“The medical marijuana industry is flourishing,” says David Friedman, owner of Compassionate Health Care of Florida, with facilities in Naples and Cape Coral. With most Americans living in a state where some form of cannabis is now legal, sales hit $20 billion in 2020, were on pace to top $26 billion in 2021 and are projected to leapfrog to $45.9 billion in 2025, according to data from Marijuana Business Daily. One of the reasons for such success is the industry’s ability to serve communities by providing individuals with alternatives to narcotics, surgery and prescription opioids for the relief of pain, as well as relief from the symptoms of anxiety, depression, insomnia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Crohn’s Disease.

“Compassionate Healthcare of Florida (CHF) was formed to provide an alternative option to patients who suffer from chronic conditions that impact their life. Before establishing the Florida Medical Marijuana Program, patients who wanted to treat pain, anxiety, post-traumatic syndrome stress disorder, insomnia, cancer symptoms, seizures, spasticity—or 100 other conditions—had only a few options available to them. In most instances, they were prescribed a pharmaceutical to try and reduce their symptoms. For short-term use, conventional medications can be very beneficial; however, when narcotics, benzodiazepines, sedatives and muscle relaxants are used long-term, the side effects increase and the benefit realized by patients are often significantly reduced,” advises Friedman.

Driven by the goal of expanding care to those that would benefit from medical marijuana, Friedman explains that he and his team strive to help patients feel confident that they are not alone after visiting CHF for risk-free consultations with board-certified physicians that have specialized experience in the benefits and efficacy of medical cannabis usage. CHF is available to assist individuals from the first visit and for as long as they feel they benefit from using medical marijuana.

All doctors passionately believe in the benefits that can be obtained with the use of medical marijuana. Each CHF feels privileged to be a certifying physician that can partner with patients to improve their healthcare.

Locations: 5600 Trail Blvd., Ste. 10, Naples; 2612 Santa Barbara Blvd., Ste. 9, Cape Coral. For more information, call 239-431-6739 or visit FLmmjHealth.com. See ad, page 33.