Americans for Safe Access or the Unity 2020 Conference was held virtually last Friday. March 27th. The conference was titled No Patient Left Behind. It was my first time attending a conference dealing with policy.
With curbside pickup at dispensaries last week, prompted by the COVID-19 virus, the idea that cannabis is not just an intoxicant but a wellness product seems to have begun to stick.
As a cannabis enthusiast for 50 years and a consumer of 2 years, here are my primary takeaways. Remember, my takeaways are based on my knowledge base and my understanding today which until 2 years ago was that cannabis consumption is a recreational decision. These ideas are in no particular order of importance.
Takeaways:
1. We need a symptom-based list for qualifying medical marijuana patients rather than a condition-based list.
2. If we agree that terpenes are the basis for aromatherapy, then should we not also be able to accept the idea that homegrow should be allowed
3. How does real access to cannabis look? In the state of New Jersey, legal access looks like eight medical dispensaries in a state with 72,375 patients. Right now Mondays are reserved for people who are 63 and over at this dispensary. It opens at 10:30 am but by 11 am, patients are already receiving messages that the dispensary is closed. So what does that mean for people who live in rural areas where there are fewer dispensaries or where people have to travel to get to a dispensary. What are the solutions for more or all patients?
4. The global perspective helps me understand the relationship between the federal and state government which is creating havoc for us. How does international drug policy function in relation to US policy for those who live in North America. As best as I could understand we’re still following the compassionate use model. However, if the United Nations were to change its rules about the scheduling of psychotropic substances, would doctors be more inclined to change their attitudes about it?
There Is hope that once cannabis is removed from the list of “most dangerous with little or no therapeutic value”, the stigma will disappear and this will open the way for cannabis in America.
5. Patient voices must be elevated.
6.. This idea that cannabis is a tool to help people. Consumers can be helpful in generating research questions.
7. Baby boomers, in particular, want to know where plants are grown and how they grow because we want to be able to count on it to meet our needs as we age.
8. I am vastly more clear on why there is a need for standardization.
In a nutshell, Josh Crossney of the Cannabis Science Conference laid out 3 reasons science is so important: a) we need standardization because cannabis profiles are not the same as cannabis strains b) we don’t want sick patients, c) we want accurate labeling.
Antonio Frazier of CannaSafe spoke to the need to understand the a) shelf life of products b) reality that the cannabis profile is only the beginning of understanding how cannabis affects patients.
Sweltha Kaul, PhD asked what is beyond state regs. She spoke of personalized medicine that included interpreting terpenes and correlating the patient effect.
She feels we should be talking terpenes when patients go in for a consultation. What stuck with me was her statement that every profile is a different medicine.
9. Something that gave me pause: A discussion around hemp. CBD and Hemp are both Cannabis. We must be intellectually honest in this regard. The same contaminants that are in cannabis are in hemp. However, there is no oversight for the people who are making hemp products. Just because something is legal doesn’t mean you should buy it. There should not be smokable hemp. This really raises more questions for me.
These takeaways do not completely hold together for me at this point and that is a function of gaps in my own learning. But at least I have been opened up to those gaps.
Here is the actual schedule I followed.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, ASA has moved this year’s National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference from an in-person conference to an online conference that will take place on Friday, March 27 from noon to 6:00 pm Eastern time. This change will help protect the safety and well-being of everyone involved.
Going to an online format for panel presentations also allows ASA to make participation in the conference much more affordable and accessible. That includes a special online registration discount for ASA members that provides access to all the panels for only $25, and an option to both become a member and register for Unity for just $50. Please note that the registration deadline for the Friday conference is Tuesday, March 24.
ASA’s online conference will include a full day of panel discussions so everyone can benefit from hearing from leading experts on medical cannabis.
Friday’s conference will begin at noon with a Welcome and Agenda Overview from ASA President Steph Sherer and Interim Director Debbie Churgai. Sponsor Highlights and Patient Stories will be presented in the 15 minutes between each panel.
1:00-2:00p. No Patient Left Behind: Transitioning State Programs and The Campaign for Patients. How do states transition from medical to recreational or CBD-only to medical and ensure that patients are still prioritized in terms of access and quality of product? Moderated by ASA’s Debbie Churgai, panelists are Ngiste Abebe of Columbia Care, Nichole Snow of Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance, Christine Stenquist of TRUCE, and ASA’s Steph Sherer.
2:15-3:30p. Lessons to be Learned: International Landscape and How It Can Shape US Policy. What are the challenges and best practices that we can learn from these countries as the US legislative and regulatory scene continues to push forward both federally and locally? Moderated by Steph Sherer, panelists are Nic Easley of 3C Cannabis Consulting, Michael Krawitz of Veterans for Medical Cannabis, and Hilary Black of Canopy Growth.
3:45-4:45p. Safety First: How Science & Research Can Impact Patient Safety
Developments in research and science continue to show new reasons why cannabis is a viable, safe product for a variety of ailments. Hear from leading experts about developments in research and science that have added to the argument for a cannabis-accessible country. Moderated by ASA’s Heather Despres, panelists are Josh Crossney of Cannabis Science Conference, Julie Armstrong of Aurelius Data, and Antonio Frazier of CannaSafe Analytics.
5:00-6:00p. Statement from ASA Interim Director Debbie Churgai, followed by closing remarks from ASA President Steph Sherer.
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