Page 52 - SOUTH FLORIDA HOSPITAL NEWS MAY 2022

CANNABIS Trulieve Opening
Medical Marijuana
BUSINESS Dispensary
in Zephyrhills,
DIRECTORY Florida

page 45 page 46

May 2022

2019 Cannabis Business Award’s Publication of the Year

Trulieve Announces Exclusive

Partnership with DeLisioso

Cannabis in Florida

BY DANIEL CASCIATO

Trulieve launched an exclusive partnership in
Florida on April 20 with DeLisioso, a cannabis com-
pany specializing in high-end adult use and medical
cannabis products. Through the agreement, Trulieve
became the exclusive producer, processor and retailer
Deborah McCauley
of DeLisioso branded products throughout the state, Jackie Rothman
beginning with Flamingo Kush by DeLisioso pre- Live Suga
Cannabis rolls. Stress and
DeLisioso was founded by Richard DeLisi and his
Spotlight son Rick. Richard DeLisi is one of the longest-serving Anxiety
nonviolent cannabis prisoners in United States histo-
ry having served 32 years of a 90-year sentence.
Deborah McCauley, BSN “Richard gained back his freedom after being Disorders:
severely sentenced for a non-violent cannabis offense
NurseDebb, LLC with the help of the Last Prisoner Project,” says Valda Medical
Coryat, Trulieve's Chief Marketing Officer. “Now he
What benefits do you see for is using his products and his journey to fight for the
patients throughout Florida freedoms of those still incarcerated for unjust Marijuana
within this space? cannabis prosecutions. We partnered with DeLisioso
We have a legal medical cannabis pro- because we believe in Richard, we support his cause, Can Help
gram here in Florida and that should be
a benefit, but it is sadly cost prohibitive Continued on page 51 BY JACKIE ROTHMAN
for most. Those who could benefit from
cannabinoid therapeutics, plainly, can’t Florida Consortium for Medical Do you, or someone you know, suffer
afford it. From the rampant stigma to the from some type of stress or anxiety disor-
out-of-pocket costs, I would be hard der? Many people don’t handle stress and
pressed to call it a medical cannabis pro- Marijuana Clinical Outcomes anxiety well. Managing stress is essential
gram. We have to see a physician (who to a patient’s overall well-being. If left
may or may not know enough about the Research: A Beneficial Program untreated, patients may deal with
Endocannabinoid System or cannabis as increased anxiety, depression, and in
medicine) and when we go to get our severe cases, even heart disease. Stress and
actual medication, we have to buy it with BY DR. JEFF G. KONIN anxiety may not be a disease, but as a dis-
cash from non-medical professionals. order, patients need to manage levels to
Our dispensaries are retail stores run by As the landscape for marijuana in Florida is avoid further potential health problems.
some really awesome people, but they changing at warp speed, this is a good time to put a Using medical marijuana offers our
have no background or foundation in plug in for a program that only began in 2019. The patients a solution that also reduces the
medical education that enables them to Consortium focuses on conducting, sharing, and risk of substance abuse and self-medica-
safely guide patients in this area. I joke supporting research on the effects of medical mari- tion.
and call our program a legal cartel, but juana on health conditions and symptoms. Medical During the past 2 years, the effect of
how far off am I in reality? marijuana clinical outcomes research is accom- COVID has greatly increased the number
plished through 5 identified pillars:
What motivates you to be a 1. Grants program of patients who report suffering from stress
part of the cannabis Industry? 2. Medical Marijuana Clinical and anxiety disorders. Patients are having
difficulty coping with normal daily func-
I recognized a long time ago that our Outcomes Repository (MEMORY) tions and getting a good night’s sleep. At
healthcare system was broken, and I 3. Clinical Research Core DocMJ, we are proud to be able to provide
have been trying to see how I could help 4. Scientific Expert Group Dr. Jeff G. Konin recommendations to qualified patients so
make the most impact. Earth and 5. Outreach program they can receive the relief they need from
entheogenic medicines are tools much The Consortium is housed at the University of Florida and is comprised of 9 mem- their stress and anxiety disorders.
like traditional western medicines, just ber Universities: Over the past few years, there has been
misunderstood and misrepresented. It is *Florida Atlantic University an increasing amount of research specifi-
time we move on from the prohibitionist *Florida A & M University cally focused on how medical cannabis
thinking and fear-based healthcare. *Florida Gulf Coast University may be an excellent treatment for a variety
Profit over patient has been a long-used *Florida International University
of stress and anxiety disorders. In fact, a
Continued on page 49
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