Table of Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Part I THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC

1. Chronic Pain and Opioids

2. Current Costs of the Opioid Epidemic

3. Opioid Use Disorder

Part II OVERVIEW OF CANNABIS

4. History and Legality of Cannabis

5. Overview of the Endocannabinoid System

Part III CANNABINOIDS

6. Cannabinoids and Terpenes

Part IV MEDICAL MARIJUANA

9. Medical Marijuana and Bioavailability

10. Side Effects of Cannabis Use

Part V CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT

11. Causes of Chronic Pain

12. Treating Chronic Pain With Opioids

13. Treating Chronic Pain With Cannabinoids

Part VI CANNABINOIDS AND THE OPIOID CRISIS

14. Cannabinoid and Opioid Interactions

15. Cannabis as an Adjunct to Opioids

16. Opioid Sparing With Cannabinoids

Appendix A. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain

Appendix B. National Institutes of Drug Abuse Quick Screen and NIDA-Modified ASSIST Screenings for Opioid Use Disorder

Appendix C. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Calculating Total Daily Dose of Opioids for Safer Dosage

Index

About the Author

Gregory L. Smith, MD, MPH, is a former major in the U.S. Army and has had extensive experience and education in the field of cannabinoid medications. Dr. Smith consults as a scientific and medical adviser on cannabis and cannabinoid therapeutics with over a dozen companies in four countries.

Kevin F. Smith, MD, MPH, is a board-certified physician, Dr. Smith’s 30-odd years’ experience has seen his broad skillset coalesce into sought-after expertise. He has provided leadership as the medical director and the director of medical operations (DMO) for multiple healthcare systems, including a large healthcare system in Northwest Ohio ranked as a top 50 hospital system in the United States.