Feb 27th 7pm Est
Cannaware Society Presents
Cannaware Society Presents Cannatalk Vol. 15: What You Need To Know About New York’s Cannabis Law Pt. 5: The Evolution of NY Medical Program. Moderated by Cassandra Dikijian on Sunday, February 27h at 7pm ET via Zoom.
This event will provide informative conversation for patients, caregivers, clinicians, and those who are interested in the medical cannabis community by breaking down the current and ongoing implementation of key provisions of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) and how changes made to the Medical Cannabis Program will affect patients in New York, and how we can improve the relationship between patients, caregivers and practitioners.
Last year, the Cannabis Control Board advanced regulations and expanded the Medical Cannabis Program for patients and caregivers that reside in the state of New York. With the expansion of the program, it will allow New Yorkers to have more access to this medicine and it will empower patients to make choices that work best for their medical needs. As regulations continuously change, patients and those who are interested in the medical cannabis program, may feel challenges navigating this information. Common questions that New Yorkers have are: what are the current regulations in the medical cannabis program? How do we obtain the latest and most up to date information? Where can I find certifying providers for a medical cannabis card? What are the average costs to obtain a medical card/cannabis products? What is the patient experience in medical dispensaries? And is there a knowledge gap amongst medical providers when it comes to cannabis, and if so, how can we bridge that gap?
For patients and caregivers, the evolution of New York’s Medical Cannabis Program has recently allowed home cultivation for access to needed medication, the addition of whole flower in medical dispensaries, expansion of eligible practitioners to recommend medical cannabis, and the removal of patient registration fees.
For practitioners, amidst growing interest in cannabinoids in the medical community and shifting attitudes towards cannabis as medicine, clinicians must understand current cannabis use patterns among patients to inform appropriate counseling and guidance.
This event will provide informative conversation for patients, caregivers, clinicians, and those who are interested in the medical cannabis community by breaking down the current and ongoing implementation of key provisions of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) and how changes made to the Medical Cannabis Program will affect patients in New York, and how we can improve the relationship between patients, caregivers and practitioners.
Panelists:
- Cassandra Dikijian (moderator) – NYC Registered Nurse and United States Marine Corps veteran
- Dr. Duclas Charles – Staff Pharmacist, Founder of Black Health Connect, a member of the Board of Directors for ACHEM
- Dr. Julius Johnson – Doctor of Nursing Practice, Chapter President of Greater NYC Black Nurses
- Jeffrey Starr – NYS medical cannabis PCR, LPCR, OSS, and Outreach Coordinator
- Kimber Arezzi – Patient and caregiver Advocate, Director of Sales for Curaleaf New York State
RSVP below and join us for this conversation on Sunday, February 27th, at 7pm EDT.
Panelists
Cassandra Dikijian (moderator)
Casey is a NYC Registered Nurse and United States Marine Corps veteran who is passionate about promoting mental wellness in the community and the role that plant medicine can play in healthcare. With experience in pain management as a surgical nurse, mental health advocacy in the veteran community, and formal education in cannabis medicine, Casey aims to empower others using research-based education to improve their overall quality of life.
Dr. Duclas Charles
Dr. Duclas Charles, PharmD @duclascharles is a Staff Pharmacist at a dispensary in New York City. A Brooklyn, NY native, Duclas discovered his love for science and people in high school, which led him to pursue his Pharmacy degree at The Howard University, an HBCU in Washington, DC. Upon returning to New York, he began his career in Pharmacy. He has practiced in community pharmacy and hospital pharmacy. He has also spent time at a tech-based pharmacy start-up where he served as the Operations Manager before making his leap into medical cannabis. Duclas’ love for helping and teaching others coupled with his interest in integrative medicine made Medicinal Cannabis a perfect fit. Aside from his duties as Staff Pharmacist, he is the Founder of Black Health Connect @blackhealthconnect, a national network of African American Health Professionals focused on addressing the issues of Health Equity for Black and Brown patients by addressing diversity equity and inclusion in healthcare, a member of the Board of Directors for The Association for Cannabis Health Equity and Medicine (ACHEM) @achemed_org, a member of the International Society of Cannabis Pharmacist and the Association of Cannabis Specialist.
Dr. Julius Johnson
Dr. Julius Johnson was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. Dr. Johnson specializes in home-based primary, high intensity transitional care interventions, and medical cannabis. He has spent the past ten years serving underserved communities and reducing hospital rates for at-risk populations. He is a founding member of the Greater New York City Black Nurses Association and currently serves as the president. His professional goals are aimed at reducing or eliminating health care disparities via addressing the determinants of health that predispose black males to poorer outcomes. Through creating multiple health care companies such as the Premium Health Depot, Dr.Nurses, and Dr.NurseNY, he strives to serve as a trailblazer for the Doctor of Nursing Profession while using these platforms to achieve his professional goals.
Jeffrey Starr
Jeffrey Starr @starr_jeffrey is a Cannabis advocate, NYS medical cannabis PCR, LPCR, OSS, and Outreach Coordinator. His healthcare experience is in nursing & pharmacy technician, and providing consultation services for the cannabis industry. Jeffrey has 5 years of experience in the NYS medical cannabis program, covering all aspects of patient, dispensary, outreach and physician relations. His focus has been advocacy, equity, and inclusion within the cannabis community. A U.S. Army Paratrooper (retired) who has also found chronic pain relief as a patient in the program. As the medical cannabis program moves toward adult use in NYS Jeffrey believes there must always be a space for the education of new and existing patients.
Kimber Arezzi
Kimber Arezzi – @kimbersayshigh is a patient and caregiver advocate in the New York State Medical Cannabis Program as well as the Director of Sales for Curaleaf NYS @Curaleaf.usa. She work with NYS cannabis dispensaries, medical patients and pharmacists to open the dialog about cannabis consumption. As a patient advocate, kimber volunteers for Women Grow, and is an active member of The CannaDiva Collective (@thecannadiva) an online community of women that promotes open conversation about consumption and self-care, while helping entrepreneurs evolve to cannabis careers.
Event Partners & Sponsors
Rebel Minded TV
Rebel Minded TV is an online video on demand platform powered by Rebel Minded Media, with the mission of bringing independent media to a worldwide audience while helping content creators earn exposure and revenue for their work.
Curaleaf
Curaleaf is a leading international provider of consumer products in cannabis with a mission to improve lives by providing clarity around cannabis and confidence around consumption.
Check out our video recaps of our past events on Rebel Minded TV
Cannaware Event Recaps
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