Page 28 - South Florida Hospital News July 2021

Back Cover: CANNABIS SPOTLIGHT: Dr. Sasha Noe

Continued from page 32
thankful that I no longer have to have an established relationship with a patient for 90
tions of cannabis and minimizing the use opioids and other more harmful pharmaceuti- days prior to being able to certify them and it was also sad to see how many patients
cals to improve overall health and wellness. That’s the 40,000-foot view. The journey to missed out or had increased suffering due to delayed access to the treatment while these
be involved in the various parts of this industry is motivated by that philosophy. When laws were evolving. I am happy that certifications now take a fraction of the time and
it comes to impacting the lives of patients, I knew I had to be a recommending medical patients can have easier access. When it comes to my motivation in this part of the indus-
cannabis physician. This opportunity to provide access to an alternative medical treat- try, I will fight for patient access at every turn. Having the privilege to be a part of a team
ment was a no brainer for me given my experience in the field and I’m grateful I can help that works together to make legislative changes that improves patient access has been
patients in this way through my practice in Apollo Beach at my clinic, Compassionate wonderful. What has been frustrating is the constant fight with the Florida legislature as
Medical Cannabis Care (www.CMCCareFL.com). Given my doctoral research back- they persist in interfering with the doctor patient relationship with THC caps and deny-
ground in cannabinoids and the fact that most physicians continue to need a baseline ing patient rights at every turn, be it regarding telemedicine, employment protections,
education and resources to continually expand their knowledge base of how they can reciprocity, and expanding access for more qualifying medical conditions, just to name a
help patients with medical cannabis, I was compelled to bring various modalities of edu- few.
cation through my conference for physicians (MediCannaposium®) and a one-of-a-kind
6-week course for physicians (MediCanna® Academy) that teaches physicians every- What is your specialty relating to treating patients with cannabis?
thing they need to know about how to start a medical cannabis recommending practice
and successfully navigate medical cannabis recommendations for their patients. I also As a board-certified Family Medicine physician my patients span all ages, and my focus
have the privilege of teaching thousands of physicians each year through many regional, is on preventative health and chronic disease management. The vast majority of my
national and international speaking engagements and through my best-selling book patients are adults who have multiple chronic medical conditions, and a significant por-
titled Cannabis and The Immune System. The impact to the medical cannabis industry tion of these adults are in the geriatric population. Having a PhD specifically in cannabi-
through my business and consultation services (www.DrSashaNoe.com) with cannabis noid research for decades also brings a very unique expertise and perspective to each
entities and organizations, is also a privilege as industries seek out expert partners who patient who presents to my office. When a physician with this level of research experi-
currently are and who remain ahead of the curve. My unique experience which combines ence encounters a patient, that patient gets a very customized assessment of their poten-
research and medicine is invaluable to many as those of us in this industry create and tial risks, benefits, treatment options and guidance in medical cannabis treatment. I am
execute our vision of the future of cannabis. It's a thrill to be a part of such exciting times able to offer patients a complete understanding of the breadth of cannabinoid research
and to have my life’s work matter in such a significant way. I think everyone hopes and and the physiologic mechanisms associated with various medical illnesses in order to
dreams for their life's work to have an impact on others and I feel like I am living out that effectively treat their symptoms.
dream!
How did you get started within the cannabis industry?
When did you start your practice in the cannabis space?
With regard to my time as a physician and an entrepreneur, I decided to truly embrace
My experience in the cannabis space started during my graduate school days in 1994 my expertise, ignore the naysayer colleagues of mine who continue to fight against the
when I made the decision to focus my PhD dissertation work on molecular and cellular facts and resist any notion of cannabis as medicine, and just keep helping patients, inter-
cannabinoid immunology. This was in the very early stages of the discoveries in the field ested physicians and industry entities the way I know how. As physicians we all recog-
of cannabis and cannabinoids. Anandamide (the first endocannabinoid discovered) and nize the need for and importance of evidence-based medicine, yet we also operate in a
the first 2 cannabinoid receptors were discovered and the genetic sequence for both space where we need to sometimes think out of the box. Thinking out of the box for
receptors became available at that time. I decided to focus my efforts in this area because cannabis is not so farfetched given the decades of research we have at our fingertips, yet
there was still so much to learn and discover. Now over 2 decades later, the research and we find ourselves working backwards in cannabinoid medicine and that is uncomfort-
advances in the cannabinoid field have skyrocketed. When I became a physician, it was able for some physicians. What I mean is that we have seen benefits from medical
a natural transition to bring that knowledge to my patients. Unfortunately, it took Florida cannabis for thousands of years and now we are working backwards to elucidate the
a while to take a seat at the table as a state that allowed medical cannabis. However, once mechanisms and pathways through which these effects are occurring, all the while, con-
medical cannabis finally made it in Florida, I was able to truly bring my knowledge from tinuing to expand our knowledge into new territories in medicine. In the last 30 years,
the bench to the bedside. I remember initially when Florida physicians could start rec- there is so much we have learned to help give patients an alternative and often superior
ommending low-THC CBD to a very limited population of patients. Those were interest- option. So, I am embracing this very specialized niche while spending my time trying to
ing times. The ease of ability to recommend to patients improved over time and as the find ways to help patients, physicians and the industry from a one-to-one standpoint in
legal landscape evolved, I was able to expand the access to patients. While it can be frus- my office to a one-to-many approach through my books, speaking engagements, confer-
trating to experience those changes with the medical marijuana use registry in Florida, ences, business coaching and consulting, television and social media outlets
over the years the overall process for certifying patients has become more efficient. I am (@DrSashaNoe). As a result, I created the entities mentioned above to get started and
have an impact in the cannabis industry and I have had the honor of continuing to par-
ticipate in fostering awareness and education about medical cannabis while helping to
advance the field of cannabis with cutting edge research, education and advocacy.

Do you see Florida moving forward with recreational
Marijuana/cannabis and how will that affect your business?

Yes, I certainly see Florida moving forward with recreational cannabis and I expect to
see a period of time where there could be a drop in medical cannabis recommending
practice revenues as patients take their health into their own hands and self-medicate
with cannabis. However, after a while, individuals may find that their attempts at self-
medication will not be effective, and they will seek out help from their physicians. The
onus will be on the physicians to be educated enough to help their patients. States with
recreational cannabis do see some drop in medical cannabis patients yet there are states
where cannabis has been accessible for years recreationally and my physician colleagues
who recommend cannabis in those states have a waiting list of patients to see and advise
on medical cannabis use. Medicine is complicated and understanding human physiology
and the complexities of a plethora of medical disorders and the factors that affects each
individual is mission critical to safely using this or any other medical treatment. So, while
there may be some decline in the volume of patients seeking professional guidance from
a physician, there will always be a need for a physician to direct appropriate, effective,
safe medical care to discerning patients who recognize that there is no ‘one size fits all’
option when it comes to medicine.

28 July 2021 cannabisnewsflorida.com Cannabis News Florida