Greetings. I am interested in finding a Fellowship program in H&PM which would take seriously a fellow who was interested in the study of the use of cannabis and cannabis-based medicines in H&PM population patients, as well as the experimental use of psychedelics such as psilocybin to ease anxiety at the end of life (as has been recently shown on CNN). http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2012/05/03/feyerick-psychedelic-therapy.cnn

I have written articles about the use of cannabis in H&PM journals, so I know that this is an area of interest in the field. I want to know if any one knows of a particular fellowship program which would be okay/supportive of a fellow who wished to pursue this interest? Now that there are 17 states where the medical use of cannabis is allowed, I wonder if there are programs in those states in which this phenomenon is being integrated into training and practice?

Another way to put this simply: I want to know what are the really "liberal" programs out there. Thank you :)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/12/science/12psychedelics.html

On a related topic...

EPERC on Ketamine use in PC
http://www.eperc.mcw.edu/EPERC/FastFactsIndex/ff_132.htm

AAHPM Fact Sheet on Ketamine
http://www.aahpm.org/pdf/ketamine.pdf

I think in your personal statement you'd have to highlight your relevant research and expertise as well as express your interest in clinical use, and then see what happens.

Rational, off-label use of medications to treat patients' symptoms is a hallmark of palliative medicine. I don't think it would raise too many eyebrows.

Thank you, brimcmike, for sharing your thoughtful perspective.
I wonder if you can think of some programs that would be less likely to raise eyebrows than others? Or some programs which would actually be a suitable fit for me based on these interests?

I do not. Again dronabinol (Marinol) is FDA-approved for chemo-associated nausea/vomiting and AIDS-associated anorexia/weight loss. So, I think that's a head start. For good chances of progressive culyure and policy, I'd start where medical marijuana is legal, where the issue has been actually confronted and dealt with in some fashion.