Clinic offers cannabis as medical alternative

A former professional wrestler was tired of seeing his fellow athletes get hooked on drugs to ease the pain of life in the ring. So he turned to a plant that has been easing pain and relaxing people for centuries — cannabis. “I am about two inches shorter than I used to be, I have fusing discs in my lower back, that’s kind of how I got into the business,” said Chris Lozanski, who, along with his wife Leslie, own Total Health Cannax on Elizabeth Street. “I lost so many friends because of the pills and that kind of stuff in the late 1990s and early 2000.” Cannax opened earlier this year to offer prescription marijuana or cannabinoid to ease ailments, which range from joint pain and anxiety to helping one sleep. He said fortunately he did not get heavy into pills to fight his pain. “I didn’t like the way the pills made me feel,” Lozanski said. “I thought the medical cannabis was just as effective for the pain relief, without the side-effects.” Although cannabis became legal in Canada on Oct. 17, Cannax opened in April as a medical facility. There is no marijuana at the location, which is the reason it is allowed to open next door to alternative high school St. Luke’s Outreach Centre. “There is a such a misconception,” Lozanski said. “Every time you see the news, it’s 18-year-old kids running around with a bong or something… We are not a dispensary. We are not focused on the recreational use, we are focused on the medical use.” Cannax works with two licensed nurse practitioners and two physicians, who can prescribe the product. In Alberta, only physicians can prescribe marijuana. The product is then sent via courier or mail. Lozanski said many of their patients come in to the clinic believing they need something with THC — the compound in cannabis that causes the impairment. “Really the CBD (cannabinoid) is all they need — you can’t get high on it,” Lozanski said. “It is probably one of the best things in the planet for inflammation.” He said the majority of his patients are seniors and the CBD is effective for ailments such as arthritis. Marijuana with THC is prescribed for extreme pain, sleep issues and anxiety, including PTSD. The level of medicinal marijuana is considerably lower than the recreation variety being sold as of Oct. 17. Lozanski said one of the highlights of his career was having a war veteran from a recent conflict give him a hug and thanking him for getting his life back. [email protected] A former professional wrestler was tired of seeing his fellow athletes get hooked on drugs to ease the pain of life in the ring. So he turned to a plant that has been easing pain and relaxing people for centuries — cannabis. “I am about two inches shorter than I used to be, I have fusing discs in my lower back, that’s kind of how I got into the business,” said Chris Lozanski, who, along with his wife Leslie, own Total Health Cannax on Elizabeth Street. “I lost so many friends because of the pills and that kind of stuff in the late 1990s and early 2000.” Cannax opened earlier this year to offer prescription marijuana or cannabinoid to ease ailments, which range from joint pain and anxiety to helping one sleep. He said fortunately he did not get heavy into pills to fight his pain. “I didn’t like the way the pills made me feel,” Lozanski said. “I thought the medical cannabis was just as effective for the pain relief, without the side-effects.” Although cannabis became legal in Canada on Oct. 17, Cannax opened in April as a medical facility. There is no marijuana at the location, which is the reason it is allowed to open next door to alternative high school St. Luke’s Outreach Centre. “There is a such a misconception,” Lozanski said. “Every time you see the news, it’s 18-year-old kids running around with a bong or something… We are not a dispensary. We are not focused on the recreational use, we are focused on the medical use.” Cannax works with two licensed nurse practitioners and two physicians, who can prescribe the product. In Alberta, only physicians can prescribe marijuana. The product is then sent via courier or mail. Lozanski said many of their patients come in to the clinic believing they need something with THC — the compound in cannabis that causes the impairment. “Really the CBD (cannabinoid) is all they need — you can’t get high on it,” Lozanski said. “It is probably one of the best things in the planet for inflammation.” He said the majority of his patients are seniors and the CBD is effective for ailments such as arthritis. Marijuana with THC is prescribed for extreme pain, sleep issues and anxiety, including PTSD. The level of medicinal marijuana is considerably lower than the recreation variety being sold as of Oct. 17. Lozanski said one of the highlights of his career was having a war veteran from a recent conflict give him a hug and thanking him for getting his life back. [email protected]