Adult recreational use of cannabis is now legal in Connecticut, years after medicinal use of cannabis became legal. But to Kebra Smith-Bolden, all cannabis is medicinal.
“Health care professionals have a responsibility to be knowledgeable about cannabis, how it interacts, how it may affect a patient’s overall health status,” said Smith-Bolden, a nurse and cannabis entrepreneur. “It’s important for the patient to know as well.”
Smith-Bolden has organized Northeast Cannabis Nursing Conference, a gathering of health professionals, patients, entrepreneurs, attorneys, CEOs and anyone else interested in how cannabis can be part of their health regimen or their professional future.
The event is June 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Omni Hotel, 155 Temple St. in New Haven.
The conference will feature panel discussions and speakers addressing all facets of the cannabis industry: medical, legal, entrepreneurial, social equity. But apropos the name of the conference, the strongest focus is on medical.
“We’ll have panels about chronic illness, pain management, hospice and palliative care, how cannabis is used for those purposes, how to deal with patients across an entire life span,” Smith-Bolden said.
Smith-Bolden said the normalization of cannabis use across the board is good for those who seek it for medical purposes. “People who feel they need it are more willing to talk about it openly. There is less of a stigma,” she said. “More people are open about cannabis use…