So Medical Cannabis has finally come to Maryland after many embattled years. Many folks are still skittish about having it in their neighborhoods and near their businesses. Perhaps a bit of information on what to expect and what exactly Medical Cannabis (MM) can do for people will help shed some light and possibly remove those shadows of doubt.
The MM dispensaries you will see popping up around Maryland are not “pot shops” for stoners to go buy their ganja and bongs. They are not for potheads to hang out in the parking lots getting high and causing mischief. Rather these entities are professionally built, highly regulated establishments catering to patients with specific medical needs. Patients who have likely been all through the medical system and tried numerous pharmaceuticals. For many people, MM has literally been a lifesaver. It has allowed them to function, be free of pain (thereby skirting the opioid addiction), live a quality life or it has allowed palliative care for those at the end of life.
The retail shops you will encounter, like ours, should have professional staffs, educated on MM and it’s uses and side effects. At Blair Wellness, the clinical director (that’s me), will personally train the staff to be able to appropriately, knowledgably and compassionately help those who come through our door. Many will come in for the first time, perhaps out of curiosity, more likely with a specific need, and it is our job to serve them professionally. It is our job to educate them on the appropriate type of MM to use and the best ways to consume it, based, again, on their needs. Many reputable dispensaries, including Blair Wellness, will hold workshops to educate consumers on various topics. Our clinical director will be available for consultations in many areas of wellness.
There is a process in Maryland for obtaining MM, you cannot just walk in and purchase it. This will keep drug seekers out of the shops and your neighborhoods. The process is outlined on our home page.
So when you walk into a dispensary how do you know what to ask for? That’s where a well-trained staff is integral to you. There are many variations of MM and many forms of use: from flower to oil concentrates to topical to pills to patches…. There are many indications for MM use in Maryland among which are, palliative care, wasting syndrome, cancer, severe pain, seizures, Aids/HIV. Multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, PTSD, fibromyalgia… As a pharmacist over 20 years, I can tell you many of these types of patients have tried many, many treatments with little or no relief or success. They have found it in MM.
The two main strains of cannabis are Sativa and Indica. From these two strains come a variety of hybrids. Some are Sativa dominant, some are Indica dominant. The varying degrees of these hybridizations cause the varying effects on your body. Indica effects (In Da Couch) are sedating, heavy relaxation, “that stoned feeling”. It is used to treat chronic pain, anxiety, insomnia, and muscle spasms… Sativa’s effects are energetic and stimulating, more of a “head-high”. Sativas are responsible for creativity, euphoria and yes, in some cases, paranoia. Sativas are used to treat migraines, depression, nausea, pain, and lack of appetite…when you mix these two strains in varying proportions you get different effects. THIS is why it is so important to go to a dispensary where the staff is familiar with their products and their effects and can educate you as well. You want to leave confident in trying your product, not scared!
I am confident as a Clinical Director, Pharmacist and Holistic Health Practitioner, that medical cannabis is a great alternative for patients to try. Find a professional dispensary, stop into Blair Wellness… but keep an open mind, it might be just the thing you have been looking for.
