Dr Alan Shackelford - the doctor who changed the course of medical cannabis history

Imagine being the doctor responsible for prescribing high CBD/ low THC cannabis to Charlotte Figi at a time when very little was still known about CBD's anti-seizure effects in children. That was Dr Shackelford back in 2012, when he was approached by Charlotte's mother Paige.

Rather fortuitously, as Dr Shackelford puts it, he had just read Professor Raphael Mechoulam's 1980 ground breaking paper about the anti-epileptic effects of CBD, and despite serious reservations about prescribing cannabis to a child, he did indeed make the recommendation.

And the rest as they say is history.

After taking CBD, Charlotte, who had previously had up to 300 grand mal seizures a week, became almost seizure free, and when her story was picked up on the CNN documentary Weed, CBD went global.  

Being involved with Charlotte's care was indeed a pivotal moment in Dr Shackelford's career, but it has not been the only satisfying one. He has and continues to carry out research into the therapeutic properties of cannabinoids in the USA and Israel, as well as treating patients with medical cannabis in Colorado. 

And in this episode, he generously shares the fascinating insights he's gained since incorporating cannabis into his practice over ten years ago.