Where Does Cannabis Fit Within Physical Therapy Scope of Practice?

What is a Cannabinoid?

How Can You Educate Your Patients About Cannabis?

What does the research tell us?

What laws and legal issues do PT’s need to consider?

Jeff Konin and Jim Farris are physical therapists who specialize in cannabis education and research and collaborated to create their own company called PHD 420.

To understand the basics of cannabis, Jim broke down what a cannabinoid is from the cannabis plant and each of its strands (THC, CBD, etc.).

Therapists should understand the availability of cannabis for patients at the federal and state levels. While some states have passed legal use either medicinally or adult use, it is still illegal federally.

Regulations to conduct studies using cannabis continue to be federally run which minimizes the amount of research available. Cannabis needs to be pulled from a schedule 1 drug for it to be studied.

Conditions that have shown benefits from cannabis include pain, multiple sclerosis, cancer, post traumatic stress syndrome, HIV/AIDS, neurodegenerative diseases, fibromyalgia, migraines, sleep conditions and epilepsy.

Key takeaways are to look at the research (i.e. PubMed) to learn more about cannabis and understand your state practice act when educating healthcare providers and patients.

QUOTES

“There is something out there and the patients aren’t waiting for us to find the science. They’re finding solutions.” – JEFF

“It is crazy what people think about the plant versus what the plant can actually do and what it provides. There is a stigma.” – JIM

PARTING SHOT

“Try to help get rid of the stigma of cannabis... Don’t be afraid to get into it and ask.” – JIM

“Look for the donut, not the whole.” – JEFF