Whole food plant-based diets and medical cannabis have shared and continues to share similar levels of scrutiny, doubt, and stigma by the traditional medical community. One reason for the medical community distrusting the science behind whole food plant-based diets, medical cannabis, and the endocannabinoid system may be because the information is not usually taught in traditional educational platforms such as universities, medical schools or other allied health schools, or specialty sponsored medical continuing education conferences. The information is often rejected as hearsay or anecdotal despite mounting evidence that both whole food plant-based diets and medical cannabis can contribute positively as a sole therapeutic modality or in conjunction with traditional therapeutic treatments. There is a lot of public interest in medical cannabis as a solo treatment or as an adjunct treatment for many medical conditions. The question is if evidence shows that medical cannabis is efficacious? There is also a lot of public interest surrounding how diet and lifestyle may help boost the immune system and transform the body into a healing machine. There is evidence linking the synergistic mechanisms of action between whole food plant-based nutrition with medical cannabis leading to positive health outcomes. I will present my methods for treating patients and patient outcomes using case reports as examples. I will support my therapeutic management of patients, combining a whole food plant-based diet with medical cannabis, with evidence-backed information. I will discuss the rationale for the nutrition and lifestyles changes, the importance of an intact microbiome, and explain the endocannabinoid system and its involvement in biologic systems, and the use of medical cannabis.

This knowledge is imperative for all physicians especially at a time when the world regulatory landscape is changing rapidly. The US DEA removed cannabidiol from the Controlled Substances Act and the World Health Organization is recommending that cannabis and all cannabinoids be removed from DEA schedule I designation.

Learning Objectives: 

1. Understand how a whole food all plant diet can transform the body’s internal environment and support the immune system.
2. Understand how medical cannabis can help to as a therapeutic option as well as help to mitigate side effects from traditional therapeutic treatments.