A Sarnia doctor is singing the praises of medical marijuana, saying that while cannabinoid therapy is not a panacea it can in some cases greatly improve the quality of life for patients who use it, particularly seniors.

Dr. Blake Pearson, a medical practitioner who founded the Greenly Health Medical Consulting firm two years ago, said research as well as his own experience in Sarnia-Lambton have shown that medical marijuana can have numerous benefits for those suffering from a wide variety of ailments – and with minimal risk.

Pearson also said the stigma that once surrounded the use of medical marijuana – both among professionals in the medical community as well as with members of the public – has mostly disappeared over the past few years.

The local doctor, who recently started a medical marijuana therapy program that works with patients in area long-term care homes, said he became a believer after witnessing multiple positive experiences with medical marijuana’s use among his patients.

“Basically it was the results,” he told members of the Seaway Kiwanis Club this week. “I kind of dipped my toes in the water with (medical marijuana). I started to get familiar with it, I started to go to more conferences both nationally and internationally, and once I started practicing it became evident fairly quickly that it was something I was passionate about and the results spoke for themselves. So I decided to dive headfirst into it.”

While medical marijuana is not for everyone, if used correctly it can be highly effective in alleviating symptoms to many conditions and can be a much less risky alternative to highly-additive opioids and benzodiazepines, Pearson said.

“Where I’m seeing really good benefits among older people is addressing sleeping disorders and in patients with dementia by reducing some of their agitation,” he said.

“It’s not the greatest thing since sliced bread – there are some conditions it doesn’t work for. And even for the conditions it does work for, like arthritis, certain patients won’t respond. But (medical marijuana) has the lowest potential for abuse compared to opioids, benzos, alcohol and nicotine,” Pearson continued. “I’m really seeing the biggest benefit for chronic pain in the older population.”

The doctor said that while there are still misperceptions surrounding the use of medical marijuana, its stigma has largely gone up in smoke because of better education and awareness among medical professionals as well as members of the public.

“One of the big misconceptions that people still have is that people using medical marijuana just want to get high, when actually it’s just the opposite – the people who are using it medicinally, a lot of them come into my office and the first thing they say is ‘I don’t want to get high’,” he said. “People are looking for help, looking for alternatives and that’s the real cool part about medicinal cannabis.

“As for the stigma, the physicians in Sarnia are a close-knit group, they’re educated on the topic and they’re starting to see benefits in some of the patients they’re referring,” Pearson added. “So they’re getting a lot more comfortable with the idea of using it as an option, which is a big thing.”

Though there is some confusion between the use of medical marijuana – which has been legal in Canada since 2001 – and the federal government’s plan to legalize the use of recreational marijuana later this year, Pearson said he didn’t see the latter as being too problematic for doctors.

“I think you’ll still see a role for physicians being involved, because a lot of patients that I see have no clue on the varying degree of TCH and CBD and what’s going to be good for their condition,” he said. “So I’d strongly suggest that if someone is using recreational marijuana for medical purposes, they consult their physician.”

After seeing consistently positive results among his clientele – who are on average over 50 years of age – and a wealth of peer-reviewed research to back up its effectiveness, medical marijuana is becoming a real alternative for more and more people in Lambton County, Pearson said.

“Of course there are risks associated with it, like fatigue, increase in heart rate, anxiety in some cases. And the psychoactivity in THC can be hard for some people to handle. So there are risks with (medical marijuana) just like with any other medication,” he said. “But like any other medication you want to start with a low dosage, you want to be sure of how it affects you before continuing on.

“Like I said, it’s not a panacea, but is it an option for someone who has chronic pain who doesn’t want to try an opioid, who doesn’t want to go down that road. Absolutely it is an option.”