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Back Cover Story: Wholistic ReLeaf:

Empowering Families and Patients to

Choose the Best Treatment Approach

Continued from Back Page lies. And patients with chronic pain have
herbs and other supplements to success- been able to get off of highly addictive
fully treat his patients. Early in his career, opioid prescriptions. The list goes on and
he began creating individual dosing pro- on.”
tocols for herbs and other supplements Wholistic ReLeaf is dedicated to help-
based on the patient’s age and medical ing patients achieve optimal health and
condition. When medical cannabis happiness through a caring, knowledge-
became legal in the State of Florida, for able approach to medical cannabis edu-
Dr. Berger it was just another herb with cation and treatment. They empower
medicinal properties. It was second families and patients to choose the best
nature for him to determine the best dos- treatment approach for the patient’s med-
ing strategies and educate patients on ical condition; and, are devoted solely to
safely introducing CBD and THC. the evaluation, certification, and treat-
“I have long believed in the medicinal ment of qualified patients who meet the
properties of cannabis. In fact, my inter- State of Florida legal requirements for
est dates back to the first paper I wrote in receiving medical cannabis.
college," he recalls. “When the Florida In late September, Wholistic ReLeaf
law passed in 2016 that allowed full med- will open a newly renovated suite within
ical cannabis to be used, I was one of the Wholistic Pediatrics & Family Care that
first physicians to become certified in the is dedicated solely to providing compre-
Tampa Bay Area. I am also told that I was hensive care for cannabis patients.
the first pediatrician to be certified in the Under Wholistic ReLeaf’s new educa-
State of Florida.” tion-centered model, in addition to being
When Dr. Berger reflects on the num- evaluated by the certifying physician,
ber of patients medical cannabis has each patient meets one-on-one with the
helped over the past few years, he is clinic’s Patient Educator. During the edu-
amazed at how many different medical cation session, patients learn about
conditions can be improved using this routes of administration and dosing
versatile herb. strategies based on the physician’s rec-
“I have patients who suffered from ommendations, are shown samples of
severe, long-term seizure disorders who various products offered by the dispen-
are now seizure free and no longer need saries, and review in detail all the steps
seizure medications. I have patients who required by the State to be certified and
successfully weaned off antidepressants remain in compliance with ever-chang-
and anxiety medications,” he says. ing state laws. The Patient Educator is
"Teens with autism who seemed destined also available when questions arise
to need placement in residential facilities between certification appointments,
because of violent behaviors, are now Continued on following page
able to safely stay home with their fami-

40 September 2019 cannabisnewsflorida.com Cannabis News Florida