NutraCast: Turning to CBD for mental health

“Five years ago, prior to joining Amen Clinic, my patients started asking me about cannabis and things like CBD and THC. One specifically, I call her ‘Patient Zero,’ came to me and basically said that she didn't need any type of pharmaceutical medication for sleep. I had been prescribing her medicine for sleep for a very long time. She turned to me and said I don't need you to prescribe anymore. I couldn't believe it–I said what did you do? And she actually showed me a chocolate bar that she'd gotten in Denver,” explained Dr Rebecca Siegel, a clinical psychiatrist with Amen Clinics and author of the newly published book, The Brain on Cannabis: What You Should Know about Recreational and Medical Marijuana. Dr Seigel added that right around that time in 2018 is when the floodgates opened and people started asking about cannabinoids in place of medication. When is comes to recommending CBD and other cannabinoids, Dr Seigel said there is no one-size-fits-all approach. “You need to have an individual approach for people. Some people will respond very well. Others will respond very poorly and the other thing is that not everybody wants to use THC. Not everybody wants to get high, you know, people want relief. They want quality-of-life improvements and they want relief that is very, very important.” To hear more on Dr Seigel’s experience as a psychiatrist and what she has learned since incorporating cannabinoids into her practice, listen to the NutraCast. You can also subscribe on iTunes , Spotify , Stitcher and wherever you get your podcasts.