With the start and continuation of the Corona Pandemic, Dr. Salomy has seen a significant rise of her high functioning private practice patients using cannabis recreationally in higher frequencies and larger amounts. As a result, there were more incidents of paranoia, anxiety and decreased daily functioning. Dr. Salomy felt that she needed to educate herself in the field of marijuana use in order to better understand and help her patients.
In the first portion of the lecture, Dr. Salomy will present the basic world history of the plant, its biological properties, the Israeli laws pertaining to its use, and the evidence-based effects it can have on mental illness and cognition. Of note, Dr. Salomy is not an expert in the field of recreational cannabis use, rather a clinician who has wanted to educate herself more on the field at hand. She will be sharing her research with the greater mental health professionals community.
In the second portion of the lecture, Dr. Bienenfeld will review the framework of medical cannabis production and prescription. The Ministry of Health authorizes its use for a variety of conditions relevant to mental health practice, including, posttraumatic stress disorder, chronic pain syndromes, AIDS, Parkinson Disease and palliative care. He will define the conditions for which such clients and patients may be referred for cannabis therapy, examine the evidence for its efficacy, and view the options for medical cannabis selection and dosage.
The purpose of this lecture is to provide research-based information. It is not for purposes of advocating for or against cannabis.
Dana Salomy, MD
Dr. Dana Salomy is a licensed adult psychiatrist in Israel and the United States. She was trained at Yale University School of Medicine and continued working there for five years as an Assistant Clinical Professor and as a clinician for outpatient psychiatry. In Israel, Dr. Salomy spent four years working in the ADHD unit at Geha Hospital where she did clinical research and initial evaluations for adults who have ADHD as well as other comorbidities including mood and anxiety disorders. She spent an additional four years working at the outpatient Chava Clinic of Tel Hashomer Hospital where she treated women with all mental health disorders related to pregnancy and postpartum states. For the last year, Dr. Salomy has been working in private practice, mostly serving the Anglo population of Tel Aviv. She treats all disorders including adult ADHD, intrapartum and postpartum issues, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, OCD, and PTSD.
David Bienenfeld, MD
Dr. David Bienenfeld is Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Geriatric Medicine at the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. He trained in Psychiatry and Geriatric Psychiatry at the University of Cincinnati, and trained in Cognitive Therapy at the Beck Institute. Most of his professional career was as Residency Training Director at Wright State University. He is the author of two books (on geriatric psychiatry and psychodynamic theory), has published 40 papers and 36 book chapters and delivered over 80 major presentations. He is licensed in Ohio and Georgia as well as in Israel, where he is certified as a Specialist in Psychiatry. Dr. Bienenfeld is in private practice in Ramat Beit Shemesh.
