As a psychotherapist in California, I have had the opportunity to observe the affects of cannabis and CBD cannabis first hand in my practice. Medical marijuana has been legal here in California for 20 years. I have been able to observe it’s continuing integration as a medicine for physical, mental and spiritual health.
I have also observed the harmful use of cannabis. That is when medicine becomes poison. Used intelligently, cannabis and CBD rich cannabis is a ground-breaking plant medicine that helps many many ailments; from cancer, to anxiety, depression, PTSD, Alzheimers and pain relief. It is an alternative to opiates and alcohol for emotional and physical pain.
CBD oil effects, the basics:
CBD is another healing compound in cannabis like THC. The CBD strain of cannabis has been bred to have more CBD because of it’s healing properties and many people like medicine that does not get them “high”. Therefore, you can regulate the amount of CBD and THC ratio by the cannabis product you use. However, both are needed for healing.
CBD comes in oil, tincture, capsules, edibles and smoke-ables. It takes some help and experimentation to find what works best for each person, the same way chemical medications take time to get the right medicine and right dosage.
I am not going to show the scientific proof of cannabis but will refer you to links that have that information. I would like to explain what I see in psychotherapy concerning the use of marijuana. I will give examples of how people have used cannabis and the struggles they have had with chemical medication as well as herbal medication such as cannabis.
Psychotherapy, Cannabis, and CBD Oil
Sometimes people need a medicine in psychotherapy to calm down enough or brighten a depression enough so that some progress can be made.
Progress is feeling more centered, understanding life a little better, and the ability to process through some of the emotional up’s and down’s. When the time is right the medicine can be reduced, changed, or it is no longer needed.
Clarity, no side effects, and reduced anxiety is the greatest benefit of cannabis and CBD cannabis for clients in psychotherapy. However, like any other remedy, the dosage, strain of cannabis, and delivery method (edible, oil, tincture or smoked cannabis) is important to get right so the medicine will work.
When clients use cannabis intelligently it benefits psychotherapy rather than getting in the way. It is a hindrance if someone is too “stoned”.
MD’s that know conventional and herbal medications
Conventional anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications are necessary but now we have an excellent alternative.
Clients need to talk to their medical doctor about transitioning from conventional medication to cannabis or reducing chemical medicine and adding other herbal medicines.
Many MD’s are unfamiliar with herbal medicines for physical and mental pain; such as, Cannabis, St. John’s Wort for depression or Aswaganda for anxiety.
Some doctors know this transition very well and are willing to help and others will not hear of it. I can then refer my client to a medical doctor that supports this transition and understands the potential benefit for his patient. Ultimately, it is the client’s decision.
Physical health:
Cannabis helps a long list of physical problems including certain cancers, it is an anti-inflammatory, reduces nausea and vomiting, suppresses seizure activity and relieves some types of pain,to name a few. 1
One of the biggest benefits that I see is in pain medication usage. The side effects with opiate type pain relievers, such as Hydrocodone and Oxycontin, are a killer. Many people begin to get tired of the side effects from conventional medications, such as, weight gain, diminished sex drive, and grogginess to name a few.
The side effects from CBD oil and cannabis are zero. As people transition from these types of pain medication to cannabis or high CBD cannabis they are able to lower or eliminate the amount of pain pills for many types of physical pain.
Usually, clients have a struggle with trust. How could “weed” help something as serious as my back pain or surgery. I quit smoking “pot” in my twenties.
Personally, I had surgery on two teeth about a month ago. The doctor cut into the gum to cut off the roots of the teeth. He then stitched the front of the gum to the back of the gum to heal. The doctor gave me hydrocodone for a week. I used it for the first 12 hours and shifted over to CBD oil from there on. No constipation and no drug-y feeling but good pain control.
Mental Health:
When there is pain in the body there is mental pain and vise versa.
For example, we feel a little depressed when we catch a cold or flu. It’s part of it. The opposite happens when we are depressed. There is a tendency to get sick, have headaches, stomach aches, back pain, and so on. Sometimes sickness affects spiritual health. “Life sucks!”
Spiritual health:
Spiritual health has to do with a sense of feeling spirited, alive, purposed. For some it is a feeling of being part of a larger Spirit. Others experience spirit as a God or an interplay of the Gods. It is a little different for every one. What is Spirit for you?
The alchemist’s called it “the light in nature”, native people refer to “The Great Spirit”, “The Great Mother/Father”. Meditators call it Enlightenment.
Experiencing this lightness can be blocked with back pain or depression, as the spiritual “light” dims due to pain. Physical, mental and spiritual are as interconnected as a three legged stool.
Spiritual health is open to the paradox of pain and pleasure. Spiritual health gives a background for beauty and ugliness, whatever form it takes. As people get older these extremes become more apparent because “sickness, old age, and death” are a well worn reality. Seniors need medicine to awaken, heal, and calm down.
Seniors and CBD Cannabis 
The above sixty crowd is finding CBD cannabis very beneficial because it addresses so many physical, mental and spiritual issues that are just part of aging. Many do not want a lot of THC in their cannabis. Aging has a life of it’s own. So, we need a non-toxic medicine for arthritis, sleep, chronic fatigue, anxiety, depression…….inspiration, insight, spirit, etc.
CBD oil benefits, the basics:
The main benefit that I observe is no side effects. There is a long list of benefits; lowers stress, anti-inflammatory, sleep aid, pain reliever, anti-seizure, reduces anxiety, anti-depressant, Alzheimer’s, dementia, to name a few.
CBD marijuana and sleep, the basics:
CBD helps one sleep without the hangover and addictive qualities of conventional sleep aids.
The benefit of emotional pain
However crazy it may seem, we need some of the pain to heal, grow, and mature in our relationships. If we block out too much pain for too long we get stuck. Or, if we cannot block out enough pain we get overwhelmed to the point of debilitation.
For example, someone may need to be on a conventional anti-depressant in the first part of therapy because of overwhelming anxiety and hopelessness. As they start to work through some of the attitudes and emotions, therapy deepens.
However, those on medication begin hitting a bottom in psychotherapy. The conventional medications have done their job. They blocked the pain to a certain level so the client cannot have access to deeper parts of her/his self. If therapy is not going deeper but the client wants to go deeper, it is time to talk to their MD or psychiatrist about a medication change.
Cannabis and addiction 
Too much cannabis gets in the way of therapy and gets in the way of life. The state of mind turns foggy and dissociated rather than being awake to what is going on. “Too much” blocks the process of psychotherapy just as any other deadening drug or alcohol addiction.
I like the approach of “harm reduction” when it comes to addiction.
Reducing the harm to one’s self is the next best thing to stopping. When there is a destructive addiction going on, doing less is the answer, but also using something less harmful can save a life. Using cannabis instead of alcohol, pain relievers, sleep aids, anti-anxiety, anti-depressants is less “harm” to the mind, body and spirit. Sometimes getting a healthier addiction can be a step forward.
Related Previous Posts:
Psychotropic drugs: Chemical and Herbal Medicine for the Mind and Emotions
Psychotropic drugs: Chemical and Herbal Medicine for the Mind and Emotions
LINKS:
CBD research and observations:
CBD research and research with epilepsy:
Grandma’s smoking weed for the first time:
