Cannabis Science and Therapeutics : The Essential Guide for Clinicians

Over the last several decades, cannabis has been increasingly accepted as a legitimate therapeutic option by the public. Healthcare professionals, most of whom did not learn about cannabis, cannabinoids, or the endocannabinoid system in school, face the challenge of understanding the potential benefits, risks, and role of cannabis-based medicine in patient care. Cannabis Science and Therapeutics: The Essential Guide for Clinicians provides evidence-based information and practical guidance to empower clinicians to navigate the complex scientific and regulatory landscape of cannabis-based medicine.

Cannabis Science and Therapeutics begins with an overview of the endocannabinoid system and cannabinoid pharmacology-- the scientific foundation for clinical applications of cannabis-based medicine. It also clarifies what the evidence really says about cannabis use for different medical conditions and how clinicians can interpret clinical and pre-clinical data to make decisions with patients about safe and effective use of cannabis-based medicine. This book includes the most up-to-date guidance on patient selection, administration, dosing, safety monitoring, drug interactions, and harm reduction strategies. A review of public health considerations provides readers with information necessary to engage patients, colleagues, policymakers, and other stakeholders in robust and balanced dialogue about the role of cannabis-based medicine in society. The book briefly overviews federal and state cannabis regulations, with a focus on implications for research. This book is intended both for readers with limited exposure to cannabis-based medicine and those already familiar with it who are seeking a comprehensive resource.

Leah Sera, PharmD

Dr. Leah Sera is an Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Academic Affairs in the Department of Practices Sciences and Health Outcomes Research at the University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB) School of Pharmacy. She is the program co-director of the Graduate Studies in Medical Cannabis program, the academic program of its kind in the country. Dr. Sera received her PharmD from the UMB School of Pharmacy in 2010. She is a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist and has served as a clinical pharmacist on palliative medicine and transitional care teams. Dr. Sera has been invited to speak on pain management, palliative medicine, and cannabis therapeutics at professional medical and pharmacy conferences and medical centers such as the National Institutes of Health. Her research interests include health disparities, medical cannabis utilization, pharmaceutical health policy, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. She lives in Olney, MD, with her husband, four sons, three cats, two dogs, and a bearded dragon, and spends her free time watching youth sports, reading, and gardening. 

Carrie Hempel-Sanderoff, DO

Dr. Carrie Hempel-Sanderoff is a physician who has spent her career caring for critically ill and terminally ill patients. During that time, her attention has been drawn to the space of suffering between the pharmaceuticals, procedures, and technology of medicine. An emerging theme was that patients with chronic and life-threatening illnesses experience holistic pain, symptoms, and suffering that is often unaddressed. Dr. Hempel-Sanderoff's training as an osteopathic physician has led her to embrace and explore the uses of complementary and alternative therapies to improve her patients' comfort and quality of life. In 2018, she opened a symptom management practice to assist and educate patients in the community about medical cannabis. In 2020, she joined the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy's Master of Science in Cannabis Science and Therapeutics (MCST) program as an adjunct faculty member and has collaborated with her pharmacist colleagues in course development, clinical practice, and authorship. Dr. Hempel-Sanderoff currently works as a hospice physician in Baltimore, MD, and continues to teach in the MCST program. She lives with her husband Brian, a pharmacist and a spoiled great dane. When she's not at work, you can find her on the sidelines of her son's travel baseball team, trying not to embarrass him with her cheering.