(This is the transcript from WCBM Radio Dr. Gonzalez’s weekly 4-minute radio spot “DrG’s Corner” July 19th, 2020)
Gary Stein: Welcome Dr. Gonzalez! DrG! It is great to have you on each week. How did you like that theme music? Top Gun seems fitting Love it! So, let’s get to it….Our guest speaker Jacob was great wasn’t he? He is at the edge of all the CBD research. I understand you are going to go over CBD history and current research done at the University of Arizona and you are going to do it in less than 4 minutes? Awesome! Go!
Dr. Gonzalez: Thank you for having me each week! I am Dr. Ben Gonzalez and this is DrG’s Corner.
It was great listening to Jacob…He told you some of the CBD history. I will do a quick 2 minute summary of CBD history followed by a quick description of the work being done at the University of Arizona College of Medicine my alma mater, and explain why it is important to you and your listeners.
Cannabis is one of the first plants ever documented for use in medicine about 5000 years ago! Fast forward a few thousand years and in the mid 1930s a smart Dude named Cahn ..not the Star Trek Kahn with a K, rather Dr. Cahn with a C….figured out the structure of Cannabinol which is one of over 140 known cannabinoid compounds found in the cannabis plant. In 1963 when I was a wee 1 year old, Dr. Rafael Mechoulam, who is still alive and lecturing and considered the Grandfather of CBD research, He his lab buddies in Israel, discovered and described the chemical structure of CBD.
So, if we discovered CBD 60 years ago, why are we just now hearing about it?…… That is another DrG Corner discussion we will save for a later date. I will say this, politics and myths hid this powerful compound as a medical tool for most of those decades……. SO back to CBD and its current history….. what was not known 60 years ago was how did CBD act on the body? It was not until I entered medical school in 1992 that the CBD receptors were finally described.
To be very clear…Your body MAKES CBD molecules naturally and……. your body has a CBD system, like the nervous system and the vascular system. It is called the Endocannabinoid System (ECS). Just like when somebody has a breakdown in those other systems like in diabetes, hyo or hyperthyroidism, testosterone or other hormone problems, there can be problems with the ECS which can cause medical conditions like chronic pain, fibromyalgia, and autoimmune diseases! We are JUST NOW beginning to understand how all this works.
Let’s fast forward to NOW. Because of all the non-scientific marketing hype and poor-quality CBD out there, I feel the power of CBD and the science behind it has been diluted. To be clear, I am a medical MD trained physician. I track and follow the scientific literature and the current studies on CBD and its medical applications. The endocannabinoid system, when perfectly functioning provides balance in cells, tissues, and EVERY SINGLE organ of your body.
At the University of Arizona College of Medicine and Pharmacy, there are ongoing studies and discussions concerning the use of CBD in pain management, cancer treatments, depression and anxiety, seizure disorders, diabetes care, sleep disorders, autoimmune diseases and so much more. It is known that certain cannabinoids slow the spread of brain, colon, and breast cancer. There is hope of finding a way to stop these cancers. Other studies led by Dr. Vanderah at the University of Arizona College of Medicine and Pharmacy show the usefulness and power of the NON-psychotropic CBDs in pain management, especially in cancer pain. Dr Vanderah leads a Task Force to help decrease the use of opioids. There are smart scientists doing powerful studies to help you and your health. The key is to listen to these scientists and physicians.
For more information about CBD oil you can message me directly on IG at @bengonzalez_md, You can call the clinic to set up a telephone consultation with me at 301-622-2722.
Dr. Gonzalez: So, what do you guys think? A little history lesson?
Gary Stein: As always that was amazing! It is great to hear from you and I think there are some important and valuable future discussions on what you said today. As always everybody! Dr. Ben Gonzalez and DrG’s Corner! Thank you!
