienced by many patients with Crohn’s Disease and IBD. 

One of the most famous effects of marijuana is “the munchies”. It’s true that marijuana can act as an appetite stimulant. In animal models, researchers found delta 9 THC triggers hunger hormones. 

It’s also interesting to note, that many researchers theorize cannabis may help maintain a healthy weight as studies have found chronic cannabis users generally have a healthier BMI than nonusers.

Conclusion

Many patients report benefits from cannabis including a reduction in nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, a reduction of pain, and an increased appetite. Patients also often report that cannabis may help mitigate the complications of IBD, and in some patients, it may even induce or maintain remission.  

It’s also important to add, that some physicians have suggested cannabis may mask the symptoms of worsening disease and careful management by a healthcare provider is needed. 

Much more research needs to be done to fully understand how medical marijuana impacts Crohn’s disease or IBD.  As always, new patients should consult with their healthcare provider before adding new substances to their healthcare regimen. 

 Trending Now

Until 1937, cannabis was a medication commonly used to treat a variety of disorders including migraines. It was so common, you could pick a tincture up in your local pharmacy.

Unfortunately, cannabis is now still illegal in many areas and has been stigmatized for decades. But as legalization is embraced by the world, we’ve rediscovered cannabis as a tool for addressing migraines and a variety of other illnesses and disorders, including chronic pain, cancer, multiple sclerosis, chronic inflammation, leukemia, and more.

Here are five ways medical marijuana affects migraine headache disorder.

5 Ways Cannabis Might Help Migraines

Reduces Frequency of Migraines

An overwhelming number of patients report regularly consuming cannabis reduces the frequency of migraine headaches. Multiple studies support these reports.

A 2019 study conducted at Washinton State University found, “Inhaled cannabis reduces self-reported headache severity by 47.3% and migraine severity by 49.6%”

A 2020 study published in Brain Sciences showed that prolonged cannabis use could decrease the frequency of migraines, reinforcing a 2016 clinical study, published in Pharmacotherapy Productions, which also shows medical marijuana can reduce the frequency of migraines.

The 2016 study states, “Migraine headache frequency decreased from 10.4 to 4.6 headaches per month (p<0.0001) with the use of medical marijuana.” A whopping 85% of study participants reported symptom relief.

Reduces Acute Pain of Migraines Headaches

Many patients report that consuming cannabis after a migraine has begun can help reduce the acute pain experienced during the migraine.

Medical cannabis is prized for its impressive effects on addressing pain. Most of the research has examined cannabis’s effects on chronic pain as opposed to acute pain such as that experienced during a migraine episode.

Ample anecdotal evidence shows cannabis can be helpful for many people experiencing acute pain. Research examining the effects of cannabinoids on acute pain is scarce but a 2020 study showed that cannabis is statistically significant in reducing acute pain.

Reduces Nausea & Vomiting

Nausea and vomiting are some of the most common symptoms accompanying migraine headache attacks. For many patients, nausea and vomiting can be more debilitating than the headache itself.

Cannabis has been prized for decades for its ability to fight nausea and vomiting.

Ample research and anecdotal evidence show cannabis can decrease episodes of nausea and vomiting. Research also shows cannabis may reduce dysgeusia (a persistent bad taste in the mouth) which is another complaint sometimes associated with migraine headache disorder.

Reduces Inflammation

Inflammation is suspected as a culprit in migraine headache disorder. Preclinical research from 2019 states, “Inflammation could have an important role in migraine chronification through a mechanism termed neurogenic neuroinflammation.” Some clinicians also suspect chronic inflammation may play a role in triggering exacerbations.

Cannabis is often used as an anti-inflammatory. Research shows cannabis can act to decrease inflammation. Cannabidiol is a potent anti-inflammatory. CBD from hemp oil is often utilized for its anti-inflammatory properties in states where medical marijuana is illegal.

Balances the Endocannabinoid System

One of the most significant ways cannabis affects the body is its impact on the endocannabinoid system. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is an essential biochemical communication system in every human body.

Little is understood about the endocannabinoid system but in 2008, Dr. Ethan Russo published research explaining the effects of clinical endocannabinoid deficiency syndrome (CECD). One of the specific conditions Dr. Russo attributes to CECD is migraine headache disorder.

In theory, consuming cannabinoids found in cannabis is believed to help restore tone to a deficient endocannabinoid system. So, if migraine headache disorder is caused by an endocannabinoid imbalance, then cannabis may help restore balance to that system thus easing the symptoms of migraines.

Cannabis isn’t the only way to balance the ECS–here are seven other ways to modulate the endocannabinoid system.Trending Now

Do Edibles Have Side Effects? What Are They?

Edibles generally refer to food or drink infused with cannabis. Edibles come in a variety of forms, i.e. hard candies, baked goods, drinks, chocolate, oils, tinctures, and more. The dose and strength of edibles vary a great deal. According to Life Hacker, points out that edibles are sold in a variety of categories. They are often marketed as Sativa, Indica, Hybrid, or CBD. The variety of edibles on the market is one of the numerous reasons why people opt for edibles. If you’re new to edibles, you may be wondering about how to use edibles and the side effects of edibles.

How to Use Edibles

When you’ve decided to use edibles, especially for the first time, ALWAYS start with a smaller dose. The ideal dose varies from person to person. Many clinical experts encourage newbies to start with 2.5 mg to 5 mgs of THC the first time. Remember, edibles are MUCH stronger than smoking or vaping. Even experienced smokers or vapers should start with a lower dose of edibles.

Taking too much at once can produce a very uncomfortable experience as we explain later on in this article.

How long does it take to get high?

What many first-timers don’t know about edibles is that it takes MUCH longer to feel the effects of edibles compared to smoking or vaping. When smoking or vaping, the effects can be felt almost immediately. Alternately, the effects of edibles tend to kick in between 30-60 minutes after oral consumption, however, in some rare cases, it can take up to 6 HOURS for some individuals to feel the full effects.

The time it takes to work, varies from person to person and is based on a number of factors. For example, other factors that may affect your experience are weight, sex, metabolism, and the health of your digestive system. Whether or not you’ve eaten also affects how long it takes to feel the effects of edibles. Also, keep in mind, edibles don’t work for everyone.

The characteristics of the edible itself can also affect how and when you experience it. The edible’s potency and how much you take will definitely change how you experience it.

The reason why it takes so long to feel the effects in contrast to smoking a blunt is that edibles have to travel through the digestive system. After that, they’ll need to be metabolized by the liver before they get to the brain. This will convert delta 9 THC into 11-hydroxy THC. Then the 11-hydroxy THC travels to your brian. That’s when you’ll start feeling the effects.

Not only does this process take a lot longer, but additionally, 11-hydroxy THC is more potent than delta-9 THC. THAT’S why the side effects are often more pronounced with oral consumption.

The feeling from 11-hydroxy THC also has a longer effect. The length of high that edibles provide is usually much longer than smoking. The high typically lasts about 6-8 hours and peaks around 3 hours. Of course, those timelines vary from person to person.

Consumers should wait at least two hours after consuming a dose before trying more.

Side Effects of Edibles

Naturally, edibles, like all cannabis products can have side effects. Some of the side effects are the exact reason some people use them. Others might not be so desirable. Side effects vary a great deal from person to person and are often dose-dependent. That means if you take a smaller amount, you might not experience the side effects any longer.

One well-known side effect of taking an edible is euphoria, which people often refer to as getting high. That’s what most recreational consumers hope to achieve when they eat an edible.

For many people, edibles can have stronger side effects than smoking or vaping. Cognitive side effects, motor impairment, and sedation can be much more pronounced. It’s imperative that people know their tolerance and side effects before operating any sort of machinery after consuming an edible. No one should ever operate machinery, including a car, when they are intoxicated.

Again, the side effects of edibles are usually dose-dependent. If you experience a negative side effect, you probably ate too many edibles. If you take a smaller amount, you might not experience side effects. Most of these side effects are associated with too much THC, but too much CBD can have side effects as well.

Side effects of too many edibles may include:

• Anxiety
• Agitation/Restlessness
• Nausea/Vomiting’s
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue/Sedation
• Changes in heart rate
• Changes in blood pressure

CBD Edibles

CBD edibles with low doses of THC, or no THC at all, are growing in popularity. CBD is non-intoxicating which means CBD edibles won’t make you feel high. However, CBD can still cause side effects. The most commonly reported side effects of CBD edibles according to one study are fatigue, diarrhea, and changes in appetite or weight.

Safety Concerns

An adverse reaction can cause a person to never want to use cannabis again. This is a common outcome for someone who’s experienced a THC-induced panic attack after consuming too much THC.

Too much THC can make someone new to cannabis or edibles feel like they are experiencing a medical emergency. Many people have gone to the emergency room after eating too many edibles. These individuals are usually experiencing panic attacks.

No one, in the history of the universe, has ever died from a marijuana overdose. Most people, simply need to remain calm and wait for the THC-induced anxiety to pass. Of course, if you’re having difficulty breathing, experiencing a rapid heart rate, chest pain, or psychosis, it’s best to seek medical attention.

Sometimes people forget that marijuana is a drug that may interact with other drugs. Therefore, be aware of other medications and drugs you take before you eat or drink an edible. Antidepressants, blood thinners, alcohol, and antibiotics may interact with marijuana. It may be worth it to seek medical advice before using if you’re on any medication.

Be careful of where you obtain your edibles. Edibles sold on the illicit market are often not tested and may contain toxins.

Conclusion

Edibles are a popular way of consuming marijuana. Like all substances, there are potential side effects but you can prevent many of the less desirable ones by starting with low doses and not consuming too many edibles at once. Be patient! Edibles typically take a while to kick in. Don’t take too much too soon. As always, keeping up with the latest cannabis science research is a good idea.Trending Now

Can We Tone the Endocannabinoid System?

Some experts theorize that when the endocannabinoid system falls out of balance, a variety of symptoms may develop. They also suggest toning, or modulating, the endocannabinoid system may restore balance and thus relieve some symptoms. There are several ways to tone and modulate the endocannabinoid system. Let’s start by answering two questions: What is the endocannabinoid system?, and what is its role?

History of the Endocannabinoid System

In 2001, Dr. Ethan Russo introduced Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency Syndrome (CEDS). Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency Syndrome is a group of symptoms and syndromes that develop people do not have a properly toned endocannabinoid system.

What is Your Endocannabinoid System?

The endocannabind syndrome (ES) is a biochemical communication syndrome in every human. A balanced endocannabiond system is essential to a well-functioning body.

The ES is complex and dynamic. It’s comprised of several components including:

• Natural Endocannabinoids
• Endocannabinoid Receptors (CB1, CB2, TRPV, Orphan Receptors)
• Metabolic Enzymes
• Ligands

In his research, Dr. Russo specifically references migraines and irritable bowel syndrome. Research supports the concept of the CECS. Patients with migraine headache disorder have shown low levels of endocannabinoids in their cerebral spinal fluid. In patients suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, imaging studies have shown endocannabinoid hypo-function.

Based on this theory, restoring balance that he endocannabinoid system may help relief symptoms. And we have anecdotal evidence that supports this. Many patients with migraine headache disorder who begin cannabis, report a decrease in the frequency and intensity of their headaches, when they add CBD products to their health routine.

But cannabis isn’t the ONLY way to address and modulate our endocannabinoid system. There are actually numerous ways we can balance and tone our endocannabinoid system, and we’ve actually have already been doing it for thousands of years.

Things that Balance the Endocannabinoid System

Acupuncture

History includes a long line of treatments that directly affect the endocannabinoid system, like for example, acupuncture. Acupuncture has been used in healthcare for thousands of years, and practitioners often saw results. However, no one really understood why acupuncture was effective.

It was only in 2007, when a study from China explained endocannabinoid system activation and acupuncture both induce similar effects. In fact, the study concluded that the endocannabinoid system mediates many of acupuncture’s therapeutic effects, including pain relief.

Omega 3’s & Omega 6’s

The body uses Omega 3 fatty acids to make endocannabinoids. Logic dictates that if you don’t have an adequate intake of Omega 3 fatty acids, then you body may fail to produce adequate amounts of natural endocannabinoids. Endocannabinoids are essential to a healthy functioning endocannabinoid system.

Unfortunately, many diets are deficient in omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. Many types of fish, flax seeds, and chia seeds are high in omega 3 fatty acids, while corn, soybeans, and nuts and seeds are high in Omega 6 fatty acids. Many patients prefer taking a supplement like cod liver oil.

Probiotics & Prebiotics

Probiotics and prebiotics also affect the endocannabinoid system by altering receptor expression, or the number of CB receptors in your body. Eating foods like kefir, sauerkraut, and yogurt, or taking a supplement, may help balance and tone the endocannabinoid system. Most patients could benefit from a high-quality probiotic supplement and healthy amounts of prebiotic fiber. 

Additionally, the brain and digestive system are suspected of being directly connected via the endocannabinoid system. If that’s the case, a healthy endocannabinoid system is essential to digestive health.

Herbs

Herbs like echinacea have long been used to help improve the immune system. This is thought to occur because echinacea also modulate the endocannabinoid system. Many plant ligands also interact directly with the endocannabinoid system.

Other herbs like cloves, cinnamon and oregano have also been used to stimulate the endocannabinoid system. These herbs contain high amounts of a terpene called beta-caryophyllene. beta-caryophyllene acts directly on the endocannabinoid system, so some researchers argue that it should be classified as a dietary cannabinoid instead of a terpene.

Massage

Research suggests some types of massage, including osteorthapedic manipulation and myofacial release may directly affect natural levels of endocannabinods. Massage exerts cannabimimetic effects. That means massage can cause similar physical and psychological effects as using cannabis. These effects may explain why massage can have significant effects on health.

Meditation, Prayer, & Exercise

Dr. Russo points out in a 2014 paper patients have long reported activities such as prayer, meditation, and yoga also exhibit cannabimimetic effects, or similar effects to using cannabis. Animal models have shows exercise affects the endocannabinoid system in a variety of ways. Human studies have shows that exercise can significantly increase levels of endocannabinoids. 

Phytocannabinoids

This is one of the pivotal roles of cannabis. Cannabis contains over a hundred phytocannabinoids. The most popular and well researched are THC and CBD, however there are over one hundred other minor cannabinoids. Each minor cananbinoid can trigger a different physiological effect, and those effects can vary depending on the presence of other cannabinoids.

Patients report that consuming phytocannabinods may help relieve a variety of symptoms resulting from various disorders. Patients report benefits from THC products as well as CBD products. 

Conclusion

Cannabis is a remarkable tool that can help modulate and balance the endocannabinoid system, but its not the only way. To truly achieve wellness patients should consider a variety of ways to boost their endocannabinoid system.

.Trending Now

Tracy Ryan is an overall cannabis wonder-woman. Most poignant is the story of how cannabis preserved her young daughter’s life in the battle with childhood cancer. Tracy is the founder & CEO of CannaKids, the CEO of CK Sciences, and the founder of SavingSophie.org. Her family’s story is featured in the illuminating documentary, Weed the People (which is coming to Netflix on 4/20/19). Watch us chat and hear more about her story and the life-saving cannabinoid research she’s working on and hear how Ricki Lake brought cannabis into her life. Watch or read the transcript below.

“Ricki Lake brought me weed and, honestly, it’s a good thing she did!”

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February 28th – March 2nd 2019 in San Diego, CA

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Tracy Ryan Bio:

Tracy Ryan is the founder & CEO of CannaKids, a California-based brand with a focus on supplying medical cannabis oil tinctures and medical cannabis products to patients of all ages.  She is also the CEO of CK Sciences whose sole focus is to execute pediatric human trials using cannabis medicine both in the U.S. and around the world. In addition, Tracy founded the 501c3 non-profit, Saving Sophie Inc (SavingSophie.org). Their mission is to provide educational resources and financial support to families whose loved one has been diagnosed with a serious disease.

Connect with Tracy

CannaKids: https://cannakids.org/
Donate to Saving Sophie: https://savingsophie.org/donate/

Find Tracy on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyCannaKids/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/mycannakids/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MyCannaKids/

VIDEO RECORDING TRANSCRIPT:

Jessie Gill :                           00:06                     Hi, I’m Jessie a cannabis nurse and the founder of Marijuana Mommy, and you’re watching Patients are the Proof where we talk about the real benefits of cannabis. Today, I’m talking with Tracy Ryan. Tracy is the founder and CEO CannaKids, a California based brand with a focus on supplying medical cannabis oil, tinctures, and medical cannabis products to patients of all ages. She’s also the CEO of CK Sciences whose sole focus is to execute human pediatric trials using cannabis medicine, both in the US and around the world. In addition, Tracy founded the 501c3 nonprofit Saving Sophie. Their mission is to provide educational resources and financial support to families whose loved ones have been diagnosed with a serious disease.

Jessie Gill :                           00:52                     Hello Tracy.

Tracy Ryan:                         00:55                     Hi, how are you today?

Jessie Gill :                           00:56                     Great. You are busy.

Tracy Ryan:                         00:59                     You have no idea. That’s only part of what I have.

Jessie Gill :                           01:03                     I know. It is. That’s just the little scratch of the surface.

Tracy Ryan:                         01:09                     I like to be busy. What can I say?

Jessie Gill :                           01:10                     It’s good. It’s good. And you know the industry needs it, right?

Tracy Ryan:                         01:13                     Absolutely.

Jessie Gill :                           01:15                     Thank you so much for talking today. I’m so touched by your story. I’m really, really excited to share it with my readers and my viewers. And I’d love to just hear in your words a little bit about how you got involved in the industry.

Tracy Ryan:                         01:30                     Sure. So my story really starts over five years ago now. My daughter Sophie was diagnosed unfortunately with a brain tumor at eight and a half months old. It’s a low grade tumor called an optic pathway glioma. It’s a tumor that follows the optic track behind the eyes and therefore squeezes the optic nerves and one of the side effects can be blindness of this amongst many other things that can happen, like Hydrocephalus, early onset, puberty, issues with the chemotherapy and so on. But we have been very lucky with Soph because only after about two weeks post diagnosis we were connected with Rikki Lake and Abby Epstein and many of you are in my age range, will know that Rikki was a talk show host top 10 years and was in movies and was on dancing with the stars and is a household name for my generation. And her and abby had begun filming a documentary called Weed the People. We’re super excited about this film. It is wrapping up a theatrical release. They’ll be available on itunes at the end of January, around January 22nd and it’s premiering on Netflix in April.

Jessie Gill :                           02:36                     Oh on Netflix? That’s excellent. That’s wonderful because people need to see it. It’s such a remarkable film.

Tracy Ryan:                         02:46                     Absolutely. And we’re working on getting it all around the country. We’ve got about six or seven screenings coming up in Canada next week. The British parliament brought ricky and abbey over for a private screening. It’s becuase of this film that I found cannabis. Ricki Lake brought me weed! And honestly it’s a good thing she did because there had been a lot of people on social media that we got connected with through my husband’s old roommate who lived over abroad and they were messaging as saying you should use cannabis for Sophie. And we thought they were all stoned out of their minds are on some kind of crazy drug because we were by no means ever going to give our child something. people traditionally smoked just to get high and have a good time, so it was the one thing we really didn’t research. And then Ricki & Abby came into our lives and I had tried for a natural birth with Sophie because of the film The Business of Being Born, which helped revolutionize how women look at childbirth. And I trusted them, and I’m so glad that I did because it has changed my life, my daughter’s life, my husband’s life, my sister’s life because she works for me, and all of my friends who now have been employed by us some, some for as long as nine years.

Jessie Gill :                           04:05                     And way more than that, tracy. I mean, you are impacting the world on a massive scale, sharing your story and it’s so, oh gosh, it’s so, so desperately needed. So how is Sophie doing now?

Tracy Ryan:                         04:15                     She’s amazing. We just recently had an issue with her vision. Her vision has gotten very, very, very poor. It’s not even from the tumor right now. She had to have a brain tumor surgery on April 23rd of this year to debulk the tumor. Her tumor has a 90 percent survival rate, but an 85 percent recurrence rate. That’s why she’s still in chemotherapy with chemo. Just to kind of explain what that means and why she’s still one of the chemotherapy, but why is she’s ok. With chemo, it only goes after dividing cells will. When you have a slow growing tumor, the cells don’t divide that often. So if when the chemo goes into her body, those cells aren’t dividing at that very moment, then it’s only going to in the best case scenario, arrest development of the tumor. Well with cannabis in correlation with the chemotherapy, we have shrunk this tumor more than what any doctor could have ever expected many times. And she’s been a miraculous healer throughout this process since she first got on cannabis. Her first, miraculous healing event was when she had nine blood transfusions her first nine months on chemotherapy. And then the last four months of treatment she just stopped needing them, which is medically impossible. The way she healed from the brain surgery on April 23rd, she should’ve had two black eyes visible swelling because they cut her from here on top of her head to the bottom of her ear. She should have had all kinds of swelling in this area. She had no bruising on her entire face, not one bruise. She had no signs of visible swelling. She was supposed to be in the hospital for three to five days, was released in less than 48 hours, was told she would not be able to go back to school for one to two weeks, but was told she could go back to school for one in one to two days and what it did for her pain was so profound. Not only did the nurse chart it. I had to go and get her so she could see the difference between how Sophie was and how he was once the cannabis kicked in, but then she also passed the information onto the next nurse. The next nurse could know and be aware of what she had witnessed with her own eyes. So once. Sophie had this brain tumor surgery, a post surgical cyst formed the size of my fist formed inside of the tumor, so the cyst kept getting larger and larger and larger and fortunately, but oddly enough, started pooling on the side of her face right here. The liquid was seeping through the bone plate where the surgery was, so it was somewhat of a blessing in disguise because otherwise she would have had to have a shunt put surgically into her head which can come with its own list of issues, infections being one of them. We were able to go back through this existing scar from her brain tumor surgery and the day before Thanksgiving she had 50 ccs of fluid drawn off and we think that becomes such a massive shift that occurred in her brain that it has now further damaged her vision. To meet her you would not know, just by talking to her and watching her get around, That there’s anything wrong with her. But if you’re standing more than three feet past her visually, she can’t see you. But she never complains and she’s so happy and she loves her life and she public speaks with me all over the country and I mean the is just.. So you know there’s been some challenges this year, but because of those challenges, Sophie’s brain tumor is now, growing and mice that pump human blood at one of the top universities in the country. Her immune system is being studied by the world leading research scientists in natural killer cells. Natural killer cells are what fails and causes us to have cancer in the first place, which is one of her major discoveries and now because of what we have found in Sophie’s immune system, which has helped us to now understand why she’s a miraculous healer. We’re now studying seven other CannaKids patients, two of which were supposed to succumb to their diseases three and a half years ago. One young man had 90 days to live with no chance of survival after his cancer recurred six times in three years on Western medicine. Three and a half years later, he’s still cancer free and his immune system mimics Sophie’s and their immune systems are functioning on such levels that it’s humanly impossible, so this research is not only leading to an expansion of our understanding of this plant and our understanding of how to treat cancer, but I’ve now also raised 55 of the $70,000 that I need in order for the surgical, the surgical process to occur so that we can now put our research scientists treatment plan into the brain of the mice that pump the human blood. Because we now know why Sophie has this brain tumor that won’t go away. She has no natural killer cells in her brain whatsoever, but from the neck down, they functione five times out of a healthy adults. So, we are now working on a cure for her. And I believe that this process will. This procedure will occur in the next six weeks. If it works. Not only would this be a cure for my daughter potentially, but the thousands, if not millions of other people that this could create a major breakthrough for could be absolutely profound. We’re very excited about what has come out of these tragedies and we are silver lining staple and we just keep trying to find the good and we keep finding it.

Jessie Gill :                           09:22                     You’re doing an amazing job of finding it, so how are you raising money for that?

Tracy Ryan:                         09:26                     So there’s a couple ways that you can actually donate to Saving Sophie and it’s through our website@ www.savingsophie.org. We also have fundraisers that we do throughout the year. You can contact us on social media and we can show you where our little campaign sites are as well. You can throw a little campaign on your own facebook page if you have a birthday and you can choose Saving Sophie as your organization of choice to have your birthday funds donated to in lieu of gifts. We’ve probably raised six or $7,000 in the last few months from just people donating their birthday money to us.

Jessie Gill :                           10:04                     Cool.

Tracy Ryan:                         10:04                     Yeah, it’s exciting. So we were really starting to try and get the word out in a very large way and we’re looking for philanthropists and supporters of the cause that would be willing to give anywhere from $5 to $5,000,000. No amount is too small or too large.

Jessie Gill :                           10:19                     I love that. It’s amazing. I mean you’re doing a remarkable job with it already. Just raising money so you have how far to go?

Tracy Ryan:                         10:27                     So we’ve raised 45,000. We’ve got another 25,000 to go on that. Awesome. Also very, very, very close to closing funds for our lab that we’re going to build. It’s going to be a research facility and will also allow us to release our research scientists test into the medical community that are predictive of when the natural killer cells fail. Thus helping us understand when a patient is at risk for cancer. So not only are we trying to get rid of cancer, we’re trying to prevent it from ever occuring.

Jessie Gill :                           10:59                     Wow. That’s so amazing.

Tracy Ryan:                         11:01                     Crazy. Because I literally just got dropped into the scientist’s lab, the ver thing that cannabis is doing to my child to make her this miraculous healer that she is, is literally the very thing that this woman is the world leader in.

Jessie Gill :                           11:17                     Wow. What a…

Tracy Ryan:                         11:19                     Coincidence? I don’t know. I don’t think so.

Jessie Gill :                           11:21                     That’s an amazing coincidence if there is such a thing. So, what else are you working on? I know you have a ton of projects.

Tracy Ryan:                         11:28                     Yes, we do. We have a lot. We’re working on a ton of projects right now. The research one is always going to be my passion and expanding the brand. What’s exciting about CannaKids is we are now taking on global expansion. We have licensed our brand and our product formulations to Australia. We should be closing in Canada this week, if not by Monday, We are working on Europe right now with an incredible team that we do believe probably by next week we’ll come to terms on, and we’re also in talks with China, so our. Our big, big, big goal is to get our medicine to patients globally because we know we’re getting such a better understanding of how to work with patients. We’ve got these incredible nurses that understand Western medicine, they understand cannabinoid therapy, they are trained to the utmost extent before even taking their first patient call with CannaKids. We make them go through the most rigorous training that’s available out in the market today and then they also train additionally with us based on our data that works alongside with our medicine. We are working on a national hemp line because we want to get our cbd out too quickly. Because believe it or not, it’s easier going to a legal country than it is to go to another state because you have to replicate what we do here in every state every single time, but in Canada, we just work with one person and can get all over the country same with Australia. So that’s why we’re going more global and focusing on hemp for national, since we’re now a midst the farm bill passing.

Jessie Gill :                           13:04                     Yes. Yes. That’s exciting.

Tracy Ryan:                         13:06                     We have that happening and then you know the lab. We also just won a license in West Hollywood, California.

Jessie Gill :                           13:11                     Congratulations. That’s amazing.

Tracy Ryan:                         13:15                     The goal is to open the very first ever have CannaKids Wellness Clinic. We’re very excited about this. Patients will be able to come in, they’ll be able to meet with a nurse, we’ll have a kids club where their children can be dropped off with a licensed care provider if they need to go to our cbd wellness spa or need to go next door to our cafe where we’ll have our line of products available for purchase because you can’t take a child where medical cannabis is being sold, so we’ll have a kid center for that. So we’re really excited about being able to bring extension courses, nurses, training, events, fundraisers to the West Hollywood community and the goal is really hopefully have the lab, CannaKids offices and the clinic in the same area or in the same building so that we can all work centrally together. So we’re building quite a large team right now to help me with all of these endeavors. I’m kind of the mastermind behind it, but I’ve got wonderful teams helping me execute on all the different projects and it’s exciting. We think that this is really going to be a banner year for us.

Jessie Gill :                           14:15                     It’s so incredible. I’m just so grateful for everything you do for everything you are doing and you’re speaking at the cannabis nurses network conference. Right?

Tracy Ryan:                         14:26                     I am. I’m very excited about that.

Jessie Gill :                           14:28                     Me too. I’m so excited about it. I’ll be there. I’ll be on one of the panels and I’m so looking forward to it. I mean, it’s amazing how many healthcare professionals are finally coming around and so desperately needed.

Tracy Ryan:                         14:45                     I mean if you look at where my husband and I were five years ago with the healthcare system and how nervous we were to have these conversations with our doctors and how nervous we were to give our child a dose of cannabis in the hospital when we were inpatient and where we are now and today where we literally have nurses, like if Sophie is inpatient, a lot of the nurses now in Sophie’s hospital, children’s hospital, have heard of CannaKids because we have so many patients that we treat there. And I have literally had nurses come to me and say, there’s a mom who I know wants to get involved with cannabis because she’s communicated it to me. She’s desperate, her child is dying. Would you be able to help them? And you know, I, she was like, I can’t have anything to do with it. If you bumped into him in the hall, that’s Great. I can’t tell you exactly who they are. But if she was willing to come to you, would you be open to the conversation? And I said, please send me anyone you have, any time you have them. I’ve got nurses begging me to get the research to go as fast as possible because these children are suffering from excrutiating pain. They’re refractory to opioids, the opioids are not working anymore through end of life care, which is a big passion of mine to try and get trials going in that field to not only help try and save their lives, but help them with transition if we’re not able to. Because the opiod epidemic and, and just opioids at large are very problematic, especially for a kid. Even when we go to change Sophie’s Chemo Protocol, because we constantly are having to adjust her protocol and try different medicines because of the way her tumor behaves. Even her doctor will bring in the list of drugs where there’s potential interactions and he’ll have me go through the list and make sure cannabis is not on that list.

Jessie Gill :                           16:31                     That’s great. A lot of healthcare professionals aren’t even aware of the fact that there can be drug interactions.

Tracy Ryan:                         16:39                     And that’s very true. And today, believe it or not, there are still doctors who don’t even know about cannabis because the medical professionals that have these rigorous jobs and keep them, you know, shift after shift doubles there. You know, when they, when they’re not working, they’re doing paperwork and when they’re not doing paperwork, or they’re spending time with their family. I’ve met doctors at top hospitals like MD Anderson before who are like I don’t have time to watch tv or read the news, I know nothing about what’s going on in this world. So that’s why every time we are inpatient at any hospital, anywhere in the country for that matter, because it has happened, we’ve had to be in a hospital in Portland, we’ve had to be in hospital when we traveled to Hawaii because of got sick on an airplane and we were worried that it was her brain tumor. We made it a point every where we go to the open and honest about what we’re doing, to communicate the research that we have going on and to take the time to educate anyone who is willing to listen and it’s paid off. We’ve really seen a huge shift, especially at children’s hospital where my daughter is treated.

Jessie Gill :                           17:38                     Wow, that’s amazing. I’m so eager for that to come to the east coast were so far behind you guys over here in New Jersey to go.

Tracy Ryan:                         17:51                     Slowly getting there.

Jessie Gill :                           17:51                     That’s true. Slow. Slowly but surely. Before we finish up, I’d love to hear what you say to parents who have kids who are very interested and have children who obviously need it and could benefit from it, but they’re scared of the stigma.

Tracy Ryan:                         18:12                     One of the things that I say all the time to people I meet everywhere, if everyone could just jump inside my brain for five minutes and know what I know, no one would question the efficacy or safety of this plant. That’s number one. Number two, don’t trust me. Read the research. If you go to savingsophie.org, we have a whole section called cannabis studies where we have all kinds of research that’s published that we are constantly updating, whether it be articles about new discoveries or new papers that are being published or stories of survival. We have all of all of those there and we’re constantly adding more all the time. We currently have them in three categories, cancer, autism and epilepsy because those are our three big fields of focus. But there are articles in there that pertain to everyone that’s education on the endocannabinoid system. Why and how it works, you know, as, as far as what we know today. So don’t trust me. Read about it and watch the videos. I was on the TV show, the doctors, this past year, which is a nationally syndicated, a emmy award winning television show, and these guys are grabbing onto these stories because they too believe cannabis can help. National Geographic has been following us for five years, We’ve been photographed for basically on every major event I can name and even when we were working up to Sophie’s brain tumor surgery and I was getting the tissue ready to go to the hospital, and then the tissue being then taken to the research facility that was all photographed by national geographic. These people would not be following us, if there was not something to this plant. And watch our film. You cannot walk away from this movie after seeing these five families battle with cancer and you see onscreen what this plant does for these children. Not to mention they interviewed the top research scientists around the world Dedi Meiri, married from the Technion being my partner by the way. Year two of his research right now. A dear friend and business partner. Raphael Mechoulam is on there, Christina Sanchez. I mean there’s all kinds of brilliant minds, that are showing you firsthand in their research where cannabis is eradicating disease in their machine and animal models and how desperately we need to push this into humans. And you also learned about the propaganda. You learn why cannabis was made to be illegal in the first place and when you really start to understand how far back this plant dates, which they have, they have post dated it like around 8,000 years post the written word. That’s how far back we’ve known that cannabis has been used. And if you look at the medical books and the apothecary books and the pharmaceutical tinctures that were being sold across the country before Harry Anslinger and William Randolph Hearst in the thirties went on this trail of, of um, really just confusing the population at large as to what this plant is and does. Even the American Medical Association when against these gentleman and said, do not put cannabis on schedule. I we have all kinds of diseases and issues that this plant works for and we don’t have a replacement, but it was all about money and power.

Jessie Gill :                           21:25                     Thats a great point, because I think a lot of people miss that, that the American Medical Association was pro cannabis and during the 1937 marijuana tax act, they testified that they did not want it banned and they did not want prohibition. A lot of people don’t realize that. They’re like, oh, it was just bad.

Tracy Ryan:                         21:42                     They used to use cannabis on women during childbirth. That’s how safe the medical associations believe this plant to be all the way up until the thirties, so if you start there and then work your way forward, I feel like it’s a lot easier to really have an open mind to it. Once your mind is open, it can’t be closed.

Jessie Gill :                           22:02                     Yeah, that’s beautiful. I love that. Thank you so much tracy. It’s such a joy, such a pleasure to talk to you. I’m such a big fan of all you do and I truly, truly am grateful because it’s stories like yours and like Sophie’s that is really changing the face of this medicine.

Tracy Ryan:                         22:20                     Thank you for all you do and I cannot wait to meet you in person.

Jessie Gill :                           22:23                     I can’t wait to meet you either next month, so if there are any nurses watching this, you need to go to the cannabis nurses network conference at the end of February, so definitely go check that out and I’m gonna link down in the description to all of your sites as well.

Tracy Ryan:                         22:38                     Great. Thank you so much.

Jessie Gill :                           22:40                     Thank you. I’ll see you the next month..Trending Now