FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Cannabis is generally considered safe. In fact, you cannot die from an overdose of cannabis. Statistics show that no one has ever died from cannabis. The same cannot be said for most all pharmaceuticals or drugs. Still, it’s very important not to overdose, or take a higher dose than is recommended. Where people get in trouble is when they take a very high dose, and end up getting extremely high and experience unwanted side effects. This is more common with edible products.

Another important consideration is the quality of the cannabis. It’s important that all products are lab tested to ensure they are free of pesticides, chemicals, microbial’s or other harmful elements. At Dr. Z Leaf, we put great effort in responsibly sourcing top quality, lab tested products to  ensure that patients don’t have to worry.

Many of the unappealing side effects come from high THC products, or taking too much of a product with high amounts of THC. By following best practices, you can avoid having unwanted side effects. Best practices include starting with high CBD/low THC strains or products, starting with very low doses, and reading up on our free patient guide.

Common side effects include paranoia/anxiety, dry mouth, dry/red eyes, hunger, and sleepiness (for certain strains). Like we mentioned, it is possible to avoid or limit experiencing adverse side effects by following best practices. If you have any more questions, come visit in person and talk with one of our cannabis consultants. We will be happy to answer any more questions you have!

Most people are under the impression that all cannabis products get you high, and that is not the case. High THC products will get you feeling high, but there are many other products that provide therapeutic effect without getting you high. High CBD strains or products will not produce the psychoactive effects that high THC products produce. CBD is non psychoactive. In fact, CBD actually counteracts the psychoactive effects from THC. So products that have the proper balance of CBD to THC, or contain mostly CBD, will not get you high. Also, topical products will not produce a high. This is a common misconception.

If your wondering if using cannabis for pain relief is a gimmick, rest assured cannabis is the real deal. There is a significant amount of medical research that proves the effectiveness of cannabis at treating a wide variety of pain. There is also the overwhelming amount of personal testimonies from patients having success using cannabis for treating their pain. What’s amazing about cannabis is that it does more than just relieve the symptoms of pain. Cannabidiol (CBD) has been proven to be an incredibly powerful anti-inflammatory, meaning that it’s ability to reduce inflammation means that it has healing properties. So the answer is a big YES, cannabis is incredibly effective at helping patients with pain. The difficult part is that every patient’s situation is unique, and there are so many different kinds of strains and administration methods, so choosing the right product can be a challenge. That’s where our cannabis consultants come in. They can help you choose the right product at the right strength, and help walk you through the process of finding relief from your pain through cannabis.

Great question! There are a variety of administration methods. There are edible products, topical creams/lotions, tinctures (sublingual drops), even suppositories. Some people are turned off by the smoke, and that’s understandable. But many people are unaware of the benefits of vaping. Vaping is easy, discreet (does not smell, or produce unwanted smoke), and most importantly very effective for patients. A smart vaporizer like the PAX 3 is a highly recommended way to consume cannabis. Still, if inhaling is out of the question for you, rest assured that there are a variety of ways to consume cannabis, and new ways of administration are being refined every day. Transdermal patches, gel-caps, teas, there are many new administration methods that will help patients take cannabis in a manner most comfortable and effective for them.

CBD, or cannabidiol, is simply one specific kind of cannabinoid that is produced in the cannabis plant. What is amazing is that the cannabis plant (depending on the strain or cultivar- basically the breed of the plant if you will) has over 120 identified cannabinoids. These unique cannabinoids work together with other compounds called terpenes to create different therapeutic effects.

CBD is one of the most well known cannabinoids, along with THC. THC has psychoactive properties (gets you high) while CBD does not. No amount of CBD will ever get you high. So far, CBD has been shown to provide therapeutic effect for a variety of conditions. The more research that is done, the more that CBD is shown as an effective treatment option for a wide variety of conditions and symptoms.

This is an interesting one. Smoking cannabis does produce toxic byproducts, such as tar. However, what is very interesting is that according to Dr. Donald Tashkin, pulmonologist and cannabis researcher, smoking cannabis did not increase the risk of COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). Another incredible finding from studies conducted by Dr. Tashkin conclude that cannabis smoking does not increase the risk of lung cancer. Smoking cigarettes increases the risk of lung cancer by 20 times! These are some incredible findings. Now, we need to be clear, smoking cannabis still produces carcinogens and other toxic byproducts. Also, chronic cannabis smoking can cause other respiratory problems such as bronchitis, cough, phlegm. But if you’re comparing smoking cannabis to cigarettes, cannabis has been shown to be significantly less harmful than cigarettes.