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Summary
On episode 420 of 40+ Fitness, Coach Allan sits down with Aliza Sherman, co-founder of Ellementa, the fastest-growing women’s network focused on health, wellness, and cannabis, and Dr. Junella Chin, an osteopathic physician, founder of MedLeafRx, and director of education for the Association of Cannabis Specialists.
Aliza and Dr. Chin argue cannabis and CBD are legitimate medicine, not a stoner stereotype: the body’s own endocannabinoid system regulates nearly every other system, which is why cannabinoids and terpenes from the plant can affect everything from chronic pain to anxiety to Parkinson’s symptoms.
The conversation covers the legal patchwork patients navigate across states, how dosing and formulation have become far more precise, and why they recommend starting low and going slow, ideally with a knowledgeable doctor involved.
Links
- https://ellementa.com
- https://drjunchin.com
Key Takeaways
- The endocannabinoid system regulates nearly every other system in the body. It is not taught in medical school, but it modulates the circulatory, digestive, immune, and central nervous systems, which is why cannabis and CBD can help such a wide range of conditions.
- Cannabis contains over 100 identified cannabinoids, more than nearly any other plant. Each has different effects: THC alters perception, CBD acts as a partner and counterbalance to THC, and CBN promotes sleepiness but can cause paranoia in higher doses.
- Terpenes, not just cannabinoids, shape the effect of a product. Compounds like linalool (also found in lavender) and myrcene (also in mangoes) give cannabis its color, smell, and taste, and formulators now blend cannabinoids and terpenes to target specific effects like relaxation or focus.
- Chronic inflammation underlies most of what cannabis treats. CBD is a potent anti-inflammatory, and the conditions Dr. Chin sees most, chronic pain, gout, Parkinson’s tremors, epilepsy, and Crohn’s disease, all trace back to inflammation at the root.
- Legal status is a state-by-state patchwork layered on top of federal illegality. That creates real problems for patients; someone with homes in multiple states can be forced to carry separate medical cards and see separate doctors just to keep taking the same medicine.
- Dosing has become precise and pharmaceutical-grade. Providers now measure in milligrams, use enteric-coated capsules and timed-release oils, and track interactions with a patient’s other prescriptions, rather than relying on guesswork like “a bite of this cookie.”
- Start low and go slow when self-experimenting. Effective doses vary enormously between people and between THC and CBD; you cannot overdose fatally on either as a healthy adult, but starting small and increasing gradually avoids discomfort.
- Cannabis was made illegal for political reasons, not medical ones. Its prohibition in the 1920s and 1930s traces back to propaganda, greed, and anti-immigration politics of the era, not proof that it was a gateway drug, and it is now being reconsidered as a safer exit-ramp alternative to opioids.
- Aliza’s and Dr. Chin’s three strategies to get and stay well: Aliza named getting good sleep, moving your body throughout the day instead of staying sedentary, and being mindful of what you put in and on your body; Dr. Chin named paying attention to nutrition and sugar intake, practicing meditation, and getting regular exercise, which she has found directly changes how well cannabis works for patients like those with Parkinson’s.
“It can really bring you back to balance and health and keep you away from some of these dangerous substances.”
Aliza Sherman