What benefits do you see for patients throughout Florida within this space?
The benefits I see for patients in the Cannabis space in Florida are definitely the myriad of strain specific, ratio specific and individual need specific (such as patches, topicals, tinctures, vaporation, smokable flower, inhalers, lozenges, suppositories and more) products that many of the MMTCs provide in Florida. Also the continued educational resources that Florida MMTCs provide are very helpful to patients. It’s all about safe legal educated access to medical Cannabis in the state of Florida!
What motivates you to be a part of the Cannabis industry?
Since the beginning of 2017 when I started working at the Compassionate Cannabis Clinic with my husband, Dr. Barry Gordon, I’ve been motivated by the continued health benefits and physical improvements of our patients and patients across the state. It’s absolutely amazing to see the transformation of a “green” patient that realizes the health benefits of Cannabis through personal use and become activists in their own rights.
How can people in Florida benefit from the company you represent?
In Florida at this time it’s all about safe legal access to quality, state tested, regulated medical Cannabis! At the Compassionate Cannabis Clinic in both Venice and Fort Myers, we have established a model of education, advocacy and service that we are proud to display with our “open door policy” to press and politicians. Many doctors have come to our clinic to witness what we do and how we do it. This spreads the educational message throughout the state which benefits all patients. If you have been to any of the various educational venues, rallies or grand openings, I’m sure that you have bumped into me. There’s still a lot of work to be done. Issues such as job protection, state to state reciprocity and home grow will not be rights easily obtainable. Patient access at nursing homes, school environments and hospitals, and added qualifying conditions are also a huge battle to be fought.
How did you get started within the Cannabis industry?
It’s easy for me because I’ve been around Cannabis almost my entire life and recognized it as the most socially non destructive substance long ago. I’ve seen alcohol and drugs destroy people’s lives. With the younger generation suffering much worse than mine! I have seen the elderly increasingly overmedicating through doctors orders. And it was time to make the proper statement about Cannabis as a substance that could be used and not abused.
What field are you in within the Cannabis space?
I am a Cannabis educator. Since inception of the Florida Cannabis program, I have tried to provide all patients in the state of Florida with information on medical Cannabis products available to them as there were no resources at that time. I started what was called Powwow with Patty, a once a week on YouTube and Facebook with all the changes in the medical Cannabis space. Then I started a website called thepattypage.com which provided patients a plethora of information on the medical Cannabis products in the state of Florida at the touch of a button. Because the MMTCs in Florida stepped it up with marketing teams and provide more information for patients, the need of the page and powwow was diminished. I take joy in my continued mission of providing “product expertise and updates” to the CCC staff of educators, my husband and other medical Cannabis providers and patients. I also look forward to continued non Cannabis doctor office visits to both thank our referral friends and to spread the benefits of medical Cannabis to those still unaware or even skeptical. Just call me the “pied piper” of Medical Cannabis!
Are you personally a MJ card holder?
I am a medical Cannabis patient since May, 2017 which makes me more proficient at my job. There is a benefit to being able to try different routes of administration to provide more accurate information to patients. Not only that, but medicinally it’s the only medicine I take. I found it to be “my medicine” many years ago which also helps assist in advising patients.
Do you see Florida moving forward with recreational Marijuana/Cannabis and how will that affect your business?
I do see the legalization of Cannabis in the state of Florida but not for a while. There is already a supply and demand issue. The one thing that concerns me the most is to make sure that the medical Cannabis patients will have supply before the sale of recreational. I’m sure the MMTCs will make more money off recreational but we are the ones that started this program and need to be made sure that we have our medicine.
The Compassionate Cannabis Clinic and staff are not worried as we provide more than just your license. We pride ourselves on education and there will always be a need for that!
