inspiring canadians to live better.

healthing leaf

inspiring canadians to live better.

healthing leaf
get healthing in your inbox with the morning checkup and weekender newsletter!
home / 世界杯决赛2022

a doctor and chronic pain sufferer discusses the benefits of cannabis

“having suffered in pain for so long, i know what it feels like to say to your doctor, ‘i’ve tried everything, and nothing has helped.’”

by angela stelmakowich, the growth op
published jul 22, 2020
read time 3 minute read
join the conversation
read time 3 minute read
join the conversation
“he didn’t call it cbd oil; he just said it was a different type of cannabis plant. i was mortified, but desperate.” naquatic / istock / getty images plus
with over a decade of experience, dr. june chin has focused on interactive osteopathic medicine for individuals with epilepsy, cancer and autism. practising medicine in california, dr. chin has used the state’s legalized medical cannabis access by empowering her patients with knowledge about cbd and weed’s benefits.dr. chin recently shared an exclusive interview with the fresh toast on where cannabis is going and what health practitioners should know. when asked why she was such an advocate for cannabis, she shared that her personal pain journey led her to advocate not just for patients, but for doctors to get information firsthand.“as a teenager, i was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis (as), a progressive type of arthritis that affects the spine, pelvis, hips and back, and causes extreme stiffness and nerve pain,” she said.“i spent my younger years trying conventional treatments — epidurals, narcotics, muscle relaxants, acupuncture, physical therapy — but the pain was unrelenting. by the time i got to medical school in san francisco, i was having difficulty standing for long periods in the operating room,” she reported. “one of the attending physicians saw this and asked me about it. i told him i had as, but that i couldn’t take the meds i needed for relief while doing rounds or while attending a four-hour hip-replacement surgery because they made me drowsy and foggy,” dr. chin said.“here i was in a hospital surrounded by great medical minds, but i was disheartened to find nothing could help my condition. the attending physician and my mentor dr. levine pulled me aside and handed me a bottle containing a tincture. ‘this is marijuana,’ he told me, ‘but it won’t make you high,’” she recalled.
powered by
canadian centre for caregiving excellence
story continues below
“he didn’t call it cbd oil; he just said it was a different type of cannabis plant. i was mortified, but desperate. as a medical student, training to be a doctor, my first thought was, ‘you are offering me pot? you want to make me a drug addict?’ i grew up in the bronx, where there was a huge social stigma around marijuana. kids that smoked weed were either the dropouts or involved in gangs. i also grew up in a very traditional chinese household. my parents believed in reefer madness — weed led to psychosis and schizophrenia!” she said.“the little brown dropper bottle dr. levine handed me smelled like a combination of alcohol, wet dog and grass, and i didn’t know what to think. to my amazement, the tincture worked very well. the pain and inflammation of my arthritis decreased dramatically, my as stopped progressing, and my health improved,” dr. chin said.
“even though california legalized medical cannabis in 1996, i didn’t dare tell anyone i was using it. i was a young physician and didn’t want to jeopardize my career. but once i got my health back, i decided to learn more about cannabis and how it helps manage pain and improve people’s overall health and wellness,” she said. “having suffered in pain for so long, i know what it feels like to say to your doctor, ‘i’ve tried everything, and nothing has helped,’” she added.“i have been helping patients integrate medical cannabis into their health and wellness for over a decade. cannabis changed the trajectory of my life. i would not have been able to finish medical school and become a doctor had it not been for cannabis treatment,” dr. chin said. “i had an educational advantage in doing my medical school training in california. california legalized medical cannabis in 1996. i was in the middle of a switch box and was able to engineer my circumstances to learn holistic, integrative cannabis medicine,” she added.dr. chin has seen firsthand just how much medical cannabis can benefit patients. a bronx native, who moved back to new york several years ago, dr. chin is now registered with the new york state medical cannabis program.  she is currently treating both children and adults in new york and is with askcmd.com, a personalized cannabis service.
powered by
obesity matters

comments

postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. we ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. we have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. visit our community guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.

you may also like
041321-png0413nquarantine-04
b.c. could face travel restrictions as variant screening stepped up
041321-0813_covid_vulnerable
can your employer require you to be vaccinated?
041221-health-coronavirus/australia
ontario daily case count jumps back above 4,000
041321-png0413n_pharmacyvaccine
horgan says he'd have no hesitation taking astrazeneca shot
covid-icu-3
ontario hospitals 'surging like absolute crazy' in third wave
you may also like
041321-png0413nquarantine-04
b.c. could face travel restrictions as variant screening stepped up
041321-0813_covid_vulnerable
can your employer require you to be vaccinated?
041221-health-coronavirus/australia
ontario daily case count jumps back above 4,000
041321-png0413n_pharmacyvaccine
horgan says he'd have no hesitation taking astrazeneca shot
you may also like
041321-png0413nquarantine-04
b.c. could face travel restrictions as variant screening stepped up
041321-0813_covid_vulnerable
can your employer require you to be vaccinated?