Cannabis Researcher to Return to Maui Oct. 20

Michael Backes, medical cannabis researcher and author, will return to Maui for a series of presentations on Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018, at the Leis Class Act Family Restaurant at the University of Hawai‘i Maui College.

Backes’ first presentation will be from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Entitled “Brunch & Learn,” the presentation will cover the ways in which cannabis can be used to help manage cancer symptoms and treat side-effects like nausea, appetite loss, insomnia and more.

“Cancer is perhaps one of the most common reasons that people turn to cannabis for relief,” said Backes. “But there is tremendous amount of misinformation, particularly on the internet, about cancer and cannabis. That cannabis can successfully manage cancer symptoms in not controversial, including pain, nausea, increase appetite and reduce anxiety or depression that can accompany a diagnosis. At the same time, there are many claims that cannabis cures all cancers and that exaggeration of preclinical evidence can lead patients to make unwise choices about their treatment. This is what I will discuss at the morning brunch-and-learn session.”

Tickets are $20 online and include a buffet-style breakfast and class materials.

Register online.

Backes’ second presentation, called the “Lunch & Learn,” will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. In this presentation, Backes will explain the synergies between cannabis’ active compounds, such as the interaction between cannabinoids and terpenes, the plant’s essential oils.

Backes said that although THC remains the primary active component in cannabis, science has discovered dozens of other active compounds in cannabis, some of which are produced by other plants.

“Patients have long noted that different varieties of cannabis appear to produce different effects,” Backes explained. “The interactions between cannabinoids and cannabis essential oils found in different cannabis varieties may be the key. I will talk about how entourages of cannabinoids and terpenes can be chosen deliver more personalized symptomatic relief.”

Tickets are $20 online and include a buffet-style lunch and class materials.

Register at http://terpeneslunch.eventbrite.com/.

This will be the fifth presentation in the Lunch & Learn series by Michael Backes on Maui. As every previous presentation has sold out well in advance, interested participants are encouraged to register as soon as possible.

Backes is author of Amazon’s top-selling medical cannabis book Cannabis Pharmacy, The Practical Guide to Medical Marijuana. He serves as the curriculum and training advisor for Maui Grown Therapies in Kahului, and is a member of their Science & Medical Advisory Board.