Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
Dr. Joseph Dorn doesn't have any stories about trying pot with his buddies in college or even using it to self-medicate some personal ailment.
He's just a doctor with decades of experience who has seen that marijuana has some benefits for certain patients. So he's going to help them get it.
Dorn is one of the founders of Medical Marijuana Treatment Clinics of Florida, which recently opened an office in Ponte Vedra Beach. He's the medical director for the clinics and sees patients who might be candidates for the drug, which was legalized through a ballot initiative in November.
"Our mission is to be accessible and affordable to all the patients in Florida who need us," Dorn said.
What to know as Amendment 2 goes into effect
The clinic is not to be confused with dispensaries in other states where marijuana has been legalized for recreational uses. In Florida, only those who demonstrate a medical need may purchase the products – none of which can be smoked as most recreational users prefer.
According to MarijuanaDoctors.com, which is not affiliated with Dorn or his practice, Florida residents diagnosed with one of the following "debilitating medical conditions" are able to seek treatment with marijuana products, as per Amendment 2: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease), cancer, Crohn's disease, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, post traumatic stress disorder, or any other ailment/condition of the same severity/symptoms, when determined by a physician's opinion that the medical use of marijuana would surpass any potential health risks.
Jason Draizin, who is the owner of MarijuanaDoctors.com, said his company gives potential patients a place to begin the process of looking for a physician who can evaluate their eligibility to participate. He said there were about 600 patient requests for appointments through his site in November and another 800 in December in Florida.
"Right now, for the most part, they are establishing their relationship," Draizin said. "It's definitely incrementally becoming more and more popular."
Dorn said he previously worked for Surterra, which is a marijuana business that has opened a dispensary location in Tampa. However, he said there didn't seem to be enough patients who were approved for the drug, and that led him to the other side of the business.
"It became very frustrating very quickly because even though we had everything in place there weren't enough patients," Dorn said. "There are people who need this out there. There are people who are clamoring for it.
"I got with some people who were like-minded in the industry, and we just formed a group."
But while Dorn is happy to help people get medical marijuana if it's what they need, he is not a champion of the drug for recreational use. In fact, he said he's never tried it.
What made him consider the use of marijuana for medical reasons is his experience of more than a decade as a hospice doctor. Hospice care is designed for those dealing with an advanced terminal illness where the goal is to maximize the patient's limited time. It often involves a pain management course that calls for drugs.
Dorn said he's had patients who didn't get relief from traditional painkillers, and sometimes they obtained or even grew marijuana for themselves.
"In that hospice arena, I would see people who were risking arrest, growing their own stuff or buying it because the morphine and oxycodone and other traditional medications weren't adequately controlling their symptoms," Dorn said. "I've had more than a few patients say, 'This is the only thing that gets me through the day.'"
While Dorn admitted that he knows some people will try to fake their way into getting medical marijuana, he's confident that through a legitimate evaluation most users will be ones who truly need it.
Still, Dorn knows not everyone will understand that he's trying to make decisions solely for medical reasons.
"I have four adult children now and one them reminded me recently that, 'Dad, you spent all of our teens trying to convince us not to use this stuff and now you're ordering it for patients,'" Dorn said. "I guess it's come full circle."
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Medical Marijuana Clinic Brings New Treatment Options To St. Johns County
Author: Stuart Korfhage
Contact: (866) 829-6562
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: The St. Augustine Record
He's just a doctor with decades of experience who has seen that marijuana has some benefits for certain patients. So he's going to help them get it.
Dorn is one of the founders of Medical Marijuana Treatment Clinics of Florida, which recently opened an office in Ponte Vedra Beach. He's the medical director for the clinics and sees patients who might be candidates for the drug, which was legalized through a ballot initiative in November.
"Our mission is to be accessible and affordable to all the patients in Florida who need us," Dorn said.
What to know as Amendment 2 goes into effect
The clinic is not to be confused with dispensaries in other states where marijuana has been legalized for recreational uses. In Florida, only those who demonstrate a medical need may purchase the products – none of which can be smoked as most recreational users prefer.
According to MarijuanaDoctors.com, which is not affiliated with Dorn or his practice, Florida residents diagnosed with one of the following "debilitating medical conditions" are able to seek treatment with marijuana products, as per Amendment 2: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease), cancer, Crohn's disease, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, post traumatic stress disorder, or any other ailment/condition of the same severity/symptoms, when determined by a physician's opinion that the medical use of marijuana would surpass any potential health risks.
Jason Draizin, who is the owner of MarijuanaDoctors.com, said his company gives potential patients a place to begin the process of looking for a physician who can evaluate their eligibility to participate. He said there were about 600 patient requests for appointments through his site in November and another 800 in December in Florida.
"Right now, for the most part, they are establishing their relationship," Draizin said. "It's definitely incrementally becoming more and more popular."
Dorn said he previously worked for Surterra, which is a marijuana business that has opened a dispensary location in Tampa. However, he said there didn't seem to be enough patients who were approved for the drug, and that led him to the other side of the business.
"It became very frustrating very quickly because even though we had everything in place there weren't enough patients," Dorn said. "There are people who need this out there. There are people who are clamoring for it.
"I got with some people who were like-minded in the industry, and we just formed a group."
But while Dorn is happy to help people get medical marijuana if it's what they need, he is not a champion of the drug for recreational use. In fact, he said he's never tried it.
What made him consider the use of marijuana for medical reasons is his experience of more than a decade as a hospice doctor. Hospice care is designed for those dealing with an advanced terminal illness where the goal is to maximize the patient's limited time. It often involves a pain management course that calls for drugs.
Dorn said he's had patients who didn't get relief from traditional painkillers, and sometimes they obtained or even grew marijuana for themselves.
"In that hospice arena, I would see people who were risking arrest, growing their own stuff or buying it because the morphine and oxycodone and other traditional medications weren't adequately controlling their symptoms," Dorn said. "I've had more than a few patients say, 'This is the only thing that gets me through the day.'"
While Dorn admitted that he knows some people will try to fake their way into getting medical marijuana, he's confident that through a legitimate evaluation most users will be ones who truly need it.
Still, Dorn knows not everyone will understand that he's trying to make decisions solely for medical reasons.
"I have four adult children now and one them reminded me recently that, 'Dad, you spent all of our teens trying to convince us not to use this stuff and now you're ordering it for patients,'" Dorn said. "I guess it's come full circle."
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Medical Marijuana Clinic Brings New Treatment Options To St. Johns County
Author: Stuart Korfhage
Contact: (866) 829-6562
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: The St. Augustine Record
