National Physicians and Researchers Offer Insights on Incorporating Medical Marijuana into Traditional Medical Practices Speakers Include: Sue Sisley, MD; Juan Sanchez-Ramos, MD PhD; Gregory Gerdeman, PhD; Jeffrey S. Block, MD; and Moderator Anne Morgan, MD WEST PALM BEACH , Fla., Sept. 7, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Florida-based Canna Holdings is proud to bring together an esteemed group of physicians and medical practitioners for an exclusive peer-to-peer Medical Marijuana Symposium, taking place on Saturday, September 24, 2016 at the Hilton Palm Beach Airport from 8am – 1pm. The esteemed panel includes: Champion PTSD Researcher Sue Sisley, MD; Movement Disorder Specialist Juan Sanchez-Ramos, MD; PhD, Endocannabinoid Researcher Gregory Gerdeman, PhD; Botanical Medicine Expert Jeffrey S. Block, MD; and Moderator Anne Morgan, MD. Together they will share their decades of expertise and discuss how medical cannabis may impact patients and their medical practices in the future. The Medical Cannabis Symposium is specifically targeted to licensed Florida Physicians in Palm Beach County, a community where there is a booming senior population, and just one of the audiences that will tremendously benefit from the passing of medical marijuana Amendment 2 this coming November. "Our goal for the symposium is to create an environment where physicians and medical professionals can learn about the science and research behind the human endocannabinoid system and medical cannabis," says Gregg H. Weiss, founder of Canna Holdings and event organizer. "With recent poll numbers above the required 60% to pass Amendment 2 this November, there is no doubt that medical marijuana will have an impact on most medical practices in South Florida." The Symposium is free of charge and open to all licensed Florida physicians and medical professionals. Seating is on a first come, first served basis. Tickets must be reserved prior to the event by visiting: CannaHoldings.com. "I'm inspired to be a part of this event and to have the opportunity to help educate physicians in Palm Beach County," said Moderator, Anne Morgan, MD, a member of the Palm Beach County Medical Society who has been practicing medicine in South Florida for over 30 years. "If Amendment 2 passes this November, patients will be coming in and asking all kinds of questions. This symposium is a must attend event to get answers." Sponsors of the symposium include: AltMed, a fully integrated, science-based Florida company; CannaKorp, the world's first single-use pod and vaporizer system; CHT Medical and The Green Solution, two of the six licensed dispensing organizations to cultivate, process and dispense low-THC cannabis and medical cannabis; Liberate West Palm Beach; and the Florida Medical Cannabis Industry Association (FMCIA). The speakers listed below are five of the most respected and prominent medical professionals in the legal medical cannabis movement. Collectively, they are making huge strides in the development of research on the endocannabinoid system and the potential implementation of medical cannabis treatments in Florida and internationally: Sue Sisley, MD RESEARCHING MEDICAL CANNABIS: Navigating Barriers To Efficacy Research Learn about regulatory obstacles to conducting this PTSD/Cannabis scientific study and other ways US government impedes cannabis efficacy trials, and other blockades to developing medical cannabis into FDA approved medicine. Dr. Sisley is an Arizona-based physician practicing Internal Medicine and Psychiatry. She serves as site principal investigator for the only FDA-approved randomized controlled trial in the world examining safety/efficacy of whole plant marijuana in combat veterans with treatment-resistant PTSD. Dr. Sisley's work has been widely publicized, including her featured appearance with Dr. Sanjay Gupta on CNN's WEED 3: The Marijuana Revolution. Juan Sanchez-Ramos, MD, PhD MEDICAL USE OF CANNABIS: Review of the Literature and Recommendations for Effective Utilization by Florida Physicians Dr. Ramos will review the Florida law on the use of cannabis, including details of the requirements for recommending the medication, review and discuss the literature on human use of cannabidiol (CBD) or cannabis preparations containing less than 0.8% THC and discuss the clinical trials of full spectrum cannabinoids for a range of medical conditions, focusing on neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Sanchez-Ramos is a board-certified neurologist specializing in neurodegenerative diseases. He holds the Helen Ellis Endowed Chair for Parkinson's disease research, is director of the Huntington's Disease Center of Excellence at USF and is medical director of the Parkinson Research Foundation. Gregory Gerdeman, PhD EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY OF THE ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM: What It Means To Medicine Discussion will include strengths and weaknesses of rodent models for describing human brain function and disease, addiction (including to cannabis), recent human neuroimaging findings, and an evolutionary perspective on the potential use of cannabis for a remarkable diversity of clinical problems. Dr. Greg Gerdeman is an Assistant Professor of Biology at Eckerd College and neurophysiologist with expertise in the human endocannabinoid system and mechanisms of drug reward and addiction. Dr. Gerdeman has received research support from NIDA and the National Science Foundation. Jeffrey S. Block, MD MODERN CLINICAL PERSPCTIVES: How Practicing Compassionate Healthcare in Florida May Change In The Near Future As the clinical application of the human endocannabinoid system begins to be understood, evidence-based best practice standards have yet to be established by mainstream medicine. The challenges of how to practice compassionate healthcare by providing medical cannabis while under its Federal prohibition, and how to keep up with Florida's evolving legislation will be discussed. Dr. Block is a Board-Certified Anesthesiologist, Fellowship-trained in pain/addiction medicine. He structured and authored Florida's SB1030 mandated physician education, and was appointed by Florida's Surgeon General to determine the law's existing rules. Dr. Block is advancing "The ESIRD Institute" at the University of Miami School of Medicine to responsibly advance endocannabinoid science's education and research. (Interviews and photos are available upon request)
A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=41331
Caroline Rustigian Bruderer 949-315-5101
