Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine

Integrative Pain Management Series IV: Cannabis and Pain

Cannabis is becoming an important adjuvant in the treatment of chronic pain. While the use of this plant as a standard therapy is still somewhat controversial, the evidence for cannabis in chronic pain is often misunderstood. Learning how to effectively and safely council patients on the use of cannabis is an important aspect of chronic pain management. This course will review the pharmacology of cannabis, the evidence for pain control and other symptoms, the safe use of cannabis, as well as the differences between oral and inhaled cannabis.

Educational Purpose:

• This course offers an in-depth look at the current state of evidence for safety and benefit for cannabis as an adjunctive treatment in chronic pain management. This course will cover the interaction between cannabinoid receptors, endocannabinoids and phytocannabinoids in the use of medical marijuana. It will also cover pharmacokinetic aspects of different preparations and the safety profiles of cannabis in symptom management.

Course objectives

• Review the interaction between cannabinoid receptors, endocannabinoids and phytocannabinoids in the use of medical marijuana.
• Enumerate three different modes of delivery of cannabis and discuss the different pharmacokinetic and safety profiles.
• List three symptoms that may be improved by cannabis medicines.

Curriculum

• Cannabis as Medicine
• Receptor Activation and CBD
• Cannabinoids and Pain
• Cannabinoids for specific conditions
• Safety and dependency
• Dosing medical cannabis
• Oral versus inhaled dosing

Completion Requirements

Complete all the course work, course evaluation, and the final test with a score of 70% or better. Upon successful completion you will be able to print your certificate of completion.

Target Audience

This online enduring material educational program is designed for physicians, advanced nurse practitioners, and physician assistants and other health care providers who have an interest in chronic pain treatment.

Enrollment

You can register and start immediately. If you register for the course and pay with a credit card you will have immediate access to the course. Once your registration is complete, logout and log back in and your course will be listed on the campus page. If you cannot remember your account information, click the Forgot Password link on the login page and it will be emailed to you.