continuing education

Arizona NDs: CME for Opioid/Addiction Requirement

Posted on by botanical

SW Conference Field Study

We have several presentations approved for the opioid/addiction continuing education requirement for Arizona Naturopathic Doctors.

Approved by the Sonaran University of Health Sciences (SUHS) continuing education committee for opioid/addiction CE.

Video Series: Substance Use Disorder Video Series

  • Provides 9 opioid/addiction + 1.5 pharmacy + 1.5 general hours of continuing education

Individual Video Recordings:

Audio Recordings:

Instructions for Distance Learning:

Purchase recordings online by clicking their links above, save your receipt, keep a record of CME credits earned on this certificate. It’s as easy as that! View or print CME instructions

Please contact us with any questions about naturopathic CE.

Medical Marijuana Education for Clinicians

Posted on by botanical

Medical Marijuana education

Cannabis Therapeutics

An audio series for health care providers –  bundled together in one discounted package:

  • Six (6) audio lectures
  • Digital book of notes (50 page PDF)
  • Order with one click for $55 ($70 value)

Details: These six audio recordings offer the clinician detailed information on prescribing Medical Marijuana, the most appropriate delivery system for specific conditions, possible side effects and interactions. Includes complete references. Features up-to-date information on medicinal uses of Cannabis for pain, cancer, mental health conditions, sleep and more. Includes digital book of lecture notes (50 page PDF).

Naturopathic CE: If CME has not previously been earned for the below lectures (either in person or distance) you can earn 3.5 general and 6.5 pharmacy credits. See more Continuing Education details.

CannabisRecordings included in this series:

Therapeutic Uses of the Cannabinoids and Other Cannabis Compounds, Part 1

Kenneth Proefrock presents his clinical experience using Cannabis therapeutically for a wide range of conditions from seizures, restless leg syndrome and insomnia, to cancer, MS, Parkinsons and chronic pain. Detailed usage information includes prescribing Medical Marijuana as an internal agent, a vapor, as food and in topical applications for pain. Speaker: Kenneth Proefrock, ND. (Product Code: 15SW01)

Therapeutic Uses of the Cannabinoids and Other Cannabis Compounds, Part 2

Continued from Part 1, Kenneth Proefrock continues presenting his clinical experience using Cannabis therapeutically for a wide range of conditions from seizures, restless leg syndrome and insomnia, to cancer, MS, Parkinsons and chronic pain. Includes some of the more interesting research on the variability of constituents with different cultivation techniques and cross-reactions with other therapeutic agents. Reviews laws surrounding medical uses with an emphasis on Arizona. Kenneth Proefrock, ND. (Product Code: 15SW02)

Use of Cannabis Compounds for Health and Disease Treatment: A Science-Based Review

Reviews over 250 clinical trials on the efficacy and safety of Medical Marijuana use for glaucoma, HIV/AIDs, opiate addiction, nausea, cancer-related cachexia, muscle spasms, epilepsy, pain, autoimmune diseases and inflammation. The benefits and drawbacks of different delivery systems, different solvents for extraction and vaporizers are discussed. Clinically relevant details on the chemistry, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of cannabinoids, including THC and CBD, are summarized. Speaker: Christopher Hobbs, PhD. (Product Code: 18SW03)

The Influence of Cannabis on the Psyche

Reports in both the biomedical literature and from patients suggest that there are beneficial effects of Medical Cannabis on various psychological conditions. Conversely, there are reports of detrimental influences of Cannabis on mental health, including addiction. This lecture discusses both sides and shines a light on a topic that will increasingly be discussed in healthcare provider forums and the press. Speaker: Kevin Spelman, PhD. (Product Code: 15ME30)

tetrahydrocannabinolCannabis and Cancer: Sifting the Science

The use of Medical Marijuana to treat issues such as cancer pain or chemo-induced nausea and vomiting is well established. However, there is also widespread patient interest in Medical Cannabis as a direct anticancer agent. This session reviews how cancer involves the endocannabinoid system, and presents data on the anticancer properties of Cannabis both in terms of cancer pathophysiology & molecular biology, as well as its effects on specific malignancies. Speaker: Jonathan Treasure, MNIMH. (Product Code: 17SW25)

Cannabis as an Alternative to Opioids, Benzodiazepines, NSAIDs and other Drugs

While these drugs can have unintended side effects, the use of Medical Marijuana as a substitute should be carefully evaluated for efficacy, adverse reactions and best use for either weaning patients from a drug or using it in conjunction to reduce drug dosage and negative effects. In a fair comparison, Medical Marijuana may be better, but a user may also develop tolerance, loss of effect, and side effects from Marijuana. Examine all sides of this topic with three experienced clinicians. Panelists: Paul Bergner, Jonathan Treasure and Kenneth Proefrock. (Product Code: 17SW17)

Plus, the Series Lecture Notes for Cannabis Therapeutics, in PDF format.

Order the complete Medical Marijuana package »

Christopher Hobbs, PhD at Medicines from the Earth

Posted on by botanical


herbalist Chris Hobbs in fieldChristopher Hobbs is a fourth-generation internationally known herbalist, licensed acupuncturist, author, clinician, botanist, mycologist and research scientist with over 35 years of experience with herbal medicine. Here he talks about his intensive at Medicines from the Earth on June 5 titled “Treating Infections with Natural Medicines—An Integrative and Cross-Cultural Approach”

Please tell us about your family heritage in botany.
My dad was a professor of botany and entomology and I still remember riding or walking with him when I was very young and being interested in flowers and plants. I’d ask the names of trees, shrubs and weeds and he would always know the name and some interesting things about them. Lucky for me, because I developed a life-long hyper-fixation on plants myself.

My maternal grandmother and great-grandmother were herbalists. My grandmother studied with a Chinese herbalist and had her own organic herb garden from which she treated people in her community. It’s interesting that so many years later I would receive training in traditional Chinese medicine, receive my acupuncture license, and study herbal medicine in China.

We are looking forward to your intensive entitled “Treating Infections with Natural Medicine—An Integrative and Cross-Cultural Approach” This seems to imply an energetic model of diagnosing and prescribing for infection—can you elaborate?
My practice and teaching style today is always a combination of traditional medicine, my own clinical and personal experience, the counsel and teachings of my peers, and the 10-year science training I completed in 2014. Although I am a scientist, I believe that healing between plants and people results from something greater than just the biological activity of herbs. Something indefinable and hard to measure occurs: a life-force that comes from the relationship between the growing and living plant, the soil and it’s microbes, its complex chemistry, the water, the sunlight, and the atmosphere, which all combine to work for healing on the highest level of intelligence. Continue reading

Chanchal Cabrera and Biophilia

Posted on by botanical
Chanchal Cabrera
Chanchal Cabrera

Medicines from the Earth News: Chanchal Cabrera’s Biophilia Intensive

Speaker Chanchal Cabrera is a medical herbalist practicing on Vancouver Island, Canada. She lives at Innisfree Farm, a 7-acre botanical reserve and herb farm she and her husband Thierry Vrain created over the last ten years.

Linnea Wardwell spoke with Chanchal last week to find out more about biophilia, the instinctive bond humans have for all other life forms on the planet. It shapes her recent work on the farm, and is also the subject of the intensive workshop on Saturday afternoon at the symposium.

LW: Whenever we have a chance to chat, it seems there are new initiatives in your practice and farm activities. We’d like to find out what’s going on recently.

CC: Oh, that is a big question! I am always busy and always dreaming and scheming for the next opportunity to spread the word about herbal medicine.

Herb GatheringSince my 4 months of training at Kew Gardens in 2013 and 2014, the farm has been listed on the international register of botanic gardens, one of 7 registered gardens in BC. Our specialty is medicine and food plants but we are also offering more and more education as well. We are running workshops, hosting events and teaching classes. Last year the 2nd biennial Vancouver Island Herb Gathering at Innisfree Farm had 270 people attend over 4 days. Next one is June 2017!

On top of that, I am still running the botanical medicine department at the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine in Vancouver, as well, so plenty to keep me busy.

LW: You’ve been a practicing medical herbalist since 1987 and were made a Fellow by the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (the United Kingdom’s leading professional body representing herbal practitioners) in 2009. What is the main focus of your clinical practice?
Continue reading