• Hosts: Ed Jones (Owner of Nutrition World) & Clint Powell
• A variety of topics all related to living a healthy life

Presented by: Nutrition World

www.nutritionw.com

Broadcasting from the Nooga Dentistry Studio

www.noogadentistry.com

Production of: Whitfield Media Group

www.vitalhealthradio.com

Title: Impact of Tennessee Hemp Bill, Discussion of Polypharmacy & Deprescribing  with Dr. Curt Dearing

[0:00:00] Ed’s Media & Product Updates

• Preview of main topics:
  • Upcoming Tennessee hemp bill and its negative impact on people using hemp for anxiety, pain, and insomnia.
  • Dr. Curt Deering will discuss polypharmacy and deprescribing.

• Ed’s recent appearances on multiple TV outlets (Fox Phoenix & LA, Be Well NY, CBS Detroit).
• Discussion of testing the AquaTru water filtration system at home as a potential recommendation (microplastics, partial fluoride removal).
• Mention that peptides are a growing topic; reference to Noel Lawson as go‑to for prescribed peptides

[0:10:42]  Tennessee Hemp Bill & Hemp Industry Impact

• Introduces guest: Dwayne Madden, owner of Hemp House, as a respected local expert.

• As of July 1 in Tennessee:
  • All Delta‑8 products will no longer be available for in‑state sale.
  • Many THCA products and all vape products will be gone from shops.
  • CBD and Delta‑9 edibles will have caps:
    • Max 15 mg per serving.
    • Max 300 mg per package.
• Dwayne notes:
  • Heavy users (e.g., serious pain/conditions) will need to consume many servings to reach effective doses.
  • Law doesn’t limit how many packages a person can buy, so total milligrams aren’t truly stopped—just made inconvenient.

• Dwayne explains regulatory control moved:
  • From Tennessee Department of Agriculture (2017–2023)
  • To the ABC (Alcoholic Beverage Commission) Board.
• Key impacts:
  • All products must now go through distributors, similar to alcohol.
  • Distributors collect taxes and sit between producers and retailers.
  • Small operators like Dwayne cannot qualify for distributor licenses , so he must pay a distributor to move product from his own lab to his own stores.
• Ed frames this as “follow the money trail” and a way to crush competition.

• In Tennessee after July 1:
  • No in‑state online hemp sales.
  • Banned products (Delta‑8, etc.) not criminalized for possession or use, only for sale.
• Potential Workaround:
  • Consumers can order from out‑of‑state websites (e.g., North Carolina), receive products in Tennessee
  • Money leaves the local economy, hurting Tennessee businesses.

• Ed and Dwayne suggest alcohol industry is likely threatened because many people are reducing alcohol use by using hemp products instead 
• Dwayne notes:
  • Alcohol sales have declined while hemp sales rose.
  • Regulators appear to be protecting alcohol interests via hemp restrictions.

[0:17:41] Federal Regulations & State Opt‑Outs

• Upcoming federal regulations in November:
  • Expected to be similarly “ugly and nasty” for hemp nationwide.
  • States will have an option to opt out of these federal hemp rules.
• Tennessee’s stance:
  • Governor has stated Tennessee will NOT opt out, so federal restrictions will apply here.
  • Other states (e.g., North Carolina) might opt out, keeping their markets more open.
• Industry response:
  • Advocacy groups Tennessee Growers Coalition and Hemp Law Group monitor legislation and organize pushback.
  • Some supportive legislators exist, but political drive to reverse current law is limited.

• Dwayne and Ed distinguish:
  • Reasonable regulation (ID checks, lab tests, dosage clarity, education) vs.
  • A “wipeout/control/takeover” by shifting to ABC and forcing distributor reliance.
• Dwayne:
  • Says credible local shops (Hemp House, Chattanooga peers like BeeGrity, Snapdragon, etc.) already follow high standards.
  • States this law is not about safety but about control and revenue capture, and will hurt small farmers and businesses.

[0:25:55] What Consumers Should Do Before Deadline

• Practical advice: Stock up now on products that will disappear:

• Delta‑8 gummies (popular for sleep, anxiety, pain).
• Other higher‑milligram THC/CBD edibles.
• Flower and vapes.

• Hemp House is running clearance sales to move remaining inventory.

• Dosing notes:

• Many people do well with ½ Delta‑8 gummy for sleep/anxiety/pain.
• Some need more or less; staff helps tailor doses for goals.

• Hemp House will close its North Shore/Tremont Street flagship store by July 1 due to expected sales hit.
• Remaining Hemp House locations:
  • Ringgold Road (East Ridge) near Spring Creek.
  • Ooltewah by Food City on Lee Highway.
  • Hixson Pike near Workout Anytime and Publix.
• Broader impact:
  • Other Chattanooga hemp businesses have large staffs (some near 100 employees) and will be heavily affected.
  • The industry is described as grassroots, farmer‑driven, and passionately quality‑focused.

[0:33:20] Polypharmacy & Deprescribing with Dr. Curt Dearing

• Ed introduces Dr. Curt Dearing, clinical pharmacist at Nutrition World (30+ years experience).
• Curt’s background:
  • Formerly fully conventional pharmacist; later “veil lifted” as he discovered green pharmacy (nutritional & botanical alternatives).
• Current mission:
  • Community outreach to medical schools and residency programs
  • Teach about nutritional and natural alternatives not covered in standard curriculums.
  • Traditional training provides almost zero meaningful nutrition or green pharmacy education.

• Polypharmacy: use of 5 or more prescription medications.
• Curt notes:
  • Majority of Americans 65+ meet this definition.
  • Average American receives ~17 prescriptions per year (not all concurrent).
• Consequences:
  • Increased ER visits due to drug side effects.
  • Estimated ~250,000 deaths/year from drug‑induced causes.
• Curt’s role:
  • Specializes in deprescribing: safely reducing or eliminating unnecessary pharmaceuticals and replacing them with effective natural options when possible.

•  How Curt Works with Patients & Their Doctors

• Curt provides coaching, not independent prescribing.
• Creates detailed packets (10–18+ pages) explaining:
  • Why certain drugs may no longer be needed.
  • Evidence for natural alternatives (e.g., supplements, lifestyle changes).
• Encourages clients to take the packet to their doctor and have an informed discussion.
• Patients often fear how their doctors will react to attempts to deprescribe.

• Green Pharmacy Approach (as described by Dr. Curt Dearing)

• Using nutritional, botanical, and lifestyle-based therapies either instead of or alongside pharmaceuticals.
• Focusing on root causes and supporting the body’s own healing mechanisms, not just pushing lab numbers in a certain direction.
• Why polypharmacy is a problem:
• Increases side effects, drug–drug interactions, and emergency room visits.
• Contributes to cognitive decline, gut problems, and overall worse health.
• Often leads to the “prescribing cascade”:
  • Drug A causes side effects → a new drug is added for those side effects → more side effects → more drugs, and so on.

• How Dr. Curt Dearing uses green pharmacy to reduce polypharmacy:

• Curt creates a comprehensive list of all medications and supplements.
• Asks: “Why was this started?” and “Is it still needed?”
• Looks for:
  • Drugs with no clear current indication.
  • Drugs where a natural option can give similar or better benefit with fewer risks.
  • Drugs that can be safely tapered or sometimes stopped outright (always in coordination with the prescriber).
• Identifies which meds are likely causing the most harm or least benefit.
• Some drugs require slow, structured tapering (e.g., sleep meds, acid blockers).
• Others may be candidates for direct discontinuation after medical agreement.

• Replacing or supporting with natural alternatives ( please note this is not medical advice, this is a discussion of personal examples in collaboration with medical oversight)

• Cholesterol:
  • Instead of (or in place of some) statin use, Curt uses berberine and bergamot (Berbercol).
  • In Ed’s brother’s case, his cholesterol numbers improved on green-pharmacy options, matching or exceeding statin outcomes without the same side‑effect burden.
• Pain & inflammation:
  • Uses curcumin (for most people), and Boswellia when curcumin isn’t enough.
• Gut/acid issues:
  • Long-term proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use (e.g., omeprazole, lansoprazole) is flagged as harmful to gut microbiome and nutrient absorption.
  • Curt builds step-down plans (tapering PPIs) while supporting the gut with natural measures instead of leaving people on a PPI for 30 years.

• Focus on side benefits, not side effects. Green pharmacy interventions are chosen because they:

• Address root causes (e.g., metabolic health, inflammation, gut integrity).
• Often have multiple positive effects (e.g., berberine helping blood sugar and lipids; curcumin helping joints and systemic inflammation).

• The aim is fewer total drugs, fewer side effects, better overall function.
• Clients are encouraged to work with their doctor, so deprescribing is:
  • Planned,
  • Monitored, and
  • Integrated with their existing care.

• Curt and Ed both acknowledge there are situations where “rescue medicine” is necessary:

• Severe pain where an opioid is appropriate.
• Acute crises where drugs are needed as a bandage.
• The green pharmacy view: Use those drugs as short‑term tools,
• Then remove or reduce them once the immediate crisis passes,
• While implementing natural strategies to decrease the need for long‑term prescriptions.

[0:56:26] Final Segment

•  At‑home HPV testing for cervical cancer

• Ed explains HPV is a major driver of cervical cancer
• Historically, women had to schedule an in‑office visit for cervical screening, which creates barriers (cost, fear, time, discomfort, lack of insurance).
• He notes there is now an option for at‑home HPV testing for cervical screening.
• Intended to increase access for women who aren’t getting regular screening.
• Ed strongly approves of this as a valuable preventive tool and encourages women who haven’t been tested to consider it.

• Ed cites new data showing:
  • Microplastics are found in 100% of human stool samples tested in one study.
  • Higher levels of microplastics are now being linked to gallstones.
• Broader concerns:
  • Everyday plastic exposure (especially with food and drink) means these particles can:
    • Interact with cells,
    • Drive inflammation,
    • Contribute to premature cellular aging and reduced energy.
• Practical countermeasures he recommends:
  • Avoid heating food in plastic or placing hot food into plastic containers/wrap (e.g., Saran wrap, plastic take‑out containers).
  • Filter drinking water to remove microplastics (he’s trialing the AquaTru system at home, which he says removes 100% of microplastics and much of the fluoride).
  • Improve indoor air quality to reduce airborne microplastic exposure.

• Ed highlights a serious, long‑term job opening at Nutrition World:
  • Not a summer or short‑term job.
  • Best for someone philosophically aligned with healthy eating and the “green pharmacy” approach.
• Interested candidates should:
  • Go into the store and speak with Scott, Elisha, or Matt and complete an application.

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