What is a cannabis coach or a cannabis health coach? And why do you even need one? Today we’re exploring what cannabis health coaching is and isn’t to better help you understand if you need one, and how to find the right one.
Myth One: All cannabis consultations should be performed by a medical doctor or registered nurse
In order to receive a card or recommendation to qualify for medical marijuana in many states, a qualified practitioner is required to certify those cards. Different states have different laws about who that can be. It may mean a medical doctor with an MD or DO degree, a naturopathic doctor (ND), a physician’s assistant (PA), a nurse practitioner (LPN) or even a pharmacist.
Cannabis health coaches do not provide medical marijuana cards, and this is because they serve a transformational healthcare role, not a transactional one. In addition, not everyone needs a medical marijuana recommendation and a visit to a doctor or other qualifying practitioner. CBD products can be purchased online or in regular stores without a card. Finally, many states and countries have legalized “recreational marijuana” and do not require customers to have a medical marijuana card to access cannabis products containing THC.
You may have heard about “cannabis nurses.” While some nurses (RNs) may have obtained additional cannabis education, they are not the only qualified providers of cannabis education and cannabis health coaching. In fact, many qualified cannabis health coaches in other fields do not have advanced degrees, but have undergone rigorous training and are certified as health coaches through institutes like the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (INN) or the Holistic Cannabis Academy.
While some cannabis coaches may have advanced degrees including MDs, DO, NDs, PhDs, and RNs, they are not required to perform the role of cannabis health coach. Advanced degrees are helpful for supervising other health coaches, consulting on medical conditions beyond wellness or pain management goals or being able to prescribe other prescriptions. All health coaches at the Institute For Plant-Assisted Therapy are supervised by Dr. Michele Ross, who is a PhD neuroscientist and Professor at several institutes, including the Holistic Cannabis Academy.
Myth Two: Cannabis education is more important than health coaching training
While the preference is to work with cannabis health coaches that have years of training and experience in both health coaching and cannabis, here at the Institute of Plant-Assisted Therapy we know it is easier to train an experienced health coach in cannabis than it is to train an experienced cannabis connoisseur or budtender in health coaching.
Health coaching is about listening to your client and empowering them to transform, not merely telling them what to do or what to buy. Not all athletes are great coaches, and not all cannabis enthusiasts or cannabis business owners are great cannabis health coaches. We thoroughly vet our cannabis coaches and use a 5-star rating process to maintain a level of quality our clients deserve.
Myth Three: Cannabis is the only thing you need for good health
Cannabis is a tool that health coaches use to drive better results for their clients. At the end of the day, cannabis health coaches are not cannabis coaches but are health coaches that use cannabis as a treatment modality.
There are five main areas everyone needs for good health:
- proper sleep
- stress management
- exercise
- healthy diet
- fun
Cannabis is not a sixth area, but rather a tool that helps clients reach their goals in each of those five areas. Without working on the five areas above, with or without cannabis, true health cannot be achieved. That’s why Infused Health CEO Dr. Michele Ross created
Myth Four: A cannabis health coach has to be “healthy” in order to be a great health coach
Cannabis is not a “cure” for any chronic disease or injury. Cannabis can help manage pain or symptoms of disease, but chronic illness and injury is a lifetime battle. For example, there are many patients who have successfully treated their epilepsy with cannabis or CBD and have not had seizures for years, but if they miss one or more doses of their cannabis treatment, will have seizures return.
Many cannabis health coaches have entered the field because they have successfully used cannabis to manage their chronic illness and want to help others do the same. Their journey to beat the odds and get off their prescription medications, get out of a wheelchair, or go into remission after a terminal cancer diagnosis is an inspiration to us all. Cannabis keeps them healthy and living their best life, but there still may be times where health issues pop up time to time, just like doctors get sick. Know your cannabis health coach understand YOUR struggles because they have been there too.
Thriving with chronic illness means different things for different people based on their income, medical history, family and work life. For example, having access to massages every other day and a personal chef would mean you can operate at a higher level with fibromyalgia like pop star Lady Gaga does dancing and touring the world, whereas an average patient on Medicaid and a small fixed income may merely have pain management and energy to play with their children as a goal. Some cannabis coaches have access to more resources than others, and this is not a reflection of their success as a health coach or their expertise level.
Myth 5: You have to be rich to afford a cannabis health coach or benefit from one
One of the roles of a cannabis health coach is to help understand your goals and create a plan that both fits with your lifestyle and your financial abilities. No matter where you live, what income you have, and what your medical history is, you can take steps today to reduce pain, manage stress, eat healthier, get moving, and enjoy your best life ever!
Are you ready to work 1-on-1 with a cannabis health coach, either in person or online? Click here to get started with cannabis coaching.
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