Author Uwe Blesching would like to be part of the solution in finally ending the failed War on Drugs, via education, science, and mindfulness.
His literary contributions include, Breaking the Cycle of Opioid Addiction, Supplement Your Pain Management with Cannabis (July 2018); The Cannabis Health Index: Combining the Science of Medical Marijuana with Mindfulness Techniques to heal 100 Chronic Symptoms and Diseases (2nd ed. 2015); and in the works, Healing with Cannabis, Optimizing Your Ideal CBD:THC Ratio.
“The medical element of cannabis has always held a sense of wonder for me,” Blesching shared from his home in Berkeley, California. “It’s an easy argument to make that all cannabis use is medicinal. The mind-body science is only now coming together. Neurotransmitters and hormones have a strong correlation with plant compounds – and the endocannabinoid system is the bridge.”
The negative stigma of cannabis developed from the failed War on Drugs, and the misinformation that followed, he said, are the biggest obstacles to change; and changing your mindset leads to leaving the stigma behind and embracing the healing happening globally.
“People have been socialized with the narrative from the War on Drugs,” he said. “They go to their doctor – and they don’t want to take opioids – but are now terrified, faced with the stigma of cannabis. Their first experiences with cannabis may be worsened because of a lack of knowledge on dosing or the stigma alone. One little thing can make them give up on cannabis, when it could be a positive medicine for them.”
Education is Everything
Blesching was a Paramedic for the City of San Francisco for twenty years. He holds a BA in Humanities from the New College of California; an MA in Psychology; and a PhD in Higher Education and Social Change from the Western Institute for Social Research.
As shared on his website, he is a medical writer, contributing regularly in the fields of cannabinoid health sciences, mind-body medicine, phytopharmacology, and evidence-based illness prevention and treatment protocols, with a life-long passion for Integrative Medicine.
His journey into cannabis from mainstream media is personal, as shared in the introduction of his astonishingly thorough Health Index, while working a long shift as an EMT, he and his partner witnessed the power of mindfulness as it relates to the biological systems of the body. This led to knowledge of the endocannabinoid system – what he calls the bridge to mindful, plant-based prevention and healing.
His blog on his website covers everything from cannabis and malaria, to Veterans and PTSD, to a compelling piece on re-thinking the feeling of euphoria, and its simple, root meaning of being “well.”
“Let’s think about it for a moment,” he ponders. “Why is an emotional experience that otherwise could be described as a peak experience, an extraordinary state of consciousness, a heightened awareness, a moment of bliss, a sense of majesty, a brush with spirit, a touch of soul rich with substance, or an awareness of the immortal in oneself somehow thought to be an adverse effect like a skin rash or nausea? This judgment is even more irrational when we consider that expansive experiences of this nature can quickly shift neurological and psychological pain and dysphoria responses toward those that elicit expansive affect, which is clearly associated with therapeutic potential. You don’t need to be a doctor to notice that this feels a heck of a lot better than depression or fear.”
Such is the world of Uwe Blesching, challenging what we think already know, then adding another layer.
Cannabis Studies Databank
Aside from finishing up his latest book with a focus on CBD to THC ratios, Blesching has been busy building a multi-media health and wellness platform, hosting a databank of studies on cannabis’ healing properties on certain illnesses and disorders.
“The studies will be curated by hand and rated individually, as well as collectively, for each ailment,” he explained. “This is done to provide the user with an instant understanding of the underlying strengths of science, as well as specific and practical information, helping the patient to make informed decisions about how to use cannabinoid medicine for what ails you.”
Another reason for creating the databank was due to the constant need to update the Health Index, as more studies are documented on cannabis as medicine.
“Unfortunately, the science of the endocannabinoid system, and its processes for utilizing cannabis and other substances, have not been clearly communicated, are poorly understood, and are woefully underdeveloped,” he said. “Too often patients, doctors and even the cannabis industry, have been left to determine health and wellness decisions with inadequate and inconsistent information.”
Changing the Narrative
“It’s astonishing the amount of misinformation that’s out there on cannabis as a viable alternative to what is called traditional medicine,” he continued. “And even more so, the amount of people who believe it! The only opposition to the truth has been the narrative of the War on Drugs. It’s a global problem – I’ve seen its effects and the impact of that drama when I travel to other countries.”
Thankfully, he said, people are being educated, studies are being conducted, and the healing is happening in spite of politics or closed minds.
“Personally, I learn more from one patient who has been helped,” he concluded. “When people have a chronic condition for 15 or 20 years, with a lack of results, they are ready to become informed – they are ready to make a change. When someone is open to suggestion, it’s absorbed quickly. When you witness them transitioning from many pharmaceuticals to just one plant, you learn.”
