Cannabis, Aging, and the Future of Psychedelic Medicine w/ Dr. Peter Grinspoon

About this Episode

In this episode of the MAPS Canada Podcast, host Matt Hamel is joined by Dr. Peter Grinspoon, a primary care physician, board-certified addiction specialist, cannabis expert at Massachusetts General Hospital, and instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Grinspoon joins us to discuss his book, Aging Well with Cannabis: Feel Better, Sleep Better, and Live Better with Marijuana and CBD, exploring the potential of medical cannabis in supporting quality of life as we age. The conversation examines common therapeutic applications, including chronic pain, anxiety, and insomnia, alongside the differences between THC and CBD, methods of consumption, dosing considerations, and the importance of using cannabis safely and under appropriate medical guidance.

He also reflects on the legacy of his father, Dr. Lester Grinspoon, a pioneering voice in cannabis and psychedelic advocacy and a leading intellectual figure in the movement toward cannabis legalization. Drawing on his clinical experience and his family’s longstanding involvement in drug policy reform, Dr. Grinspoon explores the stigma surrounding cannabis and psychedelics, the evolving landscape of psychedelic medicine, and the challenges of making emerging treatments safe, accessible, and equitable. We also discuss the distinction between cannabis as a potential tool for symptom management and psychedelic-assisted therapy, which is being investigated for its potential to facilitate deeper therapeutic change.

To learn more about Dr. Peter Grinspoon, visit PeterGrinspoon.com

To learn more about his latest book, Aging Well with Cannabis, Feel Better, Sleep Better, and Live Better with Marijuana and CBD, visit petergrinspoon.com/agingwell/

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Working with partners in government, business, and the community, MAPS Canada is committed to advancing psychedelic medicine by supporting scientific, multidisciplinary research; advocating for drug policy reform; offering public education; and supporting equitable access to legal and regulated psychedelic medicine in Canada.

The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) was formed in the US in 1986, in response to the US Drug Enforcement Agency’s classification of MDMA as Schedule 1 substance, and has been developing medical, legal, and cultural contexts for people to benefit from the careful uses of psychedelics since then.

MAPS Canada was founded as a sister organization to MAPS in 2011, and is a registered Canadian non-profit organization. Based in Vancouver and with hundreds of volunteers from across Canada, MAPS Canada is moving forward to become the leading Canadian source of information, resources and advocacy regarding psychedelic medicine and related clinical research, education, and public policy.

Learn More at https://mapscanada.org/about/

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