EP #78 - Cannabis as Medicine: Dr. Ryan Zaklin on the Endocannabinoid System

Dr. Ryan Zaklin, founder of ECS Wellness in Salem, Massachusetts, is shedding light on the body’s endocannabinoid system, a natural regulator most people are unaware of. By explaining how our bodies produce their own cannabinoids to maintain balance, he offers a compelling alternative to relying solely on prescription medications. Dr. Zaklin, part of the Mass General Brigham network, blends conventional medicine with evidence-based cannabis therapeutics, debunking common myths along the way. His approach emphasizes that you don’t need to get high to benefit from cannabis, and in some cases, treatments may even be covered by insurance.

Dr. Zaklin's personal journey adds depth to his practice. Once a musician struggling with a repetitive stress injury, his life changed when he lost his father to cancer, which he describes as creating a "tinnitus of the heart." This experience shaped his compassionate, patient-centered approach to care. Now working with cancer patients, he’s helping make cancer a more manageable chronic condition. Whether you're dealing with pain, insomnia, or curious about balancing your health naturally, Dr. Zaklin’s integrative approach offers practical solutions, including how activities like yoga can boost your natural cannabinoids. Learn more and book an appointment at ECSwellness.com.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, YvonneGodfrey.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
Today we have with us Dr RyanZachlin.
He is the founder and owner ofECS Wellness.
That's located in the SalemMassachusetts area.
Dr Zachlin, how are you thismorning.

Speaker 3 (00:28):
I'm doing great.
How are you doing?

Speaker 2 (00:30):
I'm fantastic.
Thank you for asking.
Can you please tell ourlisteners about your company?

Speaker 3 (00:36):
Yes, of course.
So ECS Wellness is a MassGeneral Brigham-affiliated
integrative medicine practicethat's located in Salem, but we
are also virtual and webasically are.
The concept of the practice isaround the endocannabinoid

(00:57):
system, or ECS, which is how thebody, how the nervous system,
regulates itself.
Okay, so the nervous systemregulates itself, so the nervous
system makes what we callcannabinoids.
We're making them and we needthese cannabinoids to keep our
homeostasis, or balance, as wemake our way through the world,
and so we have two.

(01:18):
But unfortunately, ourphysiology and our technology
have not kept up and we oftendon't have enough cannabinoids
to maintain the balance that weneed to live a peaceful,
comfortable existence.
So we have two choices we canproduce more of our own
endocannabinoids that we make,or we can supplement with
phytocannabinoids from the plantcannabis, and that's our

(01:41):
specialty.
So we basically makerecommendations to patients on
how they can both engage inactivities that produce more of
their own endocannabinoids, likemeditation, yoga, social
connection.
And then we also offer cannabistherapeutics, where we make
recommendations for patients onhow they can use cannabis to

(02:02):
supplement their ECS efficiently, safely and effectively, and
that includes cannabiscertification for medical
marijuana.

Speaker 2 (02:12):
Okay, so can you elaborate a little bit more on
the backstory as to how you gotinto this business?

Speaker 3 (02:20):
Sure, I've always.
So I'm a musician and Ideveloped a repetitive stress
injury and that led me to aninterest in in kind of
understanding what the rootcause was and that got me
interested in kind of a to healmyself and develop an interest
in integrative medicine, forwhich I went to medical school

(02:47):
for and it was as I wasexploring different avenues and
pathways that I could kind ofcarry out my vision for an
integrative medicine practice.
Medical marijuana had becomeestablished in and I learned
about and I looked into it and Ilearned about the

(03:09):
endocannabinoid system and Ijust made this connection that I
realized that a lot of theseintegrative medicine modalities
were really linked to the ECSand so the ECS was kind of
became a real passion andinterest of mine and that led me
to this path to exploringcannabis therapeutics um and in

(03:31):
um we were established in 2017.
In 2020 we made the bold moveof starting to uh take insurance
actually for our services andthen in 2021 we joined the mass
general brigham network and webecame also one of the mgb
cancer center support services,and that's kind of the essence
of our journey, how we arrivedhere.

Speaker 2 (03:54):
That's a pretty colorful, interesting journey,
thank you.
So what are some myths ormisconceptions that you've
discovered in this industry?

Speaker 3 (04:06):
Well, I mean, one of the main myths is that you need
to be high to use cannabis, andthat's not the case.
Even THC yeah, low doses willnot cause intoxication.
Another big myth that we'reworking on eliminating is the
idea that you cannot useinsurance for uh that, for

(04:27):
cannabis therapeutics, and thatis not really the case.
Because we treat the condition,we're able to use insurance for
our services.

Speaker 2 (04:37):
Many people may not be aware of that.

Speaker 3 (04:40):
Right, right, right.
Yeah, I think that's, and Ithink that's one of the
challenges that people you knowwe found that and even people
when you make them aware of it,they almost don't believe it.
But the reality is is thecannabis certification itself is
not really covered by insurance.
But really the reality is, nocertification by medical

(05:00):
providers are really covered byinsurance.
That's just, those areregulatory, bureaucratic
documents that are part of thesystem, right?
So that's how we're able to dowhat we do.
If somebody comes to us forinsomnia, let's say we're going
to tell them how to increasetheir own cannabinoids, we're

(05:24):
going to address their sleephygiene, we're going to address
their caffeine intake, we'regoing to see what stressors are
happening in their life and thenwe will also make a
recommendation for how tojudiciously and safely use
cannabis to effectively treattheir insomnia.

Speaker 2 (05:43):
Okay, that's wonderful to know.
Thank you very much for sharingthat.

Speaker 3 (05:47):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (05:48):
So Dr Zach zachlan changing gears just a bit
outside of work.
What do you do for fun?

Speaker 3 (05:54):
I'm a musician, so I like to play and work on my
songs and, and you know, playmusic pretty much every day and
then really, though you can,almost invariably they'll find
me.
My, my, my, my real joy is justto I call it lying where the
dogs lie.
I have my two dogs and I justlike to relax with them and just

(06:14):
connect with them, you know, gofor walks with them, spend some
time in nature.
Beautiful, what kind of dogs.
One is a black lab mix he'sseven years old, and the other
one is a purebred black labEnglish lab.

Speaker 2 (06:31):
English lab Beautiful , beautiful.
So, Dr Zachland, can youdescribe one hardship or one of
life's challenge that you roseabove and can now say that
because of it, you're better,you're stronger?
What comes to your mind?
What?

Speaker 3 (06:47):
comes to your mind.
Yeah, I mean, unfortunately,about 20, 21 years ago, I lost
my father and that was, you know, to to metastatic lung cancer
actually a non smoker, believeit or not too and so that was

(07:07):
just a devastating blow to justmy whole life and existence.
Blow to just my whole life andexistence and I think that
really has led me to become amuch more compassionate,
understanding physician and now,especially, being one of the
cancer center support services,there's a bit of coming full
circle that I get to witnesscancer becoming a chronic
illness before our eyes.
And so you, you know, it's the,the challenge of that loss and

(07:30):
that grief that always sitsthere, that whole, that that
hole in my heart I don't thinkwill ever go away, um, but it's
a lot smaller now and it's kindof like become almost like a I
almost, I almost think of it aslike uh, as like uh, tinnitus of
the heart.
You know, it's just, there'sjust this, always this ringing
that's always there, this kindof sadness that I miss my dad.

(07:52):
But, uh, I I've been able tounderstand what it means to
wrestle with one's grief andwhat it means to live your life
to its fullest and move on as aresult, and and and always have
him with me so many people canrelate to what you just said, so
it's heartfelt.

Speaker 2 (08:12):
Thank you for sharing .

Speaker 3 (08:15):
Welcome.

Speaker 2 (08:16):
Dr Zachary, can you please tell our listeners one
thing they should remember aboutECS Wellness?

Speaker 3 (08:23):
Yeah, I mean I think that we would want them to
remember that ECS Wellness is aplace where your provider can
help.
You can make recommendations tohelp you achieve the balance
and comfort in your life thatyou deserve, and we can do this.
We are an insurance-based model, so you can use your insurance

(08:47):
and we do practice cannabistherapeutics.
So if you have an interest inhow to use cannabis safely and
effectively, ecs Wellness is theplace to go.

Speaker 2 (08:56):
And how can our listeners learn more about ECS
Wellness?
Do you have a website?

Speaker 3 (09:02):
Yeah, absolutely.
It's ECS W-E-L-L-N-E-S-Scom, sothe ECSwellnesscom.
There's plenty of informationthere, very easy and you can
book online.
Sorry.

Speaker 2 (09:16):
And very easy to remember.
Ecswellnesscom.
Beautiful, Beautiful.
Well, Dr Zachlin, it has been aprivilege and an honor to have
you join us today.
We thank you and we wish youall the very best in your
business moving forward.

Speaker 3 (09:35):
Thank you so much.
We appreciate you.
I appreciate you having me on.

Speaker 1 (09:40):
Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor
Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go to GNPNorthshorecom.
That's GNPNorthshorecom, orcall 857-325-8000.