Liza Mitchell
Jacksonville’s Affordable Marijuana License Clinic is working to ensure qualified patients have access to the alternative treatment. As part of an integrated, multidisciplinary medical marijuana clinic network, clinic staff is expertly trained in the use of medical marijuana for the treatment of approved conditions.
The clinic offers individualized patient-oriented care with a holistic approach to the use of medical marijuana, with a focus on pain and symptom management and disease-specific treatment for glaucoma, epilepsy, HIV/AIDS, cancer, PTSD, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and other forms of chronic pain.
Dr. Rene Pulido is committed to making medical marijuana cards accessible to patients in every economic bracket. Affordable Marijuana License Clinic serves area residents who suffer from chronic qualifying conditions. Medical marijuana evaluations and certifications are available for eligible Jacksonville residents. Patients will be seen by an ordering physician who is registered with the Florida Office of Compassionate Use.
Comprehensive patient assessments are conducted to determine whether or not using medical cannabis may benefit, alleviate, or substantially treat an existing condition. Approved patients receive assistance obtaining a Registry Card required to purchase medical marijuana at a state-approved dispensing location.
As graduate of Mayo Clinic, Dr. Pulido witnessed the pain and suffering associated with end-of-life issues. After establishing his practice, he noticed the significant complications, including anxiety, depression, addiction, and even death, caused by many controlled medications.
“Compassionate care and pain and symptom relief should not be only for the rich. In my opinion, anyone who requires this treatment should have access to it. Unfortunately, I believe that insurance companies give us little to no options, forcing patients into treatments that have high risks, which include opiates and benzodiazepines,” he says.
“Recent studies show that opiates have killed more people than Vietnam, and that the opioid epidemic is not going to slow down anytime soon. How many people would be alive today if they would have been offered a safe, non-addictive alternative, such as marijuana, instead of medications that have high deadly complications?”
As a Jacksonville native, Dr. Pulido grew up in the area in St. Nicholas, attending Assumption Grade School and Bishop Kenny High School. He completed his medical school at U.A.C.A and returned to his hometown for a three-year Internship program at Mayo Clinic for family medicine. He opened the Emed Multispecialty Group, a full-time clinic location which provides many other services such as Primary Care and Pain Management, across the street from his former high school.
“Growing up locally in Jacksonville, going to Assumption for grade school and playing football at Bishop Kenny, has given me a deep appreciation for our local community. When I graduated from Mayo Clinic, I had offers to go anywhere across the nation, but I didn’t feel it was appropriate given the tremendous amount of need that we have here locally in Duval County. It has been a great honor to treat the same community that has given me so much.”
As proponents of the Florida Medical Marijuana Movement since its inception, Dr. Pulido and his staff are committed to patient advocacy and the safety and efficacy of medical marijuana, going as far as to visit the distributors for current treatment information to educate his patients and the public.
“I feel like my largest obstacle that I have is actually having to say the word ‘marijuana.’ For years, marijuana has been demonized by the US government and other large industries that have been looking to discourage or reduce its use,” remarks Dr. Pulido. “I wish I could call it new Medication X that has these amazing health properties with little to no side effects or complications. I feel as if it was just named something different it would quickly become the gold standard treatment for many conditions that currently affect us.”
According to Forbes, in 2017 the legal cannabis market was worth 7.2 billion. This is estimated to grow to 11.2 billion plus. so there is huge economic potential. Dr. Pulido utilizes the latest high-tech electronic medical records, in-house imaging and labs, educated and bilingual staff, and excellent customer service to keep prices low and quality of care high.
As the ground swell continues in the the medical marijuana industry, Dr. Pulido is committed to enriching the lives of qualified patients by offering safe alternative treatments. He supports community outreach efforts to educate the community about the benefits of medical marijuana as a socially acceptable and accessible form of treatment. Says Dr. Pulido, “[I want to] do everything in my power to [offer] this life-saving treatment to anyone who can benefit from it and not just those who can afford it.”
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