How to Talk to your Doctor about Medical Cannabis
While millions of people around the world has discovered medical cannabis as a viable alternative to many pharmaceutical medicines, your physician might still not be totally on board with the idea. That’s why it’s important to know how to approach your physician with well-formed arguments to help educate them.
In order to convince your doctor that cannabis is medicine, it’s recommended to approach the topic with a fact-based attitude, void of emotional responses and a firm understanding of your supportive arguments.
In the following article I’ll be outlining some of the more critical points with links to studies to assist you in your endeavor. You can share these resources with your physician to get them on board.
How to initiate the dialogue
You can’t simply go to your doctor and say, “I want weed!” If your doctor is not on board with cannabis, they will think that this is merely a call to take drugs. In fact, there are a number of medical professionals that still don’t think that marijuana is medicine. Fortunately, they are in the minority.
Nonetheless, the best approach to start a conversation is to ask a question. Something along the lines of, “Hey doc, I’ve been doing some research and was wondering what you think about cannabis to help me with my symptoms?”
When using this approach, the doctor still feels like the authority. You have to understand that people who spent eight years studying for their profession don’t like to feel dumb. That’s why catering a bit to their ego can help soften the following conversation.
Depending on how the conversation goes from there, in favor or opposed, you can take the next steps.
If your doctor is in favor, then together you’ll figure out what the best approach to incorporating cannabis into your medical regimen. If the doctor is opposed, then it’s time to bring your supporting arguments.
How to Convince your Physician
Don’t get defensive if your doctor is opposed to cannabis. As mentioned, this is usually due to ignorance on the subject matter. Again, using questions allow you to let the doctor do all the hard work.
First, ask your doctor why he or she opposes medical marijuana. Depending on their responses, you can adjust your strategy.
Whatever they say, acknowledge their point of view. To do this, say something like , “I understand…” and then continue with something along the lines of, “…however, I’ve been doing some research on the subject. Would you mind me sharing with you some of the studies I have found to provide me with a professional medical perspective?”
As you can see, the approach here still places the physician in the proverbial “driver’s seat”. Here, they will verify your research. While they might read the research with a pre-established point of view, they will still end up reading it.
Hopefully, throughout their “verification process”, they will understand your point of view. The trick is to get them to read the studies, to start familiarizing them with the research and convince them that cannabis is a viable option.
Things not to do when talking to your physician
As mentioned, it’s never a good idea to get emotional. A stoic approach and a calm demeanor is key to winning these types of arguments. In fact, not arguing is the best strategy. This is why I always ask questions. It allows me to control where the information is going. I don’t need to defend, I’m simply inquiring and allowing the receiver to argue with themselves.
Don’t be visibly stoned. Know the information you’ll share beforehand. Even if you don’t fully understand the science behind the research. You should have some general knowledge which will help you with confidence throughout the conversation.
If you notice that your doctor won’t even look at the research, don’t double down on trying to convince them. Some people simply won’t accept cannabis. In this case, it might be time to look for another doctor.
What are resources you can use to help convince your doctor
There are a number of studies on cannabis. The sheer volume of research papers on the plant surpasses 20,000 published studies. However, there are a few studies that stand out from the rest.
Most of the best research currently comes from Israel. However, there are plenty of other resources from all over the world.
This Leafly Article has a robust list of studies to choose from. While the article here provides a general overview, it will also be important to find condition-specific studies to help convince your doctor of your particular condition.
On any search engine, simply search for “Medical Cannabis + (Your Condition) + Study/Research”. Carefully read the studies prior to submitting them to your physician. You should be presented by a host of papers, journals and studies.
Find the best ones to help support your case.
If by the end of your attempt to convince your doctor that cannabis should be, at the very least, given a chance. However, if the doctor still, after all of your hard work, is opposed. It’s time to think about a different physician.
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