{"componentChunkName":"component---common-build-tags-template-js","path":"/tag/hellomd-news/","result":{"data":{"allArticle":{"edges":[{"node":{"id":"Article_2852-markdown","title":"Scents & Sensuality: A HelloMD Event","slug":"scents-and-sensuality-a-hellomd-event","content":"Last week, HelloMD hosted an event called Scents & Sensuality in San Francisco at the Phoenix Hotel, where rock legends like Neil Young and Debby Harry stayed in years past. \n\nThe evening featured cannabis brands Marley Natural and Garden Society, essential oils producer doTERRA, and psychotherapist and sexuality expert Meriana Dinkova. After mingling and learning more about cannabis and the plant’s various aromas and scents, guests were treated to a short talk from Meriana about how marijuana can make for a more sensual time in the bedroom.\n\n![HelloMD co-founder Pamela Hadfield with sexuality expert Meriana Dinkova; cannabis brand Marley Natural](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/markdown-image-injector-b8bdaf69-3f11-4661-800f-82a3eb694a6e/original.png)\n_HelloMD's Pamela Hadfield with sexpert Meriana Dinkova; a guest enjoys Marley Natural's cannabis booth._\n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\nGuests began the evening with a cocktail hour where they were able to talk to representatives from Marley Natural about their high-quality cannabis flower; cutting-edge vape cartridges, including one [featuring the hard-to-find cannabinoid delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol](https://hellomd.com/articles/what-is-delta-8-thc-and-whats-it-good-for); and gorgeous eco-friendly wood accessories. \n\n### Learning About Cannabis Terpenes\n\n![Essential oils brand doTERRA with cannabis brand Garden Society](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/markdown-image-injector-d6862610-a6e6-4ecf-95b1-ec658399d723/original.png)\n\nGarden Society (pictured above right), maker of gourmet cannabis edibles, set up a terpene and scent station with help from doTERRA (above left). Guests learned about different terpenes in cannabis, such as:\n\n* Citrusy and uplifting [limonene](https://www.hellomd.com/articles/know-your-cannabis-terpenes-limonene)\n* Musky and spicy myrcene\n* Earthy and sweet [pinene](https://hellomd.com/articles/know-your-terpenes-pinene)\n* Floral and soothing [linalool](https://hellomd.com/articles/know-your-cannabis-terpenes-linalool)\n* Earthy and zesty [beta-caryophellene](https://hellomd.com/articles/know-your-terpenes-beta-caryophyllene)\n\nRELATED: [3 POPULAR QUESTIONS ABOUT MARIJUANA & TERPENES ANSWERED](https://hellomd.com/articles/3-popular-questions-about-marijuana-and-terpenes-answered)\n\nBy smelling the essential oils that contain the same terpenes as different marijuana strains, guests began to understand the various components of the cannabis plant and how terpenes, along with cannabinoids like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), combine to impart certain effects. \n\n![Scents & Sensuality terpene station](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/markdown-image-injector-dd57447e-8c32-47d4-bd1a-ae52e80e43eb/original.png)\n\nBy better understanding terpenes and how to identify them when buying cannabis and cannabis products, folks will be able to choose the marijuana that provides the effects that they want, helping them avoid some cannabis trial and error. \n\n### Marijuana for a Better Time in the Bedroom\n\n![Scents & Sensuality HelloMD event](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/markdown-image-injector-3dd99484-d549-45c4-88b9-752da3f9d951/original.png)\n\nAfter the educational happy hour, Merina took to the stage to share how she discovered cannabis helped her in the bedroom. For her and many of her clients, marijuana not only relaxes the body and mind, but also allows them to be more present in the moment to truly connect with their partner. \n\nPhoto credit: [Kai Oberhäuser](https://unsplash.com/@memoryonsounds)\n\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://hellomd.com/articles/cannabis-101-what-you-need-to-know-about-marijuana/) index of articles. [HelloMD](https://hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online.","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/673dece10c7974f2013b2dc8a1ae3b31/14b42/44382d70c3aac04c8938975d80a31beb.jpg","srcSet":"/static/673dece10c7974f2013b2dc8a1ae3b31/f836f/44382d70c3aac04c8938975d80a31beb.jpg 200w,\n/static/673dece10c7974f2013b2dc8a1ae3b31/2244e/44382d70c3aac04c8938975d80a31beb.jpg 400w,\n/static/673dece10c7974f2013b2dc8a1ae3b31/14b42/44382d70c3aac04c8938975d80a31beb.jpg 800w,\n/static/673dece10c7974f2013b2dc8a1ae3b31/47498/44382d70c3aac04c8938975d80a31beb.jpg 1200w,\n/static/673dece10c7974f2013b2dc8a1ae3b31/0e329/44382d70c3aac04c8938975d80a31beb.jpg 1600w,\n/static/673dece10c7974f2013b2dc8a1ae3b31/bea71/44382d70c3aac04c8938975d80a31beb.jpg 3641w","srcWebp":"/static/673dece10c7974f2013b2dc8a1ae3b31/58556/44382d70c3aac04c8938975d80a31beb.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/673dece10c7974f2013b2dc8a1ae3b31/61e93/44382d70c3aac04c8938975d80a31beb.webp 200w,\n/static/673dece10c7974f2013b2dc8a1ae3b31/1f5c5/44382d70c3aac04c8938975d80a31beb.webp 400w,\n/static/673dece10c7974f2013b2dc8a1ae3b31/58556/44382d70c3aac04c8938975d80a31beb.webp 800w,\n/static/673dece10c7974f2013b2dc8a1ae3b31/99238/44382d70c3aac04c8938975d80a31beb.webp 1200w,\n/static/673dece10c7974f2013b2dc8a1ae3b31/7c22d/44382d70c3aac04c8938975d80a31beb.webp 1600w,\n/static/673dece10c7974f2013b2dc8a1ae3b31/79ff7/44382d70c3aac04c8938975d80a31beb.webp 3641w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2801-markdown","title":"HelloMD Co-Founder Pamela Hadfield Featured in Forbes","slug":"hellomd-co-founder-pamela-hadfield-featured-in-forbes","content":"This week, HelloMD Co-founder Pamela Hadfield was featured in the _Forbes_ magazine article, [“How this Techie Became An Advocate for Marijuana.”](https://www.forbes.com/sites/heathercabot/2018/08/13/how-this-techie-became-an-advocate-for-marijuana/#573fbc4d3d4f) _Forbes_ writer [Heather Cabot](https://www.forbes.com/sites/heathercabot/#6098698975ed) chatted with Pamela about her experience with chronic migraines  and how she turned to opioids to deal with them. Pamela also described how she finally discovered cannabis, which stopped her pain, and how she continues to take cannabis as a tool to prevent migraines. \n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\nThe article also detailed the exciting new evolution in HelloMD’s offerings, which will soon include a hemp-derived CBD store that’ll ship nationwide:\n\n“HelloMD recently introduced e-commerce to the platform and a menu of curated products … This month, HelloMD will begin a major push for sales and delivery of CBD products derived from hemp, a cousin of marijuana that has similar medical applications but does not face the same legal restrictions.”\n\nRELATED: [CANNABIS, NOT OPIOIDS: HELLOMD’S PAMELA HADFIELD ON NOWTHIS](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5b29938abf4c4d000a0e74be/cannabis-not-opioids-hellomds-pamela-hadfield-on-nowthis)\n\nAs some of you may know, Pamela’s story of improved health and wellness is the reason she founded HelloMD—to help people discover the therapeutic value of cannabis, like she has. Now as the largest online community of health and wellness cannabis consumers, HelloMD has a range of ways to help people navigate the legal marijuana landscape:\n\n* Online doctor consultations and [medical marijuana recommendations](https://www.hellomd.com/about-us#md-consult) for California and New York.\n* A [library of educational content](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness) looking at all aspects of cannabis for health and wellness.\n* The [Answers](www.hellomd.com/answers) page, where people can ask their cannabis-related questions and receive advice to help them make informed decisions about the plant. \n* An online shop that [currently delivers high-quality cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) marijuana products](https://www.hellomd.com/products) to cannabis consumers in San Francisco, the East Bay and Marin County, with delivery to the South Bay and Sonoma County coming soon. \n\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/56201c206430320006bb0000/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online. \n","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3793103448275863,"src":"/static/287edf5f510fed60c66e16c743cdacc7/14b42/2c88abc925ec8a2139ca454424bb42d9.jpg","srcSet":"/static/287edf5f510fed60c66e16c743cdacc7/f836f/2c88abc925ec8a2139ca454424bb42d9.jpg 200w,\n/static/287edf5f510fed60c66e16c743cdacc7/2244e/2c88abc925ec8a2139ca454424bb42d9.jpg 400w,\n/static/287edf5f510fed60c66e16c743cdacc7/14b42/2c88abc925ec8a2139ca454424bb42d9.jpg 800w,\n/static/287edf5f510fed60c66e16c743cdacc7/47498/2c88abc925ec8a2139ca454424bb42d9.jpg 1200w,\n/static/287edf5f510fed60c66e16c743cdacc7/0e329/2c88abc925ec8a2139ca454424bb42d9.jpg 1600w,\n/static/287edf5f510fed60c66e16c743cdacc7/f3fa0/2c88abc925ec8a2139ca454424bb42d9.jpg 2713w","srcWebp":"/static/287edf5f510fed60c66e16c743cdacc7/58556/2c88abc925ec8a2139ca454424bb42d9.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/287edf5f510fed60c66e16c743cdacc7/61e93/2c88abc925ec8a2139ca454424bb42d9.webp 200w,\n/static/287edf5f510fed60c66e16c743cdacc7/1f5c5/2c88abc925ec8a2139ca454424bb42d9.webp 400w,\n/static/287edf5f510fed60c66e16c743cdacc7/58556/2c88abc925ec8a2139ca454424bb42d9.webp 800w,\n/static/287edf5f510fed60c66e16c743cdacc7/99238/2c88abc925ec8a2139ca454424bb42d9.webp 1200w,\n/static/287edf5f510fed60c66e16c743cdacc7/7c22d/2c88abc925ec8a2139ca454424bb42d9.webp 1600w,\n/static/287edf5f510fed60c66e16c743cdacc7/ce34d/2c88abc925ec8a2139ca454424bb42d9.webp 2713w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2768-markdown","title":"How to Microdose With Cannabis: A HelloMD Event","slug":"how-to-microdose-with-cannabis-a-hellomd-event","content":"HelloMD’s Chief Medical Officer [Perry Solomon](https://www.linkedin.com/in/perry-solomon-md-2b27a65), M.D., hosted another educational event in San Francisco with [Level](https://levelexperience.com/) co-founder [Chris Emerson](https://levelexperience.com/maverick-beginnings-plant-love-meets-science/). This time, Chris spoke on the topic of [microdosing](https://www.hellomd.com/tag/microdosing) cannabis.\n\n![Hello1-min (29).png](https://hellomd-cms.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Hello1_min_29_a2323482f9.png)\n\nChris, who’s also Level’s chief scientist, holds a Ph.D. in small molecule chemistry. As he puts it, “*A lot of people who get that training go and make drugs for Big Pharma. … I’ve always been fascinated by plant medicine. And so I had an experience seven years ago on a cannabis farm that changed the direction of my life and led me down this path of wanting to create a consistent, reliable, standardized dose of products for the cannabis market*\".\n\n“*Level’s about three years old now, and I think we’re doing a good job of trying to achieve that goal. We’ll keep iterating, moving forward. And we love partnering with [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) on these events because we’re very aligned on how we approach our thoughts for what cannabis can be for people in health and wellness*.”\n\nWhen it comes to cannabis for health and wellness, more and more people are consuming the plant to improve their quality of life versus for recreational purposes only. Says Dr. Solomon, “*There are always going to be people who just want to get stoned, who just want to get high*.\"\n\n“*However, we try to promote cannabis as an alternative to pharmaceutical drugs—to alcohol in most cases, and obviously to opioids. We see people using cannabis for everything from [migraines](https://www.hellomd.com/articles/new-study-finds-cannabis-effective-in-treatment-for-migraines) to [insomnia](https://www.hellomd.com/articles/3-popular-questions-about-marijuana-and-insomnia-answered) and obviously, number one, for [pain](https://www.hellomd.com/articles/cannabis-a-workplace-solution-for-chronic-pain)*.”\n\nAnd so, with this in mind, Dr. Solomon sat down with Chris to go over the benefits of cannabis, especially when taken in small doses on a regular basis—that is, [cannabis taken in microdoses](https://www.hellomd.com/articles/microdosing-a-better-way-to-take-cannabis). Here are just a few excerpts from their in-depth discussion.\n\n### What is microdosing when it comes to cannabis? And how does microdosing marijuana affect the human condition?\n\n**Chris Emerson:** Microdosing is a concept of using a subtherapeutic dose over a certain timeframe to help some system come into equilibrium. A lot of times, when people talk about microdosing, that’s with psychedelic compounds. I think [James Fadiman](https://www.jamesfadiman.com/) was the one who really came up with this regime of: \n\nYou take a compound for one day at a subtherapeutic dose. Then you take two days off. Then you repeat that cycle. So, in seven days, you’re dosing three times roughly. This works really well when you’re talking about very potent compounds where you need less than a milligram to have some physiological action.\n\nIn cannabis, microdosing is now used ubiquitously to talk about much lower dosing. So, instead of packing maybe a bowl full of flower using a vape cartridge, it’s using 1–3 milligrams of a subtherapeutic dose of cannabis. And so, I think it’s important to define what we’re talking about from microdosing. Generally, the range that people talk about with microdosing is anything up to three milligrams or more. \n\n![Hello3-min (25).png](https://hellomd-cms.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Hello3_min_25_dbe4baa854.png)\n\n### The problem, though, with cannabis, in general, is that everyone’s needs are individual and unique. So what may be right for me may not be right for you? Isn’t that right?\n\n**Chris Emerson:** Exactly. So I think the extreme cut-off is five milligrams, but that can be a very heavy dose for a lot of people. So we at Level and a lot of other companies define it as being from 1–3 milligrams. \n\nHonestly, it’s really hard to get microdosed products that are less than a milligram. So I think in the context of cannabis, when we talk about microdosing, it’s somewhere between 1–3 milligrams, potentially up to five. \n\n![Hello4-min (24).png](https://hellomd-cms.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Hello4_min_24_8240521b5f.png)\n\n### How does a microdose actually work? Are you supposed to feel something when you take a microdose of cannabis?\n\n**Chris Emerson:** I think in the traditional context of microdosing cannabis, it’s working in the background, so you don’t necessarily feel it physiologically, but you notice enhancement. Then, it’s like, “*Oh, I can focus now*,” or “*I’m not getting tired*,” or “*I didn’t have anxiety today*.” And because the plant produces 65-plus different [cannabinoids](https://www.hellomd.com/articles/cannabinoids-chemical-compounds-with-huge-therapeutic-potential), some of them are psychoactive, and most of them aren’t.\n\nAnd so it’s an interesting question you ask. Yeah, maybe you take a milligram of [THC (tetrahydrocannabinol)](https://www.hellomd.com/tag/thc), and you don’t feel this high from a physiological standpoint, but it helps you focus during your day or helps with your back pain if you’ve been sitting at a computer for 10 hours.\n\nAnd so the really challenging thing, and I think what we’re trying to do here, is to answer: What is microdosing, and what does it mean for cannabis?\n\n![Hello2-min (26).png](https://hellomd-cms.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Hello2_min_26_b45b29ac52.png)\n \n### If someone takes a high dose of THC, they feel it immediately. In a microdose, though, they don’t really feel anything, so they don’t think it’s working. Do you have to take cannabis for a certain amount of time in the microdosed amount before you actually realize that something may be happening? Or might they feel something?\n\n**Chris Emerson:** I definitely think they could feel something. I can take small doses of cannabis. Not necessarily delta-9 THC, but maybe [CBD (cannabidiol)](https://www.hellomd.com/tag/cbd) as an example. I can take 1–3 milligrams. I may not feel physiologically in effect; I don’t feel tingling, or maybe I don’t feel tension relief in my shoulders, but mentally and emotionally, there’s a difference. So because everyone interacts differently with cannabis, it’s part of this journey of what cannabis actually is: an exploration and definition. \n\n![Hello1-min (25).png](https://hellomd-cms.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Hello1_min_25_08bb84ad6d.png)\n\n### Are there other cannabinoids that you can microdose as well? In other words, other than CBD and THC?\n\n**Chris Emerson:** Yes, absolutely. Any of them, as long as you can find products that allow you to do that. So whether it's a tea or a tincture or tablets or powder, you need something that's standardized in dosage. \n\n![Hello4-min (23).png](https://hellomd-cms.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Hello4_min_23_489cb45ba1.png)\n\n### If someone were to have pain and they needed to take a lot of THC to quell that pain, would they be able to microdose and still get the type of relief they need over a period of time? \n\n**Chris Emerson:** Potentially, they could. It's really hard to say because right now, the way I view it is most people are really overdosing on the amount of cannabis we need. Most products are these much higher-dose products.\n\nAnd so people really haven't started to explore how much cannabis do, I actually need and what is my dosing regime over a certain given amount of time. And so, it makes it challenging because there are a lot of different factors that play into how effective the cannabis is or will be.\n\nThe fat you’ve consumed makes a difference. Also, what's my route of administration? What's my metabolism like? How long does it take my body to actually metabolize and get rid of the active cannabinoid plus, am I using cannabinoids in concert?\n\nAnd so, it makes it really challenging. It's not a cut-and-dried, zero-one. This is the way we do it. This is why we keep coming back to, you start low and go slow. You start with 1–3 milligrams, and then you can baseline yourself essentially off of a product and then say, “OK, I understand if I take three milligrams, I feel this way.”\n\nAnd then you can really start to explore yourself. Maybe you introduce other cannabinoids, or you try a smaller dose to see if you get the same effect. \n\n![Hello6-min (6).png](https://hellomd-cms.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Hello6_min_6_6f0daaad5e.png)\n\n### Let's say there's someone who's been using high doses of THC and CBD. What will happen if they switch immediately to a microdose? Will they feel anything, or do they have to wash the high doses of cannabis out of their system and then start slowly going to a microdose to get some type of effect or feeling?\n\n**Chris Emerson:** There’s a lot of empirical evidence out there, and what people like to say is it's seven to 10 days for your body to reset. … So, say you're on a regimen of 100 milligrams of THC a day, but you really want to see if five milligrams two times a day is going to make a difference. You need a wash-out period.\n\nMost likely, seven to 10 days is what a lot of people report will clear your system. Maybe it's longer—up to 30 days, but that's a good place to start. Then bring yourself back online and say, “Hey, I'm going to try with five milligrams in the morning and five at night.”\n\nThe other thing as well is that people react differently to cannabinoids because we have different expression levels of endocannabinoids in our bodies, so maybe it's not just the delta-9 THCs. Maybe it's the interaction with the other cannabinoids as well. So as you lower the dose of something, maybe you want to start over again and try some new cannabinoids, try some CBD in different ratios with the THC.\n\nLowering your dose is one of the challenging things that we talk about to a lot of people. This is a journey. This is a journey with a plant that people have been consuming for at least 10,000 years, probably a lot longer, and there's going be some exploration with it.\n\nBut cannabis—if formulated properly and tested properly—should be a really good experience, and the adverse effects that people may or may not have should be minimal. Maybe you get a little too high one time, so you go to sleep. Maybe you get a little paranoid, and you wake up the next day and say, “I'm cool; I'm fine, and now I know not to do that again.”\n\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/56201c206430320006bb0000/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post.\n\n### Get a Medical Marijuana Card Online\n\nIt's easy to get your medical marijuana document with the online [Telehealth service HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/get-started/). Register, pay, and receive an online medical consultation with a licensed practitioner and purchase medical cannabis today. You don't pay unless you're approved!\n\n","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/png;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.2121212121212122,"src":"/static/8093f421ab5cc6fdf2da571e23b98993/ee604/c9bddf439f05e31abfc34561414c9069.png","srcSet":"/static/8093f421ab5cc6fdf2da571e23b98993/69585/c9bddf439f05e31abfc34561414c9069.png 200w,\n/static/8093f421ab5cc6fdf2da571e23b98993/497c6/c9bddf439f05e31abfc34561414c9069.png 400w,\n/static/8093f421ab5cc6fdf2da571e23b98993/ee604/c9bddf439f05e31abfc34561414c9069.png 800w,\n/static/8093f421ab5cc6fdf2da571e23b98993/e8b9a/c9bddf439f05e31abfc34561414c9069.png 927w","srcWebp":"/static/8093f421ab5cc6fdf2da571e23b98993/58556/c9bddf439f05e31abfc34561414c9069.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/8093f421ab5cc6fdf2da571e23b98993/61e93/c9bddf439f05e31abfc34561414c9069.webp 200w,\n/static/8093f421ab5cc6fdf2da571e23b98993/1f5c5/c9bddf439f05e31abfc34561414c9069.webp 400w,\n/static/8093f421ab5cc6fdf2da571e23b98993/58556/c9bddf439f05e31abfc34561414c9069.webp 800w,\n/static/8093f421ab5cc6fdf2da571e23b98993/12bdc/c9bddf439f05e31abfc34561414c9069.webp 927w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2764-markdown","title":"Top Trends in Cannabis Post Adult-Use Legalization in CA","slug":"top-trends-in-cannabis-post-adult-use-legalization-in-ca","content":"Starting a company in the cannabis industry in California has given me a bird’s-eye view into emerging trends. Some trends come on quickly and have staying power, while others blow up, then seemingly evaporate overnight.\n\nEvery few months, I report on what I see, the latest trends that emerge and come to the fore, whether they be statewide, nationwide or global. Here’s what I’ve been seeing and thinking about lately.\n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\n### 1. Restricted Access to Cannabis Despite Adult-Use Legalization\n\nThis may sound like an oxymoron. With legalization, aren’t we gaining easy access to cannabis? It depends. In California, we had a functional legal medical marijuana system for 20 years, where gaining access to medication was fairly easy. You have a doctor’s consultation, you get a medical recommendation, and typically you could have cannabis delivered to your door within hours. If you lived in a rural area, there was even a possibility of shopping online and receiving statewide delivery. \n\nNow, post legalization, we’re living in an era of over-regulation. Retail and delivery licenses are expensive and often hard to come by. Many municipalities have banned cannabis altogether, creating large dry counties and corridors throughout the state.\n\nOver-reaching regulations have burdened manufacturers to the point where many have decided they can’t afford to do business, or it’s too difficult to understand or keep up with newly emerging regulations. For instance, prior to legalization, there were 1,500 different cannabis brands to select product from; today there are around 150.\n\n\nIn other states, what I call fear-of-cannabis by state regulators creates unnecessary barriers for patients. In some instances, there’s a requirement to not only get a medical recommendation but to register with the state as well. For a substance that’s still federally illegal, this is too much to ask. In other states, the condition list is so restricted that you must be critically ill in order to access medical marijuana.\n\nCannabis has been shown to be a better alternative to opioids for chronic pain; it’s a natural alternative to many other pharmaceuticals that have horrible side effects. New statistics on legal states have shown there has been very little downside in the legalization of cannabis, and the best part, no one dies from consuming cannabis.\n\nYet fear of the plant and over-regulation have restricted legal access and in most cases lead to a thriving black market where no one, other than the dealer, wins.\n\n### 2. This Is No Longer a One-Size-Fits-All Cannabis Culture\n\n![Cannabis products sold in the HelloMD store](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/markdown-image-injector-2d7fccb2-24f4-456b-b877-6628cb356aeb/original.jpg)\n\nA few years ago, if you went into a dispensary and asked for a microdosed cannabis product with small amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) per dose, you might be laughed out the door. Invariably, the response was, “That’s not what people want. They just want to get high.”\n\nBy and large, dispensaries created menus based around the “people just want to get high” mantra and didn’t pay much attention to anything other than sales numbers. Often, you’d see a wide selection of flower with 17–23% THC and edibles such as the saran-wrapped brownie prominently displayed.\n\nToday, there’s a diversity of product types, professionally branded products and a new kind of consumer walking through the door. They’re often college educated, middle aged or older, and they’re interested not only in health and wellness, but in modulating the high. These folks want to go “low and slow”; they want to try a variety of products, including those high in cannabidiol (CBD). \n\nAs a result, retailers who want to survive and thrive have to respond to their customers’ needs and requests. This is standard in any other industry, but a relatively new concept in cannabis. The one-size-fits-all model no longer applies.\n\n### 3. CBD Goes Mainstream\n\nCannabidiol, or CBD, has been on a steady growth pattern for a while, but in the last year, it appears to have spiked. CBD is well known for being non-psychoactive as well as possessing many medicinal properties, including easing inflammation, pain, nausea and vomiting, seizures and muscle convulsion or spasms.\n\nCBD has also been found to promote healthy bone growth and can help reduce vascular tension and artery blockage. And it’s helpful in reducing anxiety. It also happens to be an excellent antidote to the high associated with its chemical cannabinoid cousin THC.\n\nNow that the word’s out on CBD, almost any marijuana dispensary or delivery service has a selection of CBD-rich or CBD-dominant products. This wasn’t the case even two years ago. Today, you’ll see CBD products, which include edibles, pre-rolls, flower, topical salves and more.\n\nIn legal states, some people erroneously believe that CBD is better or more effective than THC is from a medical standpoint, and many lawmakers advocate for CBD-only to be legalized. In fact, both CBD and THC have many medicinal properties, some of which may be the same and others that may vary from one another.\n\nThe perception of CBD’s medicinal value and the desire to obtain these effects has also led to an explosion of the hemp-derived CBD marketplace that’s now a nationwide, if not global phenomenon. Hemp-derived CBD is derived from the cannabis hemp plant, which is a different variety from the cannabis marijuana plant.\n\nIn some people’s minds, CBD derived from the hemp plant, which contains less than 0.03% of THC, is the redheaded stepsister to cannabis marijuana. It’s true that the hemp-derived CBD products lack the variety of other cannabinoids as well as terpenes present in most cannabis marijuana products, but for many people—especially for those who live in states where CBD from marijuana is illegal—the medicinal benefits may still apply.\n\nThere’s both an upside and downside to the availability of hemp-derived CBD product. On the one hand, it’s unregulated and therefore easy to gain access it, although still somewhat of a gray area. On the other hand, it’s unregulated and there are potential safety issues over plant sourcing and regulated testing requirements.\n\nIn addition, there’s a lot of confusion over the differences between cannabis hemp and cannabis marijuana as well as what to look for and expect. HelloMD has a number of [educational articles on hemp](https://www.hellomd.com/search?type=article&term=HEMP) and is a resource for those looking to learn more about CBD derived from hemp.\n\nThe real upside to hemp-derived CBD being available nationwide is that patients everywhere have the opportunity to see if a CBD product will work for their needs. In other words, this opens up accessibility for patients who may need it the most.\n\nPhoto credit: [Drew Saurus](https://unsplash.com/@drew_saurus)\n\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://hellomd.com/articles/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online.","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/405c00e869c8ae0f43734e0f865a8090/14b42/6b8d8c1b9b4faceed87909a6c6a1b55c.jpg","srcSet":"/static/405c00e869c8ae0f43734e0f865a8090/f836f/6b8d8c1b9b4faceed87909a6c6a1b55c.jpg 200w,\n/static/405c00e869c8ae0f43734e0f865a8090/2244e/6b8d8c1b9b4faceed87909a6c6a1b55c.jpg 400w,\n/static/405c00e869c8ae0f43734e0f865a8090/14b42/6b8d8c1b9b4faceed87909a6c6a1b55c.jpg 800w,\n/static/405c00e869c8ae0f43734e0f865a8090/47498/6b8d8c1b9b4faceed87909a6c6a1b55c.jpg 1200w,\n/static/405c00e869c8ae0f43734e0f865a8090/0e329/6b8d8c1b9b4faceed87909a6c6a1b55c.jpg 1600w,\n/static/405c00e869c8ae0f43734e0f865a8090/2dd31/6b8d8c1b9b4faceed87909a6c6a1b55c.jpg 2014w","srcWebp":"/static/405c00e869c8ae0f43734e0f865a8090/58556/6b8d8c1b9b4faceed87909a6c6a1b55c.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/405c00e869c8ae0f43734e0f865a8090/61e93/6b8d8c1b9b4faceed87909a6c6a1b55c.webp 200w,\n/static/405c00e869c8ae0f43734e0f865a8090/1f5c5/6b8d8c1b9b4faceed87909a6c6a1b55c.webp 400w,\n/static/405c00e869c8ae0f43734e0f865a8090/58556/6b8d8c1b9b4faceed87909a6c6a1b55c.webp 800w,\n/static/405c00e869c8ae0f43734e0f865a8090/99238/6b8d8c1b9b4faceed87909a6c6a1b55c.webp 1200w,\n/static/405c00e869c8ae0f43734e0f865a8090/7c22d/6b8d8c1b9b4faceed87909a6c6a1b55c.webp 1600w,\n/static/405c00e869c8ae0f43734e0f865a8090/4098a/6b8d8c1b9b4faceed87909a6c6a1b55c.webp 2014w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2736-markdown","title":"Goodbye, Insomnia: A HelloMD Educational Event","slug":"goodbye-insomnia-a-hellomd-educational-event","content":"Last week, HelloMD held an educational event—the first of many—in San Francisco, hosted by our Chief Medical Officer Perry Solomon, M.D., and featuring Chris Emerson, Level’s co-founder and chief scientist. Roughly 20 folks attended to find out how cannabis might help with their insomnia. \n\nDr. Solomon along with Chris, who holds a Ph.D. in small molecule chemistry and attended Stanford University as a post-doctoral fellow, started out by going over the basics—from endocannabinoids produced in our body and phytocannabinoids found in cannabis to how these compounds interact with our endocannabinoid system, helping maintain balance, or homeostasis.\n\nThey then spent a good chunk of time going over the what, when and why around insomnia—as well as suggestions on how to get a good night’s sleep. Following are excerpts of their in-depth discussion along with the Q&A session that followed.\n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\nDo you live in or near San Francisco? [Check out our “How to Microdose With Cannabis” event] scheduled for Thursday, July 12.\n\n### What components of cannabis or what products would people use to treat their insomnia? \n\n**Chris Emerson:** Yeah, I think a lot of times it's been about products with delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). After you use THC, you don’t feel tired necessarily, but it's not an energizing thing for the most part. By the time you get done with THC, you do feel a little sluggish. So, as people use delta-9 THC, I think it can help facilitate sleep.\n\nThere are a lot of different reasons why some of the other cannabinoids that are coming on the market, especially cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN), that may not have—for most people—the psychoactivity of delta-9 THC, can also be really good for helping people relax, and to try and treat persistent sleep issues.\n\n### Some people have a problem going to sleep, and some people have a problem staying asleep. Would there be different ways to treat each of those types of insomnia? \n\n**CE:** Yeah, definitely. I think so. Some people just need help relaxing to fall asleep. Once they fall asleep, they can stay asleep; that's one application. Some people are going to fall asleep, and then they'll rebound and wake up at two or three in the morning—mind's racing, the body's tired, and they can't fall back asleep; it’s a different use case. And then all of the combinations that occur in between. And so, the method of using a certain dosage route of administration of cannabis can be very impactful on how it's going to affect your ability to treat your condition of persistent sleeplessness.\n\n![Level's Chris Emerson & HelloMD's Dr. Perry Solomon](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/markdown-image-injector-40aa7621-a438-42e6-be34-e593b77d961d/original.jpg)\n_Level's Chris Emerson (left) with HelloMD's Dr. Perry Solomon share tips on easing insomnia with cannabis._\n\n### Are there other issues that cannabis can help with so that people can go to sleep? In other words, chronic pain or anxiety or whatever it may be. And would you use different types of products for a given condition or symptom?\n\n**CE:** Yes, for sure. So, you're talking about clinical manifestations of pain. There's inflammation in inflammatory and neuropathic conditions, and cannabis treats them slightly different. Maybe you have acute pain, so you want to vape. Either flower or concentrate because you need acute relief to help minimize the pain so you can fall asleep.\n\nOr maybe you can fall asleep, but you wake up in the middle of night. So, maybe you want an edible or some type of oral dosage as you fall asleep as their effects last longer than the effects from vaping.\n\n**Perry Solomon:** Yes, exactly. And it might be different for everybody. Maybe you vape to go to sleep; the vape helps you fall asleep. And then you also take a dosage of an edible, so it helps you maintain sleep throughout the night. And part of the journey that Chris was talking about is for people to keep track of their sleep cycles. Because what you eat has something to do with how cannabis, the medicine, reacts in your body. What time you took it before you went to sleep and how you're feeling the next day are also very impactful in terms of what you use.\n\nSomeone may wake up and say, I still feel a little bit high. I took an edible. Maybe I should have used that before—an hour or a half hour before I went to sleep. So, keeping a journal about what it is you took and how you slept that night kind of dials in for each person what works for them. Because everyone reacts differently to cannabis, and everyone goes a different way in their journey of going to sleep.\n\nOne of the biggest frustrations to be able to recommend something is that there's no one size fits all with cannabis. It's more about trying something, seeing what and how it works, and moving onto something else or going on to keep using the same product. Because everyone completely depends on their own personal physiology and what else they do during the day. Cannabis isn't _the_ answer. It's a part of a holistic approach that includes changing your lifestyle and eating habits as well as exercise.\n\n### Do physicians recognize cannabis as an effective treatment for insomnia?\n\n**PS:** No, doctors don't have any idea that cannabis works like that at all because no one taught us about cannabis in medical school. Physicians are very afraid of giving recommendations or talking about it mostly due to their ignorance. If you're going to ask your doctor about cannabis for insomnia, they'll look at you with a blank stare or say, “Well, let me give you some Ambien or some Xanax,” because they know how to prescribe that. They can tell you to take a half a pill every hour. Doctors know exactly how it's going to work.\n\nCannabis is a very individualistic thing, and it's frustrating for a physician not to know exactly how much to prescribe and write that out on their prescription pad. Doctors can write something for pain; they can write something for antibiotics, but they can't write a prescription specifically telling you exactly how much cannabis to take.\n\nThey're learning though. When you go in to talk to your physician about using cannabis, I highly recommend you show them what you’ve learned, because you will educate them about using cannabis—for insomnia specifically, and for other medical conditions. \n\n### So, how does someone know how much cannabis to take for their insomnia? \n\n **CE:** It depends on a person’s experience with cannabis—how much have you tried cannabis—and then understanding dosing and different routes of administration. Essentially, there are five routes of administration. You can have a topical route of administration. You can smoke or inhale. You can swallow things; that's an oral route of administration. You can let it dissolve in your mouth through sublingual or mucosal route of delivery; that's sublingual. There's also rectal and vaginal—or suppository.\n\nMost products on the market are topicals, inhalants, sublingual and oral. And each one has a different effect in your body, because your body processes cannabis differently depending on the route of administration or also because of the uptake for it. And so if people are unfamiliar with cannabis, it's important to understand the different routes of administration. Different products are formulated for different routes, and you're going to have different experiences depending on the route of administration.\n\nFor people who are new to cannabis, start low and go slow. Microdosing is very popular as a term; these are products that are 5 mg or less. If you're concerned about psychoactivity, start with something that’s high in CBD, or CBD only. There’s some other non-psychoactive cannabinoids out there, but CBD is usually a really good one to start with as the baseline. Then you can start to incorporate some delta-9 THC and find a balance between those two that may work for you. Then once you feel confident with those, you can really start exploring. \n\n![Goodbye, Insomnia - a HelloMD educational event in SF](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/markdown-image-injector-e63b7bfc-6f4d-4952-b3d3-3543f7bcd0c3/original.jpg)\n\n### If someone were to say that they’re just lying there in bed, and their mind is racing; they’re anxious. What would you suggest to someone like that? \n\n**CE:** For me, CBD works really well. There’s also a cannabinoid CBN. It's pretty rare. It's kind of hard to find because the plant actually doesn't produce it. It's a non-enzymatic degradation byproduct. So, it converts over time from delta-9 THC to CBN. Purportedly, it has very good sedating or sleep-enhancing properties. But we haven't really been able to look at it, and there's not a lot or very many products on the market that have it.\n\nSo, CBD is a great one to really look at. It helps people relax. A lot. It may calm your mind, reduce anxiety. There's also delta-8 THC that's starting to hit the market. This is a very relaxing cannabinoid, and we find that when combined with CBD, it has very relaxing qualities. I actually use a mixture of these two cannabinoids every night to sleep because it helps me calm, helps my mind stop racing.\n\nSo, you get into a pattern or ritual of going to sleep every night. You take some cannabis, whatever it is that works for you. You put your phone down since you’re trying to calm your body down and relax from the day, and then potentially use an oral dosage 30–60 minutes before you lay down.\n\nAnd when you’re lying down, maybe you use a tincture or some type of sublingual that's fast-acting, usually 5–15 minutes, that then helps this onset ramp before the oral dosage kicks in to help you maintain throughout the night. There's a ton of products out there that you can take that are between 5–20 mg, depending on what's going to work for the individual. \n\nAlso, can you identify parts of your day when you could incorporate breathing or meditation or supplement with some cannabis, too? During the day, we can get really stressed, whether we're dealing with some crisis or interacting with family or employees. We don't think about it. We just get through the day.\n\nSo, when we start shutting our bodies down, and we're in the middle of our sleep, we wake up in a panic, because now our bodies are trying to process all of these emotions from the day. So, can we identify throughout the day what's happening that leads to us having these persistent sleep issues, and then in that, can we use cannabis to help us address these issues?\n\nI think when we don't try to change patterns and adjust throughout the day, that's when we say, “Oh, I want a silver bullet. I just want to sleep, so I'm going to take some Ambien.” We’re going to take something that can knock us out and not address a systemic issue in our lives. \n\nPhoto credit: [Cris Saur](https://unsplash.com/@crisaur)\n\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://hellomd.com/articles/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online. ","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/14b42/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.jpg","srcSet":"/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/f836f/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.jpg 200w,\n/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/2244e/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.jpg 400w,\n/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/14b42/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.jpg 800w,\n/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/47498/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.jpg 1200w,\n/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/0e329/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.jpg 1600w,\n/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/25bba/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.jpg 2868w","srcWebp":"/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/58556/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/61e93/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.webp 200w,\n/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/1f5c5/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.webp 400w,\n/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/58556/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.webp 800w,\n/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/99238/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.webp 1200w,\n/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/7c22d/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.webp 1600w,\n/static/9ffc64aea4015150d3d0ad9aceee7860/cca17/cbb26c49b30768fdfdbca5e51e637cf3.webp 2868w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2727-markdown","title":"Cannabis, not Opioids: HelloMD’s Pamela Hadfield on NowThis","slug":"cannabis-not-opioids-hellomds-pamela-hadfield-on-nowthis","content":"HelloMD’s co-founder Pamela Hadfield is featured in a _NowThis_ op-ed video, “[Medical Cannabis Could Help Solve the Opioid Crisis](https://nowthisnews.com/videos/weed/op-ed-medical-cannabis-could-help-solve-opioid-crisis).” In the video, she shares how cannabis helped prevent the migraines that plagued her for 25 years. And she talks about how marijuana helped eliminate her consumption of opioids—for good.\n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\nThis experience led her to start HelloMD, where she has seen firsthand how many people suffer from chronic pain and how that chronic pain often results in opioid addiction. She believes cannabis may be the exit drug to a nationwide epidemic of opioid abuse.\n\nIn the op-ed video interview Hadfield cites:\n\n“The National Academy of Science published that adults with chronic pain are more likely to experience clinically significant levels of pain reduction when treated with cannabis or cannabinoids. What's more is when people are given free access to medical marijuana and legal states, prescription rates of opioids go down by about 25 percent overall use of opioids go down and drug related deaths go down. In other words, a lot less people die.” \n\nRELATED: [MEDICAL MARIJUANA A SAFER ALTERNATIVE TO OPIOID PAINKILLERS](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5a5959d4c7e0180007a78271/medical-marijuana-a-safer-alternative-to-opioid-painkillers)\n\n[![Pamela Hadfield on cannabis as an exit drug to the opioid epidemic](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/markdown-image-injector-5d9b5ff4-4e22-4aa3-8c26-765b443a9f09/original.png)](https://nowthisnews.com/videos/weed/op-ed-medical-cannabis-could-help-solve-opioid-crisis)\n_[View the video](https://nowthisnews.com/videos/weed/op-ed-medical-cannabis-could-help-solve-opioid-crisis)._\n\nShe also talks about the benefit of incorporating cannabis into pain management and how cannabis has allowed others to reduce and/or eliminate their opioid consumption.\n\n“[HelloMD recently did a study in conjunction with UC Berkeley](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/57d82d523b39eb000b732ea8/hellomd-and-uc-berkeley-to-conduct-largest-study-on-cannabis-pain-and-opioid-abuse) with over 3,000 of our patients. It's the largest study done to date on chronic pain, opioids and cannabis.\n\n“Ninety seven percent of patients agree that they were able to decrease their opioid use when cannabis was introduced into the medication regime. And 81% agreed that cannabis was more effective than opioids when used for chronic pain. The bottom line: Cannabis should be considered a viable option by all doctors for pain management before an opioid is ever prescribed. Before the addiction cycle even has a chance to take root.\n\n“And one of the best parts: No one has ever died from consuming cannabis.”\n\n_NowThis_, a website and media company, was founded by two former executives from the _Huffington Post_, and has become a go-to news source for those typically between the ages of 18–34. \n\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/56201c206430320006bb0000/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online. \n","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/fe9a79188b7f601b6817da797caa2f12/14b42/53ac4959a78ba6986bcbdc365f39e65a.jpg","srcSet":"/static/fe9a79188b7f601b6817da797caa2f12/f836f/53ac4959a78ba6986bcbdc365f39e65a.jpg 200w,\n/static/fe9a79188b7f601b6817da797caa2f12/2244e/53ac4959a78ba6986bcbdc365f39e65a.jpg 400w,\n/static/fe9a79188b7f601b6817da797caa2f12/14b42/53ac4959a78ba6986bcbdc365f39e65a.jpg 800w,\n/static/fe9a79188b7f601b6817da797caa2f12/47498/53ac4959a78ba6986bcbdc365f39e65a.jpg 1200w,\n/static/fe9a79188b7f601b6817da797caa2f12/01452/53ac4959a78ba6986bcbdc365f39e65a.jpg 1434w","srcWebp":"/static/fe9a79188b7f601b6817da797caa2f12/58556/53ac4959a78ba6986bcbdc365f39e65a.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/fe9a79188b7f601b6817da797caa2f12/61e93/53ac4959a78ba6986bcbdc365f39e65a.webp 200w,\n/static/fe9a79188b7f601b6817da797caa2f12/1f5c5/53ac4959a78ba6986bcbdc365f39e65a.webp 400w,\n/static/fe9a79188b7f601b6817da797caa2f12/58556/53ac4959a78ba6986bcbdc365f39e65a.webp 800w,\n/static/fe9a79188b7f601b6817da797caa2f12/99238/53ac4959a78ba6986bcbdc365f39e65a.webp 1200w,\n/static/fe9a79188b7f601b6817da797caa2f12/99f96/53ac4959a78ba6986bcbdc365f39e65a.webp 1434w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2699-markdown","title":"HelloMD’s Co-founder Pamela Hadfield Speaks at Wine & Weed","slug":"hellomds-co-founder-pamela-hadfield-speaks-at-wine-and-weed","content":"HelloMD’s co-founder Pamela Hadfield gave a talk about cannabis and wellness at the [Wine & Weed Symposium](http://wine-weed.com/), held in San Luis Obispo, CA this past month. Ever since “[60 Minutes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njm1LkXP2sg)” reported on it back in 1991, the wine industry has long touted the health benefits of drinking wine in moderation—in that red wine in particular appears to help lower the incidence of heart disease.\n\nWe can draw parallels between drinking wine for heart health and consuming cannabis for overall wellness. This is because marijuana has also been shown to support folks’ health and well-being. After more than two decades of medical marijuana legalization in California, adult-use cannabis is now upon us—and with it an influx of individuals who are neither purely recreational, nor purely medical.\n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\nIn her nearly hour-long session, Pamela spoke to the perceptions versus reality of today’s cannabis consumers. She touched on her own once-held misconceptions, and how her personal and positive experiences with cannabis changed her mind. Pamela also touched on the sea change taking place across the societal and political landscapes, and then walked through a few cannabis basics—from cannabinoids like cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to why doctors still don’t know much about the plant.\n\nTake a look at a few excerpts from Pamela’s talk. And come see her speak on the latest trends in cannabis at [the next Wine & Weed Symposium](http://wine-weed.com/nc/symposium.php), scheduled for Aug. 2, in Santa Rosa.\n\n### Stigmas & Stereotypes: Pamela’s Own Journey\n\nI had a very outdated view and stigma towards who the cannabis consumer was. I had never really had a positive experience with cannabis. I had often, if I tried it, ended up paranoid and anxious. … But like so many people who end up trying cannabis medicinally, it was my medication of last resort, and it should have been my medication of first resort. \n\nI went and got my medical recommendation, tried [cannabis], and within the first month, I was managing my [migraine] pain effectively. [Cannabis] helped me get off of Vicodin completely within about two months. And in six months, I was preventing my migraines altogether. And I can say that for the last four years, I have not had a migraine after 25 years [of suffering from them]. So, I became a much happier person. Health is wealth really when you think about it.\n\nRELATED: [MICRODOSING CANNABIS STOPPED MY CHRONIC PAIN](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/578da024fdc17e000700019d/microdosing-cannabis-stopped-my-chronic-pain)\n\n### The Largest Group Embracing Cannabis Is the Health & Wellness Consumer\n\nIn terms of our research, what we found is that that the stoner [stereotype]—that truly recreational consumer—will be about 10–13% of the market and hold steady. Now you might say, well that seems a little bit crazy, right? [What about] that stoner image; there's so many of them. But what we’ve found is that people tend to cycle into that often between the ages of 18–25.\n\nThe largest chunk of people moving into cannabis today are what we call the health and wellness cannabis consumer. So … you might see people that had migraines like myself who weren’t so into cannabis. It's solved that compromised health issue, and then they say, \"Well, you know what? It also makes me feel good on a Friday night if I do it appropriately.\"\n\nAnd then you might find somebody who's a lifestyle consumer who might be a male, 36–38 years old, who starts to pick up a joint on a Friday night again and enjoys it, but then says, “Hey, that really helps with my insomnia.”\n\nSo, what I'm trying to say here is that this black-and-white look at cannabis as being recreational versus medicinal is a little too rigid. [The reality is that it’s] actually a very fluid spectrum. And as you move through your life, your needs, your wants and your desires change, and cannabis tends to move in and out of both. \n\n### Marijuana Is Going Mainstream\n\nSo … what's changing in terms of mainstream acceptance? One of the things that I find very interesting is when somebody says to me in a particular county in California, they'll say, “We don't want cannabis here. We don't want to legalize it, because we don't want it here.”\n\nI have news for them. It's already been there. It's just that it's been under the covers. In 2016, 54 billion dollars of cannabis was sold in the United States, of which 6 billion dollars was legal. If you don't think cannabis has been in and around us this entire time, then you really haven't been looking.\n\nWhat we're seeing right now is a global phenomenon of cultural norms that are changing, cultural views that are changing. This is something that can't be stopped, and one of the reasons it can't be stopped is that people are now feeling like, “I have been using cannabis, and I can be out with it.”\n\nOr they're seeing an alternative to get them out of a problem, and as humans we're very much geared towards problem-solution, just like with my migraines: problem and then solution.\n\nAnd so, what we see at HelloMD on a daily basis is that cannabis is often a solution for people. It may not be the primary solution. Somebody might say to us, “I'm in chronic pain, and I need to solve my pain issue.” Well, it may not be the silver bullet, but often [cannabis] can solve anxiety. It can solve problems with insomnia; it can solve problems with depression. All those things can be in that health and wellness category.\n\nRELATED: [CANNABIS FOR OPTIMAL WELLNESS](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/587d57c9e6a860000c1eb7a1/using-cannabis-for-optimal-wellness)\n\n### Cannabis Can Solve the Opioid Crisis\n\nIn legal medical marijuana states, opioid prescription rates dropped by 22%. This research has been out for the last year or so, maybe a little bit longer. But it's coming out more and more that in medically legal states—and it has to be emphasized, where cannabis is very accessible—the prescription rates will drop. In addition, what we're seeing is that general practitioners on average will prescribe 1,800 fewer doses of opioids per practice per year in medically legal states.\n\nAs we know, the opioid epidemic is at an all-time high. It’s absolutely phenomenal how it has devastated society. Medical cannabis, and cannabis in general, is a [solution to the opioid crisis](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5a3c582c100a820006562f36/the-rise-of-opioidsand-cannabiss-role-in-their-downfall).\n\nI think it was this past week … did anyone see Sanjay Gupta’s new documentary “Weed”? He actually came out in his new documentary series—which was a real tipping point in and of itself for the industry—to say that [the opioid crisis can be solved by cannabis](https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/24/health/medical-marijuana-opioid-epidemic-sanjay-gupta/index.html). That's a huge deal. \n\n### When It Comes to Cannabis, We the People Are Driving a Sea Change in Politics \n\nSixty-four percent of Americans support recreational legalization, and 93% support medical legalization. Those are huge numbers. Politicians are starting to listen. We need to continue to talk about this more and more, but I think what we're seeing right now is a sea change within the political environment because of these numbers.\n\nIt's huge what's going on right now, because if you're in the cannabis industry, it gives you hope that we're no longer going to be demonized … and that we could really come out into the light like any other normal business like the wine industry.\n\nThe politicians are getting on board. [Chuck Schumer came out for decriminalization](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5aecfde9b869a6000796590c/key-ny-players-push-for-cannabis-decriminalization-and-legalization). We have John Boehner who joined the board of … one of the largest cannabis companies in the nation and said that his views have evolved. And then Cynthia Nixon who’s running for the governor’s seat in New York state. Gov. Cuomo has been dead set against legalization, and all of a sudden he's evolved as well.\n\nMy own personal view, and I think other people might say this as well, is that a large part of this might have to do with the midterm elections that are coming up and the percentage of people that actually support cannabis legalization. \n\n### Cannabis Product Innovations Have Blown Past Smoking\n\nI think one of the biggest misunderstandings about cannabis today is that you have to be smoking a joint or that you're smoking a bong. And the reality is that that's not the case. So, can I consume cannabis without smoking? Absolutely. So, the flower has been one of the most popular ways to consume cannabis. Meaning you'd go to the dispensary and you buy bud.\n\nEveryone thinks about cannabis and smoking, smoking from a bowl or a joint or whatever, because that has been sort of the standard. But the industry has moved on so quickly. One of the reasons why people look to California so intensely is because of the product innovation that's happening here.\n\nI was talking to one of the Canadian licensed producers, and he said, “You know, I'm not really interested in California grows. You've talked about 20,000 square foot grows. We have million square foot grows. But what we're interested in is how you have developed whole new categories of product types.”\n\nBasically, due to our unregulated markets, we have pushed innovation in the cannabis industry. We've pushed that envelope. And so, as a result, you can take all different kinds of product types, and many of them are not about smoking.\n\nSo that means you can take a gel cap; you can have a topical that's non-psychoactive on your skin. You can vape, which is not considered smoking. You can take an edible. Everyone knows the chocolate brownie that's wrapped in plastic wrap of their youth. It exists, but what you find today are beautifully branded products and all different kinds of edibles. It could be a gummy; it could be a chocolate; it could be a stick of gum.\n\n### Mixing THC & Wine—It’s Not for Everyone\n\nSo, can I drink and consume cannabis? When people ask me this—and I get asked this all the time, I think it's really highly dependent on who you are as a person. The thing that everyone needs to know about smoking, or about consuming cannabis and drinking—whether that's wine or hard alcohol—is that [hard alcohol or alcohol in general magnifies the level of THC in your bloodstream](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/58e7bbf32fdeaf51a1a08384/mixing-marijuana-and-alcohol).\n\nSo, if you're good with getting high and having that magnified, then that might be appropriate for you. For me, if I drink alcohol and I have a little bit of THC, I'm [flat] on the ground. So, I think it really depends. But as many of our panelists have said, the regulations today don’t allow those things to go together.\n\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101]( https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/56201c206430320006bb0000/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online. ","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABQAAAAOCAIAAACgpqunAAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAADYUlEQVQozwFWA6n8AK66wNvg2tHY1uz399/i3/T8/dztz7zNsqq7rr7MxtPj3uHv8NDUzrSrmrGojcS8p+bl3uLd1e/18/T//wDF0NHY29fg5OH0+fnBvq7f69bR5cltg3MfMUg2TlQ8U1Q3T1VRcXdKXWlSaW9gfH9QYXJ6iZDw+fj1//8AeYyKanx9jJyZorGysLSgv7OWj39vfZJ+TGZSLkBKNEZRQVhTiJyFXniATWVsUnB3Iz9Ua4eL9P799f//ADhIUSo6SjVDTDZER3BxZZ97ZHBFOWJpWJytf2d3YTJHUk5lX6SlhnSGhW6CgnCCg0FdZ4GbmfX//vX//wBEUV4dLUg5QkmYdz2mgUmvfGeCVEVaU09OV2VqbVxYVlB4d2aajn60qJOTkoR3g35ZcHGEmZr1//70/v4AWWVoNEFKP01UwaZ8k31hi1pYc1dLeHFPa1lPxbGZyrGS27+dyKyB1r+cxK+SkpKGY3N0boOM9vr09P37AGh1cWl5cpqOfr+AXGBLSBckPCgxQGpXRL+JUuLCldOzj8eoh8ite9DBnaSbgpGPg4GEgGh5f+7x5+728gCRnJm6noi5hm+Ld207RFcfLkoQHDBBMzGZa0Wgd1KGaVCBaFSfkW12eV5aYlhVXFpTXFxSZGZsjnlih24AxM3Hu45zk4+Nnri9KkVoGCQ4EhsmKSsxU0M8UklFWVVPamRdZmlWV1xOSElHQ0hKGSItW2Nqt8nEs8K+AIycoZCMgMqqks/NxlpebBIdNCQrNE9UXDw8QCstNDQ2PDAyOzA8ND5LPCctMi4uL1Q7LYqGgv////39/QCJo4h/oobFyLe5o5NfTE4RHjIfJC01NDslJzAtLzYXGB8eJCM4SDc1PTQoMDInJiY7LCNaWFekp6GQkpIAg6mHXIRoiKabZ5GmHjRRFx8wFR0sIycwKCkvIiQsKTImMkMpLTkqKC4qISYnGhwhERUcMzU6TE5VJCQrAKi8t0ppX2N5d2yOpCQ5VhcgNCIqOERGTCgqNB8kLjU3LklOOT5DNkFCOSYpKBUXHRMVGzMzN05OWS0rLgCisa9pgIOKmpxsjaEjO1wUHjFBSlZIS1QfJDAlKCxEQjxRTT9QUEReXFBKSkUeICMQEhg0MzZKR1EnJSYRg3mU4NwadgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","aspectRatio":1.3888888888888888,"src":"/static/20dd5f382fcf1308de8ba324691a4b4f/ee604/ca152f799176c8fe895d29e5db6fcd8e.png","srcSet":"/static/20dd5f382fcf1308de8ba324691a4b4f/69585/ca152f799176c8fe895d29e5db6fcd8e.png 200w,\n/static/20dd5f382fcf1308de8ba324691a4b4f/497c6/ca152f799176c8fe895d29e5db6fcd8e.png 400w,\n/static/20dd5f382fcf1308de8ba324691a4b4f/ee604/ca152f799176c8fe895d29e5db6fcd8e.png 800w,\n/static/20dd5f382fcf1308de8ba324691a4b4f/1418e/ca152f799176c8fe895d29e5db6fcd8e.png 1045w","srcWebp":"/static/20dd5f382fcf1308de8ba324691a4b4f/58556/ca152f799176c8fe895d29e5db6fcd8e.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/20dd5f382fcf1308de8ba324691a4b4f/61e93/ca152f799176c8fe895d29e5db6fcd8e.webp 200w,\n/static/20dd5f382fcf1308de8ba324691a4b4f/1f5c5/ca152f799176c8fe895d29e5db6fcd8e.webp 400w,\n/static/20dd5f382fcf1308de8ba324691a4b4f/58556/ca152f799176c8fe895d29e5db6fcd8e.webp 800w,\n/static/20dd5f382fcf1308de8ba324691a4b4f/ebf0b/ca152f799176c8fe895d29e5db6fcd8e.webp 1045w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2673-markdown","title":"Introducing the New HelloMD Store","slug":"introducing-the-new-hellomd-store","content":"For three years, our customers have been asking us why they can’t buy the cannabis products they learn about on our website. Well, today, I’m excited to announce the launch of the HelloMD shopping experience. \n\n### What Is the HelloMD Store?\n\nCustomers who live in one of our delivery service areas (see below for more info) can now order products at HelloMD.com. These products will be delivered safely to your door within two hours by a professional delivery driver.\n\n### What Do We Sell?\n\nWe sell a thoughtfully curated selection of products from some of the leading cannabis brands in California—roughly 20 brands in total, with upwards of 200 different products to choose from. We’ve chosen to work with these brands to offer a select number of product options, because we believe they’re the best fit for our health and wellness-minded consumers.\n\nThat said, this is just the beginning. We'll continue to add products over time based on the feedback we receive from our community. \n\n### Why Are We Doing This?\n\nOur vision at HelloMD has always been to serve as the best online resource for cannabis consumers—to answer questions, connect patients to others like them, and provide advice and information from medical professionals and brand experts on how cannabis can help them. The natural next step, of course, has been to give consumers the ability to purchase products in the same place. Our launch today supports that goal.\n\n### What’s the Purchase Process Like?\n\nThe purchase process is easy and intuitive. Simply add the products you want to your shopping cart, check out, and follow the instructions provided to complete your order. The products will then be delivered to your home or office within two hours by a professional driver carefully vetted by our team. \n\n### Why Do I Have to Pay With Cash?\n\nUnder current banking regulations, our federal government has made it illegal to purchase cannabis products using a credit card—despite the fact that adult-use cannabis is legal in the state of California. Although some retailers allow for credit card transactions, they run the risk of having their bank accounts shut down if this activity is discovered by that bank. So, for the time being, purchases will require cash on delivery.\n\n### Is it Safe to Make a Purchase?\n\nYour safety and delivery experience are very important to us. As such, our delivery drivers are carefully selected, managed and vetted by our team And they’re equipped with company-owned cars.\n\n### Why Should I Shop at HelloMD?\n\nYou should shop with us, because we have:\n\n* A great selection of products from leading brands\n* Everyday, low prices\n* Friendly, knowledgeable customer service ready to assist you\n* Professional delivery drivers who will bring you your order within two hours\n\n### What Are the Delivery Areas HelloMD Sells to Currently?\n\nWe’ve launched in San Francisco, Oakland, Alameda, Berkeley, Emeryville, Piedmont, San Leandro, Albany and Hayward, and have plans to rapidly expand our service throughout California in 2018. Have a look at [our service areas page](https://www.hellomd.com/service-areas), and stay tuned for future announcements as we work to expand the areas we deliver to.","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/682f7741442eeebea6af760859ea6ac3/14b42/bbb72a66162f9f2730aacb3b0eda5c94.jpg","srcSet":"/static/682f7741442eeebea6af760859ea6ac3/f836f/bbb72a66162f9f2730aacb3b0eda5c94.jpg 200w,\n/static/682f7741442eeebea6af760859ea6ac3/2244e/bbb72a66162f9f2730aacb3b0eda5c94.jpg 400w,\n/static/682f7741442eeebea6af760859ea6ac3/14b42/bbb72a66162f9f2730aacb3b0eda5c94.jpg 800w,\n/static/682f7741442eeebea6af760859ea6ac3/235b6/bbb72a66162f9f2730aacb3b0eda5c94.jpg 1034w","srcWebp":"/static/682f7741442eeebea6af760859ea6ac3/58556/bbb72a66162f9f2730aacb3b0eda5c94.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/682f7741442eeebea6af760859ea6ac3/61e93/bbb72a66162f9f2730aacb3b0eda5c94.webp 200w,\n/static/682f7741442eeebea6af760859ea6ac3/1f5c5/bbb72a66162f9f2730aacb3b0eda5c94.webp 400w,\n/static/682f7741442eeebea6af760859ea6ac3/58556/bbb72a66162f9f2730aacb3b0eda5c94.webp 800w,\n/static/682f7741442eeebea6af760859ea6ac3/bfd1f/bbb72a66162f9f2730aacb3b0eda5c94.webp 1034w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2640-markdown","title":"HelloMD’s Dr. Perry Solomon Goes Deep on Cannabis for Almost 30","slug":"hellomds-dr-perry-solomon-goes-deep-on-cannabis-for-almost-30","content":"HelloMD’s Chief Medical Officer [Dr. Perry Solomon](https://www.hellomd.com/people/54cc02df6465320003000000/Perry%20Solomon,%20MD) was recently featured on “[Almost 30](https://www.almost30podcast.com/),” an iTunes top 10 health podcast. Hosted by Krista Williams and Lindsey Simcik, the podcast’s mission is to “propel personal growth and navigate any transition.” Naturally, gaining a better understanding of cannabis’s healing properties—and how the plant fits into a person’s health and wellness goals—jibes with that mission.\n\nIn episodes 104 and 105 of “Almost 30,” Dr. Solomon touches on a lot of different cannabis-related topics including why people were tricked into believing that cannabis is harmful to their health; cannabis as a health and wellness supplement as well as a remedy for pain; and how cannabidiol (CBD) oil is used in suppository form to help relieve menstrual cramps.\n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\nCheck out a few excerpts taken from parts 1 and 2 of the “Almost 30” podcast featuring Dr. Solomon. You can also listen to [episode 104](https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/almost-30-podcast/e/53772306) and [episode 105](https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/almost-30-podcast/e/53805695) in their entirety online.\n\n### Almost 30: Can you talk to us about the science behind how [cannabis] works, and how it subdues pain, and it's relaxing people, helping people sleep, reducing anxiety. I don't know the science behind it. I just know it works.\n\n** Dr Perry Solomon:** Basically … the endocannabinoid system is a system of homeostasis in our bodies that keeps everything in check. It's something that was discovered around the 1970s, early 1970s by Raphael Mechoulam in Israel. And it's something that genetically has been there for thousands and thousands of years [in terms of having a check and balance system in the body].\n\nIn other words, what happens is you have synapses in your body, and chemicals become released from one side, or from one synapse to the other, … to transfer information and sensations, and what happens is there’s a retrograde feedback mechanism. Picture two ends of a wire, and from one end the electricity or the information goes to the other end, and if something gets overstimulated because it's out of balance, the endocannabinoid system is the system that takes the second signal, goes back to the first signal and says, ‘OK, slow down that rate of firing for pain or sensation or anxiety.’\n\nAnd usually when the body's in homeostasis, the endocannabinoid system (“endo” meaning it's from your body), or the feedback mechanism, is [in a state where] everything stays nice and cool. Everything's calm, cool, collected. The pain isn't there and everything's fine.\n\nRELATED: [MARIJUANA, CANNABINOIDS & HOMEOSTASIS](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/56b27573fe98a100080001f1/marijuana-cannabinoids-and-homeostasis-a-balancing-act)\n\nBut when things start firing abnormally, the endocannabinoid system gets kind of out of whack. And if you have a decrease in some of the endocannabinoids such as anandamide and 2AG—these are natural chemicals that are found in your body that act as that retrograde feedback blocker to slow things down or speed things up—if those are lacking or not in balance, things happen that you don't want to have to happen, whether it be an immunologic problem, whether it be from pain or anything else.\n\nPhytocannabinoids, the things that are in cannabis (“phyto” meaning plant), … match up to the two types of cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2, that are found in the body. These are THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD. Each of these phytocannabinoids takes the place of the endocannabinoids that may be deficient, and so the chemicals that you use from the plant eventually take over for the ones that are supposed to be in good balance in your body (but aren’t or are lacking).\n\nCBD, for example, is more of an anti-inflammatory compound that helps with the CB2 receptors, which are concentrated in the inflammatory tissues in the body. And THC concentrates on the CB1 receptor that's mostly found in the brain, which is why you get those psychoactive effects from THC, and you don't get it from CBD—because there aren’t many CBD receptors, or CB2 receptors, in the brain. \n\n![Perry Solomon on \"Almost 30\"](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/articles-5ac807aaf24d1300077ccbc1-795dbfd4-1095-4db4-8655-4fb7b7b45186/original.jpg)\n\n### A30: So, THC is the psychoactive compound?\n\n**PS:** Correct. And it’s psychoactive because of the fact that the CB1 receptor is primarily in the brain. It's thought that the runner's high and the other things that occur are because anandamide goes up into the brain, causing that rush of feeling. … People call this the endorphin rush, and it's probably not that. It's probably the anandamide that’s getting into the brain, because endorphins don't cross the blood-brain barrier to get into the head. So, the rush that they're feeling is probably from the endocannabinoid system in the brain more than anything else. \n\nRELATED: [WHY DOES CANNABIS MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD?](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/582b86cce686fc000c657034/why-does-cannabis-make-you-feel-good)\n\n### A30: What are some of the symptoms that people are saying that CBD helps them with?\n\n**PS:** Well, for example, menstrual cramps in women. There are some suppositories that are coming out that are just CBD as an anti-inflammatory that appear to be working without any THC in it. … Again, it's an individualized type of thing. People use it also for migraines. This is another way that people are using CBD only to be able to treat that.\n\nAgain, the entourage effect seems to show that the cannabis may work a little bit better with both CBD and THC, but there are people who get a fantastic response with just a CBD-only product … for their migraines. Sports recovery is another one where people just use a CBD-only ointment or salve on their skin to help muscles relax a little bit. And also, again, because muscle injuries are an inflammatory type of byproduct of exercise. \n\n### A30: I love using the CBD creams and things. So, what is it actually doing? So, it's being absorbed into the skin and into the bloodstream? And it's connecting the CB1 receptor to the CBD? \n\n**PS:** For CBD, it would be the CB2 receptor. That's what’s theorized as what it does. With the skin, there are people in the medical community and the cannabis community who feel that it doesn't get absorbed at all. Some people think that it does. Again, it may get absorbed better with a plastic covering on it, like a patch. What happens with the cream is that some of it can get evaporated up in the air. Some people put it on, and it comes with a plastic cover on it that essentially eliminates any type of evaporative loss, and it all gets put into the skin.\n\nSome people also use the THC/CBD ointment, and they ask us, ‘Well, can I test THC-positive if my work is screening for THC?’ And that's a questionable thing. It may be that enough can get absorbed to test positive for THC in your urine if your job of tests for that. So, people say, ‘Well, what should I use if they do test me, and I don't want to take any chances?’ And we say, ‘Well then a CBD-only [product],’ because that's not something that’s psychoactive or that people are testing for. \n\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/56201c206430320006bb0000/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-trying-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online. ","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/4b66eb7ae14ca97de7e0e6de08b06cae/14b42/af2285da7e7aec199053950a20a232f4.jpg","srcSet":"/static/4b66eb7ae14ca97de7e0e6de08b06cae/f836f/af2285da7e7aec199053950a20a232f4.jpg 200w,\n/static/4b66eb7ae14ca97de7e0e6de08b06cae/2244e/af2285da7e7aec199053950a20a232f4.jpg 400w,\n/static/4b66eb7ae14ca97de7e0e6de08b06cae/14b42/af2285da7e7aec199053950a20a232f4.jpg 800w,\n/static/4b66eb7ae14ca97de7e0e6de08b06cae/47498/af2285da7e7aec199053950a20a232f4.jpg 1200w,\n/static/4b66eb7ae14ca97de7e0e6de08b06cae/0e329/af2285da7e7aec199053950a20a232f4.jpg 1600w,\n/static/4b66eb7ae14ca97de7e0e6de08b06cae/e85c0/af2285da7e7aec199053950a20a232f4.jpg 3100w","srcWebp":"/static/4b66eb7ae14ca97de7e0e6de08b06cae/58556/af2285da7e7aec199053950a20a232f4.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/4b66eb7ae14ca97de7e0e6de08b06cae/61e93/af2285da7e7aec199053950a20a232f4.webp 200w,\n/static/4b66eb7ae14ca97de7e0e6de08b06cae/1f5c5/af2285da7e7aec199053950a20a232f4.webp 400w,\n/static/4b66eb7ae14ca97de7e0e6de08b06cae/58556/af2285da7e7aec199053950a20a232f4.webp 800w,\n/static/4b66eb7ae14ca97de7e0e6de08b06cae/99238/af2285da7e7aec199053950a20a232f4.webp 1200w,\n/static/4b66eb7ae14ca97de7e0e6de08b06cae/7c22d/af2285da7e7aec199053950a20a232f4.webp 1600w,\n/static/4b66eb7ae14ca97de7e0e6de08b06cae/48e8b/af2285da7e7aec199053950a20a232f4.webp 3100w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2618-markdown","title":"HelloMD’s Dr. Perry Solomon Talks Cannabis on the Radio","slug":"hellomds-dr-perry-solomon-talks-cannabis-on-the-radio","content":"Dr. Perry Solomon, HelloMD’s chief medical officer, sat down with Miriam Knight, host of _New Consciousness Review_ Radio, to talk about all things cannabis. In the hour-long session, Dr. Solomon covered a wide range of topics, including marijuana’s pain-relieving properties; why cannabis consumers should watch out for pesticides and other contaminants; potential drug interactions with the plant; and the studies Dr. Solomon is involved in to assess cannabis’s efficacy in improving various conditions.\n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\nFollowing are excerpts from the interview. You can also [listen to the full discussion](http://ncreview.com/perry-solomon-and-the-cannabis-friendly-docs-at-hellomd/) on New Consciousness Review’s website.\n\n### Miriam Knight: I'm very curious. As an anesthesiologist, what got you interested in cannabis? \n\n**Dr. Perry Solomon:** I practiced anesthesia for quite a long time, and a mutual friend had [introduced me to] the two founders of HelloMD. And we … gave our first lecture, myself and [Co-founder] Pamela Hadfield, at a senior living facility in northern California called Rossmoor where they had already had a cannabis club, which I was surprised about. … [This] was over three years ago.\n\nWe showed up, and there was about a hundred members of the club already there and 80 of them had already had their recommendations for cannabis. And I quite frankly, as one of my first exposures in that medical orientation for cannabis and medical conditions, I was really quite surprised. And all of them had it for pain. They all used cannabis to help alleviate their pain, whether for chronic back pain or arthritic pain in the elbows, knees, joints or whatever. \n\nAnd I was just stunned that these people had such great efficacy or relief from their pain from using medical cannabis. And were able, as they all stated, to decrease or completely eliminate any opioid use. [Opioids] that they had been prescribed by their physicians. And they absolutely preferred [cannabis]. And said, “We are never going back to opioids” because it just worked so terrifically. I was amazed.\n\nYou mentioned I went to Columbia, had a traditional medical school anesthesia training background, and I was just amazed that it had that much proof from just these people that it worked. And then I did due diligence, reviewed studies. Of course, most were from out of the country because it's unfortunately difficult to do those types of studies here in the United States, but [they’re] still valid studies. And I said, “Well, this really works, and there's more to it than just people using it to get high,” which has been and still remains the stigma about cannabis to a great many people. \n\n### MK: What would you say to a patient who is in pain, but they're afraid of the stigma of using cannabis and worried about getting high? \n\n**PS:** Well, there's essentially two main components of cannabis. There's THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which essentially is the psychoactive effect of cannabis, or CBD, cannabidiol, that is essentially the non-psychoactive effect of cannabis. And so what we tell people if they say, “Listen. Psychoactive effects are something I don't want to do at all or as minimized as possible,” is that there are different ratios of cannabis with the THC and CBD. And so what we would recommend is for someone to take a higher ratio of CBD than THC, and to be able to titrate or to adjust the dose that they take depending on the results that they get.\n\nThat's quite frankly, one of the more frustrating things that physicians as well as patients come across in that there's such an individualistic reaction to cannabis itself that one size does not fit all. Doctors have the same issue in that they’ll say, “Take this one antibiotic and take it every six hours,” and they’ll know that if [the patient] gets it from CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, whatever, that this antibiotic is going to have exactly this amount of component; it will be reliable no matter where you get it. \n\nAnd unfortunately, cannabis still isn't like that; everyone's reaction to cannabis is different. So what works for you versus someone else who has the same medical condition may not work the same way. And so there is some experimentation individually that people have to do and be willing to do to be able to get the efficacy or the results that they're looking for.\n\nLike you said for pain or for insomnia, for example. Someone says, I have trouble sleeping. Well, there's two different parts. Do you have trouble going to sleep, or do you have trouble staying asleep, because there'd be two different types of cannabis that you use in each of those situations.\n\n### MK: What conditions is CBD best for? What should you look for when you're selecting a CBD product? \n\n**PS:** The DEA says that because CBD is part of the cannabis plant, [it] is still a Schedule 1 product. So strictly legally speaking, the shipping of CBD is classified the same as cannabis, anything with THC. That being said, there are companies that do ship all over the country CBD products, and you might find them on the internet, you might find them in a magazine or whatever.\n\nAnd the issue with CBD is that it depends where the CBD comes from. In other words, it could be plant-derived from cannabis itself and then extracted, or it can be extracted from hemp. So, hemp CBD and cannabis CBD are two different things. In other words, the CBD that's sold in the mass market, a lot of this hemp comes from overseas, and you need a large volume of hemp to be able to extract CBD. \n\nAnd so what has been shown to happen is in some countries, there are many pesticides being used. There's poison, there are fertilizers that are being put into the ground to make the plants grow. So, you have the plants absorbing all of that, the toxins and pesticides, etc., and then that's being shipped to, for example, the United States or wherever. And this being the CBD that's extracted essentially gets concentrated from these hemp plants where you don't really know how they're produced or what's given to them to help them grow.\n\nAll of those toxins and pesticides get concentrated into the CBD that you would purchase in a routine type of environment. So, anyone who gets CBD, who wants to purchase a CBD product, I would caution them to know the etiology of where they got the CBD from. … You want to know if the company says, “Yes, we grow our own hemp. It's in Colorado … and we do our own extraction. We do our own analysis,” thereby controlling what it is you're taking when you purchase a CBD product. You may be using it for inflammation, for anxiety, things that you want to be able to be able to use in a safe manner. But you know, I'd caution everyone to know where … the hemp comes from before they use any type of CBD product. \n\n### MK: Can you overdose on cannabis? \n\n**PS:** Nope. ... [Researchers have] tried overdosing animals, mice with cannabis, and they’ve been completely unsuccessful. I mean it would take pounds and pounds, and no one would be able to do that. So people have tried; it's called the LD 50, the lethal dose 50, and there just is no number. It's infinite because you would go to sleep or that's pretty much about it—meaning, you’d go to sleep and then wake up. But you know, there is no overdosing with cannabis. \n\n### MK: [Cannabis] does have a stimulating effect on the immune system, doesn't it? \n\n**PS:** It does. And there have been in vitro, which means in the lab, studies that [show] various types of cannabis can kill some cancer cells. Again, that is far different than saying it cures cancer in a person. It has been shown in the laboratory to have that effect and in some small animal models, but to extrapolate that to, and apply it to humans … for the person to say, “Well, I have breast cancer, and I’m on chemo, I don't want that. I'm just going to put this cannabis ointment on my breasts, and it's going to cure the cancer” and to stop [all other treatment]. I would say, “Please don't do that. And continue to see your physician about it.”\n\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://hellomd.com/articles/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online.  ","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/d69692e81a7385c406e386eda5f1c4ed/14b42/9d157e96146b78d34874aae662ac47a3.jpg","srcSet":"/static/d69692e81a7385c406e386eda5f1c4ed/f836f/9d157e96146b78d34874aae662ac47a3.jpg 200w,\n/static/d69692e81a7385c406e386eda5f1c4ed/2244e/9d157e96146b78d34874aae662ac47a3.jpg 400w,\n/static/d69692e81a7385c406e386eda5f1c4ed/14b42/9d157e96146b78d34874aae662ac47a3.jpg 800w,\n/static/d69692e81a7385c406e386eda5f1c4ed/47498/9d157e96146b78d34874aae662ac47a3.jpg 1200w,\n/static/d69692e81a7385c406e386eda5f1c4ed/7f945/9d157e96146b78d34874aae662ac47a3.jpg 1440w","srcWebp":"/static/d69692e81a7385c406e386eda5f1c4ed/58556/9d157e96146b78d34874aae662ac47a3.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/d69692e81a7385c406e386eda5f1c4ed/61e93/9d157e96146b78d34874aae662ac47a3.webp 200w,\n/static/d69692e81a7385c406e386eda5f1c4ed/1f5c5/9d157e96146b78d34874aae662ac47a3.webp 400w,\n/static/d69692e81a7385c406e386eda5f1c4ed/58556/9d157e96146b78d34874aae662ac47a3.webp 800w,\n/static/d69692e81a7385c406e386eda5f1c4ed/99238/9d157e96146b78d34874aae662ac47a3.webp 1200w,\n/static/d69692e81a7385c406e386eda5f1c4ed/ba24a/9d157e96146b78d34874aae662ac47a3.webp 1440w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2525-markdown","title":"Defend Your Right to Use Marijuana","slug":"defend-your-right-to-use-marijuana","content":"HelloMD Co-Founder Pamela Hadfield recently made an appearance in a [CBS Sunday Morning feature on the current climate towards marijuana in the United States](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/measuring-colorados-great-experiment-with-marijuana/). The video touched on key issues in the industry including: driving while high, the opioid epidemic and the growing acceptance of cannabis science by academia. It also covered the main topic on everyone’s mind: Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ rescinding of the Cole Memo, and how his actions may affect the consumers and businesses of this booming industry. \r\n\r\n[TELL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES TO REJECT SESSIONS’ DECISION](http://norml.org/action-center/item/tell-congress-to-stop-jeff-sessions-crackdown?link_id=1&can_id=15c9d5aee3b624ae0957335e57c3cd85&source=email-re-ag-sessions-efforts-to-shut-down-legal-marijuana-2&email_referrer=email_283937&email_subject=re-ag-sessions-efforts-to-shut-down-legal-marijuana) & [END FEDERAL MARIJUANA PROHIBITION](http://norml.org/action-center/item/federal-bill-introduced-to-end-federal-marijuana-prohibition)\r\n\r\n### The Cole Memo, Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment & Medical Marijuana \r\n\r\nThe Cole Memo was a directive from the Obama era, which stated that as long as states that had legalized marijuana didn’t interfere with federal priorities (like stopping the distribution of drugs to minors), the government would in turn adopt a policy of noninterference. \r\n\r\nThe nixing of this memo opens the door for arrests and prosecution of individual consumers as wells raids that could threaten businesses that operate in the legal cannabis market. \r\n\r\nWhile Sessions was unclear on whether federal prosecutors would make any distinctions between medical and recreational marijuana, medical users have another protection in place: the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment, a provision of a federal spending bill that prevents the Justice Department from using money on prosecutions that involve medical cannabis. \r\n\r\nThe bad news is that this amendment is up for a vote—Congress will decide later on Jan. 19 whether that protection should stay in place. \r\n\r\nRELATED: [SESSIONS OPENS THE DOOR TO FEDERAL PROSECUTION OF LEGALIZED MARIJUANA](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5a4fa739100a820006562f50/sessions-opens-the-door-to-federal-prosecution-of-legalized-marijuana)\r\n\r\n### Protect Yourself by Staying Under the Umbrella of Medical Marijuana \r\n\r\nSo what’s the best way to protect yourself amid all of these constantly changing laws and regulations? It seems like the safest bet for now is to stay a medical patient, if you can.  \r\n\r\nIn an interview in _Westword_, cannabis attorney Brian Vicente, [says it’s unlikely that federal prosecutors are interested in pursuing medical patients](http://www.westword.com/marijuana/colorado-cannabis-events-in-january-2018-9817914) who are compliant with state law.\r\n\r\nPamela agrees and thinks that if you’re in a state that allows both recreational and medical consumption, staying in the realm of medicinal marijuana is an appropriate—and safe—response to the Department of Justice’s actions.\r\n\r\nShe also adds that if you’re in California, which recently legalized adult-use sales, most areas outside of major cities aren’t ready to—or have no interest in—participating in the new recreational market. To access cannabis in these dry areas, you’ll need a medical marijuana recommendation.   \r\n\r\n![HelloMD's Pamela Hadfield speaking to CBS Sunday Morning about cannabis as a solution to the opioid epidemic](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/articles-5a553773c7e0180007a78266-0d328b0b-76a6-4e87-a65f-92419e87bd5a/original.jpg)\r\n\r\n### You Can Still Help End Federal Marijuana Prohibition\r\n\r\nWhile Sessions’ move is cause for alarm, there may be a silver lining: Numerous opinion pieces by political experts in publications like the [_Washington Post_](https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2018/01/05/why-jeff-sessions-marijuana-crackdown-is-going-to-make-legalization-more-likely/?utm_term=.12846c7b49c4) and [_Politico_](https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/01/06/jeff-sessions-marijuana-legalization-congress-216251) speculate that Sessions’ move may actually push Congress towards legalization of the plant.  \r\n\r\nLawmakers have been mobilizing to make this happen: Representatives Tom Garret (R-VA) and Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) introduced HR 1227, the [Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2017](https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/1227/actions) in February 2017. And due to recent events, the bill is getting more coverage.  \r\n\r\nHR 1227 would do away with federal criminal penalties for possession and cultivation of marijuana—essentially cannabis would be treated in a manner similar to cigarettes and alcohol. It’d also remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, allowing for better research on the plant’s benefits.\r\n\r\nYou can support this bill and reject Sessions’ effort by—you guessed it—calling or emailing your representatives in Congress. NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, has a started [a letter-writing campaign to help the legislation’s passage](http://norml.org/action-center/item/federal-bill-introduced-to-end-federal-marijuana-prohibition), and another [campaign to encourage your representatives to reject Sessions’ recent decision](http://norml.org/action-center/item/tell-congress-to-stop-jeff-sessions-crackdown?link_id=1&can_id=15c9d5aee3b624ae0957335e57c3cd85&source=email-re-ag-sessions-efforts-to-shut-down-legal-marijuana-2&email_referrer=email_283937&email_subject=re-ag-sessions-efforts-to-shut-down-legal-marijuana). If you enter your home address on these pages, it automatically addresses your letter to your respective representative—we encourage your participation. \r\n\r\nPhoto credit: [CBS Sunday Morning](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/measuring-colorados-great-experiment-with-marijuana/)\r\n\r\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online.  ","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.36986301369863,"src":"/static/45fb2a2efedb793108da7cee057002b0/14b42/9225a7dee6d1381f8c34bbc9290af826.jpg","srcSet":"/static/45fb2a2efedb793108da7cee057002b0/f836f/9225a7dee6d1381f8c34bbc9290af826.jpg 200w,\n/static/45fb2a2efedb793108da7cee057002b0/2244e/9225a7dee6d1381f8c34bbc9290af826.jpg 400w,\n/static/45fb2a2efedb793108da7cee057002b0/14b42/9225a7dee6d1381f8c34bbc9290af826.jpg 800w,\n/static/45fb2a2efedb793108da7cee057002b0/671fd/9225a7dee6d1381f8c34bbc9290af826.jpg 1111w","srcWebp":"/static/45fb2a2efedb793108da7cee057002b0/58556/9225a7dee6d1381f8c34bbc9290af826.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/45fb2a2efedb793108da7cee057002b0/61e93/9225a7dee6d1381f8c34bbc9290af826.webp 200w,\n/static/45fb2a2efedb793108da7cee057002b0/1f5c5/9225a7dee6d1381f8c34bbc9290af826.webp 400w,\n/static/45fb2a2efedb793108da7cee057002b0/58556/9225a7dee6d1381f8c34bbc9290af826.webp 800w,\n/static/45fb2a2efedb793108da7cee057002b0/be8df/9225a7dee6d1381f8c34bbc9290af826.webp 1111w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2431-markdown","title":"HelloMD's Laughter Haven: An Evening of Cannabis & Comedy","slug":"hellomds-laughter-haven-an-evening-of-cannabis-and-comedy","content":"### LAUGHTER HAVEN: AN EVENING OF CANNABIS & COMEDY\n\n**Laugh, Consume, Laugh Some More!**\n\n**A cannabis-consumption event in San Francisco on October 5th, 2017.**\n\nCome spend a cannabis-enhanced evening at HelloMD's Laughter Haven, enjoying a stellar line-up of stand-up comedians. Newly minted Netflix star Mike Winfield headlines, with Steph Garcia and Carlos Rodriguez opening up the show. Connect with cannabis enthusiasts and top cannabis brands in the Bay Area. Drop in to Dope Magazine’s outdoor combustion lounge, where you’ll have plenty of sampling opportunities from smoking flower, to dabbing and vaping. You’ll also have the opportunity to taste some of the area’s best artisanal edibles and elixirs.\n\n**SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:**\n\n>* 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. – Connect + engage + cannabis brand sampling\n>* 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. – 3 stand-up comedians with Netflix star Mike Winfield headlining. Steph Garcia and Carlos Rodriguez open up the show.\n>* 10:30 p.m. – Doors close\n\n**Dope Magazine is the premier sponsor of LAUGHTER HAVEN:**\n\n![](https://hellomd-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/59c1930593afe713363117a3/embedded_images/59c194004f508a1565dead92/dope_bkgrnd.jpg) \n\n**THE COMEDY LINEUP**\n\n**Mike Winfield**\n\nMike E. Winfield in minutes will describe what has happened in your life that very day. Many often leave his live show saying, “Does he live with us?” Strikingly brilliant comedian Mike E. has not slowed down since his debut on The Late Show W/ David Letterman and then winning a reoccurring role on NBC’s The Office. \n\n`embed: https://www.instagram.com/p/BZPQgYiAQ3D/`\n\nYou may have seen him on Showtime’s Comics Without Borders, Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham, and the Arsenio Hall Show. He’s in a new movie PIMPw/ rapper DMX. He’s currently streaming on the Netflix Special Brad Paisley’s Comedy Rodeo. \n\n**Steph Garcia**\n\n![](https://hellomd-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/59c1930593afe713363117a3/embedded_images/59c19d4f93afe717d1311779/steph.jpg) \n\nSteph Garcia is best known for her quick wit, ferocious sarcasm, impersonations of drunk girls and hysterical, yet vulnerable stories of life including marriage, kids and regrets. She has entertained thousands by drawing upon experiences from her drunken nights as a single gal to getting married to a U.S. Marine. She’s been seen on ABC's The View, the Funniest Housewife in America, and Comedy Central to name a few.\n\n**Carlos Rodriguez**\n\n![](https://hellomd-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/59c1930593afe713363117a3/embedded_images/59c19d4f93afe717d131177a/carlos.jpg) \n\nCarlos Rodriguez was thrown into comedy, being born into a large family he quickly became a fast talking entertainer which eventually led him to comedy. Taking the stage you see the inner child come out with all the passion, excitement and energy of a new performer with the grace and comfort of a seasoned pro. Carlos brings a clever, silly and approachable voice to comedy. In a fun and relatable way his observational humor touches beyond daily occurrences to deep rooted memories of his childhood, views on the simplest ideas and the most off beat subject matter.\n\n**THE CANNABIS BRANDS**\n\nHelloMD is proud to partner with top California cannabis brands to bring you the best in cannabis for Laughter Haven. \n\n>* Emerald Alchemy\n>* Vape Exhale\n>* Flow Kana\n>* Somatik\n>* Guild Extracts\n>* Sprig\n>* Sava\n\nand more...\n\n**Please Note:**\n\n>* The event is in San Francisco’s Dogpatch district; the exact location will be disclosed to ticket-holders 24-48 hours prior to the event.\n>* This is a 21+ event. You’ll be required to present your valid California medical marijuana recommendation along with your state-issued photo ID.\n>* No ticket sales at the door. No alcohol served at this venue during the event.\n>* Transportation: We recommend you take lyft/uber or public transportation.\nHelloMD can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it’s easy, fast, private and 100% online.","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.342281879194631,"src":"/static/2bb24c0a9f013d3112645c43c22cc7bc/14b42/bdc893c6eca3a471cced0aa30ec8b7ef.jpg","srcSet":"/static/2bb24c0a9f013d3112645c43c22cc7bc/f836f/bdc893c6eca3a471cced0aa30ec8b7ef.jpg 200w,\n/static/2bb24c0a9f013d3112645c43c22cc7bc/2244e/bdc893c6eca3a471cced0aa30ec8b7ef.jpg 400w,\n/static/2bb24c0a9f013d3112645c43c22cc7bc/14b42/bdc893c6eca3a471cced0aa30ec8b7ef.jpg 800w,\n/static/2bb24c0a9f013d3112645c43c22cc7bc/47498/bdc893c6eca3a471cced0aa30ec8b7ef.jpg 1200w,\n/static/2bb24c0a9f013d3112645c43c22cc7bc/1df4d/bdc893c6eca3a471cced0aa30ec8b7ef.jpg 1370w","srcWebp":"/static/2bb24c0a9f013d3112645c43c22cc7bc/58556/bdc893c6eca3a471cced0aa30ec8b7ef.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/2bb24c0a9f013d3112645c43c22cc7bc/61e93/bdc893c6eca3a471cced0aa30ec8b7ef.webp 200w,\n/static/2bb24c0a9f013d3112645c43c22cc7bc/1f5c5/bdc893c6eca3a471cced0aa30ec8b7ef.webp 400w,\n/static/2bb24c0a9f013d3112645c43c22cc7bc/58556/bdc893c6eca3a471cced0aa30ec8b7ef.webp 800w,\n/static/2bb24c0a9f013d3112645c43c22cc7bc/99238/bdc893c6eca3a471cced0aa30ec8b7ef.webp 1200w,\n/static/2bb24c0a9f013d3112645c43c22cc7bc/e7d03/bdc893c6eca3a471cced0aa30ec8b7ef.webp 1370w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}}]}},"pageContext":{"limit":12,"skip":0,"numPages":4,"currentPage":1,"id":5332,"name":"Hellomd News","slug":"hellomd-news","country":"US"}},"staticQueryHashes":["3949754563","4179947113","4202924991"]}