Throughout 2021, we will be profiling board members, hotline nurses, administrative team members and industry partners who are integral to the work we do every day.
While these individuals have diverse professional and personal backgrounds, they all share a passion for supporting medically-sound patient education and resources on cannabis.
In these profiles, you will find reassurance and inspiration. You might also see elements of your own cannabis journey in these stories.
Below, we’re sharing Natali’s story, in her own words, about her evolution from hospital-based nursing to working as a cannabis nurse educator. Natali is a Leaf411 Advisory Board Member and is also a fierce advocate for individuals with disabilities to have access to therapeutic alternatives.
“The different stories I have heard from patients’ family members, specifically parents of children with disabilities have been profound. It has made me believe that cannabis should be a first line treatment and not a last line treatment. Oftentimes parents use cannabis as a last resort and it ends up being the best medicine they have ever used. This has driven my passion to be part of Leaf411 and help educate the public and dispel the misinformation surrounding marijuana use.”
Natali Murdock, BSN, RN, Cannabis Nurse Educator
The Importance of Maintaining a Healthy Balance
I received my Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) while playing college volleyball, becoming the first student-athlete to graduate from my nursing program. Balancing volleyball and nursing school made me aware of the importance of maintaining healthy practices such as exercise, healthy eating and prioritizing mental health. To this day, I rely on these tools in my own life and see how life-changing they can be for my patients, as well.
Emergency Department Patient Stories about the Benefits of Cannabis
I have been a registered nurse for 10 years. I originally started my nursing career in a rural hospital on the medical/surgical floor. After a couple of years, I transitioned to the emergency department, where I began hearing from patients who were using cannabis to help manage their health conditions.
When triaging patients there is a section about drug use. If a patient told me that they used marijuana, I would ask what they were using it for. Patients would usually start telling me how it helped with their medical condition. Oftentimes the condition they mentioned would qualify them to become medical marijuana patients. However, large hospitals depend on federal funding. As long as cannabis remains federally illegal, medical professionals are discouraged or outright restricted from recommending medical marijuana.
I then moved to Colorado and worked in various emergency departments throughout the Denver area. I surprisingly found that a lot of patients with various chronic issues did not try or use cannabis medicinally despite being in a legal state. In many cases, this was due to patients’ lack of awareness and education around plant-based medicine. Patients did not know that an alternative was available to them.
I eventually became burnt out from working in emergency nursing. I wanted to help patients in a more natural way as I got to witness the terrible side effects patients had from medication, alcohol, drug abuse and how treating mental health seemed to be failing.
Transitioning into Cannabis Nursing
After I left hospital nursing, I started working in a Medical Marijuana evaluation office in Boulder, Colorado. I quickly gained knowledge about the endocannabinoid system, different uses for cannabis, dosing and products. I also learned a lot from various physicians, cannabis-trained nurses, conferences and literature.
Working as a cannabis nurse, I felt empowered to finally be able to answer any questions patients had about medical marijuana use, side effects, drug interactions, etc. My new role was a far cry from my old position working in hospitals, where information and resources on medical marijuana were sparse or nonexistent.
I now live in Arizona, where I remain dedicated to providing balanced education and guidance on safe, effective use of cannabis medicine. The different stories I have heard from patients’ family members, specifically parents of children with disabilities have been profound. It has made me believe that cannabis should be a first-line treatment and not the last-line treatment.
When You Call Leaf411, You Get Expert Help on Cannabis… For Free!
We appreciate the work that Natali and the rest of our staff do every day to bring medically sound, balanced education and guidance to you—the public—at no cost!
When you call the hotline, you can be confident that your questions and concerns will be taken seriously, and that you will be treated with respect. Our nurses are passionate about helping others on their cannabis journey, no matter where they are at. You can even call if you’ve never tried cannabis before but are curious about whether it might be an option for you or a loved one.
Call our hotline at 844-LEAF411 (844-532-3411) with your questions, or chat us from our home page during hotline hours, Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
The Leaf411 cannabis nurse hotline provides free, anonymous education and directional support to the general public about the safe use of legal cannabis. We partner with select business members who meet our rigorous standards to extend our education and outreach efforts.