Tag Archives: marketing

4 Sketchy Claims about Cannabis and Your Health

October 17, 2018 will go down in history as the day that the Y2K bug finally hit Canada legalized cannabis. It’s also getting legalized or decriminalized in more and more locations around the world

Over the past year, I’ve been asked a ton of questions about this. In particular, people want to know whether I’m “for” or “against” legalization…

But I’m not the right person to answer that. The legal, social, and economic reasons for legalizing weed aren’t my area of expertise. My expertise is within science and health.

We know that criminalizing marijuana simply hasn’t worked. So I guess it’s a good idea to try something else.

And we have to face the facts: in Canada, at least 15% of people are known to consume cannabis. For young people, that number is 30-40%.

Still, I find myself annoyed by the two types of comments I hear most often, namely :

 

I do think it’s important to speak openly about cannabis. Unfortunately, I hear a lot of sketchy claims going around… so let’s assess their scientific accuracy!

 

Note #1 : For the sake of transparency, I should admit that I’ve never consumed cannabis in my life, not even a single toke. In general, I don’t really enjoy psychotropic substances (i.e. substances that produce an altered state of consciousness), including alcohol. I assume this doesn’t disqualify me from discussing the topic, considering that I haven’t consumed 99.999% of the medication I work with on a daily basis…

Note #2 : There are certain points that I don’t cover in the comic: driving under the influence of pot; the lack of a legal limit on the amount of THC in products containing marijuana; children or animals becoming intoxicated by accidentally consuming cannabis products; microdosing…This comic is pretty long as it is, so if need be, I’ll revisit the topic another time!

Note #3 : Many thanks to Robyn Penney for the translation!

 

 

 

 

cannabis natural cannabinoids

THC CBD prescription strains

 

 

 

cannabis smoking tobacco alcohol

 cannabis vaporizer secondhand smoke stoned

is alcohol worse than pot

 

 

 

 

cannabis effective for many health problems hype

 

evidence-based medical cannabis use

cannabis derived products dog treats creams

 

 

 

 

cannabis risks or harmless

 

cannabis occasional or chronic use young people

 

cannabis psychosis

 

cannabis amotivational syndrome

 

cannabis addiction dependence

 

 

 

 

 

TOP 10 useless remedies for the common cold

The cold season has begun.

But there’s something worse out there: the plethora of esoteric remedies to allegedly prevent and cure the common cold, like…

  • Rubbing Vicks on your feet
  • Sticking your face above a bowl of hot, scented water
  • A swig of gin and/or cayenne and/or oregano oil
  • Sweating out the virus
  • The mustard plaster
  • Flu busters
  • Putting something in your bum (like suppositories)
  • Chicken noodle soup
  • Cough syrups
  • Antibiotics

Being a pharmacist, I get asked about those all the time. And really, I don’t care if people wanna use medication, natural health products or home remedies… as long as what they do is safe, effective, evidence-based and science-based.

Would you like to know what works and what doesn’t? Here are the TOP 10 useless remedies for the common cold. Please laugh at each of them. They deserve it.

Translated by Valentin Nguyen; edits and proofreading by Robyn Penney.

 

 

 

Rubbing Vicks on your feet

Rubbing Vicks on your feet continued

 

 

 

Sticking your face above a bowl of hot, scented water

Sticking your face above a bowl of hot, scented water continued

 

 

 

The mouth-burning contest

The mouth-burning contest continued

The mouth-burning contest continued even more

 

 

 

Sweating out the virus

 

 

 

The mustard plaster

The mustard plaster continued

 

 

 

Flu busters

Flu busters 06b

 

 

 

Putting something in your bumPutting something in your bum continued

 

 

 

Chicken noodle soupChicken noodle soup continued

 

 

Cough syrups

Cough syrups continued

 

 

Antibiotics

Antibiotics continued

 

 

Conclusion

 

partage_page_EN

partage_post_EN

How to make a clinical trial say whatever you want

clinical_trials_header-600

Are you under the impression that clinical trials are constantly saying the opposite from one another?

That, mysteriously, new trials with awesome results appear every 30 seconds?

That you can always find that one trial that will prove your point?

That big companies manipulate data?

That shady websites only cite the conclusions that are good for them?

If so, you’re not wrong… and it’s super easy to do, by the way.

Here’s a guide on how to make a clinical trial say whatever you want it to say!

Translation by Gabrielle Larocque.

 

clinical_trials_00 clinical_trials_01

 

clinical_trials_02

 

clinical_trials_03

 

clinical_trials_04

clinical_trials_05

 

clinical_trials_06

 

clinical_trials_07

 

clinical_trials_08

 

clinical_trials_09

 

clinical_trials_10

 

clinical_trials_11

 

partage_page_EN

partage_post_EN

5 sticky myths about sunscreen

Header

Who says “summer” says “sun.” And who says “sun” says “suntanning” … or “cancer“. 

I don’t think anyone should freak out over exposure to the sun. On the other hand, if you’re gonna use sunscreen, you might as well use it properly.

After all, this is not just about cancer: UVA rays cause premature aging of the skin, while UVB cause those infuriating sunburns.

At the pharmacy, people very seldom ask me for advice when it comes time to sunscreens. I wonder what determines their choice. A nice bottle with a cute doggy on it? Statements like “Ultimate Protection Apocalyptic 3000”? Low (or high) price tag?

Here’s the truth: choosing the best sunscreen is FAR from easy, even for me. It’s not easy to use it well either.

In this comic, I address 5 beliefs about sun exposure and sunscreen that I hear all the time.

In a second comic, I’ll address the issue of allegedly toxic ingredients in sunscreen (such as nanoparticles and endocrine disruptors), vitamin D deficiency and the belief that sunscreen is more carcinogenic than the sun itself.

P.S. There’s a joke that is a direct homage to the Simpsons. Who’s gonna find it first?

Translation by Olivier Bernard, proofreading by Lauren Knight.

 

Title

Sunburns and skin phototype

 

 

Shade and UV rays

 

 

About sun protection factor SPF

 

 

Amount and frequency for applying sunscreen

 

 

Bad marketing about sunscreens

How to choose a sunscreen

 

 

Conclusion and radioactive white

 

partage_page_EN

partage_post_EN

Let’s put an end to the GLUTEN-FREE trend

gluten_header_EN

After toxins, vaccines, and milk, I’m ready to face another worthy opponent: Gluten.

Or rather the absence of gluten, as many people seem to believe that it’s a good idea to remove it from their diet. Truth be told, for some people, avoiding gluten is a necessity, especially for those who suffer from celiac disease.

Because celiac disease is strongly under-diagnosed, it would be cool to hear more about it… but nowadays, we constantly hear stuff like:

  • Gluten is a useless toxin
  • Eating gluten-free is healthier
  • Eating gluten-free makes you lose weight
  • Gluten causes digestive disorders in all people
  • Gluten-free food is more organic
  • Wheat was genetically modified, resulting in more gluten
  • Eating gluten-free is easy

Yet all of these statements are pretty much FALSE.

Do you want to hear more about the topic? You’re in luck: I made a comic that contradicts each of the aforementioned statements! What a coincidence.

To make this project possible, I have had the privilege of collaborating with dietitian Sarah Le, a nutrition scientist specializing in weight management and sports nutrition. She also taught me tons of new words, like “sorghum” and “manioc”!

gluten_warning_EN

This comic strip is not intended for two types of people:

  • People suffering from celiac disease, as diagnosed by a physician. Gluten is toxic for you, so removing it completely is your only option.
  • People who have stopped eating gluten for any reason and deem their health is much better since. I don’t intend to change your mind; after all, you know your body better than anyone else.

This comic is rather intended for the vast majority of people who ask themselves:

‘‘Why is everyone tripping about gluten?!’’

Translation by Hadrien Laforest, proofreading by Lauren Knight.

 

Common statements about the gluten-free diet

 

 

Gluten is a useless toxin

 

 

Eating gluten-free is healthier

 

 

Eating gluten-free makes you lose weight

 

 

Gluten causes digestive disorders

Gluten vs FODMAPs

 

 

gluten_EN_05_05

Gluten GMO wheat and Monsanto

 

 

Eating gluten-free is easy

 

 

Conclusion if you're not celiac

partage_page_EN

partage_post_EN