Sun Valley Certification Clinic has turned the once grueling process of getting a medical marijuana card into a clinical and professional experience. 

“Our facilities operate, look and smell like a family doctor’s office, with a team of physicians and medical staff onsite at each of our locations five to six days a week,” notes Dustin Klein Co-Founder of Sun Valley Certification Clinic.
 
“We work with an electronic medical record system that handles all data, including patient information, reminders for follow ups, referral program tracking, and communication channels that are paperless and HIPAA compliant,” he says.
 
Sun Valley aims to provide cannabis patients the nation’s finest certification experience, with a strong emphasis on professionalism and exceptional medical care. Focused on quality versus quantity, Klein says that they reject the status quo culture of seedy, transactional clinics, and instead, ensures that each patient feels cared for and safe.
 
“We are strictly devoted to the needs of cannabis patients and nationwide, across all of our clinics, we waive our charge to certify minors with life-threatening illnesses,” he says.
 
Founding Behind the Clinic
Klein started the clinic, along with his wife, Andrea. The Kleins have a long history witnessing and advocating the benefits of medical cannabis. Living with psoriatic arthritis and attending college in Colorado, Dustin got his medical card in 2005 and has experienced the certification process 13 times over the last decade to stay legal.
 
After moving to Arizona, they were outraged to see that there was little clinical process to getting a card: most clinics were lacking professionalism, organization, and focus on patient care. This fire was stoked by the loss of his mother and father within eighteen months of each other to pancreatic cancer and ALS, two diseases with numerous clinical trials that have demonstrated the benefits of cannabis. Unfortunately, his parents (both federal employees) never consented to try it. Wanting to help patients like his parents, and with his wife’s 15-year career experience in managing medical practices, in 2013 they built their first clinic with the money they saved for their honeymoon. 
 
In three short years, the Kleins have grown their practice in Arizona to five locations (serving over 20% of all Arizona medical marijuana patients) launched a clinic in Nevada, serve California patients online, and opened Sun Valley in Fort Lauderdale. Sun Valley will shortly be providing online certifications for New York residents as well. In addition, the company has recently launched the first and only legitimate franchise model in the ancillary cannabis industry.
 
Obtaining a Medical Marijuana Card
Sun Valley provides professional, compassionate, and private evaluations for patients seeking to legally obtain a Florida Medical Marijuana Card. All of its physicians are licensed and in good standing with their Medical Boards.
 
“Medical Cannabis is not only a medical issue, but a legal one as well,” says Dustin Klein. “We follow medical board guidelines and Florida law so that your approval is legal, ethical and defensible in court.”
 
These are the medical conditions that qualify for a medical cannabis card:
• Cancer
• Epilepsy
• Glaucoma
• HIV/AIDS
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• Crohn’s disease
• Parkinson’s disease
• Multiple sclerosis
• Conditions of the same kind or class, or comparable in pain and chronicity as the previous conditions
• A terminal condition in which a doctor has diagnosed to cause significant impairment and is irreversible, is not considered treatable, and will result in death within 1 year after diagnosis.
 
The process of obtaining your card takes 5 easy steps:
 
Step 1: Contact Sun Valley
Call them at 954-900-9788, send an email, or walk-in and start the evaluation process. They will answer any questions you have and describe the evaluation process. They will also explain the need for medical records documenting your qualifying condition and will obtain the records for you after you sign a medical release form.
 
Step 2: Schedule Appointment
Once they have reviewed your medical records, they will schedule your evaluation appointment. Same day appointments are available for patients with qualifying records in their possession.
 
Step 3: Meet The Doctor
When you come in for your appointment, a medical assistant will take your vitals and then introduce you to the doctor. He will review your records, perform an exam, discuss your condition and history, describe the proper use of medical marijuana and answer any questions you have. If you have a qualifying condition, the doctor will enter an order for your cannabis medication and will explain your dosage and consumption options.
 
Step 4: Same Day Submission
Immediately after your appointment, they will take your picture for your card, scan a copy of your Florida State ID, and assist you in uploading your application to Florida’s Medical Marijuana Program. A check should accompany your visit for the State’s fee. But they will address it for you and assist you in mailing it to the state—envelope included.
 
Step 5: Get Your Card
Upon approval of your submitted application, the State will email you your MMJ card ID number. This will allow you to purchase and possess cannabis until your patient card arrives to you in the mail.
 
“As a patient of Sun Valley and to continue your participation in the Florida MMJ program, you will be required to return for an initial follow up within 70 days of your first order, unless otherwise indicated by your ordering physician,” says Klein. “The State requires that you be re-examined by your physician at maximum every 30 weeks. Failure to meet with the doctor by your 30-week mark will result in termination from the state’s MMJ program.”
 
Klein adds that Sun Valley cares deeply about its patients and community.
 
“We are advocates for our patients and continually evolve our services and political activities with the goal of providing better service and protection to our patients,” he says. “We are experts in our field and it is very rewarding to witness the power of cannabis as medicine in the lives of our patients. We urge patients to call with their questions – it is our mission to educate patients on their options.”


While Canada’s medical marijuana industry is leading the global movement, marijuana producers in the country have their sights set on the United States market.

 
Although the U.S. marijuana market is attractive, Canadian firms levered to this market came under pressure after the TMX Group said it may prevent companies from making investments in a country where cannabis is illegal at the federal level.
 
Now, these firms have reason to rejoice after the TMX Group reported that there would not be a ban on the clearing of securities of issuers with marijuana-related activities in the U.S.
 
Aphria: The Greatest Beneficiary of this News?
Canadian medical marijuana producer Aphria Inc. (APH.TO) (APHQF) is probably the best example of an international firm looking to take advantage of the booming cannabis market in the United States.
 
From Arizona to Colorado, from cultivation to technology, Aphria is levered to some of the most attractive cannabis markets in North America.
 
Aphria first invested in the United States through an intellectual property (IP) transfer agreement with Arizona-based Copperstate Farms, LLC. The company purchased a 40-acre greenhouse facility and is one of the largest medical cannabis facilities in Arizona.
 
Doubles Down on Its Arizona Investment
Earlier this year, Aphria’s subsidiary invested an additional $3 million that will help advance its capital expenditure program related to extractions, lighting and power generation. In return, Aphria’s ownership increased to 18.5% from 10%.
 
Copperstate owns approx. 1.7 million square feet of greenhouses on its 40-acre property in Snowflake, Arizona. The company plans to start producing medical cannabis on approx. 348,000 square feet in the fall. Copperstate estimates that its expanded operations can produce approx. 18,000 kgs every year.
 
Copperstate has received a special use permit for cannabis production in its entire facility and the Arizona Department of Health Services previously approved Copperstate’s initial operations located in 6,000 square feet. They will need to approve the expanded cultivation prior to operating the expanded facility.
 
Launches United States Expansion Strategy and Enters Florida
In April, Aphria announced the launch of its United States expansion strategy through a lead investment in Liberty Health Sciences which will operate under Aphria USA.
 
Under the agreement, Aphria will invest $25 million into DFMMJ Investment Ltd., a special purpose private company, to acquire the assets of Chestnut Hill Tree Farm. These assets will then be placed into a subsidiary of SecureCom Mobile Inc., (SCE.CN) (SCQBF) as part of a business combination.
 
The initial $25 million investment will acquire the assets of Chesnut Hill Tree Farm LLC, a licensed holder in Florida authorized to dispense low THC medical cannabis to patients. Once the transaction is complete, Aphria will own approximately 37.6% of the issued and outstanding common shares of Liberty.
 
As part of the transaction and upon completion of the business combination, Aphria has agreed to license its brand to Liberty for a perpetual 3% royalty on all cannabis and related product sales. In addition, Aphria is also licensing its intellectual property of its greenhouse growing capabilities.
 
While Aphria’s initial investment relates to Florida, the goal of the expansion strategy is to target states that have approved medical cannabis and entities that meet specific investment criteria.
 
Outlook is Bright
Although Aphria has been under considerable pressure, it is not unique to the company and its peers have been facing a very similar situation. We are favorable on the opportunity Aphria has to capitalize on the North American cannabis industry and believe this is a stock that needs to be watched.
 
While we have concerns regarding Aphria’s greenhouse production method, the Sun Belt tends to be much warmer and have much more sun than the rest of Canada. Going forward, we would like to see the company expand its presence and not be levered to one production facility.
 
That being said, we believe the valuation is attractive after the recent decline and continue to see upside to current levels. Aphria is led by a management team that continues to execute and we will keep an eye on how this continues going forward.


In my last article, Medical Marijuana in the Hospital Setting: Are You Ready, I discussed topics that should be considered when drafting a medical marijuana compliance policy for the institutional setting. Subsequent to the publication of my last article, the legislature, with the approval of Governor Rick Scott, passed Florida Senate Bill 8A (the “Bill”). These changes, some of which I discuss below, should be addressed in the hospital’s medical marijuana compliance policy.

The following topics addressed in my prior article have been effected by the recent legislation:
 
1. Will the hospital permit the use of medical marijuana within the hospital and if so, what type of delivery mechanisms will be permitted?
Perhaps one of the most criticized provisions of the new medical marijuana legislation is its prohibition against smokeable marijuana.1 In fact, just days after the Bill was signed into law, litigation was brought against the State attacking the constitutionality of the anti-smoking provision.2 For the time being, and unless the plaintiffs’ constitutional arguments are successful in court, hospitals that permit inpatient medical marijuana use may only allow such use in vapor or edible form. This restriction should be incorporated into the hospital’s medical marijuana compliance policy.
 
2. Will the hospital permit practitioners to register as caregivers to assist patients with the administration of medical marijuana or will only self-administration of medical marijuana be permitted?
Under the new law, transfer of medical marijuana may only be made to a qualified patient or his or her registered caregiver. A caregiver is defined as “a resident of this state who has agreed to assist with a qualified patient’s medical use of marijuana, has a caregiver identification card, and meets the requirements of subsection (6).”3 Amongst other requirements, a registered caregiver may only assist one designated qualified patient with the use of medical marijuana.4 As a result, the hospital should not likely allow its practitioners to assist qualified patients with medical marijuana use. Rather, the hospital should adopt a policy that requires self-administration. If the patient is physically unable to independently administer medical marijuana, they must have a registered caregiver, who can prove his or her status as a registered caregiver with a marijuana use registry identification card. A copy of this identification card should likely be placed in the patient’s medical records.
 
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the new legislation provides an exception to the above limitation for hospice programs. A registered caregiver may assist all qualified patients in a hospice program so long as such caregiver provides direct personal care or other services to the qualified patients within the scope of his or her employment. A caregiver may not, however, receive compensation other than actual expenses incurred, related to providing medical marijuana use assistance. Therefore, hospice institutions or facilities with a hospice program may adopt a policy that permits hospice practitioners to become registered caregivers to assist with medical marijuana administration for each qualified hospice patient under their direct care. However, such practitioner may not receive compensation above his or her salary for becoming a registered caregiver for any qualified patient.
 
3. Will the hospital permit its physicians to certify medical marijuana or refill a medical marijuana order for the patient while he or she is under the hospital physician’s care?
Prior to the new law, a certifying physician could not order medical marijuana for a patient until a 90-day waiting period was complete. This barrier to care was addressed by the new legislation, which eliminates the waiting period all together. Additionally, the new law permits the certifying physician to prescribe a 70-day supply and requires the patient be recertified every 30 weeks. This is a significant change from the prior law, which permitted only a 45-day supply and required recertification once every 90 days. Hospitals that permit its physicians to certify medical marijuana, should include these guidelines in its compliance policy.
 
Moreover, if the hospital allows its employees to become certifying physicians, the policy should specify that the physician may only certify the use of medical marijuana after conducting an in-person examination of the patient: telemedicine is not an appropriate alternative to a face-to-face consultation. Additionally, prior to ordering medical marijuana for a patient, the certifying physician must ensure the patient is not listed in Florida’s prescription drug monitoring program database.5
 
The Florida Department of Health has yet to promulgate regulations for Florida’s new medical marijuana program. These regulations will hopefully provide additional guidance to hospital decision-makers as they start to develop medical marijuana compliance policies. However, hospitals should not wait until the regulations are promulgated. Instead, they should start to establish a diversified workgroup to discuss current and prospective issues that relate to the increased use of medical marijuana in the hospital setting and develop policies that are operational and acceptable to the hospital’s patients and its stakeholders.


Brightfield Group, a premiere market research firm focused on the legal cannabis industry, in partnership with HelloMD, the leading digital healthcare platform for cannabis, today announced the results of a comprehensive study on CBD usage. The study surveyed 2,400 of HelloMD’s 150,000 community members on their usage, knowledge, perceptions, and misconceptions of CBD, making it the largest study of its kind. Overall, the study found that consumers of CBD are very satisfied with its effectiveness for treating a variety of medical conditions including insomnia, depression, anxiety, and joint pain.

CBD, or Cannabidiol, is one of two primary cannabinoids found in marijuana. Unlike THC, the primary psychoactive cannabinoid in marijuana, CBD is non-psychoactive, non-habit forming, and can be extracted from Hemp as well as marijuana. CBD is known to have anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety, anti-psychotic, and anti-convulsant properties.

“We are seeing an exponential rise in the interest of CBD products from our patient community—particularly among women,” said Dr. Perry Solomon, Chief Medical Officer of HelloMD. “While we still have much to learn about CBD, we cannot ignore this one fact; the majority of those using CBD product today receive great benefit. This has the potential for far-reaching consequences.”
Key findings from the study include:
•CBD is most commonly used to treat insomnia, depression, anxiety, and joint pain
•42 percent of CBD users stopped using traditional medications and now use cannabis instead
•80 percent of CBD users found CBD be very or extremely effective for treatment
•90 percent of those surveyed said they would buy CBD-only products derived from marijuana
“This study is exciting because it shows there is potentially a huge barely-tapped market for CBD products that could improve the lives of many people. With further research and public education, CBD could be an effective alternative treatment for many people, particularly at a time when our nation is in the midst of an opioid crisis,” said Bethany Gomez, Director of Research for Brightfield Group.
For a free, comprehensive version of the report, please visit http://www.brightfieldgroup.com/understanding-cbd-report-pdf.
About Brightfield Group
Brightfield Group is a full service market research firm focused on the legal cannabis industry. Our products provide insights into the cannabis market, companies and consumers to inform our clients’ strategic business needs. Our multi source methodology and wide range of product tools gives us a unique, 360° view of the cannabis industry. Brightfield Group is comprised of a team of experts across the country with years of experience analyzing opaque markets and hard to reach consumers. For more information, please visit www.brightfieldgroup.com.
About HelloMD
HelloMD is one of the nation’s largest online community of medical cannabis patients, experts, brands and trusted retailers, offering today’s cannabis patient a full turnkey experience. At HelloMD.com medical cannabis consumers can consult with a doctor via real-time video, obtain answers to questions from a network of doctors and experts, as well as research then buy cannabis products from within the HelloMD Marketplace.  For more information about HelloMD, or to join its growing member community, visit www.hellomd.com or follow us on Facebook (@HelloMDcompany) and Twitter (@HelloMD_com).
 


The legal cannabis industry represents a great and profitable opportunity. Unfortunately, the lack of information available has made it difficult for investors to know what is of value and should be avoided.
 
Today, we have highlighted three Canadian-based publicly traded cannabis companies that also trade on the United States stock market. These companies are levered to a massive global growth trend and are positioned to capitalize over the coming years.
 
An Emerging Global Cannabis Leader
Aurora Cannabis Inc. (ACB.V) (ACBFF) has been making waves in the global marijuana industry and is an industry leader.
 
From Australia to Germany, this Canadian licensed producer has significantly increased its market share and is levered to new legal cannabis markets across the globe. On top of this, Aurora formed a strategic partnership and acquired a 19.9% position in Hempco Food and Fiber (HEMP.V: TSX Venture) – with an option to acquire 50.1%.
 
In June, Cann Group Limited (ASX: CAN) became the first Australian company to be licensed by the Office of Drug Control for commercial medical cannabis cultivation and production. Aurora acquired 19.9% of Cann Group and became the cornerstone investor ahead of its initial public offering (IPO). Cann Group expects to harvest its initial crop in early August.
 
In May, Aurora acquired Pedanios GmbH which has been importing, exporting, and distributing medical cannabis into and within the EU since December 2015. Earlier this month, Pedanios passed the first stage of the tender application process to become a licensed medical cannabis producer in Germany.
 
Aurora has one of the strongest balance sheets when compared to its peers and is levered to several emerging growth trends throughout the world. Aurora has more than 16,000 registered patients in Canada. We are favorable on the company’s leverage to other legal markets and see it as a company to watch.
 
Learn About the World’s Largest Licensed Medical Cannabis Producer
Canopy Growth (WEED.TO) (TWMJF) is by far the largest and most diverse licensed Canadian medical marijuana producer. The company is comprised of several wholly‑owned subsidiaries and has increased its reach by making investments and acquisitions of companies all over the globe.
 
Canopy Growth was the first publicly traded licensed Canadian medical marijuana producer and is levered to the emerging medical marijuana market in Germany. The company has a greater breadth of multi-site management than any other cannabis firm in the world. In addition to previously announced work in Brazil through its strategic partnership with Entourage Phytolab and its stake in Australia-based AusCann Group, Canopy has also entered the Chilean cannabis market.
 
The company has a very strong balance sheet and has penetrated new international markets. We expect to see Canopy further expand its presence across the globe and see continued growth for years to come.
 
With more than 58,000 Canadian customers on its online store, Canopy possesses some of the most attractive growth prospects and we expect the company to continue to be a leader for years to come.
 
A Cannabis and Technology Opportunity
Reliq Health Technologies (RHT: TSX Venture) (RHQTF: OTC) is a healthcare technology company that specializes in developing innovative, secure mobile software solutions for the multi-billion-dollar community healthcare market.
 
Reliq has several high profile pilots in progress with leading hospitals and healthcare networks in North America and Europe including Sacred Heart Health System in FL, the Feldman Institute in LA and the National Health Service England in the UK. The company also has a partnership with a licensed Canadian cannabis producer, Invictus MD Strategies (IMH.V) (IVITF: OTC) to capture high value data on strain, dose, mode of administration, symptom relief and side effects from medical marijuana users.
 
Reliq is generating revenue. The company has contracts in place with a 12,000 patient home care agency and a 36,000 patient Accountable Care Organization in Texas that are expected to generate over $10 million in recurring annual revenue in 2018.
 
Reliq Health is led by a strong management team with a proven track record of success before joining the company. Reliq’s CEO Lisa Crossley is an experienced healthcare IT executive and had previously served as the CEO of VitalHub Corp. and Natrix Separations.
 
Reliq Health has a very small market capitalization and the potential monthly revenue from its pilot programs is incrementally larger than its market cap. For this reason, we believe Reliq is significantly undervalued and underappreciated by Wall Street.