When I started looking into the opioid crisis and the possible substitute for cannabis, it put me on a path that I did not expect. Even getting a TEDx talk under my belt was also an unexpected event. The feedback has been a lot of fun and has been a validation that cannabis use as a substitute may be received better by wider audiences than previously expected.

In many questions that come in at questions@chalmerswellness.com, there is a common thread. Medical use of cannabis would save lives and even improve the quality of life for others.

If you have opinions for or against cannabis as a substitute for opioid addiction, please send me a question at questions@chalmerswellness.com, and I will get back to you. Being part of the national discussion for a solution to opioid addiction is better than not voicing your opinions.

For all things related on my TEDx talk check out pillarsofwellness.com/tedx

Transcript of the Questions@Chalmerswellness.com video. May be edited for grammar only.

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:00:03] This. Doctor Chalmers, welcome to Wellness Insights with me. Dr. Chalmers,

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:00:07]: How did I personally encounter the issues we discussed in the talk? I have tons of stress like, you know, when you’re launching multiple companies when you’re trying to keep people alive, when people text you in the middle of the night, and the kids just in car wrecks and stuff like that, and you know, these kids, there’s a lot of kids I’ve been working on.

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:00:21]: I’ve been doing this for six years. There are kids who are driving today that I met when they were born. It’s, yeah, and I’m not there in their family. But, you know, when you work with somebody and you have known somebody for ten or 15 years, you get kind of close to them.

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:00:35] So, you know, there’s that type of thing. So, I love cannabis for the for the stress relief piece. I’ve quit drinking alcohol because, you know, take it however you want to if it helps your life. Fantastic.

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:00:46]: There’s too much research for me right now to say it’s worth taking. It’s worth consuming. I still do very little, but as far as stress goes, I’ll take a strip, which is my favorite way to go. I personally use it all the time to help with stress, help with pain, that type of thing. So it’s a big deal.

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:01:04] So what was the reason I gave my ten-year-old son? Why did he have the surgery? He because he’s my son and he does silly things, and he fell off a merry-go-round and broke his arm, hit, had surgery, have a plate and six screws put in his arm. And when he first

had it done, we didn’t have the strips. We had to give them opioids. I’m not happy about that. But after we had the surgery, we had the surgery to have the plate and six screws removed.

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:01:29]: There was no choice. There was no way I was giving him opioids. So we gave him the strips, and it worked just fine. And we talked about in the TED talks; I’ll play that clip, right?

TEDx Talk Video

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:01:53] However, I was going to think whenever I was going to think if I was going get in trouble, you know, I’m not giving my kids opioids, I’m just not going to do it. And so we gave him the strips. I knew he was going to tell people what you did, but I was. I tell you, man, I was very, very surprised. All of the parents came up to me and were like, that was really smart. They’re like, we want to give our kids opioids either.

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:02:12] And we got to talk about it. And what’s funny is that you know, my kids go to a really amazing small Christian school in the center of Texas. So that’s one of the things we have, like what are people going to think? You know, I really love the school, and I really didn’t want to have any problems, and everyone’s been super cool about it. They were like, That was really smart. You know, that was the best way to go, not giving your kids opioids. And so we got to talk about it. And now all the parents are on board. Now they all understand they’ve looked at the research.

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:02:38] There’s a bunch of docs, there’s a bunch of really, really smart people in the school, and we’re all kind of on the same page. And so I was wrong to assume that the people around me were just going to think it was bad. And so, since then, I’ve spent a lot of time talking to a lot of people, and I have not found anyone who’s against the medical use of cannabis. And I’ve started to look,.

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:02:59]: I’m trying to find somebody who’s like, no, we should use opioids. We should not allow for cannabis use by doctors. I’d love to know what their argument is. I just haven’t found anybody who is saying that doctors shouldn’t have access to cannabis. So, I think those stereotypes are going to change. We’re going to do a whole bunch of stuff on stereotypes for a minute, but that was a big piece for me.

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:03:18]: I was very, very happy to see the outpouring of support for any alternative to opioids and how little people cared in a negative manner. Lots of them were super positive, but no one really had any negative issues with it.

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:03:31] Like it was really, really refreshing, and I’m really happy about it. If you guys have any questions, hit us up questions at Chalmers Wellness dot com. Thanks.

Check out Chalmers Pillarsofwellness.com for Wellness updates! And ask me any questions you have at questions@chalmerswellness.com. I answer all of them and look forward to hearing from you.

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Dr. Matt Chalmers

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only. Before taking any action based on this information you should first consult with your physician or health care provider. This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions regarding a medical condition, your health, or wellness.