Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Two door. Hello, Hello, and welcome to Just Say No,
(00:09):
the show that spotlights the innovators behind cannabis is, the
newest products and the groundbreaking ideas and people driving the
legal cannabis movement. I'm your host, Maria Calabree's broadcasting on
KCAA Radio ten fifty AM one oh six point five FM,
the station that leaves no listener behind. Let's face it,
(00:34):
everyone ask questions about cannabis. Are hamp the marijuana the
same thing? Will CBD get me high? Do I have
to smoke it? Can I get the benefits without the high?
Will it interfere with my medications? Is illegal? Where do
you even start? For many of us, he myself included
(00:55):
finding clear, trustworthy answers about cannabis after decades of prohibition
and misinformation, it often leads to more confusion learning about cannabis.
It's it's it's like picking up a new language, guys.
It's much easier with guidance from someone fluent in both
(01:16):
cannabis and health sciences, which is what led me to
take action, seek out unbiased resources and bring them together
to create Just Say No. And it's also why I
am genuinely, genuinely thrilled. Have we got someone special to
meet today? Guys, I am so excited to introduce today's guest,
(01:38):
Catherine Golden Hey, Katherine Hello. Catherine is a cannabis trained
registered nurse and the founder and executive director of leif
for one one. Leaf four one one is the go
to resource for consumers, offering reliable guidance from nurses trained
(02:03):
in cannabinoid science. In a nutshell, they take the guest
work out of navigating legal cannabis and empower individuals to
make informed decisions about their health. Now, what drew me
to leave four one one is their belief that knowledge
is power. Okay, just say no, that's with a K
(02:26):
and a W K and ow knowledge is power. In
today's world, we're so many of us are looking for
reliable places or people to turn to for answers to
our questions. I can I can truly say Leaf four
one one's cannabis trained nurses. They stand apart as trusted
(02:48):
guides to help us consumers start our cannabis journey on
the right path. So sit back, relax as we explore
how cannabis can improve our lives and how to choose
products and healthcare providers. That are right for you, with
(03:08):
insights from some of the brightest minds in the industry.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
By twenty twenty, Bank of America and Merrill Lynch estimate
that will grow to thirty five billion dollars, and many
experts believe it could eventually reach two hundred billion dollars
each and every year.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Stock.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
I can see.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
Young mosay, I'm a betterfi who is going to be gone,
taking me a while to get it.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
Had to live and cry, to appreciate life and.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
What you give. His word when you're holding knee, when
you hold me so close, someone better and under your skin.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
I want to leave the mic so.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
That I can be sure that you and them the
wise man.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
It is my absolute pleasure to welcome Catherine Golden to
just say no. Catherine, You're not only a registered nurse
with extensive clinical experience, but also a passionate leader an
advocate in the cannabis space. As the founder and CEO
(04:51):
and executive director and mom of Leaf for one one,
a nonprofit organization debdie to providing free cannabis education and
guidance to the public, You've spent over eight years championing knowledge, integrity,
and service excellence in the cannabis industry on the heels
(05:13):
of a twenty eight year career as a registered nurse.
You must have started when you were five, but we'll
talk about that later. Welcome Catherine, and thank you so
much for joining us today.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Wow, well, thank you for that introduction. I just am
so thrilled to be here, to be able to connect
with your audience and hopefully get a lot of their
questions answered and provide that knowledge that you talked about.
You know, that is what I'm here to do and
I can't wait to get started.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
It's amazing. I mean, you are filling an education vacuum
and decades eighty decades nineteen thirty seven Iuana Tasak prohibition
communication void. So you know, through your work at Leaf
for one one, you oversee everything from the administration and
(06:07):
programming to fundraising and compliance, all while leading a team
of senior professionals, which is amazing that you were able
to assemble who all sharing your mission. So tell me
a little bit about tell us about your career and
your mission.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Okay, all right, well let's see where do I start.
I'll start. I have been a registered nurse for twenty
eight years and in the cannabis industry for about eight
now my journey. I think when you talk to anybody
in cannabis, especially a medical professional, typically they have a
personal story that got them started in looking into the
(06:48):
science behind cannabis, and that's what happened with me. So
eight years ago, I was still a non believer in
cannabis as medicine. I actually vote against it when it
was up for adult use here in Colorado. Wow, I know,
I know, and I'm very open about saying that and
(07:08):
transparent because I was working nurse in hospitals and believe
the propaganda. I believed what they were saying that there
was no medicinal value to cannabis and it never worked
for me personally when I was in my youth, and
so I thought, well, you know there's no science, then
(07:30):
you know it's there's no use for it. So I
voted against it. And then eight years ago, my brother
in law was suddenly diagnosed with stage four lung cancer
and given two to five years to live. We were
extremely devastated, and so he's actually in California and my
sister said, well, you know, we're privileged enough to be
(07:55):
able to go to some of the top researchers in California, USC,
UCI and UCLA, and one of them, at a female
researcher at USC said, you know, we'll look at cannabis,
but we look at it as a last ditch effort
because we don't know anything about it. So when she
(08:16):
talked to me that, I said, you know what, I'll
look into it because it's so popular here in Colorado.
Everybody's talking about it, they're voting for it. It passed,
you know, and it's you know, used medicinally here. Let
me look into the validity of this plant. So I
went to all of our typical resources that any clinician
would look at, you know, PubMed Science, direct, National Institute
(08:40):
of Health, you know where where we look for the
black and white science. And when I started looking, I
was shocked and actually angered that there is so much
science that shows promise with this plant. That I started saying, Okay,
how can I learn more? So as a medical professional,
even eight years ago as a nurse, I had to
(09:01):
just go deep online and try to find where there
were courses that I could take to teach me cannabinoid
therapeutics or cannabinoid science. So I did that, and I
found resources like the American Cannabis Nurses Association, who offered
a class a course at that time called the Medical
(09:22):
Cannabis Institute. I took the first courses for medical professionals
and that's where I started my journey. And so doing that,
I could start trying to help educate my sister and
my brother in law on the value of cannabis and
integrating that.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Wow. Wow, wow wow, so much to unpack there.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
Yeah, So a little bit what I learned is I found,
like you just spoke of the experts in this industry,
and the one that I found was doctor Bonnie Goldstein.
And she, I said, oh, she he is top I
can tell from all the science. And she's in California
with you. So I made an appointment and I said,
(10:07):
I am taking you. I am flying to California. I
am taking you to doctor Bonnie. Go wow, and we
are going to have an appointment in that time eight
years ago. You know, she's a pediatric physician, but she
was seeing adults as well. So thankfully I was able
to get him in with her, and there started his journey.
So we are eight years now, and he is healthy,
(10:31):
He's doing every normal thing you would do and he's
still taking his cannabis. They don't know why his Kye's
inhibitor are. This drug that was supposed to only last
I believe it was eighteen months has now lasted eight years.
And so Bannie guided him on what to use. And
(10:52):
then here we are eight years later and he's still
with us, healthy as ever.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
Wow, wow, wow wow amazing.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
And I.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
No, you are you really cannot be understated. I cannot
tell you how many people, family members included that I
have tried to get to try to get in to
see Bonnie Goldstein, and they resist, They just resist and
and and and you know, justifiably so because of the
(11:28):
the stigmas. Deep you're a convert, You're a I call
you a cannabis convert, and those those are the best. Right,
We're gonna we're gonna move the mountain and push it
over the line to be rescheduled, because, uh, I too
am a cannabis convert. I was a child of dare.
I went to law school. This was never on the table.
(11:51):
This is it's a felony, right, it's the devil's weed.
And and and like you, I I really wasn't aware
of any medicinal value and being misinformed as well. I
thought it really was either something that was dangerous and
abused recreationally or an end of life drug last resort,
(12:16):
which is such such a shame. It's well, your your
brother in law is your brother in law right?
Speaker 3 (12:27):
Correct?
Speaker 1 (12:28):
It's now did he take it as an adjunct therapy
with traditional oncology treatments or how did how did that go?
Speaker 3 (12:40):
Yes? So, and that's that's exactly where the fear is.
You know, how do I introduce this? Can I introduce this?
So he was able to take it, and he still
does with his pharmaceuticals, so with his oncology medication. Okay,
so he was in a study program. He couldn't use
cannabis at the time because he was in a study program,
(13:03):
so that you have to be very careful with that.
They don't want anything interfering. But that didn't The immunotherapy
did not work for him, actually threw him into liver failure.
So he was kicked out of the He was actually
kicked out of the study. And that's when we were saying,
let's introduce cannabis, and started introducing cannabis. So that's my
journey of how I started with you know, teaching and
(13:28):
showing him, and I firmly believe I wish there were
some way I could put a pocket nurse, a nurse
in everyone's little pocket, because they were able to pull
me out and say, what can we do? How do
we navigate this system? We don't understand healthcare, and then
you're telling us about cannabis, and I was able to
(13:48):
talk to them about dispensaries, how to purchase everything that
I was trying to absorb and learn at the same time.
So and that's kind of how you know, I evolved
in becoming a cannabis nurse at a clint and seeing
that not most people you know are having trouble affording
the out of pocket cost for a physician's appointment, and
(14:11):
also and just to even know if cannabis would be
suitable for them. So that's how I got started starting
the nonprofit Leaf for one one because I wanted everyone, anyone,
no matter what your financial ability is, no matter if
you have a smartphone or a landline, to be able
to call Leaf for one one and get free guidance
(14:31):
if you needed free guidance. And it's kind of it's
grown from there.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
Wow wow, wow, wow, Well you're remarkable on so many levels.
I mean, a whole other episode we can have attorneys
on and we could talk about I'm still blown away
and I'm thrilled that you are not for profit organization.
But at the same time, my heart bleeds for you
(14:57):
because I'm not for profit organizations. How are they funded?
They're funded with government grants And as long as this
is a Schedule one and federally illegal, how has that
impacted you're funding from the government.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Yeah, we don't. We can't apply for government fund We
have to rely on foundations and individual giving. And you know,
just to give you a little glimpse into the struggles
we have, we probably apply for about I don't know
twelve grants last year and got zero because a lot
of foundations are very concerned with their other donors and
(15:35):
how they feel about cannabis. So even though we do
not touch the plant and we state that everywhere we're
education only, they still say, well, it's still uncomfortable for us.
Or you have the word cannabis on your website, so
that's a problem. You have a cannabis leaf on your website.
That's been a problem. All these little things. So even
(15:57):
though we're licensed medical professionals talking about safe use, safe consumption.
We still do not get grants, and not.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
Only that, the wealth of anecdotal evidence that you have
and that you can offer an empirical evidence, I mean
human studies. Look your brother in law, case in point.
It's it's so frustrating, it's so frustrating, but we just
have to, you know, continue to make people aware. The
(16:30):
initial reaction is cannabis, no and no, but we're hoping
to reshape that your mission. Knowledge is power. That's why
this is just say no with a kk and OW.
We want people to know, guys, this is not a
knee jerk. You can't just say no. I mean you can,
(16:51):
but there's it's so underutilized, and God forbid, you don't
have to wait until you're in a place where western
medicine just doesn't have a solution, which often happens.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
Right, and that's where cannabis can lead is really giving
you hope. And that's what we provide, is hope that
there's an alternative. You know, you're struggling. You know, people
are struggling with pharmaceuticals.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
And ironically, ironically I saw wonderful ted talk. It was
a family practitioner internist to studying cannabis now, and he
was talking about it doesn't only give you hope, but
the paradox is, because it's so still a schedule one,
it gives you control. Because if you're in a state
(17:44):
that where it's legal, you have control by walking into
a dispensary that has more of an old apothecary. Feel
you're not waiting for the doctor to phone in the
prescription to the corporate place. It's it's that control over
and learning how to dose it it. Apparently there are
(18:05):
studies that that helps patients. Would you say, clinically you've
seen that.
Speaker 3 (18:10):
Yes. I mean one thing that I'm really telling callers
every day is that over the last decade, there's been
over thirty five thousand scientific papers published on National Institutes
of Health pub MET. So when you think about that number,
over thirty five thousand SCIENTI ten years, last ten years,
(18:33):
just the last ten years. That you know, when someone says, oh,
there's I'm sure you've heard this, there's not enough science.
I mean that's all the time, all the time. That's
the repeater language. That's what people who don't want to
take the time to actually look just continue repeating, and
it's false information.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
And it's dangerous information. And it's not based on thirty five,
ten decades. It's not based on ten years of thirty
five studies. It's based on eighty years of propaganda. And
you know that's a whole other story. But I'm just curious.
(19:14):
Was your brother in law in Colorado as well?
Speaker 3 (19:17):
No, California, And that's all, well, California.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
Okay, and that's where all right, Well, you know, we're
twenty minutes into the show and I'm in California, and
in California it's for twenty so Catherine, you're gonna be
on the hot seat. We're gonna this is the part
of the show where for twenty we ask our guests
(19:41):
to drop a knowledge bomb. So are you ready to
drop a knowledge bomb for us? Yep?
Speaker 3 (19:46):
Let me have it?
Speaker 1 (19:47):
All right? Well, and keeping well what we were discussing
to anyone out there that is hesitant about using cannabis
or who's genuinely afraid this misinformation, it is repeat language
and that sticks and they're genuinely afraid. 'tis even suggested
(20:10):
to a loved one, where you suggested it to your
brother in law. But there are people who would really
be afraid to even do that due to the stigma
or the fear. What would you say to them if
they had you in their back pocket? Well today, right
now on the show.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
Yeah, I would say. What we tell people a lot
that are nervous and fearful of cannabis is start with
the topical, because a topical you can actually feel something happening,
typically if you have arthritic pain or you have joint pain,
just even putting it on, and even if you felt nothing,
but that nothing tells you that it's not scary. And
(20:52):
that's where we like someone to start wrapping their mind
around that cannabis is not scary interesting.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
So even if they even if they don't have a
positive result, yes, as long as they don't have a
negative one, you're correct, ah.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
And that's what we tell them. We tell them even
if it's something that they take orally, if you what
we call is start sub therapeutic, and everybody knows the
hot term microdose. If you start so low, we tell
everyone such with a tiny little piece of the gummy,
you know, we recommend always cutting something in fourths or
(21:33):
eighth because even though we know you're not going to
feel anything, that's okay because now you start getting comfortable, like, oh,
why didn't even feel anything? Well, great, now you know
it's not scary. Now you know that you can start
climbing up. So even if a topical doesn't feel anything
right away, it's just getting them comfortable to try something.
(21:55):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
That's wonderful, wonderful advice. See, I always I tend to
set expectations too high and psyche myself out, and I say, oh,
what if it doesn't work? So I'm not going to
recommend a topical to a family member that needs maybe more.
But you know what, no baby steps, It's okay. Recommend
(22:18):
the topical. One they might get some kind of a benefit,
and two as long as they don't have an adverse effect.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
Right allah, then you go to the next step, go
to the next step.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Very very very very smart. Well, you know you were brave.
Though you were brave, You were brave to even bringing
it up to a family member. So I would say
to people, do it, because you'll regret if you didn't.
And God forbid, Western medicine no longer has something to work.
(22:58):
It's what happened for me. I got to tell you
funny story, real quickly and how I started Green Bay life.
I am a back paying, chronic back pain sufferer for
over four decades. I had a horrific catastrophic car accident
after my first year of law school. I had a
massive spinal surgery that failed that left me worse than
the car accident for four decades, four massive spinal surgeries,
(23:25):
hardware that I don't you know, I can't even describe.
Cannabis was not on the table for me, and I
could be pretty formidable, so people did not recommend it
because I used to just say now I know. But
(23:48):
I had a seventeen year old failing dog, and I
had a publicist who said, why don't you try cannabis.
I had such a visual response I couldn't. I was
ashamed of myself. I bit her head off. I said, well,
why don't we just give her arsenic? And then I
(24:10):
caught myself. It was that moment and I realized, why
am I being so harsh? Because interestingly, that was at
the same time about eight years ago. It was twenty
sixteen when Prop sixty four was on the ballot in California,
and I unlike you as much as I didn't understand Cannabis,
(24:31):
I was going to vote for Prop. Sixty four, and
I was immediately you know, people who know me know
the bark is worse than the bite. So she pushed
back and said, but aren't you voting to legalize it?
I was like, I caught myself, I gotta look at this.
I don't know why I'm having that response. I mean,
(24:51):
the dog is in so much pain, and the only
way Western medice and knows to stop that pain was
a very permanent solution that I wasn't ready to take.
So anyway, that's what opened my eyes. So guys, anyone
out there, if someone suggests it to you and you
(25:15):
are against it, try to just a just approach it
with curiosity. Why would this person who cares for me
be suggesting it? Would you say, that's good advice?
Speaker 3 (25:27):
Catherine Nurse Captain, Absolutely, absolutely, that's great advice, is just
to try it. But you know, kind of pointing back
to what my mission is is providing a service that
anyone can reach, so that way you have that trusted guidance.
And like you said in that great intro, you know,
(25:48):
nurses have been voted the most trusted professional I think
in twenty three years now it's either twenty two or
twenty three number one trusted professional. And that's because we
give you both sides of it. Here are the benefits
and here are the possible challenges or cautions, and now
you are an informed consumer. And that's where we come from,
(26:09):
is informing you. So as long as you're going to
someone who has that guidance and hopefully you know coming
to us, we can guide you there and we can
give you those resources, then that's taking that first step
in consuming safely well.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
And you know you're coming from informing and both sides,
but you're coming from through an empathic lens, not just
the clinical one. Let's face it. You know, we need
the clinicians and the scientists who are merely looking at
data and looking at both sides. But nurses have a
level of empathy. I've experienced it firsthand and what I've
(26:52):
experienced through my journey and opening up to cannabises, nurses
are so much more receptive to wanting to know about it,
and my experience with it were doctors. You know, unless
you have the good fortune and you seek out and
you call Lee for one one and we'll get to
(27:12):
your directory and your network of medical doctors, but doctors
like Donnie, doctors like doctor Bonnie Goldstein, their rear, they're pioneers,
they're up and coming here. Her resident training was in pediatrics,
but she'll see adults because there's just a need for
(27:35):
healthcare professionals. And I'm really impressed with your member directory.
Can can you tell us a little bit about your
member directory and the members ranging from physicians to manufacturers
to dispensaries.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
Sure. So when I started leaf for one one, you know,
I knew I couldn't just offer a phone number, give
guidance and say okay, now go find a great dispensary
or go find a great clinician or an online product.
I needed to give resources. So that's where we go
out and we go to some of the brands that
(28:10):
are vetted. So anyone that you see on our website
is a vetted brand, meaning we've spoke to them, we've
looked at their culture, we've made sure there they align
with us, and know that everything is as as transparent
as it can be. So when you have a dispensary
or an online manufacturers, they have to have CoA certificate
(28:32):
of analysis that are available to the public. But the
public can ask that they want to see that, so
they know it's in their product, what it's been tested for,
the potency. We make sure that the dispensaries know that
they're going to be patients coming in, even if they're
just an adult use store, that they are really wanting
to see those patients and wanting to help them in
(28:55):
a way that's more warm customer service. We make sure
that clinicians on our website are some of the top
the leaders in the industry, and we'll have other resources
for them. So that's how we built our resources, all
thatted by our team making sure that you have somewhere
to go, so we're just not kind of giving you
(29:15):
guidance and then letting you float out there. We want
to point you in the right direction.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
That's what's so impressive. And guys, this is the unique
value proposition here with Lee four one one, And I
haven't found it anywhere else. And I look, and as
soon as I find something I'm excited about, I love
to share it. Because I had a doctor of pain
management of physiatrists who had said to me at one point,
have you tried marijuana? And I was desperate enough with
(29:44):
my back and I had seen the results. I had
a favorable outcome with my dog, thank god, and.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
I was open.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
So I said where how And this was my pain
management doctor, medical doctor and MD, who said, oh, I
don't I don't know. I just have some patients who
have tried it. I think they grow their own. I
don't know where they get it, and it's helped them.
And then I said, well grow your own. And I
(30:16):
was immediately, you know, overwhelmed, said do you have to
smoke it? She said no, no, and I don't recommend
smoking for lung health. They make a topical. I said,
they grow a plant and make a topical. That wasn't
very I mean, it just shows why we need Leaf
(30:36):
four to one one. And you're a unique value proposition
that you connect the dots. Not enough to tell somebody
to do something, you have to give them the resources
to do it finding the resources. Guys, don't beat yourself up.
If you have a family member or you're looking yourselves
and you feel like you're hitting a brick wall. Help
us here. We've got Catherine, We've got Leaf four to
(30:56):
one one. She's got an incredible network of positions and
nurses and so anyone listening that's like, Wow, I want
to get in touch with you, Catherine. I want to
talk to Lee for one one. I have questions. How
can they reach out? How can they find reach for
(31:17):
one one?
Speaker 3 (31:18):
Yeah, so you can go to our homepage leefour one
one dot org. On that homepage, there's a big white
button that says click here that takes you straight to
our scheduling software, so you can schedule an appointment right there.
Anyone can call our hotline. That was what I first started.
I had so many people saying, oh, why aren't you
starting with an app you know, and I said, no,
(31:41):
I'm going to go o G. I'm going to go
with the eight hundred phone line because I wanted anyone
to be able to call people who don't have smartphones,
people who you know, are unhoused. I've had people that
were in the middle, not not even kidding. Within the
first year, we had somebody who was on his ranch
(32:01):
and he could only get service out in the field,
and he called us to ask about how to use cannabis.
And that's what really, you know, proved that. That's why
I wanted to have this number first. So that is
a free hotline number will always be free. That's for
quick questions, how do I get a medical card? You know,
(32:22):
how do I schedule an appointment? And then we've grown
our programming to now be thirty minute guidance calls. We're
growing it again the first of February to be forty
five minute guidance calls. We asked for a donation twenty
five dollars, but if somebody can't afford that, no problem.
They just leave us a message on our hotline saying
(32:42):
I need a free call. But that's part of what
those resources are on our directory. Those companies see the
value and educated consumers, so they actually give to lead
four to one one so we can provide free calls
to everybody. They have special codes. So that's the only
way we can keep our lights on and our doors
(33:03):
open is because the cannabis industry, those brands have said,
you know what, we want to give to you monthly
to ensure that the service stays alive. And well, it's
not a struggle, but we're we're doing it and we're
in our six year now.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
It's it's I know, I know, I feel the pain.
And then I noticed on your website that's what you
were referring to is that belief for one one affordability
program for people who have financial hardships.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
The Affordability program is a program we started a couple
of years ago. That one has been put on pause.
But everyone gets a free call that needs a free
call that is never part of any program. That's just given.
If someone needs that, they don't have to be a
part of a program. They just simply leave on the
hotline that says I need a free call, I need help.
Great we have. We tell them they can call any
(34:01):
of the directory participants and those are their supporters and
they will give them their free code as well to
call LEAP for one one. It's a coupon code that
they schedule an appointment. But we make sure we help everyone.
We do live by donation, so that's important to like
I said, keep the lights on and the door is open,
(34:22):
is through donations because as we spoke about earlier, it's
incredibly hard for us to get a grant.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
Yes and uh yes, so we need just and that
that's what's amazing with you because you don't only combined
health sciences and an expertise in cannabis, but you're also
UH an advocate as well and it's it's going to
take a village, and it's it's going to take educating
(34:52):
folk and offering people resources to call, even if they
can't afford to, because once people understand and at all
politics are local, and once people understand it and demand it,
then it will go up the chain, although remains to
be seen what the new administration is going to do
(35:12):
with at least rescheduling, but as long as it's on
a schedule one, it's virtually impossible to make money at
this The states and the government are making the money,
but well meaning brands are not. And I'm heartened that
the brands who are doing it right and going to
(35:35):
try to survive legalization and self police and do their
own pay the price of compliance, because what this legal
ambiguity does it leaves the door open for not well
meaning companies to come in, which really makes it even
more confusing. So the companies that are doing it right
(35:56):
and self policing being client, if they can hang on
and survive legalization, that's who you want to support. And
I'm glad that they're supporting you. Because it starts with
the educational platforms, the boots on the ground, the nurses
in the pocket, the digital Leaf for one one, which
(36:20):
is your digital nurse in a pocket, And if anyone
wants to support Leaf for one one, they can go
to leaffo one dot org.
Speaker 3 (36:30):
And you do have.
Speaker 1 (36:33):
An area to donate correct.
Speaker 3 (36:35):
Yes, we have an individual giving page where anyone can
go and donate anything from one dollar on up. And
then we also have our business memberships. We're hoping and
we would love more industry brands to come and support us.
I mean, that's what we would love is having We
do have some supporters from California. Urban Joy is a
(36:57):
delivery service in California and they support us. So we
have them all over and we need more to survive.
So whether you're a brand, or you know somebody, or
maybe you go to a favorite dispensary, we tell people
that all the time. They say how can we help,
Say go to your favorite dispensary, go to your favorite brand,
(37:18):
and say please support Lee for one one, Because that's
how I came to you, being an informed consumer and
knowing what to buy when when I walk in the door,
you know, and and buying smart and buying safely. So
that's why we really encourage the industry to want to
support us, and you know we need more.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
We absolutely do, and that is great advice for brands.
I'm on the Marketing and Advertising Committee of the National
Cannabis Industry Association. Guys, you'll be getting a phone call
for me. We've got to get behind Lee for on One.
It's it's I say it all the time. As an industry,
we're we're going to succeed together or we're going to
(38:05):
fail individually. And it starts with educating the public. We
have to not only educate them. You know, at the
end of prohibition you can educate people about alcohol and
the difference between beer and wine. This isn't just an
end of prohibition. This is decades of misinformation and stigma
(38:26):
and paranoia. And so listen, guys, stay tuned because in
Supportingly for One, I want to throw a quick word
about them. And when we come back, Catherine's going to
share consumer insights and tips on cannabis and how it
(38:47):
relates to the opioid use and elder care.
Speaker 3 (38:52):
Whether you're brand new to cannabis or a longtime user,
we know you have questions and Leaf for one one
is here to help. Leaf for one one is a
nonprop that provides free or low cost cannabis education through
our nurse guidance services that can answer your health related
questions like the benefits of CBD versus THHC, potential prescription interactions,
and the best ratios for pain, sleep and anxiety. Get
(39:14):
your questions answered today call us to speak with a
cannabis nurse, or visit our website to schedule your call
and find ways to support this much needed public service.
Speaker 1 (39:24):
Hey, welcome back. You're listening to Just Say No on
KCAA Radio ten fifty am one oh six point five FM.
I'm Maria Calibriys, your host, and I am joined here
with Catherine Golden, who is a registered nurse and cannabis expert,
where we're discussing trending questions about how to consume cannabis
(39:49):
safely and responsibly to enhance your wellbeing. Catherine is the
founder of Lee for to one one, which began with
the ever Cannabis Nurse hotline. So Catherine wanted to talk
to you a little bit about I really appreciated the
(40:10):
Free Opioid Guide. I mean, there's so many there's a
plethora of resources on your site, but can you speak
to us a little bit about opioids and.
Speaker 3 (40:21):
Yes, yes, yeah, I would love to. So a company
called Puff Creative and Ninth Blocks and both marketing companies said,
you know what, we really need to publish an opioid
awareness guide and came to us and was wonderful and
wanted to put some data, some information from the CDC
about opioids and overuse and misuse, and then cannabis and
(40:45):
how cannabis can be integrated into your pharmaceutical regimen and
start helping to replace some of the heavy use of opioids.
And that's what we talk about in this opioid Awareness
Guide is the different types of and gosh when I Mario,
when I started the hotline, I was the only one
(41:05):
on the calls. I started it by myself and I'm like,
oh call so I know. That's how passionate I was
about it. I'm like, I gotta be a pocket nurse
for everybody. And it was heartbreaking to hear that there
is so much physical and mental pain happening across the country.
And that's our number one topic. It's physical and mental pain.
(41:27):
So people are just looking for another solution, another alternative,
so they want to know, like, how how can I
soften the pain just to get through daily activities and
reduce my opioid juice. And that's very safe to do
with cannabis. And that's another one of those kind of
repeater misinformation that some physicians or nurse practitioners or pas
(41:51):
or any clinician might use that doesn't really want to
look at the science and just says, oh, there's not
enough science and or I don't think it's safe to
combine the two. That's absolute not true. It's incredibly safe,
and you can start reducing your opioids with your prescribers guidance.
Once you start learning and seeing that the science is
(42:11):
there that cannabis is very effective for pain, you have
to know which ratios would be best. And once you
learn that is what's something we can teach the nurses
only four to one one can teach. Then you know
how you can use it in conjunction with your regimen.
And with pain typically comes with inflammation and then the
(42:35):
pain receptors, and well, the number one thing people are
taught is that CBD helps with inflammation and THHD touches
those pain receptors. So when you put both together, then
you've got your gold standard. And that's usually what people
start saying, Oh, you need a one to one CBD
THHD ratio, and that's a good starting point. And we
(42:55):
start giving just some of those little tidbits of guidance
to say, Okay, here's where you start. Here's a good ratio,
and this is why CBD is great for pain, and
this is why THHD is great for pain, and this
is why they're great. They're even better together and why
you should use them together. And now we've got even
minor cannabinoids like CBG that's great for neuropathic pain and
(43:18):
neuropathy some people know it as neuropathy that they get
from using from if they've been an ecology patient. So
all kinds of different forms of pain. And then there's
mental health pain, and what we can use, which is
fantastic for mental health pain is the CBD, which helps
kind of balance the body and bring a relaxation to
(43:40):
the body, helps decrease anxiety. So there's just so much
we can go into, and that's why recreated the Opioid
Awareness Guide, so just to give you the starting information
that it is, cannabis is safe to use, and we
wish it was a first line medicine versus a last
line medicine, and that's kind of what we advocate for, is,
you know, it's really safe to try cannabis because there's
(44:02):
very few receptors in the brainstem, so you cannot There's
no lethal dose of cannabis. So somebody could take an
entire canister of gummies and eat that accidentally and they
won't go into cardiac rest. They won't have respiratory depression
like you can with opioids. It's just not possible.
Speaker 1 (44:25):
Well, we'll have another another episode. But my last final surgery,
which was in January of twenty twenty, right before COVID,
I did not wake up. Yeah, what did you call it?
Opioid respiratory respiratory depression. I went from the recovery room
(44:51):
to a critical clear care unit to pretty scary stuff.
Pretty scary stuff, and it's real. It's real. So what
are some of the kinds of conversations you're having with
people who call in who are relying on opioids or
(45:11):
what kind of questions are they or concerns are you
hearing surrounding trying cannabis.
Speaker 3 (45:19):
Well, the number one question is how do they how
can they start cannabis and start reducing the amount of
opioids they consume, and that's where we start. So one
thing we always like to enforce is you never want
to just throw away your prescription medicine. You know, it's
just start cannabis. It's not you know, the one product
you can take and it cures all. And that's what
(45:41):
a lot of people that's another misconception. You want to
integrate them together, use them synergistically.
Speaker 1 (45:47):
Is there a danger of interaction?
Speaker 3 (45:50):
No, so there's no. So this is this is another
little tidbit that a lot of people are really nervous
about drug to drug interactions. Yeah, I can I take
cannabis with X, Y or Z prescription. The answer is
almost always yes. It's just dose dependent, meaning it depends
(46:13):
on the dose of cannabis you take. When we get
concerned about the amount of cannabis you take, it's usually
in the triple digits. Oh, you're taking one hundred milligrams
of CBD a day, two hundred three hundred, then there's
a concern. But when you're taking the doses that are
over the counter suggest in serving size ten milligrams, twenty milligrams,
(46:36):
there's never a concern for a drug to drug interaction
because it's too low. So that's where you always want
and you need this guidance from a medical professional to
tell you that it's dose dependent. Everything is dose dependent.
It depends on how many milligrams you're taking of cannabis
versus what you're taking, what prescription medications you're taking. So
(46:59):
we like to tell every that it's not contraindicated. When
something is contraindicated means you can't take it together, but
there's cautions meaning that it can affect the way the
prescription medication is the blood level of it in your body.
All you have to do is check those blood levels
and that's where you get your primary doctor involved to say, hey,
(47:19):
I'm taking cannabis now, so can we please check the
blood levels of prescription X.
Speaker 1 (47:25):
Y or z.
Speaker 3 (47:26):
That's very simple for them to do, and you start
getting everybody together.
Speaker 1 (47:30):
And guys, don't be discouraged. If your primary doctor is
like no, then call Lee four one one, Please, Catherine,
please give Lee four one one a call. Uh. You
will help them find a primary doctor in their area.
Is that how it would work? Who could could help them?
Speaker 3 (47:53):
Well? So what we do if they're yes, if they're
looking for a cannabis clinician in their area. There's a
really great resource a Society of Cannabis Clinicians SEC and
their nonprofit as well. All you do is type in
your zip code and you will see if there's trained
cannabis clinicians in your area.
Speaker 1 (48:14):
Now, what if you're in a state where it's not legal,
Can someone from a state that's not legal, for instance,
try to get a tell A Medicine appointment with doctor
Bonnie Goldstein in California.
Speaker 3 (48:25):
No, because usually you have to see them in person. Yes,
so as a medical as a physician, a physician has
in order for them to take you into their practice,
they have to physically see you and do an inore.
Speaker 1 (48:40):
Sure, sure, and yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (48:44):
There's telehealth. There's tell a Medicine and then there's telehealth.
So there are physicians that you can call from another
state that won't give you exact dosing, but they will
tell you, they'll give you suggestions, they'll tell you, they'll
give you education.
Speaker 1 (49:01):
Okay, but you want to you want to see a doctor.
So if you're in a state where it's not legal,
like you did with your brother in law, took him, well,
Colorado was legal, but you took him, well, he was
in he was in California, California. But if he wasn't,
you would have just taken him to California. I have
a feeling.
Speaker 3 (49:20):
Yeah, And that's what a lot of the physicians will say,
you know. You know, then that's the heartache, is that
there's you know a lot of people can't forward just
to up and move. I mean, we've had a lot
of people move to different legal states because they want
to get that medicine. And that's that's where when you
have him leave or you can just go up, you
(49:40):
can visit with a doctor, see that doctor in person
for the first time, you know, get into their private practice,
and then you go back to your state and then
they can correspond with you, uh telehealth and yeah.
Speaker 1 (49:55):
Yeah. Ricky Lake did a wonderful documentary. I'm sure you
saw we the people did. Yeah, yeah, and doctor Bonnie
Goldstein was featured in that, and it showed people with
pediatric cases having to that's what you do. You have
a child that's Western medicine doesn't have an answer. And
when you actually get into the science and start talking
(50:19):
and having conversations and listening to conversations with people like
Catherine Golden, You know it just when you have that
aha moment, you're you're off from running because it's got
so much potential, and with all the money that the
government spent, and like you said, there's thirty five thousand
(50:41):
studies over the last ten years. But prior to that,
what galls me is so much money was spent on
research to justify the Schedule one and find out what
the heck was wrong with it and prove that it
was dangerous and they couldn't. So, yeah, well, I really
(51:06):
think that that's wonderful. And do you know doctor are
you familiar with Doctor Yasmin heard out of Mounts and
I in New York. She's a form of psychopharmacologist from Jamaica.
But she's studying the effects of CBD and THC on
opioid addiction. She's a wonderful research people can look her up.
(51:30):
Doctor Yasmin heard h U r D. We will have
her on the show page among research sources. Initially, she
wasn't sure CBD would be so helpful and thought you
need a THC. But now she's finding high doses and
it's all about the doses and the.
Speaker 3 (51:48):
Entourage effect and mixing about the doses.
Speaker 1 (51:51):
But the exciting thing is in episode three, we did
a podcast with doctor Manesh Gern. He's a neuroscientist. He's
out of Uce, San Francisco, out of doctor Robin Carthart's lab.
They're studying the effects of psychedelics and cannabis on the
(52:13):
brain and brain health. And this is a great segue
because they had a lot to say about it for
opioid addiction, and what was very compelling to me and
exciting was that there's actually evidence now with CT scans
showing that it doesn't just suppress the addiction, but it
actually heals the part of the brain, the amigula, and
(52:37):
they're actually seeing bioplasticity and healing take place of the
damage that was done from the opioid, which was very exciting.
But they also studied and talked about dementia and Alzheimer's
and phones are ringing off the hook. We've had so
many questions coming in and Catherine, the majority of them.
A lot of people are interested in, of course, how
(52:58):
could it help with chronic pain, how can to help
with mental anxiety depression. We had a chance to just
scratch the surface on that big topic, opioids and I've
got to get to eldercare. I have people, I've got
I've got so many questions coming in saying and I
don't even want to ask you this, but the first
(53:18):
question on eldercare is does medicare cover it?
Speaker 3 (53:25):
Hight Well, I wish you did. We wish it did,
and hopefully it will someday. But there are states that
are working on programs. I'm actually working on a program
here in the state of Colorado to we have a
patient that we're covering her medical cannabis to try to
reduce her opioid juice. And so there are states that
(53:46):
are working on allowing insurance to cover the medical cannabis.
So it's coming. There, there's light at the end. We
can see it, and it's coming, and there's people all
in diferent states working on this. You just don't hear
about it yet because our programs haven't grown as much yet.
(54:06):
It's slow because you have to get so many people
on board to accept to do this, but you know,
it's it. You know, there's there's different things that you
can look at. You can look at maybe getting your
card covered, your medical card. You can look at getting
maybe some of the medicine covered. It depends on what
(54:26):
programs you're in. You would have to look into your states.
But what I really want to talk about for the
older adults, and you mentioned it, Maria, was the heartache.
We've been working with a program that focus is on
the dementia care and dementia caregivers and the heartache they
have at home because they, on average, about seventy five
(54:48):
percent of dementia patients are cared for in the home.
Seventy five percent are in the right.
Speaker 1 (54:57):
Well and if you're in a long cam long term
care facility, they use their own pharmacies, so that would
be a whole other barrier that's harder. I didn't realize
seventy five percent where wow, please, they're in.
Speaker 3 (55:11):
The home because it's expensive. It's so expensive to foot
your loved one in a facility, so they've even either
promised their loved one that they will never put them
in a facility, so they keep them at home and
care for them there, or they can't afford it. So
now the beautiful thing is now they do have the
autonomy to increase to introduce cannabis into their regiment, and
(55:35):
that's what we've been helping with in all my word,
if you see, if you could see what these low
doses of cbd, THC and CBG Kenneba Gerald have helped
with the dementia behaviors, the aggressiveness, the agitation, the abusive
they some of them get very abusive to their caregivers.
(55:57):
It just calms everything down.
Speaker 1 (56:00):
Now, is there is there a prescription for that like
of regular medicine, and how would it compare the efficacy.
Speaker 3 (56:08):
So that's what's interesting. So even the FDA warned about
using antipsychotics, and unfortunately antipsychotics meds are widely prescribed for
dementia patients because they just don't know where, you know,
what else to use. And now we are showing that
we're using cannabinoids. So low dose CBD with THHC for
(56:33):
daytime and low dose uh CBG with THHC for nighttime healer.
So I don't know if you've heard of doctor Dustin
Sulac out of Maine. He is phenomenal.
Speaker 1 (56:45):
He's in your member directory. That's or I heard about him.
I've just learned about him through leaf flour one one.
Speaker 3 (56:53):
Yes, So doctor Dustin Seulac out of Maine, he helps
formulate the products OFCBD dot Com and what he noticed
in his practice and he still has a practice over
three thousand patients in Maine. He noticed that he was
seeing the dementia behaviors really start to subside with the
combination of THHC and CBD in the daytime and CBG
(57:16):
and THC at night. So he created helped create this
beautiful blister package that's easy to pop out one gummy,
know exactly how to give it to your loved one
because seventy five percent are cared for in the home,
so that your you know, sister brother who's taking care
of your mom or dad needs help, and how do
(57:37):
I dose this?
Speaker 4 (57:38):
How do I know what to give?
Speaker 3 (57:40):
So they've created this respite product that is just easy
to give to your loved one, and then they also
give instructions on well, if they're in a facility, how
do you reach how do you how do you ask
that facility's clinicians to write an order for cannabis. So
that's what we're trying to do is help facilities understand
(58:03):
that it's also easy to write an order for cannabis.
Speaker 1 (58:07):
It's phenomenal. It's just phenomenal. And Catherine, anyone who wants
to find out more information about that, please go to
Leaf for one one dot org. I can't believe nearly
an hour has flown by. I really hope you'll come
back and bring some of your member Director. I mean,
we have so many things to talk about. This has
(58:28):
been the most wonderful conversation. The work you and your
team do at Leaf four one one. It empowers patients, caregivers,
and healthcare professionals with the knowledge that they need. And
every one of those groups are suffering, either mentally or physically,
(58:48):
and if we have something that can help ease that pain,
that's you know. So I can't I can't thank you
enough for your dedication to the patient advocacy and education.
It's making a real difference. And guys, everyone here and
everyone I bring into the hive, we're pioneers. But I
(59:09):
say it over and over again, what happened to the pioneers.
Pioneers get shot, the settlers get the gold. Please, please,
You've got to support the well meaning pioneers because this
is a precious, precious, precious plant. It's underutilized, and as
we conclude today's episode of Just Say No, it's important
(59:31):
to recognize the need for these voices that empower you
with the information that you need to navigate. So Catherine,
thank you for sharing your valuable insights highlighting the importance
of organizations like yourself, your members LE four one one.
You're bridging the gap between traditional medicine and cannabis science
(59:54):
and guys, If people like Catherine myself don't do it,
no one's going to do it. People are suffering mentally
and physically, and once you realize that it can be
avoided or alleviated, you'll join them.
Two door. Hello, Hello, and welcome to Just Say No,
(00:09):
the show that spotlights the innovators behind cannabis is, the
newest products and the groundbreaking ideas and people driving the
legal cannabis movement. I'm your host, Maria Calabree's broadcasting on
KCAA Radio ten fifty AM one oh six point five FM,
the station that leaves no listener behind. Let's face it,
(00:34):
everyone ask questions about cannabis. Are hamp the marijuana the
same thing? Will CBD get me high? Do I have
to smoke it? Can I get the benefits without the high?
Will it interfere with my medications? Is illegal? Where do
you even start? For many of us, he myself included
(00:55):
finding clear, trustworthy answers about cannabis after decades of prohibition
and misinformation, it often leads to more confusion learning about cannabis.
It's it's it's like picking up a new language, guys.
It's much easier with guidance from someone fluent in both
(01:16):
cannabis and health sciences, which is what led me to
take action, seek out unbiased resources and bring them together
to create Just Say No. And it's also why I
am genuinely, genuinely thrilled. Have we got someone special to
meet today? Guys, I am so excited to introduce today's guest,
(01:38):
Catherine Golden Hey, Katherine Hello. Catherine is a cannabis trained
registered nurse and the founder and executive director of leif
for one one. Leaf four one one is the go
to resource for consumers, offering reliable guidance from nurses trained
(02:03):
in cannabinoid science. In a nutshell, they take the guest
work out of navigating legal cannabis and empower individuals to
make informed decisions about their health. Now, what drew me
to leave four one one is their belief that knowledge
is power. Okay, just say no, that's with a K
(02:26):
and a W K and ow knowledge is power. In
today's world, we're so many of us are looking for
reliable places or people to turn to for answers to
our questions. I can I can truly say Leaf four
one one's cannabis trained nurses. They stand apart as trusted
(02:48):
guides to help us consumers start our cannabis journey on
the right path. So sit back, relax as we explore
how cannabis can improve our lives and how to choose
products and healthcare providers. That are right for you, with
(03:08):
insights from some of the brightest minds in the industry.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
By twenty twenty, Bank of America and Merrill Lynch estimate
that will grow to thirty five billion dollars, and many
experts believe it could eventually reach two hundred billion dollars
each and every year.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Stock.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
I can see.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
Young mosay, I'm a betterfi who is going to be gone,
taking me a while to get it.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
Had to live and cry, to appreciate life and.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
What you give. His word when you're holding knee, when
you hold me so close, someone better and under your skin.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
I want to leave the mic so.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
That I can be sure that you and them the
wise man.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
It is my absolute pleasure to welcome Catherine Golden to
just say no. Catherine, You're not only a registered nurse
with extensive clinical experience, but also a passionate leader an
advocate in the cannabis space. As the founder and CEO
(04:51):
and executive director and mom of Leaf for one one,
a nonprofit organization debdie to providing free cannabis education and
guidance to the public, You've spent over eight years championing knowledge, integrity,
and service excellence in the cannabis industry on the heels
(05:13):
of a twenty eight year career as a registered nurse.
You must have started when you were five, but we'll
talk about that later. Welcome Catherine, and thank you so
much for joining us today.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Wow, well, thank you for that introduction. I just am
so thrilled to be here, to be able to connect
with your audience and hopefully get a lot of their
questions answered and provide that knowledge that you talked about.
You know, that is what I'm here to do and
I can't wait to get started.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
It's amazing. I mean, you are filling an education vacuum
and decades eighty decades nineteen thirty seven Iuana Tasak prohibition
communication void. So you know, through your work at Leaf
for one one, you oversee everything from the administration and
(06:07):
programming to fundraising and compliance, all while leading a team
of senior professionals, which is amazing that you were able
to assemble who all sharing your mission. So tell me
a little bit about tell us about your career and
your mission.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Okay, all right, well let's see where do I start.
I'll start. I have been a registered nurse for twenty
eight years and in the cannabis industry for about eight
now my journey. I think when you talk to anybody
in cannabis, especially a medical professional, typically they have a
personal story that got them started in looking into the
(06:48):
science behind cannabis, and that's what happened with me. So
eight years ago, I was still a non believer in
cannabis as medicine. I actually vote against it when it
was up for adult use here in Colorado. Wow, I know,
I know, and I'm very open about saying that and
(07:08):
transparent because I was working nurse in hospitals and believe
the propaganda. I believed what they were saying that there
was no medicinal value to cannabis and it never worked
for me personally when I was in my youth, and
so I thought, well, you know there's no science, then
(07:30):
you know it's there's no use for it. So I
voted against it. And then eight years ago, my brother
in law was suddenly diagnosed with stage four lung cancer
and given two to five years to live. We were
extremely devastated, and so he's actually in California and my
sister said, well, you know, we're privileged enough to be
(07:55):
able to go to some of the top researchers in California, USC,
UCI and UCLA, and one of them, at a female
researcher at USC said, you know, we'll look at cannabis,
but we look at it as a last ditch effort
because we don't know anything about it. So when she
(08:16):
talked to me that, I said, you know what, I'll
look into it because it's so popular here in Colorado.
Everybody's talking about it, they're voting for it. It passed,
you know, and it's you know, used medicinally here. Let
me look into the validity of this plant. So I
went to all of our typical resources that any clinician
would look at, you know, PubMed Science, direct, National Institute
(08:40):
of Health, you know where where we look for the
black and white science. And when I started looking, I
was shocked and actually angered that there is so much
science that shows promise with this plant. That I started saying, Okay,
how can I learn more? So as a medical professional,
even eight years ago as a nurse, I had to
(09:01):
just go deep online and try to find where there
were courses that I could take to teach me cannabinoid
therapeutics or cannabinoid science. So I did that, and I
found resources like the American Cannabis Nurses Association, who offered
a class a course at that time called the Medical
(09:22):
Cannabis Institute. I took the first courses for medical professionals
and that's where I started my journey. And so doing that,
I could start trying to help educate my sister and
my brother in law on the value of cannabis and
integrating that.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Wow. Wow, wow wow, so much to unpack there.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
Yeah, So a little bit what I learned is I found,
like you just spoke of the experts in this industry,
and the one that I found was doctor Bonnie Goldstein.
And she, I said, oh, she he is top I
can tell from all the science. And she's in California
with you. So I made an appointment and I said,
(10:07):
I am taking you. I am flying to California. I
am taking you to doctor Bonnie. Go wow, and we
are going to have an appointment in that time eight
years ago. You know, she's a pediatric physician, but she
was seeing adults as well. So thankfully I was able
to get him in with her, and there started his journey.
So we are eight years now, and he is healthy,
(10:31):
He's doing every normal thing you would do and he's
still taking his cannabis. They don't know why his Kye's
inhibitor are. This drug that was supposed to only last
I believe it was eighteen months has now lasted eight years.
And so Bannie guided him on what to use. And
(10:52):
then here we are eight years later and he's still
with us, healthy as ever.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
Wow, wow, wow wow amazing.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
And I.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
No, you are you really cannot be understated. I cannot
tell you how many people, family members included that I
have tried to get to try to get in to
see Bonnie Goldstein, and they resist, They just resist and
and and and you know, justifiably so because of the
(11:28):
the stigmas. Deep you're a convert, You're a I call
you a cannabis convert, and those those are the best. Right,
We're gonna we're gonna move the mountain and push it
over the line to be rescheduled, because, uh, I too
am a cannabis convert. I was a child of dare.
I went to law school. This was never on the table.
(11:51):
This is it's a felony, right, it's the devil's weed.
And and and like you, I I really wasn't aware
of any medicinal value and being misinformed as well. I
thought it really was either something that was dangerous and
abused recreationally or an end of life drug last resort,
(12:16):
which is such such a shame. It's well, your your
brother in law is your brother in law right?
Speaker 3 (12:27):
Correct?
Speaker 1 (12:28):
It's now did he take it as an adjunct therapy
with traditional oncology treatments or how did how did that go?
Speaker 3 (12:40):
Yes? So, and that's that's exactly where the fear is.
You know, how do I introduce this? Can I introduce this?
So he was able to take it, and he still
does with his pharmaceuticals, so with his oncology medication. Okay,
so he was in a study program. He couldn't use
cannabis at the time because he was in a study program,
(13:03):
so that you have to be very careful with that.
They don't want anything interfering. But that didn't The immunotherapy
did not work for him, actually threw him into liver failure.
So he was kicked out of the He was actually
kicked out of the study. And that's when we were saying,
let's introduce cannabis, and started introducing cannabis. So that's my
journey of how I started with you know, teaching and
(13:28):
showing him, and I firmly believe I wish there were
some way I could put a pocket nurse, a nurse
in everyone's little pocket, because they were able to pull
me out and say, what can we do? How do
we navigate this system? We don't understand healthcare, and then
you're telling us about cannabis, and I was able to
(13:48):
talk to them about dispensaries, how to purchase everything that
I was trying to absorb and learn at the same time.
So and that's kind of how you know, I evolved
in becoming a cannabis nurse at a clint and seeing
that not most people you know are having trouble affording
the out of pocket cost for a physician's appointment, and
(14:11):
also and just to even know if cannabis would be
suitable for them. So that's how I got started starting
the nonprofit Leaf for one one because I wanted everyone, anyone,
no matter what your financial ability is, no matter if
you have a smartphone or a landline, to be able
to call Leaf for one one and get free guidance
(14:31):
if you needed free guidance. And it's kind of it's
grown from there.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
Wow wow, wow, wow, Well you're remarkable on so many levels.
I mean, a whole other episode we can have attorneys
on and we could talk about I'm still blown away
and I'm thrilled that you are not for profit organization.
But at the same time, my heart bleeds for you
(14:57):
because I'm not for profit organizations. How are they funded?
They're funded with government grants And as long as this
is a Schedule one and federally illegal, how has that
impacted you're funding from the government.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Yeah, we don't. We can't apply for government fund We
have to rely on foundations and individual giving. And you know,
just to give you a little glimpse into the struggles
we have, we probably apply for about I don't know
twelve grants last year and got zero because a lot
of foundations are very concerned with their other donors and
(15:35):
how they feel about cannabis. So even though we do
not touch the plant and we state that everywhere we're
education only, they still say, well, it's still uncomfortable for us.
Or you have the word cannabis on your website, so
that's a problem. You have a cannabis leaf on your website.
That's been a problem. All these little things. So even
(15:57):
though we're licensed medical professionals talking about safe use, safe consumption.
We still do not get grants, and not.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
Only that, the wealth of anecdotal evidence that you have
and that you can offer an empirical evidence, I mean
human studies. Look your brother in law, case in point.
It's it's so frustrating, it's so frustrating, but we just
have to, you know, continue to make people aware. The
(16:30):
initial reaction is cannabis, no and no, but we're hoping
to reshape that your mission. Knowledge is power. That's why
this is just say no with a kk and OW.
We want people to know, guys, this is not a
knee jerk. You can't just say no. I mean you can,
(16:51):
but there's it's so underutilized, and God forbid, you don't
have to wait until you're in a place where western
medicine just doesn't have a solution, which often happens.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
Right, and that's where cannabis can lead is really giving
you hope. And that's what we provide, is hope that
there's an alternative. You know, you're struggling. You know, people
are struggling with pharmaceuticals.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
And ironically, ironically I saw wonderful ted talk. It was
a family practitioner internist to studying cannabis now, and he
was talking about it doesn't only give you hope, but
the paradox is, because it's so still a schedule one,
it gives you control. Because if you're in a state
(17:44):
that where it's legal, you have control by walking into
a dispensary that has more of an old apothecary. Feel
you're not waiting for the doctor to phone in the
prescription to the corporate place. It's it's that control over
and learning how to dose it it. Apparently there are
(18:05):
studies that that helps patients. Would you say, clinically you've
seen that.
Speaker 3 (18:10):
Yes. I mean one thing that I'm really telling callers
every day is that over the last decade, there's been
over thirty five thousand scientific papers published on National Institutes
of Health pub MET. So when you think about that number,
over thirty five thousand SCIENTI ten years, last ten years,
(18:33):
just the last ten years. That you know, when someone says, oh,
there's I'm sure you've heard this, there's not enough science.
I mean that's all the time, all the time. That's
the repeater language. That's what people who don't want to
take the time to actually look just continue repeating, and
it's false information.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
And it's dangerous information. And it's not based on thirty five,
ten decades. It's not based on ten years of thirty
five studies. It's based on eighty years of propaganda. And
you know that's a whole other story. But I'm just curious.
(19:14):
Was your brother in law in Colorado as well?
Speaker 3 (19:17):
No, California, And that's all, well, California.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
Okay, and that's where all right, Well, you know, we're
twenty minutes into the show and I'm in California, and
in California it's for twenty so Catherine, you're gonna be
on the hot seat. We're gonna this is the part
of the show where for twenty we ask our guests
(19:41):
to drop a knowledge bomb. So are you ready to
drop a knowledge bomb for us? Yep?
Speaker 3 (19:46):
Let me have it?
Speaker 1 (19:47):
All right? Well, and keeping well what we were discussing
to anyone out there that is hesitant about using cannabis
or who's genuinely afraid this misinformation, it is repeat language
and that sticks and they're genuinely afraid. 'tis even suggested
(20:10):
to a loved one, where you suggested it to your
brother in law. But there are people who would really
be afraid to even do that due to the stigma
or the fear. What would you say to them if
they had you in their back pocket? Well today, right
now on the show.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
Yeah, I would say. What we tell people a lot
that are nervous and fearful of cannabis is start with
the topical, because a topical you can actually feel something happening,
typically if you have arthritic pain or you have joint pain,
just even putting it on, and even if you felt nothing,
but that nothing tells you that it's not scary. And
(20:52):
that's where we like someone to start wrapping their mind
around that cannabis is not scary interesting.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
So even if they even if they don't have a
positive result, yes, as long as they don't have a
negative one, you're correct, ah.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
And that's what we tell them. We tell them even
if it's something that they take orally, if you what
we call is start sub therapeutic, and everybody knows the
hot term microdose. If you start so low, we tell
everyone such with a tiny little piece of the gummy,
you know, we recommend always cutting something in fourths or
(21:33):
eighth because even though we know you're not going to
feel anything, that's okay because now you start getting comfortable, like, oh,
why didn't even feel anything? Well, great, now you know
it's not scary. Now you know that you can start
climbing up. So even if a topical doesn't feel anything
right away, it's just getting them comfortable to try something.
(21:55):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
That's wonderful, wonderful advice. See, I always I tend to
set expectations too high and psyche myself out, and I say, oh,
what if it doesn't work? So I'm not going to
recommend a topical to a family member that needs maybe more.
But you know what, no baby steps, It's okay. Recommend
(22:18):
the topical. One they might get some kind of a benefit,
and two as long as they don't have an adverse effect.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
Right allah, then you go to the next step, go
to the next step.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Very very very very smart. Well, you know you were brave.
Though you were brave, You were brave to even bringing
it up to a family member. So I would say
to people, do it, because you'll regret if you didn't.
And God forbid, Western medicine no longer has something to work.
(22:58):
It's what happened for me. I got to tell you
funny story, real quickly and how I started Green Bay life.
I am a back paying, chronic back pain sufferer for
over four decades. I had a horrific catastrophic car accident
after my first year of law school. I had a
massive spinal surgery that failed that left me worse than
the car accident for four decades, four massive spinal surgeries,
(23:25):
hardware that I don't you know, I can't even describe.
Cannabis was not on the table for me, and I
could be pretty formidable, so people did not recommend it
because I used to just say now I know. But
(23:48):
I had a seventeen year old failing dog, and I
had a publicist who said, why don't you try cannabis.
I had such a visual response I couldn't. I was
ashamed of myself. I bit her head off. I said, well,
why don't we just give her arsenic? And then I
(24:10):
caught myself. It was that moment and I realized, why
am I being so harsh? Because interestingly, that was at
the same time about eight years ago. It was twenty
sixteen when Prop sixty four was on the ballot in California,
and I unlike you as much as I didn't understand Cannabis,
(24:31):
I was going to vote for Prop. Sixty four, and
I was immediately you know, people who know me know
the bark is worse than the bite. So she pushed
back and said, but aren't you voting to legalize it?
I was like, I caught myself, I gotta look at this.
I don't know why I'm having that response. I mean,
(24:51):
the dog is in so much pain, and the only
way Western medice and knows to stop that pain was
a very permanent solution that I wasn't ready to take.
So anyway, that's what opened my eyes. So guys, anyone
out there, if someone suggests it to you and you
(25:15):
are against it, try to just a just approach it
with curiosity. Why would this person who cares for me
be suggesting it? Would you say, that's good advice?
Speaker 3 (25:27):
Catherine Nurse Captain, Absolutely, absolutely, that's great advice, is just
to try it. But you know, kind of pointing back
to what my mission is is providing a service that
anyone can reach, so that way you have that trusted guidance.
And like you said in that great intro, you know,
(25:48):
nurses have been voted the most trusted professional I think
in twenty three years now it's either twenty two or
twenty three number one trusted professional. And that's because we
give you both sides of it. Here are the benefits
and here are the possible challenges or cautions, and now
you are an informed consumer. And that's where we come from,
(26:09):
is informing you. So as long as you're going to
someone who has that guidance and hopefully you know coming
to us, we can guide you there and we can
give you those resources, then that's taking that first step
in consuming safely well.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
And you know you're coming from informing and both sides,
but you're coming from through an empathic lens, not just
the clinical one. Let's face it. You know, we need
the clinicians and the scientists who are merely looking at
data and looking at both sides. But nurses have a
level of empathy. I've experienced it firsthand and what I've
(26:52):
experienced through my journey and opening up to cannabises, nurses
are so much more receptive to wanting to know about it,
and my experience with it were doctors. You know, unless
you have the good fortune and you seek out and
you call Lee for one one and we'll get to
(27:12):
your directory and your network of medical doctors, but doctors
like Donnie, doctors like doctor Bonnie Goldstein, their rear, they're pioneers,
they're up and coming here. Her resident training was in pediatrics,
but she'll see adults because there's just a need for
(27:35):
healthcare professionals. And I'm really impressed with your member directory.
Can can you tell us a little bit about your
member directory and the members ranging from physicians to manufacturers
to dispensaries.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
Sure. So when I started leaf for one one, you know,
I knew I couldn't just offer a phone number, give
guidance and say okay, now go find a great dispensary
or go find a great clinician or an online product.
I needed to give resources. So that's where we go
out and we go to some of the brands that
(28:10):
are vetted. So anyone that you see on our website
is a vetted brand, meaning we've spoke to them, we've
looked at their culture, we've made sure there they align
with us, and know that everything is as as transparent
as it can be. So when you have a dispensary
or an online manufacturers, they have to have CoA certificate
(28:32):
of analysis that are available to the public. But the
public can ask that they want to see that, so
they know it's in their product, what it's been tested for,
the potency. We make sure that the dispensaries know that
they're going to be patients coming in, even if they're
just an adult use store, that they are really wanting
to see those patients and wanting to help them in
(28:55):
a way that's more warm customer service. We make sure
that clinicians on our website are some of the top
the leaders in the industry, and we'll have other resources
for them. So that's how we built our resources, all
thatted by our team making sure that you have somewhere
to go, so we're just not kind of giving you
(29:15):
guidance and then letting you float out there. We want
to point you in the right direction.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
That's what's so impressive. And guys, this is the unique
value proposition here with Lee four one one, And I
haven't found it anywhere else. And I look, and as
soon as I find something I'm excited about, I love
to share it. Because I had a doctor of pain
management of physiatrists who had said to me at one point,
have you tried marijuana? And I was desperate enough with
(29:44):
my back and I had seen the results. I had
a favorable outcome with my dog, thank god, and.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
I was open.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
So I said where how And this was my pain
management doctor, medical doctor and MD, who said, oh, I
don't I don't know. I just have some patients who
have tried it. I think they grow their own. I
don't know where they get it, and it's helped them.
And then I said, well grow your own. And I
(30:16):
was immediately, you know, overwhelmed, said do you have to
smoke it? She said no, no, and I don't recommend
smoking for lung health. They make a topical. I said,
they grow a plant and make a topical. That wasn't
very I mean, it just shows why we need Leaf
(30:36):
four to one one. And you're a unique value proposition
that you connect the dots. Not enough to tell somebody
to do something, you have to give them the resources
to do it finding the resources. Guys, don't beat yourself up.
If you have a family member or you're looking yourselves
and you feel like you're hitting a brick wall. Help
us here. We've got Catherine, We've got Leaf four to
(30:56):
one one. She's got an incredible network of positions and
nurses and so anyone listening that's like, Wow, I want
to get in touch with you, Catherine. I want to
talk to Lee for one one. I have questions. How
can they reach out? How can they find reach for
(31:17):
one one?
Speaker 3 (31:18):
Yeah, so you can go to our homepage leefour one
one dot org. On that homepage, there's a big white
button that says click here that takes you straight to
our scheduling software, so you can schedule an appointment right there.
Anyone can call our hotline. That was what I first started.
I had so many people saying, oh, why aren't you
starting with an app you know, and I said, no,
(31:41):
I'm going to go o G. I'm going to go
with the eight hundred phone line because I wanted anyone
to be able to call people who don't have smartphones,
people who you know, are unhoused. I've had people that
were in the middle, not not even kidding. Within the
first year, we had somebody who was on his ranch
(32:01):
and he could only get service out in the field,
and he called us to ask about how to use cannabis.
And that's what really, you know, proved that. That's why
I wanted to have this number first. So that is
a free hotline number will always be free. That's for
quick questions, how do I get a medical card? You know,
(32:22):
how do I schedule an appointment? And then we've grown
our programming to now be thirty minute guidance calls. We're
growing it again the first of February to be forty
five minute guidance calls. We asked for a donation twenty
five dollars, but if somebody can't afford that, no problem.
They just leave us a message on our hotline saying
(32:42):
I need a free call. But that's part of what
those resources are on our directory. Those companies see the
value and educated consumers, so they actually give to lead
four to one one so we can provide free calls
to everybody. They have special codes. So that's the only
way we can keep our lights on and our doors
(33:03):
open is because the cannabis industry, those brands have said,
you know what, we want to give to you monthly
to ensure that the service stays alive. And well, it's
not a struggle, but we're we're doing it and we're
in our six year now.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
It's it's I know, I know, I feel the pain.
And then I noticed on your website that's what you
were referring to is that belief for one one affordability
program for people who have financial hardships.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
The Affordability program is a program we started a couple
of years ago. That one has been put on pause.
But everyone gets a free call that needs a free
call that is never part of any program. That's just given.
If someone needs that, they don't have to be a
part of a program. They just simply leave on the
hotline that says I need a free call, I need help.
Great we have. We tell them they can call any
(34:01):
of the directory participants and those are their supporters and
they will give them their free code as well to
call LEAP for one one. It's a coupon code that
they schedule an appointment. But we make sure we help everyone.
We do live by donation, so that's important to like
I said, keep the lights on and the door is open,
(34:22):
is through donations because as we spoke about earlier, it's
incredibly hard for us to get a grant.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
Yes and uh yes, so we need just and that
that's what's amazing with you because you don't only combined
health sciences and an expertise in cannabis, but you're also
UH an advocate as well and it's it's going to
take a village, and it's it's going to take educating
(34:52):
folk and offering people resources to call, even if they
can't afford to, because once people understand and at all
politics are local, and once people understand it and demand it,
then it will go up the chain, although remains to
be seen what the new administration is going to do
(35:12):
with at least rescheduling, but as long as it's on
a schedule one, it's virtually impossible to make money at
this The states and the government are making the money,
but well meaning brands are not. And I'm heartened that
the brands who are doing it right and going to
(35:35):
try to survive legalization and self police and do their
own pay the price of compliance, because what this legal
ambiguity does it leaves the door open for not well
meaning companies to come in, which really makes it even
more confusing. So the companies that are doing it right
(35:56):
and self policing being client, if they can hang on
and survive legalization, that's who you want to support. And
I'm glad that they're supporting you. Because it starts with
the educational platforms, the boots on the ground, the nurses
in the pocket, the digital Leaf for one one, which
(36:20):
is your digital nurse in a pocket, And if anyone
wants to support Leaf for one one, they can go
to leaffo one dot org.
Speaker 3 (36:30):
And you do have.
Speaker 1 (36:33):
An area to donate correct.
Speaker 3 (36:35):
Yes, we have an individual giving page where anyone can
go and donate anything from one dollar on up. And
then we also have our business memberships. We're hoping and
we would love more industry brands to come and support us.
I mean, that's what we would love is having We
do have some supporters from California. Urban Joy is a
(36:57):
delivery service in California and they support us. So we
have them all over and we need more to survive.
So whether you're a brand, or you know somebody, or
maybe you go to a favorite dispensary, we tell people
that all the time. They say how can we help,
Say go to your favorite dispensary, go to your favorite brand,
(37:18):
and say please support Lee for one one, Because that's
how I came to you, being an informed consumer and
knowing what to buy when when I walk in the door,
you know, and and buying smart and buying safely. So
that's why we really encourage the industry to want to
support us, and you know we need more.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
We absolutely do, and that is great advice for brands.
I'm on the Marketing and Advertising Committee of the National
Cannabis Industry Association. Guys, you'll be getting a phone call
for me. We've got to get behind Lee for on One.
It's it's I say it all the time. As an industry,
we're we're going to succeed together or we're going to
(38:05):
fail individually. And it starts with educating the public. We
have to not only educate them. You know, at the
end of prohibition you can educate people about alcohol and
the difference between beer and wine. This isn't just an
end of prohibition. This is decades of misinformation and stigma
(38:26):
and paranoia. And so listen, guys, stay tuned because in
Supportingly for One, I want to throw a quick word
about them. And when we come back, Catherine's going to
share consumer insights and tips on cannabis and how it
(38:47):
relates to the opioid use and elder care.
Speaker 3 (38:52):
Whether you're brand new to cannabis or a longtime user,
we know you have questions and Leaf for one one
is here to help. Leaf for one one is a
nonprop that provides free or low cost cannabis education through
our nurse guidance services that can answer your health related
questions like the benefits of CBD versus THHC, potential prescription interactions,
and the best ratios for pain, sleep and anxiety. Get
(39:14):
your questions answered today call us to speak with a
cannabis nurse, or visit our website to schedule your call
and find ways to support this much needed public service.
Speaker 1 (39:24):
Hey, welcome back. You're listening to Just Say No on
KCAA Radio ten fifty am one oh six point five FM.
I'm Maria Calibriys, your host, and I am joined here
with Catherine Golden, who is a registered nurse and cannabis expert,
where we're discussing trending questions about how to consume cannabis
(39:49):
safely and responsibly to enhance your wellbeing. Catherine is the
founder of Lee for to one one, which began with
the ever Cannabis Nurse hotline. So Catherine wanted to talk
to you a little bit about I really appreciated the
(40:10):
Free Opioid Guide. I mean, there's so many there's a
plethora of resources on your site, but can you speak
to us a little bit about opioids and.
Speaker 3 (40:21):
Yes, yes, yeah, I would love to. So a company
called Puff Creative and Ninth Blocks and both marketing companies said,
you know what, we really need to publish an opioid
awareness guide and came to us and was wonderful and
wanted to put some data, some information from the CDC
about opioids and overuse and misuse, and then cannabis and
(40:45):
how cannabis can be integrated into your pharmaceutical regimen and
start helping to replace some of the heavy use of opioids.
And that's what we talk about in this opioid Awareness
Guide is the different types of and gosh when I Mario,
when I started the hotline, I was the only one
(41:05):
on the calls. I started it by myself and I'm like,
oh call so I know. That's how passionate I was
about it. I'm like, I gotta be a pocket nurse
for everybody. And it was heartbreaking to hear that there
is so much physical and mental pain happening across the country.
And that's our number one topic. It's physical and mental pain.
(41:27):
So people are just looking for another solution, another alternative,
so they want to know, like, how how can I
soften the pain just to get through daily activities and
reduce my opioid juice. And that's very safe to do
with cannabis. And that's another one of those kind of
repeater misinformation that some physicians or nurse practitioners or pas
(41:51):
or any clinician might use that doesn't really want to
look at the science and just says, oh, there's not
enough science and or I don't think it's safe to
combine the two. That's absolute not true. It's incredibly safe,
and you can start reducing your opioids with your prescribers guidance.
Once you start learning and seeing that the science is
(42:11):
there that cannabis is very effective for pain, you have
to know which ratios would be best. And once you
learn that is what's something we can teach the nurses
only four to one one can teach. Then you know
how you can use it in conjunction with your regimen.
And with pain typically comes with inflammation and then the
(42:35):
pain receptors, and well, the number one thing people are
taught is that CBD helps with inflammation and THHD touches
those pain receptors. So when you put both together, then
you've got your gold standard. And that's usually what people
start saying, Oh, you need a one to one CBD
THHD ratio, and that's a good starting point. And we
(42:55):
start giving just some of those little tidbits of guidance
to say, Okay, here's where you start. Here's a good ratio,
and this is why CBD is great for pain, and
this is why THHD is great for pain, and this
is why they're great. They're even better together and why
you should use them together. And now we've got even
minor cannabinoids like CBG that's great for neuropathic pain and
(43:18):
neuropathy some people know it as neuropathy that they get
from using from if they've been an ecology patient. So
all kinds of different forms of pain. And then there's
mental health pain, and what we can use, which is
fantastic for mental health pain is the CBD, which helps
kind of balance the body and bring a relaxation to
(43:40):
the body, helps decrease anxiety. So there's just so much
we can go into, and that's why recreated the Opioid
Awareness Guide, so just to give you the starting information
that it is, cannabis is safe to use, and we
wish it was a first line medicine versus a last
line medicine, and that's kind of what we advocate for, is,
you know, it's really safe to try cannabis because there's
(44:02):
very few receptors in the brainstem, so you cannot There's
no lethal dose of cannabis. So somebody could take an
entire canister of gummies and eat that accidentally and they
won't go into cardiac rest. They won't have respiratory depression
like you can with opioids. It's just not possible.
Speaker 1 (44:25):
Well, we'll have another another episode. But my last final surgery,
which was in January of twenty twenty, right before COVID,
I did not wake up. Yeah, what did you call it?
Opioid respiratory respiratory depression. I went from the recovery room
(44:51):
to a critical clear care unit to pretty scary stuff.
Pretty scary stuff, and it's real. It's real. So what
are some of the kinds of conversations you're having with
people who call in who are relying on opioids or
(45:11):
what kind of questions are they or concerns are you
hearing surrounding trying cannabis.
Speaker 3 (45:19):
Well, the number one question is how do they how
can they start cannabis and start reducing the amount of
opioids they consume, and that's where we start. So one
thing we always like to enforce is you never want
to just throw away your prescription medicine. You know, it's
just start cannabis. It's not you know, the one product
you can take and it cures all. And that's what
(45:41):
a lot of people that's another misconception. You want to
integrate them together, use them synergistically.
Speaker 1 (45:47):
Is there a danger of interaction?
Speaker 3 (45:50):
No, so there's no. So this is this is another
little tidbit that a lot of people are really nervous
about drug to drug interactions. Yeah, I can I take
cannabis with X, Y or Z prescription. The answer is
almost always yes. It's just dose dependent, meaning it depends
(46:13):
on the dose of cannabis you take. When we get
concerned about the amount of cannabis you take, it's usually
in the triple digits. Oh, you're taking one hundred milligrams
of CBD a day, two hundred three hundred, then there's
a concern. But when you're taking the doses that are
over the counter suggest in serving size ten milligrams, twenty milligrams,
(46:36):
there's never a concern for a drug to drug interaction
because it's too low. So that's where you always want
and you need this guidance from a medical professional to
tell you that it's dose dependent. Everything is dose dependent.
It depends on how many milligrams you're taking of cannabis
versus what you're taking, what prescription medications you're taking. So
(46:59):
we like to tell every that it's not contraindicated. When
something is contraindicated means you can't take it together, but
there's cautions meaning that it can affect the way the
prescription medication is the blood level of it in your body.
All you have to do is check those blood levels
and that's where you get your primary doctor involved to say, hey,
(47:19):
I'm taking cannabis now, so can we please check the
blood levels of prescription X.
Speaker 1 (47:25):
Y or z.
Speaker 3 (47:26):
That's very simple for them to do, and you start
getting everybody together.
Speaker 1 (47:30):
And guys, don't be discouraged. If your primary doctor is
like no, then call Lee four one one, Please, Catherine,
please give Lee four one one a call. Uh. You
will help them find a primary doctor in their area.
Is that how it would work? Who could could help them?
Speaker 3 (47:53):
Well? So what we do if they're yes, if they're
looking for a cannabis clinician in their area. There's a
really great resource a Society of Cannabis Clinicians SEC and
their nonprofit as well. All you do is type in
your zip code and you will see if there's trained
cannabis clinicians in your area.
Speaker 1 (48:14):
Now, what if you're in a state where it's not legal,
Can someone from a state that's not legal, for instance,
try to get a tell A Medicine appointment with doctor
Bonnie Goldstein in California.
Speaker 3 (48:25):
No, because usually you have to see them in person. Yes,
so as a medical as a physician, a physician has
in order for them to take you into their practice,
they have to physically see you and do an inore.
Speaker 1 (48:40):
Sure, sure, and yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (48:44):
There's telehealth. There's tell a Medicine and then there's telehealth.
So there are physicians that you can call from another
state that won't give you exact dosing, but they will
tell you, they'll give you suggestions, they'll tell you, they'll
give you education.
Speaker 1 (49:01):
Okay, but you want to you want to see a doctor.
So if you're in a state where it's not legal,
like you did with your brother in law, took him, well,
Colorado was legal, but you took him, well, he was
in he was in California, California. But if he wasn't,
you would have just taken him to California. I have
a feeling.
Speaker 3 (49:20):
Yeah, And that's what a lot of the physicians will say,
you know. You know, then that's the heartache, is that
there's you know a lot of people can't forward just
to up and move. I mean, we've had a lot
of people move to different legal states because they want
to get that medicine. And that's that's where when you
have him leave or you can just go up, you
(49:40):
can visit with a doctor, see that doctor in person
for the first time, you know, get into their private practice,
and then you go back to your state and then
they can correspond with you, uh telehealth and yeah.
Speaker 1 (49:55):
Yeah. Ricky Lake did a wonderful documentary. I'm sure you
saw we the people did. Yeah, yeah, and doctor Bonnie
Goldstein was featured in that, and it showed people with
pediatric cases having to that's what you do. You have
a child that's Western medicine doesn't have an answer. And
when you actually get into the science and start talking
(50:19):
and having conversations and listening to conversations with people like
Catherine Golden, You know it just when you have that
aha moment, you're you're off from running because it's got
so much potential, and with all the money that the
government spent, and like you said, there's thirty five thousand
(50:41):
studies over the last ten years. But prior to that,
what galls me is so much money was spent on
research to justify the Schedule one and find out what
the heck was wrong with it and prove that it
was dangerous and they couldn't. So, yeah, well, I really
(51:06):
think that that's wonderful. And do you know doctor are
you familiar with Doctor Yasmin heard out of Mounts and
I in New York. She's a form of psychopharmacologist from Jamaica.
But she's studying the effects of CBD and THC on
opioid addiction. She's a wonderful research people can look her up.
(51:30):
Doctor Yasmin heard h U r D. We will have
her on the show page among research sources. Initially, she
wasn't sure CBD would be so helpful and thought you
need a THC. But now she's finding high doses and
it's all about the doses and the.
Speaker 3 (51:48):
Entourage effect and mixing about the doses.
Speaker 1 (51:51):
But the exciting thing is in episode three, we did
a podcast with doctor Manesh Gern. He's a neuroscientist. He's
out of Uce, San Francisco, out of doctor Robin Carthart's lab.
They're studying the effects of psychedelics and cannabis on the
(52:13):
brain and brain health. And this is a great segue
because they had a lot to say about it for
opioid addiction, and what was very compelling to me and
exciting was that there's actually evidence now with CT scans
showing that it doesn't just suppress the addiction, but it
actually heals the part of the brain, the amigula, and
(52:37):
they're actually seeing bioplasticity and healing take place of the
damage that was done from the opioid, which was very exciting.
But they also studied and talked about dementia and Alzheimer's
and phones are ringing off the hook. We've had so
many questions coming in and Catherine, the majority of them.
A lot of people are interested in, of course, how
(52:58):
could it help with chronic pain, how can to help
with mental anxiety depression. We had a chance to just
scratch the surface on that big topic, opioids and I've
got to get to eldercare. I have people, I've got
I've got so many questions coming in saying and I
don't even want to ask you this, but the first
(53:18):
question on eldercare is does medicare cover it?
Speaker 3 (53:25):
Hight Well, I wish you did. We wish it did,
and hopefully it will someday. But there are states that
are working on programs. I'm actually working on a program
here in the state of Colorado to we have a
patient that we're covering her medical cannabis to try to
reduce her opioid juice. And so there are states that
(53:46):
are working on allowing insurance to cover the medical cannabis.
So it's coming. There, there's light at the end. We
can see it, and it's coming, and there's people all
in diferent states working on this. You just don't hear
about it yet because our programs haven't grown as much yet.
(54:06):
It's slow because you have to get so many people
on board to accept to do this, but you know,
it's it. You know, there's there's different things that you
can look at. You can look at maybe getting your
card covered, your medical card. You can look at getting
maybe some of the medicine covered. It depends on what
(54:26):
programs you're in. You would have to look into your states.
But what I really want to talk about for the
older adults, and you mentioned it, Maria, was the heartache.
We've been working with a program that focus is on
the dementia care and dementia caregivers and the heartache they
have at home because they, on average, about seventy five
(54:48):
percent of dementia patients are cared for in the home.
Seventy five percent are in the right.
Speaker 1 (54:57):
Well and if you're in a long cam long term
care facility, they use their own pharmacies, so that would
be a whole other barrier that's harder. I didn't realize
seventy five percent where wow, please, they're in.
Speaker 3 (55:11):
The home because it's expensive. It's so expensive to foot
your loved one in a facility, so they've even either
promised their loved one that they will never put them
in a facility, so they keep them at home and
care for them there, or they can't afford it. So
now the beautiful thing is now they do have the
autonomy to increase to introduce cannabis into their regiment, and
(55:35):
that's what we've been helping with in all my word,
if you see, if you could see what these low
doses of cbd, THC and CBG Kenneba Gerald have helped
with the dementia behaviors, the aggressiveness, the agitation, the abusive
they some of them get very abusive to their caregivers.
(55:57):
It just calms everything down.
Speaker 1 (56:00):
Now, is there is there a prescription for that like
of regular medicine, and how would it compare the efficacy.
Speaker 3 (56:08):
So that's what's interesting. So even the FDA warned about
using antipsychotics, and unfortunately antipsychotics meds are widely prescribed for
dementia patients because they just don't know where, you know,
what else to use. And now we are showing that
we're using cannabinoids. So low dose CBD with THHC for
(56:33):
daytime and low dose uh CBG with THHC for nighttime healer.
So I don't know if you've heard of doctor Dustin
Sulac out of Maine. He is phenomenal.
Speaker 1 (56:45):
He's in your member directory. That's or I heard about him.
I've just learned about him through leaf flour one one.
Speaker 3 (56:53):
Yes, So doctor Dustin Seulac out of Maine, he helps
formulate the products OFCBD dot Com and what he noticed
in his practice and he still has a practice over
three thousand patients in Maine. He noticed that he was
seeing the dementia behaviors really start to subside with the
combination of THHC and CBD in the daytime and CBG
(57:16):
and THC at night. So he created helped create this
beautiful blister package that's easy to pop out one gummy,
know exactly how to give it to your loved one
because seventy five percent are cared for in the home,
so that your you know, sister brother who's taking care
of your mom or dad needs help, and how do
(57:37):
I dose this?
Speaker 4 (57:38):
How do I know what to give?
Speaker 3 (57:40):
So they've created this respite product that is just easy
to give to your loved one, and then they also
give instructions on well, if they're in a facility, how
do you reach how do you how do you ask
that facility's clinicians to write an order for cannabis. So
that's what we're trying to do is help facilities understand
(58:03):
that it's also easy to write an order for cannabis.
Speaker 1 (58:07):
It's phenomenal. It's just phenomenal. And Catherine, anyone who wants
to find out more information about that, please go to
Leaf for one one dot org. I can't believe nearly
an hour has flown by. I really hope you'll come
back and bring some of your member Director. I mean,
we have so many things to talk about. This has
(58:28):
been the most wonderful conversation. The work you and your
team do at Leaf four one one. It empowers patients, caregivers,
and healthcare professionals with the knowledge that they need. And
every one of those groups are suffering, either mentally or physically,
(58:48):
and if we have something that can help ease that pain,
that's you know. So I can't I can't thank you
enough for your dedication to the patient advocacy and education.
It's making a real difference. And guys, everyone here and
everyone I bring into the hive, we're pioneers. But I
(59:09):
say it over and over again, what happened to the pioneers.
Pioneers get shot, the settlers get the gold. Please, please,
You've got to support the well meaning pioneers because this
is a precious, precious, precious plant. It's underutilized, and as
we conclude today's episode of Just Say No, it's important
(59:31):
to recognize the need for these voices that empower you
with the information that you need to navigate. So Catherine,
thank you for sharing your valuable insights highlighting the importance
of organizations like yourself, your members LE four one one.
You're bridging the gap between traditional medicine and cannabis science
(59:54):
and guys, If people like Catherine myself don't do it,
no one's going to do it. People are suffering mentally
and physically, and once you realize that it can be
avoided or alleviated, you'll join them.
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