On today’s episode of the Healthy, Wealthy and Smart Podcast, Dr. Rachna Patel joins me to discuss common misconceptions of medical marijuana. Dr. Patel has been practicing in the area of Medical Marijuana since 2012 and step-by-step walks patients through how to use medical marijuana for their specific medical condition.  In this episode, we discuss: -How medical marijuana functions in the body -Conditions that can be treated with medical marijuana and surprising outcomes -What the side effects of medical marijuana are and how to avoid them - Alternatives to smoking medical marijuana -Why lab-tested medical grade marijuana is very different from what’s found on the streets -And so much more!   The therapeutic range for medical marijuana varies from patient to patient. A practitioner can help find the optimal ratio of the THC and CBD components of the plant which work best for the patient. Dr. Patel states, “You can adjust the effect that the medication will have on you based on the proportions of these different chemicals.”   One of the practical benefits of medical marijuana is the fact that, “These chemicals are fat soluble… Patients don’t have to take this medication every day. Once you take it, you have stores of it in your body.”   Medical marijuana has proven to be less addictive and have fewer side effects. From Dr. Patel’s clinical experience, there is growing evidence that medical marijuana could serve as a potential alternative to opioids. “When I was reading the research studies, a couple studies I came across said that when medical marijuana is used in conjunction with opioids, the marijuana helps to reduce the dose of the opioids that you have to use. What I found surprisingly, patients were able to come off of a lot of these pain medications and just use medical marijuana in its place.“   There are potentially many patient populations that could benefit from the use of medical marijuana. For some conditions like fibromyalgia, medical marijuana has revolutionized patient treatment plans. “I expected [medical marijuana] to be a part of the arsenal, I didn't expect it to be the only tool in the arsenal that these patients were using.”   For more information on Dr. Patel: Dr. Rachna Patel has been practicing in the area of Medical Marijuana since 2012.  She step-by-step walks patients through how to use medical marijuana for their specific medical condition.  She completed her medical studies at Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine and her undergraduate studies at Northwestern University.  You can learn more about the work she does at www.DrRachnaPatel.com   Resources discussed on this show: YouTube channel How to Choose a Medical Marijuana Doctor.   Facebook Page: Listeners are welcome to ask questions on the page for Ask Me Anything on Wednesdays every week.    Thanks for listening and subscribing to the podcast! Make sure to connect with me on twitter and facebook to stay updated on all of the latest! Show your support for the show by leaving a rating and review on iTunes!   Have a great week and stay Healthy Wealthy and Smart!   Xo Karen   P.S. Do you want to be a stand out podcast guest? Make sure to grab the tools from the FREE eBook on the home page! Check out my latest blog post on The Do's and Don'ts of Social Media!   P.S.S. Check out the inaugural Women in PT Summit here! Sign up now as space is limited!