Three Key Voices in the Medical Marijuana Industry

As medical marijuana programs continue to expand throughout the United States, it is important to recognize some of the key voices throughout the industry that got us here. These individuals range from researches to physicians and even to patients who started their own advocacy group. Keep reading to learn about just three of the many key voices that have helped push medical cannabis to where it is today.

Steph Sherer

In 2002, Steph Sherer founded Americans for Safe Access, a member-based non-profit organization that advocates on behalf of patients to establish and expand safe and legal access to medical cannabis. The organization is made up of patients, medical professionals, scientists and citizens who are all interested in promoting cannabis for research and medicinal use. The organization currently boasts over 100,000 active members across the nation, making it the leading advocacy group for medical cannabis policy reform.

Steph’s advocacy for medical use of cannabis began through her own experience with chronic pain. Before developing this condition, Sherer was not aware of the potential health benefits medical cannabis could have for her condition and many others’. Since discovering this potentially life changing alternative treatment, she has dedicated her career to spreading awareness of the health benefits medical marijuana can bring along with expanding safe and legal access to it for patients and researchers alike.

Dr. Prakash Nagarkatti

As the Vice President for Research and a distinguished professor at the University of South Carolina, Dr. Prakash Nagarkatti is known as a key voice in the medical marijuana industry. For the past 20 years, Nagarkatti has been one of the leading researchers into medicinal uses for cannabis.  In early 2019, a study performed by Dr. Prakash Nagarkatti led to the FDA approving the use of CBD to treat autoimmune hepatitis. This study, along with many others, was a huge success for medical marijuana research and the fight against FDA’s strict regulations.

Along with conducting his own research, Dr. Nagarkatti is also a strong advocate for the general expansion of research and clinical trials of medical marijuana. The strict classification on marijuana imposes strong limitations on labs for performing this important research. Fortunately, Dr. Nagarkatti’s lab is one of the only labs in the nation that is licensed to perform research on cannabinoid compounds. Dr. Prakash Nagarkatti will remain a key voice in medical marijuana industry as he continues to stretch the bounds in terms of research and advocacy.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta

Dr. Sanjay Gupta is a practicing neurosurgeon as well as the chief medical correspondent for CNN, for which he is a multiple Emmy® winner. In this role, he is the key reporter on all health and medical news across all CNN shows. He is also the host of Vital Signs and the CNN original series “Chasing Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta”. Since 2001, Dr. Gupta has been covering the most important stories in the health industry, establishing him as a key voice that people listen to and trust for their medical news.

In 2013, Gupta began to travel in order to gain insight on the medical marijuana industry through interviewing medical leaders, experts and patients. After going on the journey, Dr. Gupta detailed what he learned through this experience and why he has become a leading advocate for medical cannabis in his four-part series on CNN titled ‘Weed’. Each installment of the series explores a different piece of the medical cannabis industry and has become groundbreaking in educating viewers on the mysterious plant and the widespread medicinal benefits it can bring.

For many of these voices, they were not advocating for the alternative treatment until they conducted more research. After seeing the proof and efficacies, they jumped on board and became the key voices that many Americans trust and listen to. At Arfinn Med, we are aiming to educate physicians and patients alike of the potential benefits that medical marijuana can bring.

If you’re interested in exploring medical marijuana treatments for your patients, join Arfinn Med for FREE today! Through our portal, you will be able to gain access to peer-to-peer data on medical marijuana treatment efficacies, discuss treatment options with other licensed physicians and stay up-to-date on all of the latest industry findings.

Sources:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/benjaminsetiawan/2019/04/30/steph-sherer-president-of-icci-makes-the-case-for-medical-cannabis-part-1/#4cff3a073f0a

https://www.thestate.com/news/special-reports/article225993350.html

https://www.cnn.com/profiles/sanjay-gupta-profile#about

https://www.cnn.com/2013/08/08/health/gupta-changed-mind-marijuana/index.html