Education & Training Company news South Africa

Cheeba Cannabis Academy qualification is HPCSA-approved

The Cheeba Cannabis Academy, powered by Cheeba Africa, is the continent's first dedicated cannabis education platform. It has notched up a new 'first-in-SA' with the confirmation that the HPCSA (Health Professions Council of South Africa) has accredited the course for medical professionals to earn CPD (Continuing Professional Development) points.
Cheeba Cannabis Academy qualification is HPCSA-approved

Medical professionals, ranging from GPs to dietitians and psychologists, who complete Cheeba Cannabis Academy’s 7-module Medical Cannabis CPD online course will now be eligible for eight HPCSA-approved CPD points. The HPCSA and its professional boards guide and regulate the education, training and registration of the country’s healthcare practitioners. Medical practitioners in South Africa are required to continuously keep abreast of the latest medical expertise by earning 60 CPD points every year through their attendance and completion of approved education programmes.

Cheeba Cannabis Academy’s internationally-certified Medical Cannabis CPD course offers South Africa’s healthcare practitioners the most current, complete and comprehensive education about medical cannabis. The academy partners with the US-based cannabis online education platform, Medical Marijuana 411 for all their medical cannabis education.

With over 800 current, peer-reviewed citations, Medical Marijuana 411 is the leader in online medical marijuana education for patients, medical professionals and dispensary consultants.

The CPD-approved Medical Cannabis course has been specifically tailored to the South African market while upholding global cannabis education standards.

“Our course is designed to empower SA physicians involved in the care of patients who are considering medical cannabis as part of their treatment plan,” says Cheeba Africa’s co-founder and business development director, Linda Siboto.

“My late father Dr Gordon Siboto was a pioneer in orthopaedic surgery and often remarked that his work was so much about pain management and reducing inflammation. Cannabis is known to be effective with pain management, so I am very passionate about us being able to contribute to the education of medical professionals through our cannabis training. So much human suffering can be relieved if our medical professionals understand, appreciate and support their patients’ use of cannabis as medicine. With the allocation of these CPD points, the HPCSA has now recognised the relevance of cannabis education for our country’s health professionals which is an incredible step forward.”

Cheeba Cannabis Academy’s Medical Cannabis CPD online course covers the latest legal context for the use of medical cannabis, the history of the plant’s use as medical treatment and its resurgence today. Healthcare practitioners learn about the endocannabinoid system and how cannabinoid receptors work within the human body. They deep dive into the pros and cons of cannabinoids and their effects on the symptoms of ailments such as anxiety, chronic pain, epilepsy, gastrointestinal disorders, neurodegenerative illnesses, post-traumatic stress and migraines.

They also evaluate the current research studies regarding opioids versus cannabinoids in the treatment of chronic pain. The online platform enables doctors and other health professionals to study and gain the necessary CPD points, from anywhere, in their own time and at their own pace.

Dr Carmen James, a specialist in integrative medicine and health coaching who serves on the advisory board of Cheeba Cannabis Academy, says: “This is a fantastic step forward for medical cannabis education and the use of cannabis as medicine in South Africa. With the focus narrowly on pharmaceuticals at the expense of natural medicines, our doctors and other health practitioners don’t get taught anything in med school about important medicines such as cannabis. Here’s the opportunity for us to learn how to safely draw on other, often better, options for the benefit of our patients, which is already a norm in many other countries.”

For more information, visit https://cheebaafrica.com/pages/cheeba-academy

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