Cannabis products today are several times stronger than they were a generation ago — and most consumers have no reliable way to know what's actually in the bottle, the gummy, or the flower they're buying. In this episode, Dr. Brad talks with Dr. Peter Grinspoon, a primary care physician and addiction specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital and instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School, about using cannabis and CBD safely in a market that's still largely unregulated outside licensed dispensaries.
They cover how to spot a state-regulated dispensary versus an unregulated gas-station or smoke-shop product, the real differences between CBD and THC, and how delivery method — smoking, edibles, or tinctures — changes both the effect and the risk. Dr. Grinspoon also explains how he uses cannabis for harm reduction with patients moving away from opioids, NSAIDs, and sleep medications, and is direct about what the research does and doesn't support, including current evidence on cannabis and cancer.
This episode is for adults, especially seniors and caregivers, who are cannabis-curious but want a doctor's straight answers first.
Dr. Grinspoon is the author of *Aging Well with Cannabis: Feel Better, Sleep Better, and Live Better with Marijuana and CBD*, linked in the show notes. For more root-cause approaches to chronic pain and health, book a consult at healthfullyu.com.
## Part 3 — Podcast SEO Support
**Topics discussed:**
- medical marijuana dispensary safety
- CBD vs THC differences
- cannabis for seniors
- cannabis dosing for beginners
- cannabis harm reduction opioids
- marijuana rescheduling Schedule 3
- hemp-derived CBD regulation
- cannabis edibles vs smoking
- cannabis tincture dosing
- cannabis for chronic pain
- is cannabis addictive
- THC potency today vs. the 1980s
**Chapter timestamps:**
- 02:08 — How to find a clean, uncontaminated cannabis product
- 08:59 — CBD vs. THC: what's the real difference
- 22:29 — Does cannabis cure cancer? Separating the research from the hype
Dr. Peter Grinspoon, a Harvard Medical School instructor and Massachusetts General Hospital addiction specialist, breaks down how to use cannabis and CBD safely — from spotting a regulated product to choosing the right delivery method for chronic pain.
Curious whether cannabis or CBD could fit into your health plan? Book a consult at healthfullyu.com to talk it through.
