Finding Wisdom in Unexpected Places: A Doctor’s Journey with Cannabis

Finding Wisdom in Unexpected Places: A Doctor’s Journey with Cannabis

If you spend enough time with people, you’ll start to see patterns. After a while, you notice that everyone has their own story, their own unique path, but there are common threads that run through all of our lives. It’s in those threads that we often find wisdom. Now, you might think wisdom comes with age, or maybe from years of experience in a particular field. But let me tell you about a doctor who found wisdom in the most unexpected place—through his work with cannabis.

Photo: Cannabis Doctors of New York ©

Thirty years in the ER can teach you a lot about the human condition. Dr. Weinberg, an experienced physician, spent decades treating patients in crisis. It was a revolving door of faces, each one a fleeting encounter, each case a momentary intersection. You patch them up, you move them on, and rarely do you see them again. It’s a tough, sometimes thankless job, but it’s one that leaves little room for deep connection.

Then, about nine years ago, something changed. Dr. Weinberg began a new chapter as a medical cannabis practitioner. It was a shift that brought him into a different kind of relationship with his patients—ongoing, evolving, and deeply personal. Suddenly, he wasn’t just treating symptoms; he was engaging in conversations that went beyond medicine. He was learning about their lives, their struggles, their triumphs, and in turn, he was learning more about himself.

These patients came from all walks of life—CEOs, lawyers, people with chronic illnesses, and those facing terminal diagnoses. What they shared was an openness, a willingness to explore something that had been stigmatized for nearly a century. They weren’t swayed by the old “Reefer Madness” propaganda. They were looking for relief, and they found it in cannabis.

This openness led to a kind of camaraderie, a shared understanding that they were partaking in something still controversial in many places. They were seeking change, and in many cases, they found it. Dr. Weinberg saw transformations—patients who regained control of their lives, who found pain relief, who rediscovered joy and purpose. He learned about the plant’s biochemistry, neurotransmitters, and the intricacies of the human brain, subjects that had long been shelved since his days in medical school.

One story stands out—a computer programmer with severe chronic back pain. Dr. Weinberg was curious how the high THC product affected his work. The programmer explained that cannabis didn’t hinder his performance; it enhanced it. He found solutions to problems he couldn’t solve otherwise. It was as if the plant unlocked a part of his brain that allowed him to see things more clearly.

Then there was the businessman with Crohn’s disease. Before cannabis, flare-ups would leave him incapacitated. Now, with a controlled dose, he can manage his symptoms and stay on top of his game. There were others too—a woman with USHER 3 syndrome who compared taking cannabis to turning on the lights in a dark room, and patients with severe pain syndromes who avoided surgery by becoming more active and losing weight thanks to cannabis.

One particularly touching case was a writer struggling with severe anxiety and cognitive issues. A year into treatment, she was more focused, happier, and no longer abusing alcohol. A teacher with Autism Spectrum Disorder found that cannabis helped him avoid the destructive path of using alcohol like previous generations in his family. He had a new lease on life, managing his symptoms effectively.

And then there was the middle-aged Hasidic Jew with inflammatory bowel disease who asked, “Does THC give you wisdom?” It was a question that took Dr. Weinberg by surprise. The man explained that when he took his medical cannabis and read the Talmud, passages that once eluded him now made sense. His insights were validated by both his wife and his rabbi. It wasn’t just about feeling high; it was about accessing a deeper understanding.

It’s a reminder that wisdom doesn’t always come from where we expect it. Sometimes, it’s found in the most unexpected places. For Dr. Weinberg, it was found in the stories of his patients and the profound impacts of a plant that has been misunderstood for so long. It’s a lesson in openness, in listening, and in the endless potential for learning and growth, no matter where you are in life.

So, does THC give you wisdom? Maybe it does. Or maybe it just opens the door for us to find the wisdom that was there all along. Either way, it’s a journey worth taking.

Information sourced from Dr. Weinberg’s article found here