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37 cannapatientcare.com august 2021 | cannabis patient care feature Hernandez explained that she never thought cannabis was a bad thing, but she didn't have use for it in her life until it her medical scare. The benefits of medical cannabis led Hernandez to become a board-certified holistic health practitioner and also the first person in California to hold the title of Canna- bis Health Consultant. Through attending a year-long program that was offered in Northern California, she gained further edu- cation targeted for physicians and practitioners on how to use cannabis in a healing way. "It paralleled with the time-frame of my cancer scare, which was serendipitous," she explained. The program Hernandez found was taught by a group of amazing local women in the Humboldt County, California com- munity who were legacy farmers and knew the plant in a dif- ferent way. Hernandez explained that the legacy farmers had been growers for generations and were much more aware of the beneficial medicinal purposes than information she had en- countered through Google research. The information Hernan- dez gathered through their curriculum truly touched her heart and inspired her to continue making the six-hour drive, once a month, for the year-long program. During her time there, she utilized the farmers' knowledge and advice to heal herself as well. From this endeavor, Hernandez was inspired to create the Cannabis Holistic Institute (1), an educational resource which instructs healthcare professionals on medical cannabis. Crossing the Bridge from Allopathic Medicine to Naturopathic Medicine As a practicing naturopath, Hernandez likes to recommend natural medicine alternatives, such as cannabis, for patients seeking assistance with their various ailments. Over the course of her practice, she has seen patients coming over from allopathic medicine and having wonderful results with cannabis. Hernandez believes that finding the right combination is the key to success in treating their health conditions. "It has to be exactly the right combination for them. That's why an educated consultant is best to speak with before even trying cannabis," she stated. Hernandez was honest in sharing that medical cannabis has not worked for a small percentage of patients coming from tra- ditional medicine. She reasons that as medical cannabis is a journey through trial and error—patients must be aware of the cannabis profile, terpenes, cannabinoids, usage, amounts, and application methods. All of these things play a role in how can- nabis can work for you. Medical cannabis needs to be taken along the same lines of how a medical allopathic physician walks a patient through their prescription medication. When a patient doesn't feel that cannabis is working for them, often times this is due to the patient not finding the right profile for them or they did not give the plant enough time to see if it's working. Every medical cannabis patient needs a team and that team can con- sist of an allopathic physician, naturopathic physician, and a can- nabis professional. Hernandez believes that by having a support- ive team, there will be greater success for the patient. To begin treating an interested medical cannabis patient, Hernandez has them fill out an extensive intake form and sit down for a consultation. Prior to treatment, she wants to know as much as she can about the patient, for example, the food they're consuming, physical activity, emotional stress oc- curring at home or in their workplace, and so forth. Everything from mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional well being are considered during their course of treatment. If Hernandez has questions, she is able to consult with the board of the Can- nabis Holistic Institute to help her navigate through the dif- ferent types of medications she might not be as familiar with. "We cross-reference all things—including supplements and medications. We have a big team that we work with," she said "Then we look at the different terpenes and cannabinoid com- binations in their state or area that are legal for them to ac- cess and use. We might even check into the farms. We might check into the dispensaries for them. We may even call ahead if they are in a legal state that is open and they have access to all of these things." After these steps, patients follow their journey through the use of a patient log or journal to document their experienc- es, and continuously check in with their team for as long as needed, typically until they are balanced with their treatment. Hernandez has found that it is extremely important that the patients' primary care or prescribing physician be involved with this team because it helps unify the team effort for the best circumstances and outcomes. Hernandez never takes on more than she can handle and prefers hands on involve- ment. "I know how hard it was for me for the last 20 years to find something. If I can help people shift and navigate through that process easily, it's the most wonderful thing that you could possibly do for someone," Hernandez added. Health Education Through Cannabis Through the Cannabis Holistic Institute, Hernandez has the opportunity to offer educational information on the benefits of cannabis to medical professionals and holistic healers, helping to eliminate any false material and grow the cannabis community. At first, the institute was just for Humboldt County. A few years after its' creation, people from all over the country began inquiring to join. "We only have 12 students a year because I want to be able to manage everyone and have one on one conversations with every single student," said Hernan- dez. "If they have questions or if they need help through their portfolio or their practicum, I want to be there for them. That is my main focus at this time." When the world shifted and shut down during the COV- ID-19 pandemic, Hernandez also had to formulate the pro- gram to a vir tual setting. During the pandemic, the Cannabis Holistic Institute was able to provide accessibility to individ- uals from other states and countries. International students now are able to take par t as well. Cannabis education has