Podcast

Healthcare Today with Manvir Victor Ep 18: Medical cannabis – what we need to know

A doctor and patient give their side of the medical cannabis legalisation debate and their hopes for future implementation

Updated 3 years ago · Published on 12 Apr 2023 11:00AM

Healthcare Today with Manvir Victor Ep 18: Medical cannabis – what we need to know
Dr Janethy Balakrishnan Bokstrom, the President of the Association for Integrative Medicine Malaysia, and Mike Michael, a patient suffering from an autoimmune disease, chat with host Manvir Victor on this week's podcast. – Azim Rahman/The Vibes pic, April 12, 2023

MEDICAL cannabis can be groundbreaking benefit and something that needs to be discussed more openly and intelligently. The biggest misconception around it that needs to be dispelled is the notion that it is smoked and is addictive. 

Dr Janethy Balakrishnan Bokstrom, the President of the Association for Integrative Medicine Malaysia and a patient, Mike Michael, are here to discuss some of those misconceptions.

Together they talk about the 65 countries that have legalised medical cannabis, how it is used safely, and the benefits for patients as well as the chemical composition of this drug. 

Dr Janethy Balakrishnan Bokstrom. – Azim Rahman/The Vibes pic
Dr Janethy Balakrishnan Bokstrom. – Azim Rahman/The Vibes pic

Mike, a patient suffering from an autoimmune disease and a veteran of many surgeries who is in constant pain, says he would definitely use medical cannabis if it is available as it has been proven to reduce pain with less side effects than conventional medications. 

Dr Janethy explains the technology behind the making of medical cannabis and the cannabis receptors that we have in our bodies that helps to enhance this treatment. 

Mike Michael. – Azim Rahman/The Vibes pic
Mike Michael. – Azim Rahman/The Vibes pic

Medical cannabis is by no means a cure but merely a treatment for certain conditions and must be prescribed by a specialist for use and the administration of it must be followed strictly. 

Together they assert that proper legislation and adherence to strict use will bring more benefit to patients that need it (e.g. those undergoing chemotherapy, etc).

As Malaysia considers legalisation for this treatment in the future, we should know more about its uses and potential benefits. In this podcast, Dr Janethy shares her thoughts on a course that is available for members of the public who are keen to know more.

– Azim Rahman/The Vibes pic
– Azim Rahman/The Vibes pic

As always, please DM me on Twitter @manvirvictor if you have any questions or need further resources. – The Vibes, April 12, 2023

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