Page 47 - SOUTH FLORIDA HOSPITAL NEWS MAY 2022

AROUND THE REGION
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Back Cover Story: Cannabis Spotlight

Continued from back cover legislation, advocacy, ethics, and policy forefront of this movement. We have the other patients who desires to utilize
slogan to describe our modern system in development. I am a seasoned registered connection to our communities and have cannabinoid therapeutics. Moving for-
the U.S. My motivation comes from nurse and public health advocate who the ability to bridge the gap between pro- ward, I would love to see home grow as
breaking free from those lies and finding actively lobbies for change on federal and fessional and patient. It is an exciting an option for the patients of Florida.
ways to return the autonomy of care to state levels surrounding earth and time to be a nurse during this revolution
the patient. I focus on all patients but entheogenic medicines. in healthcare. Do you see Florida moving
have a special place in my work for I am a passionate and driven advocate forward with recreational
Veterans and do collaborate with vet for earth and entheogenic medicines. Are you personally a MJ marijuana/cannabis and how
organizations in advancing access, reduc- The choice of treatment should be made card holder? will that affect your business?
ing costs, and removing barriers that pre- between the provider and patient. I stay I am a medical marijuana card holder I do see Florida eventually moving
vent our military members from using informed on relevant legislation, regula- here in the state of Florida. I am exercis- toward adult use. I do think this will take
these options in treatment. tion, and evidenced-based research sur- ing my right to choose what medicine some time as change is needed in our leg-
After having to retire from the bedside rounding these alternative modalities. works best for me. I was diagnosed with islature to secure those changes. Due to
after injury and burnout, I found my pas- left temporal lobe epilepsy while on the nature of my business, I am excited to
sion in legislative advocacy. I have been How did you get started within active duty, a diagnosis that subsequently be part of this reality. I am looking forward
working toward a law degree, Juris the cannabis industry? ended my military career. For years I was to the day when we no longer criminalize,
Master, with a focus in Healthcare I was reintroduced to cannabis in my on pharmaceuticals, and I was fortunate stigmatize, or continue to lie to the citizens
Regulation and am set to graduate later mid 30’s. Having been a D.A.R.E kid, I that they did their job and kept my of Florida about the benefits of using earth
this year. As a Change Agent, it is my steered clear of all taboo and illegal sub- epilepsy at bay. It wasn’t until I was seek- and entheogenic medicines. Much like the
intention to help guide the regulatory stances. To have the literal veil lifted after ing entrance into a Nurse Practitioner military, they are not for everyone, and
framework to better serve our communi- 30 years of propaganda made me furious! program that my eyes were really that decision should be made between the
ties and improve the overall health out- I could not believe the LIES we were sold opened. Where pharmaceuticals did provider and patient. Together they can
comes of our country. and how we had been manipulated into their job and kept me seizure free, I was decide whether or not these modalities are
adapting these false values. unaware of the cognitive complications a fit in their healthcare plan.
What field are you in within I was doing my undergrad at this time that arose from their use. I have taken
the cannabis space? and had access to all the professional pretty much all the different types of To contact Deborah McCauley, email
I am a disabled Veteran and Nurse with research databases, which I took full epileptic medications, the last being nursedeb@t3thys.com
a focus in Legislative Advocacy and advantage of. I was also fortunate enough Phenobarbital. With the permission of
Healthcare Regulation. It is my hope to to live in the Northern Virginia area for my neurologist, I tapered off my pills and
help change the legal landscape sur- over 20 years, with Washington D.C. sit- onto cannabis.
rounding cannabis and other earth med- ting in my “backyard.” I attended my Things were going great, I was doing
icines through advocacy, regulation, pol- first lobbying event with VaNorml in well in school, was a more attentive part-
icy, and education. Part of the nursing January of 2019 to support the “Let ner and mother, and I was losing weight!
job is to educate the public on how to Doctors Decide” legislation. This allowed It wasn’t until I decided to taper back
improve or maintain their health. While the provider and patient to decide if onto my meds in order to pass the drug
I do not provide direct patient education cannabinoid therapeutics was right for test for that NP graduate school program,
anymore, I do still educate. I have been them. We were successful in passing that I was interested in that things changed. I
advocating change from a top-down bill, but the takeaway for me was how my had restarted my meds without telling
approach and do my best to educate our visit changed the perspective of my local my husband, who at one point came to
legislators and those in positions of representative. He ended up voting yes to me and asked me what I changed, and
power about the science supporting the this legislation as a Republican. That was said I was acting “stupid.” It just so hap-
use of earth and entheogenic medicines. powerful to me and really called to me to pens that I was experiencing some seri-
Within the regulatory and legislative continue to do advocacy work. In a way, ous cognitive delays and was finding it
space, we have the opportunity to change you can say the bug bit me in Richmond. difficult to put things into eloquent
the laws that govern the health of our Since then, I have met and connected words. I had no idea that the medication
country for the better. with some amazing individuals. With I had been taking for years was causing
more than 25 years of healthcare experi- such a brain fog, among other issues. I
How can people in Florida ence, I found that my expertise was tapered back off the Phenobarbital for
benefit from the company sought after in the advocacy and legisla- the last time in 2018 and haven’t looked
you represent? tive space. I found my niche. As part of back since.
I created NurseDebb, LLC (a veteran the most trusted profession for 20 years I am transparent in my choice of med-
and woman owned business) to focus on running, nurses are poised to be at the ication and do my best to advocate for

Back Cover Story: Stress and Anxiety Disorders:

Medical Marijuana Can Help

Continued from back cover
large portion of our patients at DocMJ have achieved great success using medical cannabis to treat their stress and anxiety disorders,
allowing them to function in activities of daily living. This treatment success is supported by multiple studies. A recent study out of
Washington State University and published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, found that medical cannabis can significantly reduce
levels of anxiety, stress, and even depression.
Additionally, our patients at DocMJ have found that when they use medical marijuana to help relieve stress, they often experience a
variety of additional benefits such as pain relief, improved overall relaxation, and improved sleeping quality. Although medical mari-
juana is not a cure for a patient’s stress and anxiety, our patients report it absolutely does help with their overall stress levels.

Contact DocMJ by visiting our website at www.docmj.com or call us at 888-908-0143 and learn more about the benefits of medical marijuana
and how we can help get you a recommendation if you qualify.

Cannabis News Florida cannabisnewsflorida.com May 2022 47