By the end of this education activity, participants should be better able to:

1. Discuss the basic functions of the endocannabinoid system.
2. Identify the structural and functional components of the endocannabinoid system.
3. Describe endocannabinoid receptor mechanisms of action, locations, densities, and functions.
4. Explain the types of cannabinoids (endo- and phytocannabinoids) and how they can modulate the endocannabinoid system.
5. Define the legal status of hemp and compare hemp’s legal status to cannabis.
6. Discuss the importance of the 2018 and 2024 Farm Bill.
7. Explain the roll of terpenes and compare the different types of terpenes in cannabis vs. other plants.
8. Discuss some of the pharmacological activity of terpenes in cannabis and cannabis products.

Faculty

Courtney Benedetto, PT, DPT
Acute Care Physical Therapist
Seymour, Connecticut

Tesserae LaSalle
Medical Cannabis Extraction Technician, Alternative Compassion Services
Bridgewater, Massachusetts

Faculty biography and disclosure

Courtney Benedetto, PT, DPT is a licensed Physical Therapist in the state of Connecticut since 2006. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Health Science and Master’s of Physical Therapy degree from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT. She went on to complete her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA and completed her Master’s of Science degree in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics at the University of Maryland in May of 2024.

Ms. Benedetto disclosed she has no financial relationship with any ineligible organizations or commercial interests.

Tesserae LaSalle has a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry with a concentration in Biochemistry and a minor in Biology from Bridgewater State University. She recently completed her Master’s in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics from University of Maryland. Her interest is in research of natural intercalator nogalamycin using optical tweezers and structural interaction between DNA and Polymerase Kappa. At the height of the pandemic in 2020, she worked in the Covid testing sector of Broad institute MIT & Harvard Genomic Platform.

Ms. LaSalle disclosed she has no financial relationship with any ineligible organizations or commercial interests.

Planner disclosures

TAFP staff and planners disclose they have no financial relationships with any ineligible organizations or commercial interests.

The AAFP has reviewed Exploring the Science and Myths of Medical Cannabis Webinar: Part 1 – The Endocannabinoid System and Hemp and Cannabis and deemed it acceptable for up to 1.00 Enduring Materials, Self-Study AAFP Prescribed credit(s). Term of Approval is from 07/29/2024 to 07/29/2025. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

By the end of this educational activity, learners should be better able to:

1. Identify conditions which may qualify a resident of the state of Texas to receive a prescription for medical cannabis from a certified provider.
2. Construct and implement therapeutic protocols that utilize cannabis as a core facet of patient treatment for qualifying conditions in the state of Texas.
3. Identify contraindications that should prevent a patient from receiving medical cannabis.
4. Recognize how cannabis was presented as a danger to the public at large and discuss which entities opposed its criminalization and why.
5. Discuss the CURT program and how it aims to assist the needs of the Texas patient population.
6. List which receptor groups and enzymes interact with cannabinoids, describe roughly the effects of cannabinoid receptor activation, and interpret receptor distribution and density throughout the body.
7. Discuss the major therapeutic constituents of cannabis and how they interact with the endocannabinoid system (ECS) to help achieve therapeutic outcomes.
8. Compare and contrast the differences between “hemp” and “cannabis” as specified in the 2018 farm bill, list commonly found terpenes within hemp and cannabis, and discuss some of the pharmacological activities and utilizations of terpenes.
9. Construct and implement therapeutic protocols that utilize cannabis as a core facet of patient treatment for specific qualifying conditions.
10. Identify major contraindications to cannabis usage, recognize problematic cannabis use in patients who use cannabis, and explain how problematic use can be detrimental to therapeutic objectives.

Faculty

Angela Porter, PharmD
Pharmacist (retired) and Clinical Herbalist
College Park, Maryland

Will Kolbrener, MS
M.S. in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics Student
University of Maryland Baltimore School of Pharmacy
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Faculty biography and disclosure

Angela Porter, PharmD received her Master’s Degree in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics from the University of Maryland in May 2024. She has degree in pharmacy and her main focus is in Vitalist herbalism. During Covid, she completed coursework for a Master Gardener’s Certification in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Her passion is for the plants and their medicines to pharmacy students through various mentorships in Texas while working at Cancer Therapy & Research Center at UT Health San Antonio, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, and the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Ms. Porter disclosed she has no financial relationship with any ineligible organizations or commercial interests.

Will Kolbrener, MS graduated from Penn State University in 2020 during the height of the pandemic Magna Cum Laude. He was also the Student Marshal for the graduating class of the College of Agricultural Sciences in 2020. He recently received his Master’s Degree in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics from the University of Maryland.

Mr. Kolbrener disclosed he has no financial relationship with any ineligible organizations or commercial interests.

Planner disclosures

TAFP staff and planners disclose they have no financial relationships with any ineligible organizations or commercial interests.

The AAFP has reviewed Exploring the Science and Myths of Medical Cannabis Webinar: Part 2 – Qualifying Conditions for Medical Cannabis in Texas: Therapeutic Guidelines and Contraindications and Prescribing Medical Cannabis to Improve Lives and deemed it acceptable for up to 1.00 Enduring Materials, Self-Study AAFP Prescribed credit(s). Term of Approval is from 07/29/2024 to 07/29/2025. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.