The book
The Doctor-Approved Cannabis Handbook
Reverse Disease, Treat Pain, and Enhance Your Wellness with Medical Marijuana and CBD. By Benjamin Caplan, MD.
Why this book
Specific guidance, from a doctor who practices cannabis medicine
For years, most doctors either warned patients away from cannabis or said nothing at all. Patients were left to figure it out alone, from dispensary staff, friends and the internet.
Dr. Caplan wrote the Handbook to close that gap. It is the guidance he gives patients in his own practice: what cannabis is, how it works in the body, how to choose a product and a dose, and how to build a plan for a specific condition, alongside the rest of your care. It is written to be read by patients and caregivers, and to be useful to the clinicians who support them.
What’s inside
Sixteen chapters in two parts
Part I
A Guided Cannabis Overview
- 01
The Cannabis Plant
Basic botany and the chemistry that matters: cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids, and what a typical cannabis experience feels like.
- 02
How Cannabis Works
The endocannabinoid system in action, why cannabis can be a useful therapy, and ten reasons to get past the stigma.
- 03
The Shopper’s Guide to Cannabis Products
Edibles, topicals, tinctures, flower, vaporizers, concentrates and prescription cannabinoids, how to avoid ineffective products, and where to start with dosing.
- 04
Do-It-Yourself Products, Edibles, and Topicals
Decarboxylation, boiling points, and making your own tinctures, edibles and topicals at home.
- 05
Starting Your Guided Cannabis Journey
Preparing your environment, talking with your healthcare provider, reviewing your current medications, and knowing what to expect before you begin.
Part II
Clinical Uses
- 06
Mental Health Issues
How cannabis affects the brain, sample regimens, and why therapy still matters.
- 07
Sleep Disturbances
The Caplan Sleep Quality Questionnaire, the ways cannabis can help with sleep, and the basics of good sleep hygiene.
- 08
Headaches
The most common headaches, a closer look at migraine, and how cannabis is used for headache relief.
- 09
Neurodegenerative Diseases
Dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, stage by stage, with treatment regimens.
- 10
Seizures
What happens during a seizure and how cannabis regimens are built around it.
- 11
Physical Pain
The four facets of pain, how cannabis compares with other pain treatments, and sample regimens.
- 12
Gastrological Issues
Inflammation, infection, appetite and the gut and brain connection, including a case for CBG.
- 13
Skin Conditions
Why cannabis works on the skin’s many functions, and regimens for common skin concerns.
- 14
Sexual Function and Sexual Health
Sexual response, fertility, menopause, a caution for male sexual health, and regimens.
- 15
Cancer and the Symptoms of Cancer Therapies
How cannabis can ease the symptoms of traditional cancer treatment, what research suggests, and making the right decision for you.
- 16
Creating an End-of-Life Plan
Decisions for end-of-life care, expecting and treating symptoms, and products for hospice care.
Inside the pages
Tools you can use, not just information
A shopper’s guide
Every product type on the shelf, explained, with how to avoid ineffective products and where to start with a dose.
Make it yourself
Step by step instructions for tinctures, edibles and topicals, including decarboxylation and boiling points.
The Caplan Sleep Quality Questionnaire
A structured way to understand your own sleep before choosing a treatment, then track whether it helps.
Sample regimens
Condition by condition, the kinds of products, timing and ratios Dr. Caplan considers with patients.
Before you begin
How to talk with your healthcare provider, review your current medications, and prepare for a guided start.
An end-of-life plan
Thoughtful guidance for palliative and hospice care, for patients and the families who care for them.
Praise
Endorsed by clinicians, regulators and patients
Dr. Caplan’s new book offers a wealth of information and a huge dose of compassion and clarity.
There are only a few individuals like Dr. Caplan who are at the leading edge of the field.
Dr. Caplan’s extensive experience as one of the country’s leading medical cannabis practitioners and researchers makes a compelling case that cannabis treatments combined with clinical guidance can help patients realize the full benefits of a medical marijuana regimen.
Dr. Caplan’s thorough research, thoughtful analysis, and practical guidance leave you with hope that you will feel better.
The first comprehensive medical guide that provides groundbreaking new solutions to many of the medical issues that affect us all, including anxiety, sleeplessness, and pain management.
Who it’s for
Written for the people who need it most
Patients
Considering cannabis for a health concern and wanting a clear, safe place to start.
Caregivers
Helping a parent, partner or child, and needing guidance they can trust.
Clinicians
Physicians, nurse practitioners and pharmacists who are asked about cannabis every week.
The curious
Anyone who wants to understand cannabis medicine without hype in either direction.
Beyond the page
The book is the beginning
Companion diagrams
More than a hundred visuals that extend the book’s explanations, from absorption to tolerance.
Browse the diagramsWhat’s new in the research
Plain-language reviews of new studies at CED Clinic, so your reading stays current.
Reviewed researchAsk a question
The CED Research Assistant answers from the published medical literature.
Ask the Research Assistant- Author
- Benjamin Caplan, MD
- Publisher
- BenBella Books
- Published
- October 17, 2023
- Formats
- Paperback, ebook, audiobook
- Audiobook narrator
- Stephen Caffrey
- ISBN (paperback)
- 978-1637742679
- ISBN (ebook)
- 978-1637742686
- Signed copies
- Personally inscribed by Dr. Caplan
Questions
About the book
Is the book a substitute for seeing a doctor?
No. The Handbook is educational and is written to support a conversation with your own clinician, not to replace one. If you would like care from a cannabis-trained clinician, you can request a visit at CED Clinic.
Where are the diagrams and product images the book mentions?
Chapter 3 points readers to this site for a gallery of images and diagrams. You will find them on the diagrams page, grouped by topic, each linked to current evidence.
Is there an audiobook?
Yes. The audiobook is narrated by Stephen Caffrey and is available here.
Can I get a signed copy?
Yes. Dr. Caplan writes a personal inscription in every copy ordered through his inscription page.
How do I keep up with research published since the book?
CED Clinic reviews new studies in plain language on its research pages, and Dr. Caplan’s newsletter covers what changes in practice.