New cannabis CAREGIVERS
by Tab Moura
Hello all! As the weather warms up, I am excited to see more of our cannabis community. I’ve thought a lot about the canna-events on the horizon, the cannabis policies on the ballot, and I feel like we have so much work to do. On top of this, we’re coming off of a quarantine. I feel like Will Ferrell, not knowing what to do with my hands. Anyone else?
So I return to my roots, remembering the basics, remembering where I started and where I am now. I remember that my calling is to help spread the word that every human has an endocannabinoid system, and that you don’t have to be a scientist to utilize cannabis therapeutically. If you are a cannabis caregiver, or are considering becoming one, here are my 3 suggestions for getting off on the right foot.
Get education:
As a caregiver, you can find education from a lot of places… but please know this: your success as a cannabis caregiver is worth the time and resources it takes to invest in yourself. Feel free to reach out to me.
As an educator I will always try to point you toward free resources before suggesting a paid resource. Why? Because the human body doesn’t care if you have money. I have been in need of cannabis therapy when money was hard to come by, and no one should have to suffer just because money is tight.
Likewise, if you want or need the resources from a paid course that you cannot afford, reach out to our cannabis community to see who offers discounts, scholarships or contests for free courses.
Find or create a treatment plan:
You can find templates for therapy plans that vary by health conditions and weight groups, but those are just the basics. In fact, nothing compares to your first hand experience with trial and error… I see this time and time again with my clients. Be prepared to change the plan as needed, but don’t feel pressure to get it perfect right away. The sooner you begin their therapy, the better. Start low and slow, and go from there. Join Facebook groups, read what works for the health condition you’re treating.
Find things that work for your unique patient. This isn’t one size fits all; cannabis therapy does not have to have dosing drama. There are templates out there for tracking your daily dosing, strains and methods, etc, or even doing 7-day-overviews. You can make your own as you go along. This process works for the minimalists and the maximalists.
The patient and their part:
It’s my personal belief that everyone who consumes Cannabis medicine has the responsibility, and opportunity, to be involved in their treatment plan. As someone who mostly works with children, it may surprise you that I apply this to children as well.
Whether it’s helping you track their results with words or pictures, or sampling products so you can buy or make medicine they like, or helping you water the plants you grow at home. Being involved in ones cannabis therapy helps the medicine work, otherwise you (as the caregiver) may struggle to maximize the patient’s results.
How can we create a successful therapy plan for someone without communicating with them? And because I know some of you may be helping to care for someone who is nonverbal/ preverbal, I want to assure you that even without words I’ve watched two of my children become very involved in their therapy plans and THAT is what changed their lives.
