A student stands over a patient, needle poised. They have a “perfect” prescription: a textbook combination of points harvested from a lecture slide on chronic lower back pain. But as the needle meets the skin, the student hesitates - the symptom of a quiet habit that has taken hold of our profession. We routinely say we “prescribe” points. It sounds efficient. It echoes the authority of biomedical culture and fits neatly into the insurance field. But vocabulary is never neutral; repeated long enough, it dictates behavior.
PCOM Offering Cannabis Certificate
Pacific College of Oriental Medicine is now offering a Medical Cannabis Certificate for Healthcare Professionals. The three-course online curriculum features live classes and practical assignments, focusing on the endocannabinoid system and pharmacology, and clinical medical cannabis guidelines and professional practice. The third course is a cannabis care capstone that requires students to "design a practical and/or professional project that [aligns] with your goals as a cannabis practitioner."
According to PCOM, it is the first regionally accredited institution to offer a college-level medical cannabis certificate. It is also offering bonus guest lectures via a partnership with Oakland, Calif.-based Oaksterdam University, "the first cannabis college ... the leading, trusted cannabis educational and policy brain-trust in the world."
"Patients deserve expert care," said Carey Clark, PhD, program chair. "They need reliable information about potential drug interactions, how to procure quality cannabinoid medications, and how to safely use the medicine for maximum relief of symptoms and minimal side effects."