MedReleaf, Canada’s premium licensed producer of medical cannabis, today announced the findings from a landmark study on the effectiveness of medical cannabis on military veterans diagnosed with PTSD. The study found treatment with medical cannabis improved aggregate patient reported outcomes by 50-60% with a 77% decrease in suicidal thoughts as well as a 50% reduction in the consumption of related medications.   

The study, being presented today in Vancouver at the 7th Annual Military and Veteran Health Research Forum, was conducted by Dr. Paul Smith, MD, using several of MedReleaf’s proprietary strains of medical cannabis including AviDekel, Luminarium and Midnight. 
From baseline to follow up, the study revealed a number of key insights on patient outcomes including: 
• Aggregate score of both PTSD symptoms and social impacts improved by 59% 
• Drug and alcohol overuse was reduced by 82% 
• Marital and relationship harmony improved 65% and 
• Severity of pain experienced by patients decreased 48%
Improvements in outcomes were also associated with a 50% reduction in the consumption of PTSD-related medications, including opioids. 36% of patients on PTSD related medications at baseline discontinued all such medications, for an estimated annual savings of $2,300 to $3,800 per patient. 
"The evidence is overwhelming that cannabis is dramatically improving the lives of veterans with PTSD," noted Neil Closner, CEO of MedReleaf. "We’re encouraged by Dr. Smith’s work; it provides valuable insight and data that will assist the broader healthcare community in their quest to help veterans better manage their healthcare needs." 
"In my practice, I see the worst of the worst in terms of PTSD; when all other treatment options fail, these patients come to me," noted the study’s author, Dr, Paul Smith, adding "70% of veterans are dropping out of traditional PTSD programs in favour of a medical cannabis course of treatment and as the evidence overwhelmingly shows, it is remarkably effective." 
Patients in the study required 9.4 grams of medical cannabis a day to achieve these results leading Dr. Smith to note, "There is no one-size-fits-all approach to effective cannabis dosing but I believe that when veterans get VAC coverage for cannabis oils and capsules, we’ll see more veterans turn to this treatment and I think that with these new, accurate dosing methods of delivery we’ll see a reduction in the amount of cannabis required for a course of treatment." 
Following the presentation of the abstract at Forum 2016, Dr. Smith will submit the results for peer review with the goal of publication in the Journal of Veteran, Military and Family Health. 
About the study 
The study is based on chart audits of 100 patients with confirmed diagnosis of PTSD and who initiated a treatment of medical cannabis after January, 2014. Self-reported Patient-Related Outcomes (PRO) were captured at baseline and at a follow up visit between 3 and 18 months after initiation of a treatment of medical cannabis. The data review was conducted at a single medical practice with extensive treatment of medical cannabis and which serves a large number of military veterans. 
The full abstract, including details on study background, methodology, epidemiology and detailed results can be found at www.medreleaf.com/research-overview. 
About MedReleaf 
MedReleaf is the leading, research-and-development driven, medical cannabis producer in Canada and the only ISO 9001 certified cannabis producer in North America. They offer the finest range of premium cannabis products sourced from around the globe and cultivated in their Ontario facility under the strictest guidelines and care. MedReleaf focuses on quality, safety, uniformity, and reliability, and they do it all to improve the quality of life for their patients. MedReleaf is setting The Medical Grade Standard™, because quality assurance is at the core of every product they produce. Through tireless clinical research in concert with the Canadian medical community, MedReleaf is consistently striving to unlock the immense potential of medical cannabis, and is dedicated to leading the way in the discovery of its medical and therapeutic benefits. 
For more information on MedReleaf, its products and processes, please visit MedReleaf.com 
SOURCE MedReleaf Corp. 
For further information: 
Media Contact: Darren Karasiuk, MedReleaf, 416.580. 8768 
This information is being distributed to you by CNW Group Ltd. 88 Queens Quay West, Suite 3000 Toronto ON M5J 0B8 www.


Patients Invited to Participate in Cannabis Study

On November 08, 2016, residents in the State of Florida will vote as to whether or not to legalize medical marijuana use, for patients diagnosed with a debilitating condition who have received a recommendation/certification from a qualified marijuana doctor. In preparation for the positive passing of Ballot Initiative 2, licensed physicians in the MarijuanaDoctors.com network have already begun seeing patients so as to establish the necessary bonafide doctor-patient relationship that will allow a patient early entry in the state’s inevitable medical marijuana program.
 
MarijuanaDoctors.com (MD) has already helped more than 250,000 patients connect with medical marijuana doctors in legal states across the United States, and is excited at the prospect of seeing patient access expand to the State of Florida. In anticipation of the state’s imminent medical marijuana program, 29 medical practices have already signed up to join the network of Florida marijuana doctors, some of which are presently qualifying patients for the state’s Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act of 2014 — a bill allowing patients with qualifying conditions to use low-THC “CBD” cannabis oil.
 
The site serves as an all-inclusive medical marijuana tool giving physicians the ability to streamline their business, establish a digital footprint online, and optimize for the relevant search terms associated with this type of alternative medicine and compassionate care. Furthermore, physicians have the tools to create state-specific recommendations; provide telemedicine services online; automate verification services; screen patients to ensure they have the appropriate medical records showing the diagnosis of the ailment under which they are applying; and most importantly safe-guard the physician from medically steering patients after certification.
 
MD currently has a wait list of 3,667 patients who are signed up to be notified, as soon as the state’s program is legally in effect and physicians are ready to begin evaluating patients, for the Florida Medical Marijuana Program. Of these patients 56 percent are male, and 82 percent have health insurance. Additionally, 34.14 percent have chronic pain, 20.17 percent are suffering from PTSD, 14.88 percent are battling cancer, and the remaining percent consists of patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, skeletal muscular spasticity, severe pain, and epilepsy.
 
“With multiple practices and doctors already listed throughout Florida in Orlando, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Palm Beach Gardens, Pensacola, and Tampa — before the state has even officially gone legal — it seems highly probable that the Florida medical marijuana marketplace will be the next biggest medical cannabis market in the country,” said MD’s CEO, Jason Draizin.
 
Like many of the states throughout the United States, Florida is currently waging a drug war on the heroin and opioid epidemic that is plaguing the state, as an overwhelming number of people increasingly die from overdose/addiction each year. Statistical data reports that doctors in Florida prescribe ten times more oxycodone painkillers, than every other state in the U.S. combined.
 
However, according to a recent report published in the Health Affairs journal, there has been a significant drop in the use of prescription drugs for which cannabis could serve as an effective alternative medicine, in states where medical marijuana has been legalized.
 
“It is the hope of Florida, that the legalization of medical marijuana will be the catalyst to end this epidemic,” said Draizin.
 
According to the study, the most significant decline was in the number of prescription painkillers. Researchers found that in states where medical marijuana is legal, doctors prescribed on average 1,826 fewer doses of painkillers per year. The study authors looked at the data of all prescriptions filled by Medicare Part D enrollees between 2010-2013, and found that in states where medical marijuana was legalized, there was a drop in the number of prescriptions for antidepressant drugs, anxiety medications, anti-nausea medication, seizure medications, and sleeping pills.
 
“If the opioid outbreak has taught us anything, it is that careful regulations, stringent oversight, and ongoing evaluations, are absolutely essential in establishing an environment that protects the public’s health and wellbeing,” states Draizin. “Medical marijuana should be no different. And with the introduction of the ‘Symptom Tracker’, physicians are in a position to now monitor their patients progress on a daily basis.”
 
MD has addressed the concerns and liabilities of its marijuana physicians, by developing technology that allows doctors to track their patient’s symptoms in real-time. The Symptom Tracker records data about the symptoms afflicting the patient at the documented time, and sends reporting of the week’s data to the patient’s physician which is then stored alongside the patient’s medical records, and prepped for the doctor’s EMR. If, for any reason, a cannabis physician feels that a patient is not responding positively to this alternative therapy, physicians now have the ability to schedule the patient for an immediate consultation, directly from the dashboard of their patient management tools.
 
In addition to capturing data that will provide physicians with greater insights on how to further improve their patient’s overall condition — while simultaneously allowing patients to track their personal progress — the overall data sourced will be used to conduct a nationwide cannabis peer review study.
 
Patients nationwide are invited to participate in a crowd-sourced cannabis peer review study, in order to help document the data that will prove marijuana is medicine.
 
Debuting in the October 2016 Symptom Tracker Monthly Newsletter, the study’s findings will be published in MD’s free newsletter each month, to allow readers to follow the study’s progress and stay abreast of unfolding developments.
 
“The BETA launch of the tracker, has already produced results in the categories of chronic pain, severe nausea, seizures, anxiety disorders, and sleep apnea. The initial findings will debut in our October company newsletter, while we continue to look for partnerships to publish the data,” reports the CEO of MD.
 
The data is graphically represented and categorized by age, gender, consumption methods, state demographics, and the other medications being used to offset the side effects of the patient’s ailments. In addition to tracking the medicine of marijuana, the data will also help to determine which strains of cannabis are most effective at treating which specific ailments, conditions, and symptoms.
 
“MD is personally responsible for creating a significant portion of the medical marijuana marketplace, particularly in east coast states such as New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Illinois, where medical marijuana laws are more stringent and medically restrictive. If Florida passes medical marijuana like it is expected to, MD will again strive to connect as many qualified medical marijuana patients, with licensed and certified cannabis doctors who can provide the compassionate care they require,” said the company CEO, Jason Draizin.
 
The MD “Symptom Tracker” is an open source platform that hopes to further the understanding between physicians, patients and their associated medical ailments. For ease and convenience the tracker can be easily accessed via the company’s mobile app, mobile site and online website, as well.
 
To participate in MD’s nationwide crowd-sourced cannabis peer review study, simply register/login at www.MarijuanaDoctors.com on a smartphone, tablet or computer — or download the MD mobile app to manage your medical marijuana needs mobily — the invitation is open to any person using marijuana to therapeutically treat a medical ailment/condition/symptom. The more patients track their symptoms, the more information the study will be able to attain. Join now, and be a part of the data that will prove marijuana is medicine.


Six licenses, 315 patients, 150 doctors. These are the numbers related to the current law in the State of Florida regarding medical marijuana. The low THC high CBD cannabis is currently allowable for patients recommended by a physician who are suffering from cancer or a physical condition which chronically produces symptoms of seizures or severe and persistent muscle spasm. Cannabis with higher levels of THC is permitted for the terminally ill under the Right to Try Act.

On November 8, 2016, voters who have not already done so will vote on Amendment 2, a measure which allows for a broadening of the qualified conditions for the use of cannabis containing THC in the State of Florida. A few weeks back I spoke at a meeting of government officials where the panelists before me were disseminating propaganda and severely false information. If you are undecided on Amendment 2 and some of its effects, a particularly good read may be found in the recently authored document Amendment 2: Analysis and Intent, written by John Morgan, Esq., Hon. John L. Mills, Esq., Tamar Todd, Esq., and Ben Polara.
 
The question that I have heard for over two years has been “what can I do to prepare for life after Amendment 2, should it pass?” Based on polling, it appears that the question will now turn to one which is “Amendment 2 just passed. What can I do to get ready for the impending opportunities and challenges to participate in this market?” In answering this question it is often important to identify one’s potential audience. Trying to narrow the answer to readership who may be currently reading my words, I would break down the audience into three sections. One, hospitals; two, physicians; three, potential cannabis business entrepreneurs. Taking hospitals first, hospitals may actually do nothing. Ostensibly, hospitals may wish to determine how to treat patients who may experience some adverse effects from marijuana based on naive usage as may have been experienced in other jurisdictions. From the business perspective, hospitals will very likely be approached by potential license holders who are seeking to enter into strategic partnerships, research studies, and the development of certain delivery methods, i.e., trans dermal patches or sublingual delivery, pills or other time-release methods. There may be a desire to study patient statistics in some form with teaching hospitals in particular being provided money for fellowships for some type of research. There will be a period of time after the Amendment is passed, should it pass, to have these discussions and for hospitals to make policy decisions. Hopefully this time will be used to look at other states and how institutions have dealt with some of these issues rather than reinventing the wheel, but using the experiences from those states to potentially emulate and surpass that which has come before.
 
Physicians are the next group who may consider some involvement from a practitioner’s standpoint in seeing patients and providing certifications once the conditions have been authorized pursuant to the Amendment. While the Compassionate Use Act requires physicians to take an 8 hour course in order to make recommendations and put a patient on the Registry, the Amendment does not contain such a limitation and, in fact, defines the physician as a “person who is licensed to practice medicine in Florida”. It is possible that through the legislature and the enabling guidelines in conjunction with the Department of Health, some additional hurdles may be placed on physicians similar to those under the Compassionate Use Act; however that over-regulation may very well be subject to a legal challenge. Should no additional guidelines be placed on the definition of “physician” and their ability to recommend to patients, it is certainly foreseeable that a more broad and robust physician-patient relationship status will be had post Amendment 2.
 
Lastly, there has been much confusion and lack of information as to what type of businesses would be permitted to operate in Florida after Amendment 2. The range of opinions and beliefs runs the gambit starting with nurseries maintaining their control over licenses and maintaining a vertical model which we have seen operating since the middle of 2016. The Analysis of Intent recently released and discussed herein, sets forth the position taken by the proponents of Amendment 2 as to the intent behind the Constitutional Amendment. In addressing what a Medical Marijuana Treatment Center (“MMTC”) is, the authors of the document set forth:
 
“This amendment allows for MMTCs to register with the Department of Health to engage in a variety of discreet activities as outlined. MMTCs must be registered to engage in any activities listed in the definition, but do not have to engage in all of them. For example, a cultivator may be registered separately from a dispensary. Some of the activities listed may overlap between the various MMTCs (such as possessing medical marijuana), the Amendment provides for multiple types of MMTCs, including but not necessarily limited to, cultivation, processing, distributing, dispensing, transportation, and administration. This language allows for cross-ownership of MMTCs, but does not require any cross-ownership of MMTCs. The requirement that a single MMTC must perform all MMTC functions would be contrary to the language and intent of this Amendment, which clearly calls for a variety of business functions in the language. The Amendment also allows the legislature to set reasonable limits on ownership of multiple MMTCs by any operator. This ownership structure is intended to foster and support the sufficient availability of medical marijuana, reasonable costs, and safe use for qualified patients.”
 
This language certainly points to a more robust market and potentially sets the stage for a show-down between the nursery interests which have taken a foothold of the Compassionate Use Act and proponents of a broader market which will serve both business interests and ultimately patients based on access and pricing. In the meantime, start your business plans.


Florida based medical cannabis company AltMed, LLC, is applying its unprecedented pharmaceutical, biotech and medical experience to the production of the highest quality cannabis therapies. Already actively harvesting award winning therapies via its Arizona affiliate, AltMed looks forward to bringing that expertise and therapies to Florida patients.
 
AltMed executives believe that after passage of Florida legislation in November, and upon securing any necessary licenses or approvals, AltMed will significantly help fulfill the promise of delivering consistent, high quality medical cannabis treatments to Florida patients. The State has been trying to make the CBD Concentrate formula of medical marijuana available to Florida patients for the last two years. This variety of medical cannabis is relevant to AltMed because the company recently won first and second prize for Best Medical Cannabis at the prestigious Errl Cup in Arizona, and top honors in the CBD Concentrate category for “Kayla’s Care.”
 
Says Michael Smullen, the CEO, President and co-founder of AltMed, and a former mainstream pharmaceutical executive, “We have spent the last two years bringing our pharmaceutical industry scientific standards to the development and testing of our products to create the purest and most reliable products on the market in Arizona via our affiliate there.” Because of this experience in pharmaceutical research, testing and production, AltMed is uniquely positioned to offer meaningful therapies for Florida patients following the passage of Amendment 2, the Florida Medical Marijuana Legalization Initiative. Smullen adds, “Many Florida families are forced to travel out of state, at great expense, to find treatments for their children.”
 
Michael Smullen is no stranger to being the parent of a child with a medical condition. His own daughter Kayla had a seizure at age 2 while sitting in his lap. For the next eight years he and his wife tried drug after drug to control her epileptic seizures, but watched the side effects take an awful toll on their daughter. “She was often lethargic and in a fog, her former personality gone. One drug had such terrible side effects that she exhibited schizophrenic-like behaviors.” Eventually they spoke to other parents of children with epilepsy and learned that many had successfully taken their children off all pharmaceuticals, with good results. They took Kayla off her drugs, held their breath, and watched her get better. Smullen reports that for the last eight years she’s had no seizures and her sparkle is back.
 
After Smullen retired, their journey with daughter Kayla was in the back of his mind. He still had the desire to find a better solution for children like his daughter Kayla. The experience of viewing the documentaries on marijuana done by CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, led Smullen to do his own research on the medical benefits of marijuana. Eventually he became convinced of the real benefits of medical cannabis, and helped co-found AltMed, LLC.
 
Smullen absolutely sees a future for medical cannabis. He learned during his own investigations that patients report that medical cannabis helps manage a wide variety of conditions including chronic pain, symptoms associated with cancer, mood disorders, intractable seizures, spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis, PTSD and many others. Increasingly anecdotal and clinical studies report potential benefit, advances in understanding of the endocannabinoid signaling system, and growing public acceptance for the use of cannabis in carefully selected patients upon the advice of their physicians. Scientists are working to confirm the existence of other cannabinoid receptors and to study the therapeutic potential of over 80 medically significant cannabis compounds. Further, Smullen cited research in medical journals such as JAMA that indicated the 23 states which have approved medical cannabis can document a reduction in the death rates due to accidental overdose (25-30%). A second study found that the prescription rate for opiates and pain pills in those same states was also significantly reduced.
 
The AltMed President/CEO sees noticeable signs of shifting views in the political landscape of Florida. In advance of the November vote on the Florida Medical Marijuana Legalization Initiative, legislators from Florida have traveled to Arizona to tour AltMed’s facility. AltMed has hosted a series of meetings with Florida leaders over the last three months, to familiarize them with the company’s story. “Even those Florida leaders who were 

initially opposed to medical cannabis, having toured AltMed’s Florida and Arizona facilities now seem to have shifted their point of view,” Smullen reports. “They can see for themselves we are a science-based, fully integrated company applying pharmaceutical industry precision to everything wedo.”
 
AltMed applies a more mainstream, serious approach with real legitimacy, and intends to be a bridge to the medical community. The company’s entire methodology is designed to appeal to physicians and medical institutions. For example, the company will be coming out with a product line with delivery methods that include a smoke-free transdermal patch with a standardized dose, a metered dose inhaler, and a variety of topical creams.
 
Smullen’s intent for AltMed is lofty. “We want to take the medical cannabis industry out of the shadows. I believe AltMed can lead the way in bringing a higher level of professionalism to medical cannabis, and raise the bar in Florida.” 


Quality care at the end of life is the goal of effective and compassionate hospice and palliative care. Providing comfort care, alleviating symptoms, addressing emotional and spiritual concerns of patients and families and improving overall quality of life is paramount as a person approaches death. Healthcare professionals who provide comfort care understand all too well how these goals are no small undertaking.

Common challenges at the end of life include; pain (physical and emotional), nausea/vomiting, anorexia, cachexia, dyspnea, anxiety/agitation, depression, feelings of helplessness/hopelessness/despair, loss of functional ability, issues surrounding loss of dignity, anticipatory grief, fears, unresolved familial conflicts, and preparing patients as well as their family members for the dying process.
 
Cannabinoids have been shown to interact with the Endocannabinoid System (ECS), a system of physiology present in all vertebrates which promotes balance in the body at the cellular level. CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors are plentifully dispersed throughout the body. When this physiological system is out of balance, supplementing with plant based cannabinoids have been shown to act on the brain, the organs and the all systems in the body, providing a safe and effective alternative in caring for dying patients.
 
Working as a hospice medical social worker, I came to discover that many of our dying people have not only had to become criminals themselves, but often had to rely on the criminal activity of family members – husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, grandchildren – to obtain cannabis at one of the most vulnerable points in the life of a family, when someone is dying. This knowledge led me to the Florida legislature to advocate for safe and legal access to medical cannabis, removing the “criminal” element from the equation.
 
In 2016, the Florida legislature expanded the “Right to Try” law to include the use of full spectrum, whole plant cannabis by patients who have received a prognosis of 1 year or less to live. This new law also serves to decriminalize the use of cannabis by qualifying patients. Nobody should fear arrest or prosecution for using plant based preparations shown to have both a high level of safety and efficacy in relieving symptoms prevalent at the end of life, as well as promoting a sense of well-being.
 
Clearly, effectively caring for patients and families at the end of life life can be complex and requires a multi-faceted approach, this involves much more than medication management. With terminal illness being one of the qualifying conditions in Florida, it is essential that hospice and palliative care teams are trained in the ECS and cannabis as a therapeutic agent.
 
There is a great deal of misunderstanding related to cannabis as medicine, including the various routes of administrations. From my experience, when people hear cannabis, the most common image that comes to mind is that of a person smoking, an image regularly associated with illicit behavior, steeped in shame and guilt. It is my contention that shame and guilt have no place in the healing relationship or the healing environment.
 
What is not commonly understood is that there are a variety of methods to administer cannabinoid medicines, including but not limited to: vaporization, ingestion, sublingual oils/tinctures/sprays, capsules as well as topical preparations. Smoking cannabis for symptom control and/or treatment purposes, continues to be prohibited under Florida law.
 
As healthcare professionals we have a moral and ethical responsibility to seek out, research and understand new treatment modalities which will empower patients in making informed decisions and participate in the therapeutic relationship.