Page 14 - May 2017

Dear Readers:

South Florida Hospital News & Healthcare Report welcomes you to CannabisNewsFlorida.com, a feature of our print
publication, website, and e-newsletters. Its purpose is to provide pertinent educational information from leading authorities
about medical and business developments in the medical cannabis industry. We also intend to provide both national
and international information which will affect the medical cannabis business in the State of Florida.

Medical Marijuana - Forms of Administration

On November 8, 2016, the Florida Medical Flowers
Marijuana Legalization initiative went into effect, Many patients choose to inhale
acknowledging medical cannabis as a treatment cannabis for its convenient dosage
option for qualifying patients, under the care of a method, which is why the flower is one
physician. Treatment plans should be specifically tai- of our bestselling products. Kief and
lored with the patient’s illness, lifestyle and health his- hashish, also known as hash, are two A few of the most popular products sold at
tory in mind, which may include administering less cannabis products that come from the Midwest Compassion, a licensed medical
traditional forms of cannabis. flower. Kief is a powder that is made
Our dispensary, Midwest Compassion Center, oper- from the resin glands of cannabis marijuana dispensary in Romeoville, IL.
ates in Illinois but we believe that our government’s plants. Once compressed, kief makes hash, which has a texture that’s like paste. Both
heavily regulated program is like that of Amendment Kief and hash can be inhaled. The convenience of inhaling cannabis cannot be dis-
2, and our practices and information can act as a counted, but by no means is it the primary benefit, which is its rapid relief. Smoking
framework for Florida’s similar rules and regulations. medical cannabis is a viable option for patients who suffer from chronic pain and need
BY RIA RANKINE A good understanding of how medical cannabis can simple, fast relief that cannot be found in some other forms of administering cannabis.
be administered, and when each form is commonly
used can better aid physicians in maximizing their Edibles
patient’s quality of life. Medical cannabis can be added to many food and drink recipes because of its secret-
The information presented is primarily for physicians who wish to incorporate ed chemical compound called cannabinoids. Heat is necessary in creating active THC
cannabis into their patient’s treatment plan, and is meant for educational purposes and CBD, both responsible for marijuana’s medical benefits and psychological effects.
only. Edibles are not as fast acting as smoking or vaping cannabis, but patients will experi-
ence stronger and longer lasting effects once ingested. For those who must take mul-
tiple pills a day, such as HIV/Aids patients, administering edible cannabis is a compas-
sionate form of treatment in lieu of more pills. Edibles do not have to come in cakes,
brownies or other foods that are attractive to children. It only needs to easily ingested
by the patient.

Tinctures
Patients and physicians can turn to another form of ingesting medical cannabis via
cannabis tinctures. Tinctures are cannabis liquids that are usually made by soaking the
dried flower of a female hemp plant in ethanol. The process turns the plant into a con-
centrated cannabis liquid, which is easy for patients to ingest. If HB 1397 goes into
effect, it will restrict some patients from using edible products. For these suffering
patients, tinctures can be a viable treatment option. Unlike edibles, cannabis tinctures
take effect quickly, ranging between 5-30 minutes. The fastest way patients can intro-
duce cannabis into their system is by holding a few drops under the tongue for one
minute before swallowing. Effects can last between 1-6 hours.
Topicals
The cannabis plant and its oil extracts can be used as topical treatments when added
to lotions, salves, balms and oils. Topicals must be infused with active cannabinoids
to be absorbed directly into the skin once applied to the affected area. This yields faster
and more concentrated relief. Topical cannabis is non-psychoactive. It’s never
absorbed into the blood stream, but instead, binds to the CB2 receptors near the skin.
Ailments that can be treated with topicals include allergic skin reactions, inflamma-
tion, muscle strains, post-herpetic neuralgia and swelling. It is recommended that
dose and coverage be very liberally when applying topicals onto the afflicted area
because human skin has a low absorption rate for cannabinoids.
Vapor Pens
The cannabis plant has several cannabinoids secreted inside of the glands. Two pri-
mary cannabinoids are THC and CBD. Once extracted from mature cannabis foliage,
THC and CBD is turned into an oil which patients can then vape. THC is responsible
for most of marijuana’s psychological effects, whereas CBD is non-psychoactive.
Patients who may benefit from vapor pens are those who need fast relief, such as a can-
cer patient enduring bouts of nausea from chemotherapy. CBD, while non-psychoac-
tive, can be therapeutic for patients who suffer from chronic pain, arthritis and panic
attacks.
Keep in mind that the rules and regulations of Amendment 2 are still being initiated,
and physicians may not be allowed to prescribe all the forms of medical cannabis. It
is strongly advised that caregivers and physicians stay up-to-date with Amendment 2,
as more restrictive rules may be enacted down the road.
Ria Rankine is the Director of Digital Education for Midwest Compassion Center. Her role
is to educate prospective patients and the general public about the medicinal benefits of
cannabis. For more educational material, visit www.midwestcompassion.org.

14 May 2017 southfloridahospitalnews.com South Florida Hospital News