Cannabis use is associated with a greater likelihood for suicide attempts in adolescents

Article Recommended by Dr. David Hepburn:

Cannabis use and suicide attempts among 86,254 adolescents aged 12-15 years from 21 low- and middle-income countries.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Evidence suggests that cannabis use may be associated with suicidality in adolescence. Nevertheless, very few studies have assessed this association in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In this cross-sectional survey, we investigated the association of cannabis use and suicidal attempts in adolescents from 21 LMICs, adjusting for potential confounders.

METHOD:

Data from the Global school-based Student Health Survey was analyzed in 86,254 adolescents from 21 countries [mean (SD) age = 13.7 (0.9) years; 49.0% girls]. Suicide attempts during past year and cannabis during past month and lifetime were assessed. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted.

RESULTS:

The overall prevalence of past 30-day cannabis use was 2.8% and the age-sex adjusted prevalence varied from 0.5% (Laos) to 37.6% (Samoa), while the overall prevalence of lifetime cannabis use was 3.9% (range 0.5%-44.9%). The overall prevalence of suicide attempts during the past year was 10.5%. Following multivariable adjustment to potential confounding variables, past 30-day cannabis use was significantly associated with suicide attempts (OR = 2.03; 95% CI: 1.42-2.91). Lifetime cannabis use was also independently associated with suicide attempts (OR = 2.30; 95% CI: 1.74-3.04).

CONCLUSION:

Our data indicate that cannabis use is associated with a greater likelihood for suicide attempts in adolescents living in LMICs. The causality of this association should be confirmed/refuted in prospective studies to further inform public health policies for suicide prevention in LMICs.

“Although causality cannot be established, there is some indication for concern. The adolescent brain is a minefield and neuromaturation, particularly when concerning areas of the brain responsible for controlling impulsive behavior and decision making (executive thought), is not complete until about age 25.”

- Dr. David Hepburn 

To read the full article please visit:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30447436

Dr. Dave Hepburn website:

https://doctordavidhepburn.com

OIL AND GAS BY DR. DAVID HEPBURN

Dr. David Hepburn: 

The two most common delivery mechanisms for medical cannabis are oils or gas (as in vapour). Creams, wafers, sprays, tinctures and suppositories, while useful and fun, universally trail ingestion or inhalation methods.

OIL

Oils can be obtained in a bottle, capsules or even as a vape (not MD-recommended currently). As a pill taking society, many would prefer to use a capsule, given that it looks medical and resembles other capsules in the neighbours’ bathroom. The other advantage of an encapsulated oil is that the dosing is much more accurate. Canada limits capsules to a maximum of 10mg THC per unit. Ingested cannabis oil has the advantage of lasting longer but the disadvantage of taking forever to kick in. 

Once the oilhas been ingested it must wend it’s way past the waffles, kumquats and possibly some of the neighbours’ capsules, then get absorbed from the gut and zip off to the liver for a little sprucing up before being presented to the bloodstream. The liver typically wets the side of a Kleenex and dabs away at the oil until it frowns and turns away. Too late. The liver has converted 9 delta THC into 11 delta THC and, while this new form is effective as medicine, it is rather more psychoactive. This whole process, from mouth to membrane, takes 90-120 minutes which can be a good thing… or….

Cyril Bloggins, not an experienced user of cannabis, has taken note how his wife, Daisy, has had her wrist, bowels and crankiness all improved since she started cooking those new BC brownies. He decides to try one for his own nasty, gnarly, kneecap, so he cuts one from the herd and braces himself. An hour goes by. Feels nothing. 

Sneaks back in and grabs another, and another and noting some Reeses Pieces and marshmallows in the mix, decides they taste pretty good and… he still doesn’t feel anything. Soon half the plate is in Cyril’s central solar system. Cyril… doesn’t get out of bed for three days. He is so stoned that his head is on lock down and Mabel has morphed into Heather Locklear (the early years). Cyril’s natural reaction “I must be allergic to cannabis.” No Cyril, the toxicity is always in the dose and you just dosed yourself into a long doze.  

GAS

Vaporization is to smoking what a unicycle is to a Harley. Doctors are simply averse to suggesting you smoke anything, however vaporizing is a different kettle of kush altogether. Vaporization means no combustion engine and is safer, cleaner, healthier and has less odour. Medically, vaporization involves the same dried flower used for smoking, except, rather than light it on fire, it is heated to a specific temperature that releases the cannabinoids without incinerating everything. It’s like barbecuing a juicy T-bone to perfection or forgetting that the steak is on the grill, coming back six hours later to find a charred moon rock. Given the fact that inhalation of cannabis is felt within a couple of minutes, there are times when inhalation is preferred over ingestion. 

Any migraineur will tell you that they don’t want to wait two hours and their nausea has their stomach begging to be left alone. There are even some types of pain and spasm where inhalation is preferable to an ingested oil. Today’s vaporizers, like their users, come in all kinds of discreet shapes, sizes, colours and odours. 

And, on occasion, combining the two delivery mechanisms is required to get full benefit. Start by adding some oil and then ….fill up on gas. 

Dr. David Hepburn website

doctordavidhepburn.com 

For Healthy tips from Dr. David Hepburn visit

davidfrederickhepburntips.com

Myths about medical cannabis (Second part) - Dr. David Frederick Hepburn

In a previous post we talked about 3 common myths on medical cannabis. Now Dr. David Hepburn is going to explain 2 other common myths.

4. “CBD, non psychoactive, medical, oil, good - THC, psychoactive, recreational, smoke, bad.”

Thinking that the CBD is good and the THC is bad, is a myth that does not benefit at all the uses of medical cannabis. This common myth mentioned by Dr. David Hepburn leads to the question “Is medical cannabis the same as recreational cannabis?” The answer is yes....and no. THC is used for one purpose in recreational users, to get high. But the same THC is also needed to treat various medical conditions that respond better to THC dominant strains, (e.g migraines).

Furthermore THC can make CBD work better and vice versa. However the THC is usually quite a bit lower than recreational users prefer. So the difference is in the intent and content. Recreational users dub CBD “hippie’s disappointment” and have no use for it. However CBD is a vital part of most medical uses.

THC is also medically beneficial in many conditions including: migraines, spasms, Tourette’s, nausea, some types of pain etc. Some states have believed the “THC is bad” myth and have limited it’s use or dosage, thinking that only CBD is medically useful. Big mistake. They are only cheating patients out of the benefit of THC dominant or THC:CBD combination treatments, vital for many conditions. In fact, CBD by itself is much less effective than CBD with either THC or other cannabinoids used inconjunction.

Furthermore, THC can actually have it’s psycho-activite effect mitigated by simply adding CBD. CBD serves (as a negative allosteric modulator) to change the psycho-activity while not changing the medical benefits of THC. The plant is brilliant. And should there, heaven forbid, be a little euphoria due to THC as part of terminal cancer treatment, is it terribly bad to be sick....with a smile?

5. “Cannabis is safe for youth.”

The last myth by Dr. David Hepburn:

The adolescent brain is not like a normal human brain. Prior to neuromaturation (age 25ish unless you happen to be a son of mine), the young brain is being actively pruned and connections created. During adolescence there is an explosion in development and creation of our natural cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2), enzymes (FAAH and MAGL) and actual cannabinoids (anandamide and 2 AG).

These three components comprise the endocannabinoid system (ECS) that is essential to be aware of in order to understand how and why cannabis can be used as medicine. Adding plant (exogenous) cannabinoids to a teen brain, that is busy trying to determine it’s own system, may not only have a deleterious effect in the production of a normally developing system, but may also have an effect on some types of memory, learning and emotions that are not beneficial and may persist for many years, even after neuromaturation.

In fact, the prefrontal cortex, replete with ECS components, is the last part of the brain to mature. This area of the brain is responsible for executive control and, should it not be allowed to develop properly, issues ranging from decision making to impulse control can be thrown for a loop. Cannabis is a drug and needs to be respected as such. Too many youth currently think that cannabis is harmless. They are... mistaken.

To learn more about Dr. David Frederick Hepburn's work on medical cannabis visit:

http://doctordavidhepburn.com/

Dr. David Hepburn: Change how family doctors view medical cannabis (second part)

Continuing with our previous post, here you can find the rest of the interview to Dr. David Hepburn. In this part, Dr. Hepburn will talk about the different methods to consume cannabis, the ethical dilemmas about medical cannabis etc.

Interview (part two)

Is it right for commercial cannabis growers to pay for educating doctors who are the gatekeepers to the clients that buy their products?

That goes on all the time with Big Pharma, they're the ones who sponsor all the big events. This is virtually how we do 90 percent of our education. Routinely on a week-to-week basis, we probably get invitations through the week to two, three, four dinners put on by a specialist and sponsored by a drug company. It's nothing untoward, so to speak. There are other avenues for education – reading journals – but the journals are all supported by pharmaceutical companies, right?

What do you think about clinics specializing in pot prescriptions which say they are charging patients fees because they are helping them navigate the confusing federal medical marijuana regulations?

It's all smoke and mirrors, jiggery- pokery is being done. Personally I think it's unethical, so I charge patients nothing. What I do is I give them the options. I say, 'Here's the list of Health Canada's licensed producers, you can select one based on anything you find interesting on their Web page. Be it the fact that some of [them] offer certain deals with respect to a vaporizer and some require less amount purchased at one time.' Different LPs have different advantages and that is what the patients like.

Are cannabis oils more dangerous than vaporizing the drug?

There are those advantages to it, you can encapsulate them, however there are some disadvantages to them as well. And this is where it's very important to caution people to the appropriate uses of oral or edible or ingestible cannabinoids, and that there is a high variability to absorption rates. 

One of the things I heard down in Colorado is people were coming in and they were taking more and more derivatives of one sort or another. Next thing you know it all kicks in because it can take an hour or two to really take effect. People ask me the dose and I say, 'Just a little bit. Start low and go slow.'

There has been a lot of talk recently about the dangers of 'edibles.' What happens when someone is sent to hospital with an overdose?

They might give them IV, saline, tell them to go home and they'd be fine. It's not toxic. In fact, it's incredibly nontoxic, however it gives them an unpleasant experience that may sabotage the use of it. I probably would never start people on an oil, but what I like about the vaporizers is that you can titrate the dosage easily. You know in 95 seconds if it's going to work and it doesn't last very long.

You know the actual best form of cannabinoids to me is, believe it or not, suppositories? They are far and away the best delivery mechanism over all.

Why?

They go through a different absorption system, you know within 15 minutes you have it absorbed in there and it's actually done through the intestinal mucosa. You get a longer lasting effect than you would get for the vaporizer, but you also get a quicker response than you would get from the ingestible.

In sum up as we can see Dr. David Frederick Hepburn keeps trying to educate the medical sector about the use of medical cannabis.

You can be following his work in the following links:

http://davidfrederickhepburn.com

http://doctordavidhepburn.com

Dr. David Hepburn: Change how family doctors view medical cannabis

Dr. David Hepburn has given talks and conferences throughout Canada and the world, trying to educate his colleagues and the audience about the use and prescription of medicinal cannabis. For several years Dr. Hepburn has been striving to change the resistance that exists in the field of medicine unto this plant and thereby promote its use for various diseases.

In this post we present the first part of an interview that Dr. David Hepburn granted a couple of years ago. In this interview Dr. David Hepburn tries to describe his effort to change how many Canadian doctors view the drug.

The interview

Why did you first become involved in prescribing cannabis about a decade ago?

I was in the group that wanted nothing to do with cannabis, and it actually came from a physician [friend] in Ontario whose mother had cancer. He phoned me up and said, 'My mom is in Victoria, she is an octogenarian, cancer-stricken and her doctor won't help her. My mom would never miss a tax date or jaywalk, and yet the one thing that's helped her with both her pain and her chemo-related symptoms is cannabis.' And would I help her out? Finally I capitulated and said, 'Okay, I will help her apply for the [federal medical marijuana] program.'

I began to explore more into that and I watched this sort of explosion I guess the same way [American neurosurgeon and media personality] Sanjay Gupta would have.

He's made a 180 and I have too.

Why are Canadian doctors are so reluctant to prescribe?

They don't want to be recommending something that we've all been taught is bad for you. The reticence is legitimate, I think that it's normal. 'Hey, listen, I don't know anything about it, I'm not keen on prescribing it.' The standard things that I would hear is, 'We want to see more research into it, etc. etc.' That's a vicious circle – there isn't the research being done because of the fact that the government has made it unreachable.

So you recommend cannabis for conditions and symptoms without the clinical trials that back up such prescriptions?

There remains a lot of good studies to be done. But because it is safe and tolerable and we know it works for a lot of people for conditions in which the research is lacking, that doesn't mean we necessarily rob the person of the opportunity to use it now. We sit in our office day after day and year after year and we hear patients who sit down and say, 'Doc, the thing that really works for me, to be honest with you, is cannabis.' We trust these patients and we know them not to be jaywalkers. When you hear it long enough, you begin to realize that it's something that is working for these people…

Here ends the first part of the interview in our next post we can read the rest of the interview, we invite you to read the next part because we can see how Dr. David Hepburn mentions very interesting things about the uses of medicinal cannabis

If you want to know more about Dr David Frederick Hepburn work visit his websites:

http://davidfrederickhepburn.com/

https://doctordavidhepburn.com/

Conditions Cannabis is prescribed for - By Dr. David Hepburn (Second Part)

In a previous post Dr. David Hepburn en listed 5 of the 10 most common diseases for which cannabis has been prescribed by doctors. In this post we bring you the remaining 5 mentioned by Dr. David Frederick Hepburn:

Nausea

Particularly nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy. A recent survey of US oncologists reveal that 46% of them discussed using cannabis with the patients. Cannabis is as or more effective than most drugs used for this. Actually, it has allowed patients who were unable to tolerate taking chemo, to be able to do so.

Neuropathic pain

Any pain involving nerves, ie diabetes, MS, peripheral neuropathy is an excellent target for cannabinoid therapy. The pain pathways are covered with cannabinoid receptors (CB1R and CB2R). When cannabis binds to these receptors, the flow of pain signals is mitigated, inhibited and controlled. More of a dimmer switch than a circuit breaker, our cannabinoid system responds by governing neurotransmitter flow, a good thing when it comes to pain signals.

Cancer related symptoms

A recent study indicated that patients with terminal cancer who took cannabis were much more likely to die at home than in hospice. While this may seem a pyrrhic victory, cannabis addresses some of the common symptoms for which cancer patients go to hospice, including pain, anorexia, fear, nausea and anxiety. Being sick is one thing, being sick with a smile is another.

PTSD

Post Traumatic Stress is a debilitating condition that symptoms ranging from fear to insomnia and nightmares to anxiety and depression, that cannabis has been shown to address. The purpose of our ECS has been described as one meant to help us “eat, sleep, relax forget and protect.” Not being able to forget and reliving the emotions surrounding very traumatic events, has led to some significant pathology in many victims, including many returning soldiers. Cannabis has become an area of increasing interest and global research for the treatment of PTSD patients.

Fibromyalgia

Those with fibromyalgia will recognize these symptoms and, for at least one licensed producer of medical cannabis, was the number one reason that cannabis was purchased by patients –

Medical History of Cannabis Dr. David Hepburn

Traditional Cannabis has been known in North America as the stoner-hippie drug known for psychedelic properties, however the history and usage of medical Cannabis dates back much further.

Historical use and significance of the Cannabis plant has been noted in a wide variety of written works, with origins tracing back to the ancient world. The first record of Cannabis’ use in medicine comes from the Pen’ts’aoching, the world’s first pharmacopeia, compiled by oral traditions during the time of China’s Emperor Shen-Nung in 2700 BC. Uses for medical Cannabis in this time included rheumatic pain, gout and malaria.

The use of medical Cannabis then began its’ long history in India, becoming a strong part of both Indian legend and religion. Mentioned in The Vedas, sacred Hindu text, Cannabis was referred to as a source of happiness, joy-giver, liberator that was compassionately given to humans to help us attain delight and lose fear[1]. 

A large-scale study was commissioned by the British in the late 1890s over concern of the widespread use of Cannabis in Colonial India[2]. They were particularly concerned about the potential psychoses of the drug, and the risk it posed to the health of the natives. In the end, it was decided that its use was ancient, had religious sanction among Hindus, and was ultimately harmless in moderation. Cannabis was generally used in India as an anticonvulsant, analgesic, anesthetic, antibiotic and anti-inflammatory.[3]

Therapeutic uses of Cannabis were first introduced to Western medicine in 1839 by Irish physician William O’Shaughnessy when he published ‘On the preparations of Indian hemp or gunjah’3. O’Shaughnessy tested the toxicity of Cannabis on animals, and once determined the product was safe, provided extracts to patients, discovering it’s analgesic and sedative properties. In the end, he came to realize the efficacy of Cannabis in treating muscle spasms caused by tetanus and rabies.[4] Upon the results of O’Shaughnessy’s trials, as with those of other physicians at the time, the use of Cannabis began to spread rapidly through the world of Western medicine in both Europe and North America.

The rise of vaccines for diseases previously treated by cannabis ultimately resulted in a decline of cannabis use during the 1900’s compounded by the development of many synthetic analgesics that rendered cannabis use at the time obsolete3. The American Medical Assocation advised that Cannabis remained a medical agent, however ultimately in 1941 Cannabis was removed entirely from the American Pharmacopeia.

After the removal of Cannabis from the American Pharmacopeia, the use of Cannabis for medical purposes was nearly non-existent, until it’s revival for recreational purposes in the 1970’s. Studies began to advance, identifying the cannabinoid receptors in the nervous system, alluding to the possible source of Cannabis’ analgesic, sedative and immunoregulatory properties.[5]

Fast-forwarding to today, research into the potential uses of Cannabis for medical purposes are continuously expanding into areas not explored previously. This includes isolation of specific compounds for treatment diseases such as Epilepsy, Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s, as well as the potential to use it in place of common every day drugs for sleep aid and chronic pain. As we go forward, it is becoming abundantly clear that the possibilities for medical Cannabis are endless.

References:

• [1]Abel, E.L. (1980). The First Twelve Thousand Years. New York: McGraw Hill.

• [2]Iverson, L.L. (2008). The Science of Marijuana. New York: Oxford University Press.

• [3]Zuardi AW. History of cannabis as a medicine: a review. Rev Bras Psiquiatr 2006;28:153-7. 

• [4]Mikuriya TH. Marijuana in medicine: past, present and future. Calif Med 1969;110:34-40. 

• [5]Lee MA. The discovery of the endocannabinoid system. The Prop 215 Era 2012.
  URL: http://www.beyondthc .com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/eCBSystemLee.pdf

Which medical disorders? - Dr. David Hepburn

There is sufficient reason to believe that medicinal cannabis can help in cases of:

• pain and muscle spasms or cramps associated with multiple sclerosis or spinal cord damage; 
• nausea, loss of appetite, weight loss and debilitation due to cancer or AIDS; 
• nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy or radiotherapy used in the treatment of cancer, hepatitis C or HIV infection and AIDS; 
• chronic pain (mainly pain associated with the nervous system, for example that caused by a damaged nerve, phantom pain, facial neuralgia or chronic pain which remains after the recovery from shingles); 
• Gilles de la Tourette syndrome; 
• therapy-resistant glaucoma.

Patients and doctors have also reported positive effects on a range of other conditions, including Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, epilepsy, itching, migraine, rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis, ADD and brain trauma. These positive effects still need to be confirmed by scientific research. (For more information, go to www.cannabis-med.org.)

At present, medicinal cannabis does not cure the disorders mentioned above, but it can relieve the symptoms associated with them. It may also enable other medication to be given at a lower dosage, and reduce their side effects. It is up to doctors to determine whether treatment with medicinal cannabis would benefit a patient, given his or her diagnosis and circumstances. In doing so, they are not limited to the list of conditions given above. A doctor will only prescribe medicinal cannabis if the standard treatments and registered medicines are not having the desired effect or are causing too many side effects.

For more information, consult Dr. David Frederick Hepburn online material:

Cannabis Hemp Conference and Expo: http://www.cannabishempconference.com/dr-dave-hepburn-md/

Market Wired, Award Winning Columnist Dr. David Frederick Hepburn Embarks on Speaking Tour: http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/award-winning-columnist-dr-dave-hepburn-embarks-on-speaking-tour-2166319.htm

CBC News, Q&A with Dr. David Frederick Hepburn, B.C. doctor going on medical marijuana speaking tour: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/q-a-with-dr-dave-hepburn-b-c-doctor-going-on-medical-marijuana-speaking-tour-1.3213458

Patients out of time: http://patientsoutoftime.org/doctors/david-hepburn-md/

Leafly contributors: https://www.leafly.com/news/author/dr-dave-hepburn

Keynote Speakers Canada: http://keynotespeakerscanada.ca/speaker/dave-hepburn-md

National Speakers Bureau: https://www.nsb.com/speakers/dave-hepburn/

Cannabis Culture, Q&A with Dr. David Frederick Hepburn, B.C. Doctor Going on Medical Marijuana Speaking Tour: http://www.cannabisculture.com/content/2015/09/04/qa-with-dr-dave-hepburn-b-c-doctor-going-on-medical-marijuana-speaking-tour

The globe and mail, On a mission to change how family doctors view medical marijuana: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/on-a-mission-to-change-how-family-doctors-view-medical-marijuana/article25791287/

Cannabis Digest, Teaching Cannabis Medicine in Canada: Interviews with Dr. David Frederick Hepburn and Dr. Robert Sealey: https://cannabisdigest.ca/teaching-cannabis-medicine-canada-interviews-dr-david-hepburn-dr-robert-sealy/

https://phil420.com/tag/dr-dave-hepburn/

https://www.pinterest.com.mx/pin/853643304340545028/

Leafly, Cannabis Shows Great Promise in Treating Cancer—Let’s Not Wreck It With Hyperbole: https://www.leafly.com/news/health/cannabis-shows-great-promise-treating-cancer-lets-not-wreck-hyperbole

Side Effects - Dr. David Frederick Hepburn

Patients generally tolerate medicinal cannabis well. A low dosage often provides sufficient relief, so that side effects rarely occur. When they do, it is usually the result of a high dosage or combined use with a substance such as alcohol that intensifies the side effects.

Known side effects of medicinal cannabis are mood-altering effects, insomnia and heart palpitations. Other effects are: relaxation, fits of laughter, feeling hungry, heightened sensitivity to the perception of e.g. colour and music, lethargy and distorted temporal and spatial awareness. Your reaction time may also be slower, especially during the first hours after use.

If you take a large dose, you can get ‘high’. This is a feeling of euphoria which slowly subsides into feeling satisfied, peaceful and calm. The altered perception may cause you to feel confused. These effects usually disappear after a few hours.

If you have a genetic predisposition to psychosis (like schizophrenia) or other mental health problems, please consult your specialist before using medicinal cannabis. You should also consult your doctor if you are a cardiac patient. Continuous use of cannabis during pregnancy can affect the foetus. Also, certain components of cannabis - like THC - end up in breast milk. That is why the use of medicinal cannabis is not advisable during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. For more information, consult your doctor or pharmacist.

The principal effects caused by cannabis are those that result from smoking and the already well known dependence to the substance.

Effects caused by Smoking

Smoking cannabis regularly is bad for your health. Smoke damages the lungs and could lead to infections of the nose, throat and lungs. For this reason, smoking medicinal cannabis is not recommended. Instead, inhaling cannabis using a reliable vaporiser is a more suitable method.

Addiction

Addiction is unlikely with cannabis used as a medicine. You should take particular care, however, if you have been addicted in the past. High dosages of medicinal cannabis taken over a longer period may lead to addiction. Quitting may then cause withdrawal symptoms, such as mild forms of restlessness, irritability, insomnia and nausea.

For more information, consult Dr. David Frederick Hepburn online material:

Cannabis Hemp Conference and Expo: http://www.cannabishempconference.com/dr-dave-hepburn-md/

Market Wired, Award Winning Columnist Dr. David Frederick Hepburn Embarks on Speaking Tour: http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/award-winning-columnist-dr-dave-hepburn-embarks-on-speaking-tour-2166319.htm

CBC News, Q&A with Dr. David Frederick Hepburn, B.C. doctor going on medical marijuana speaking tour: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/q-a-with-dr-dave-hepburn-b-c-doctor-going-on-medical-marijuana-speaking-tour-1.3213458

Patients out of time: http://patientsoutoftime.org/doctors/david-hepburn-md/

Leafly contributors: https://www.leafly.com/news/author/dr-dave-hepburn

Keynote Speakers Canada: http://keynotespeakerscanada.ca/speaker/dave-hepburn-md

National Speakers Bureau: https://www.nsb.com/speakers/dave-hepburn/

Cannabis Culture, Q&A with Dr. David Frederick Hepburn, B.C. Doctor Going on Medical Marijuana Speaking Tour: http://www.cannabisculture.com/content/2015/09/04/qa-with-dr-dave-hepburn-b-c-doctor-going-on-medical-marijuana-speaking-tour

The globe and mail, On a mission to change how family doctors view medical marijuana: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/on-a-mission-to-change-how-family-doctors-view-medical-marijuana/article25791287/

Cannabis Digest, Teaching Cannabis Medicine in Canada: Interviews with Dr. David Frederick Hepburn and Dr. Robert Sealey: https://cannabisdigest.ca/teaching-cannabis-medicine-canada-interviews-dr-david-hepburn-dr-robert-sealy/

https://phil420.com/tag/dr-dave-hepburn/

https://www.pinterest.com.mx/pin/853643304340545028/

Leafly, Cannabis Shows Great Promise in Treating Cancer—Let’s Not Wreck It With Hyperbole: https://www.leafly.com/news/health/cannabis-shows-great-promise-treating-cancer-lets-not-wreck-hyperbole