Course Overview

In the Classical texts, Cannabis is prescribed for everything from painful menstruation to recovery after childbirth to seeing the future. It has been classified as a superior medicinal, has served as a catalyst for meditation and introspection in Taoist temples, and has been illegal in most of the world for nearly 100 years. In this class, we continue our exploration of this "forgotten" medicinal; using the Classics as a backbone and comparing what the Divine Farmer, Tao Hong Jing, and Li Shizhen had to say with our understanding of modern Cannabis science.

Are ancient Cannabis indications linked to Cannabinoids? We think they are!

Our discussion focuses on 3 indications for cannabis through the lens of 3 Key “Ancient” Materia Medica, linking those indications to the endocannabinoid system and Cannabinoid actions and indications.

At the conclusion of this class, students will understand how Cannabis was used in the Classics, and will have a road map for conversing with their patients who present with questions about how, when, and how much to use this newly remembered medicinal.

Course Objectives

• Learn how Cannabis was described by Shen Nong/ Divine Farmer.
• Learn how Cannabis was described by Tao Hong Jing.
• Learn how Li Shizhen expanded on & critiqued Tao Hong Jing's description of Cannabis in his Běn Cǎo Gāng Mù.
• Understand Cannabis seed as a superior food source with nearly complete nutrition for humans.
• Learn how Cannabinoids can explain the actions of pain relief, creativity enhancement, & Shen Ming/Spirit Lucidity.

Course Outline

0 hrs - 15 minIntroduction to Cannabis as a "forgotten" herb. So much more than what we learned in Bensky & Gamble. Purgative to Moist Laxative to 1st Herb of Section.

15 min - 45 minCannabis, finding The Roots in Our Materia Medica: Shén Nóng Běn Cǎo; Běn Cǎo Jīng Jí Zhù; Běn Cǎo Gāng Mù

45 min - 1 hrsCannabis as a superior food. What the Classics say, and how modern Cannabis science concludes its near perfect nutrition (superfood).

1 hrs - 1.5 hrsCannabis as superior pain relief. What the Classics say, and how modern Cannabis science explains & extends.

1.5 hrs - 2 hrsCannabis, as superior Spirit/Shen medicine. Soaring through the clouds; seeing ghosts - What the Classics say about the mental, emotional, and “intoxicating” nervous system effects of Cannabis, how are these explained by modern Cannabis science.

2 hrs - 2.5 hrsClinical pearls and conclusions - how can we talk intelligently about Cannabis with our patients? How do we practice superior medicine?