Author Archives: Dr. Leigh

Ask Dr. Leigh: What is the difference between cannabis legalization and decriminalization, and how does it impact medical marijuana users?

Q: What is the difference between cannabis legalization and decriminalization, and how does it impact medical marijuana users? A: Many people mistakenly think that decriminalization and legalization are interchangeable terms when it comes to cannabis law, and they are not. Decriminalization removes criminal penalties for personal use of small amounts of cannabis, which still remains an illegal…

Ask Dr. Leigh: Will medical marijuana help my autistic child, or hurt them?

Q: Will medical marijuana help my autistic child, or hurt them? I thought about trying cannabis with my autistic son, but I read articles about it being harmful for the developing brain. A: Autism is often one of the top medical conditions that push parents to seek medical cannabis. Many of the older studies talking about the dangers…

Ask Dr. Leigh: Can my child use medical marijuana at school?

Q: If I start my special needs child on medical cannabis for his seizures, what happens during the school day? A: That is one of the critical issues that parents like yourself face with respect to medical cannabis therapeutics. Despite the individual states recognizing that there are children who need medical cannabis, at the present, it is…

Ask Dr. Leigh: Why are the benefits of medical marijuana sometimes inconsistent?

Q: Why do the benefits of my medical cannabis sometimes vary slightly every time I use it, even when I buy the same product from the same dispensary? A: That is an excellent question and part of some of the frustration that both we as physicians and you as patients feel when using cannabis for medical therapeutics.…

Ask Dr. Leigh: When it comes to medical cannabis, do strains matter?

Q: When it comes to medical cannabis, do strains matter? A: This is an interesting question because I often hear from my patients that the dispensary staff are pushing specific strains for certain medical problems. But scientifically speaking, I don’t believe it is that simple and we probably have not advanced the science to that point yet. Today the…

Ask Dr. Leigh: Can cannabis treat neuropathy?

Q: Can cannabis treat neuropathy? And if so, what products should I use for it? A: While the initial answer may be a simple one, we don’t know yet. What follows is a review of what we do know. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), over one-quarter of…

Ask Dr. Leigh: How addictive is cannabis?

Q: How addictive is cannabis? A: As an emergency physician in inner cities such as Detroit and Baltimore for the last 25 years I am, unfortunately, very familiar with caring for patients with addiction.  Over the years, I have seen the nomenclature change from “drug abuse” to “substance abuse” to, now, “substance use disorder.” I became interested…

Ask Dr. Leigh: Why is medical marijuana federally illegal? What is the history that led up to that?

Q: Why is medical marijuana federally illegal? What is the history that led up to that? A: Cannabis has a long, complicated, and conflicting history in US politics. Historically it has been used as a food, a fiber, and a medicine for thousands of years in many different countries and cultures. In the US it has only…

Ask Dr. Leigh: Is there an antidote for feeling too high?

Q: Is there an antidote for feeling too high? A: The medical definition of antidote is a drug that counteracts a poison. Narcan(naloxone) is an antidote for opioid overdose with 100% efficacy as an opioid receptor antagonist, meaning it completely interferes with opioid receptors preventing an opioid drug from attaching to an opioid receptor. Therefore, when administered…

Ask Dr. Leigh: How dangerous are cannabis edibles for children?

Q: How dangerous are cannabis edibles for children? A: That is a very good question and with Halloween around the corner it is more critical than ever to treat edible cannabis products like any other medicine and make sure it is locked up and away from kids. Today cannabis products have THC levels that are much higher…