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Back Cover Story: Cannabis Spotlight

Continued from back cover
after. We are one of the largest and most ally thousands of medical cannabis
advocative practices in the state and patients, I speak to the fantastic MEDICAL
believe that EDUCATION, PATIENT BENEFITS of the cannabis plant. It only
CARE, and CUSTOMER SERVICE are our takes a few hours in my clinic to witness
daily mission. I am proud to be active in what a huge difference the use of cannabis,
many aspects of the Medical Cannabis along with the EDUCATION on how best
world and currently serve as a member of to use it, can make to patients. This wide
the Florida Department of Agriculture and base of patient care experience has made
Consumer Affairs Medical Cannabis me an even more vocal proponent of
Advisory Committee. I am also involved as cannabis as medicine.
a leader in Florida’s Medical Cannabis
Physicians Group. We are actively Are you personally a MJ
involved with the OMMU, and our card holder?
Legislative leaders as we move forward Yes, of course. It’s important to know
with needed improvements to the pro- that physicians in Florida can have their
gram. card as long as there is no evidence of
impairment or risk to patients. I have
How can people in Florida many other doctors in my practice, as well
benefit from the company you as many nurses, paramedics and other
represent? healthcare professionals. They are often at
The benefits come from working with a risk of their positions of employment.
Medical Cannabis practice that EDU- EVERYONE should have licensure and job
CATES you on the BEST use of cannabis. protections, and it’s my pledge to stay on
Once again, the hashtag is that soapbox until it happens here in
#RespectThePatient, #RespectThePlant. If Florida. It won't be easy, but it can happen
your medical card visit doesn’t contain if we keep the pressure on over the next
education about ALL the cannabinoids, few years. Medical cannabis needs to be
the ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM, and treated exactly like every other medicine,
ALL the different routes of administration, with due respect to the patient that has
then it’s just about getting your dollars. taken the time and effort to get their card.
Patients need to demand better of their
cannabis practice. We are proud of what Do you see Florida moving
we do and how we do it. forward with recreational
Marijuana/cannabis and how
How did you get started within will that affect your business?
the cannabis industry? Legal Adult-Use will come to Florida;
My 34 years as an Emergency Medicine when exactly is difficult to predict. The
provider in busy Ohio ERs taught me only thing that is certain is that it will be
many things. One of the most obvious was heavily taxed. I am often asked about the
what was destroying the lives of American viability of my practice when “pot goes
citizens was NEVER cannabis! The disas- legal.” I respond with confidence that
ter of excess alcohol use (acute and chron- because of the EDUCATIONAL model of
ic), along with the increased abuse of opi- my clinic, we will thrive. There are many
ates and benzodiazepines had resulted in patients who have thought of using
countless lives impaired and lost through- cannabis as medicine but because of the
out my career. ILLEGALITY of it, would never take that
Never once did I have to intubate a step. Free of that fear, many will desire the
cannabis overdose, no one ever will. I also KNOWLEDGE of how to use it
knew that I had never cared for a domestic best and will come for that expert
couple who had “beaten up their partner” advice. Keeping MEDICAL cannabis TAX
after smoking a joint together. FREE, the in-hospital and nursing home
Additionally, the CHRONIC effects of alco- use of cannabis, JOB PROTECTIONS for
hol and tobacco are seen in EVERY hospi- cardholders and other concerns we fight
tal ER daily! SUBSTANCES ARE NOT for will maintain the importance of hold-
CREATED EQUAL! Thus, I started this ing a medical card. There may also be
part of my career in medicine as a social products available to only medical card-
warrior, so to speak; the truth needed to be holders, not Adult Use purchasers. We will
told. However, since I have now seen liter- be busy, that I know!

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42 February 2022 cannabisnewsflorida.com Cannabis News Florida