About the author
Dr. Benjamin Caplan, MD
Family physician, researcher and educator, focused on helping patients use cannabis safely and well.
Biography
A physician first
Dr. Benjamin Caplan is a board-certified family medicine physician who has cared for patients for more than twenty years, and has focused on cannabis medicine since 2016. His work spans clinical care, research, education and health policy.
As co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of CED Clinic, CED Foundation, EO Care and The Commonwealth Project, he is advancing a modern, data-driven model of cannabis care. CED Clinic has cared for more than 25,000 patients in longitudinal care and has supported clinical guidance and data collection for more than 350,000 additional people around the world.
His research includes work featured in The New England Journal of Medicine, and he contributes to building a stronger evidence base for clinical cannabis medicine. He has lectured on medical cannabis at Harvard Business School and gave the keynote at its first Cannabis Business Conference.
Through The Commonwealth Project, he works on a national effort to expand access to cannabinoid care for older adults. The project was selected to present at the U.S. DEA rescheduling hearings, and Dr. Caplan was the only practicing cannabis physician on the team invited to speak.
He earned his medical degree at Tufts University School of Medicine and completed residency in family medicine at Boston Medical Center.
Milestones
From brain mapping to cannabis medicine
A career that moved from neuroscience research to family medicine, then to building one of the country’s leading cannabis practices.
- 2003Williams CollegeBachelor of Arts.
- 2003UCLA Brain Mapping CenterStaff research associate on fMRI studies for the International Consortium for Brain Mapping.
- 2010Doctor of MedicineTufts University School of Medicine.
- 2013Family medicine residencyBoston Medical Center, with community care at Codman Square and South Boston health centers.
- 2014Board certified and teachingAmerican Board of Family Medicine; assistant professor of outpatient family medicine at Tufts and Boston University.
- 2016Founds CED ClinicA cannabis medicine practice caring for adult and pediatric patients.
- 2017CED FoundationA source for peer-reviewed cannabis literature and a growing digital research library.
- 2020EO CareCo-founds a digital health company making cannabinoid care more accessible.
- 2023The Doctor-Approved Cannabis HandbookPublished by BenBella Books.
Recognition
In medicine and the media
In the news
Featured expert on NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX and PBS, and quoted in mainstream and scientific press on cannabis in aging, pain, mental health and policy.
In print
Work featured in The New England Journal of Medicine, with contributions to Forbes and Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare.
In the field
Writes the Doctor-Approved Cannabis newsletter for patients and clinicians, and teaches clinicians new to cannabis medicine.
Organizations
What he has built
CED Clinic
Founder and Chief Medical Officer. Cannabis medicine for adult and pediatric patients.
cedclinic.comThe Commonwealth Project
Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer. Expanding access to cannabinoid care for older adults.
commonwealthproject.orgEO Care
Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer. A digital health platform for cannabinoid care.
eo.careCED Foundation
Founder and Executive Medical Director. Research and a large digital library of cannabis literature.
At a glance
Credentials
- Medical degree
- Tufts University School of Medicine
- Residency
- Family Medicine, Boston Medical Center
- Board certification
- American Board of Family Medicine
- Undergraduate
- Williams College
- Clinical practice
- CED Clinic, Needham, Massachusetts
- Languages
- English, Spanish, Hebrew, American Sign Language
Work with Dr. Caplan
Speaking, media, research collaboration and clinical partnerships.