Learn About Us | Compassionate Cannabis Clinic

Since first seeing patients in January 2017, Compassionate Cannabis Clinic has become the leading practice of its kind in Florida. By providing our patients with the best possible standard of care, teaching them how to properly integrate cannabis into their treatment regimes, and advocating on their behalf for legal access to cannabis we have led the charge for a more natural choice in wellness.

Our Vision

For nearly 4,000 years, marijuana has been used for medicinal purposes. It wasn’t until the 1940s (post-Prohibition), that powerful business interests successfully lobbied the United States Congress to move all derivatives of cannabis to a highly controlled status.

Since California first legalized cannabis for medicinal use in 1996, the tide has begun to swing back and extensive research over the course of the past 20 years has shown that this natural, organic substance has the potential to ease the suffering of individuals with chronic illnesses.

Our mission is to provide a better quality of life for our patients without the use of laboratory produced pharmaceuticals. With proper education and training, we also hope to further a better understanding by the general public of the positive uses of cannabis therapy and dispel much of the negative propaganda associated with the medical use of marijuana.

Our Clinical History

To understand where we came from, it’s important to know the timeline of events within Florida in terms of medical cannabis.

- May 1, 2014: Florida Legislature passes Senate Bill 1030 called the “Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act of 2014.”

- June 16, 2014: Florida Governor Rick Scott signs bill into law.

- May 27, 2015: Detailed rules regarding restrictions and implementation of “Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act of 2014” approved.

June 2016: Alpha Surterra expected to begin dispensing low-THC cannabis to patients in the Tampa Bay area (southwest region).

On November 8, 2016, the Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment that expanded the state’s limited medical cannabis program. Receiving over 6.5 million votes, Amendment 2 passed with a 71.3 percent majority. The next day, November 9th, plans were laid to create a new kind of clinical practice of medicine in Southwest Florida. Dr. Barry Gordon formulated what would become the clinical model of cannabis practice within the state.

After launching a simple website on Thanksgiving day, thousands of people signed up for a mailing list. On December 15, 2016, we began scheduling our first appointments for after the first of the year. Nearly 100 appointments filled within an hour. By the time we saw our first patient on January 3, 2017, we had booked our entire first month.

From January until the end of September, we treated over 1,000 patients from our small, one-exam room office. Rather than build out into multiple satellite practices, we decided to build inward and expand our initial vision of a premiere center of cannabis medicine. On September 25, 2017, we began seeing patients within our new state of the art facility.

Our patient base is diverse. The average age of our patients is 53.55 years, with our youngest being 3 and our oldest being 98. Most of our patients live within a 20 mile radius of the practice, but some have traveled from as far away as Orlando, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale.

In addition to our clinical work, the Compassionate Cannabis Clinic has been recognized as leaders in the fight for patient access. Dr. Gordon has tirelessly advocated for Floridians, both at the local and state level. We routinely welcome other physicians, elected officials, and advocates into our practice to learn how this new way of medicine functions from a realistic perspective.

Our Standard of Practice

By creating and constantly refining solid processes of practice, our goal is to provide our patients a level of care not commonly available in the American medical system.

Our three tenets of deliberate practice are a superior level of care, education, and advocacy for our patients.

We promise to always:

- Be kind, polite, courteous, and respectful.

- Answer any question given to us honestly and as expertly as possible.

- Take any time necessary to help our patients receive the level of care they require.

- Research and discover knowledge about cannabis, it’s treatments, and it’s therapies.

- Educate our patients and the public about a more natural course of treatment.

Advocate for our patients whenever possible and necessary, so that they may easily obtain access to the cannabis product(s) for which they are lawfully entitled and which their physician thinks medically necessary for their care.

Our Staff

The personalized attention we provide to our patients is nearly unheard of in contemporary medicine. Our chief physician, Dr. Barry Gordon, is a founding Fellow of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine. Actively in practice for 35 years, Dr. Gordon has an exemplary record of service and has a deep commitment to the betterment of the health of his patients.

Our clinical staff is highly trained in cannabis medicine and we all share the passion of the movement and tirelessly advocate on behalf of the individuals within our care.

We will always answer any and all questions you have thoroughly and believe proper education is key to understanding the many benefits of cannabis therapy.

Barry Gordon, MD

Chief Medical Officer

Our Clinic

Conveniently located off of I-75 and Jacaranda in Venice, Florida.

Compassionate Cannabis Clinic outdoor shot.

We pride ourselves on having created a welcoming and judgement free environment for our patients. Located within the Lakeview Office Park on Commercial Court in Venice, individuals are greeted by calming music, a helpful and courteous staff, and efficient patient intake procedures that dramatically reduce the time sitting in the waiting room.

Midway between Sarasota and Port Charlotte, we are easily accessible to our patients. Just as any medical practice, we have all of the instruments necessary to perform full physical examinations.

In addition to cannabis therapy, we offer convenient acute care services to our existing patients so they can skip the E.R. and save themselves money on co-pays and hospital bills.

Directions: From the north or south, take I-75 to the Jacaranda exit in Venice (exit 193). Head west, and make a right on Commercial Court. Proceed 1/4 mile, and make a left into second entrance of the Lake View Office Park. We are located on the northeast corner of the complex.

Interesting But True Cannabis Facts

There are no recorded deaths as a result of cannabis over-consumption.
The lethal dose of marijuana has never been quantified because it is so high and humanly impossible to achieve but is estimated at over 1500 pounds in 15 minutes.
There are no serious lasting side effects. There are certainly risks and side-effects to consuming marijuana but they are more mild than those of most prescription drugs.
Side-effects generally subside in 45-minutes to an hour for inhaled cannabis and 6-8 hours for ingested cannabis depending on your body chemistry.
Smoking marijuana does NOT cause lung cancer. In fact there is substantial research that smoking cannabis indicates a preventative effect on lung cancer.
Dr. Donald Tashkin, Emeritus Professor of Medicine & Medical Director of the Pulmonary Function Laboratory at UCLA has reported that chronic marijuana smokers have a lower risk of lung cancer, followed by the group of chronic cannabis and tobacco smokers, then non-smokers, and of course tobacco only smokers were last with the highest risk for lung cancer.
Cannabis does not interfere with your other medications.
Cannabis does not have to be smoked. Intake methods include vaporization, eaten in food, taken under the tongue or swallowed as a tincture, oil or even juiced.
Smoked or vaporized cannabis enters the blood immediately. You can feel the impact immediately – often within seconds.
Cannabis supports the body as an anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective and a vasodialator.
Cannabis is one of the most pharmacologically active plants on the planet with over 400 different active chemicals.
The active components of cannabis exist within a tiny crystal-like structure on the plant surface called a trichome.
Trichomes are most dense on the flower or bud. Leaves will have 25% of the density found on the bud.
THC is the psychotropic component of cannabis and must be heated to become active.
Cannabis, has two sub-species that are most commonly used for medical marijuana. They are Cannabis indica L and Cannabis sativa Lam.
Cannabis indica is known and used for its sedative and relaxing properties effective in treating medical issues like anxiety, chronic pain, insomnia, muscle spasms and tremors. Indica often causes drowsiness, which is why many prefer to take it at night.
Cannabis sativa strains are more stimulating and are often preferred for day use as they deliver a more psychoactive energetic-mind-high. This effect is caused by the higher THC levels in sativas than indicas.
George Washington grew marijuana. Washington wrote in letters on more than one occasion that he grew marijuana: “Began to separate the male from female plants rather too late … Pulling up the (male) help. Was too late for the blossom hemp by three weeks or a month.” Many today suspect he smoked weed to alleviate the pain caused by his 18th century dentures.
The Jamestown colony in 1619 passed legislation FORCING settlers to grow cannabis. Hemp was a mainstream cash crop that was used to make rope, fabric and ship sails. It was literally against the law not to grow it.
Suicide rates have dropped in Colorado since its legalization. According to the study: “Our results suggest that the passage of a medical marijuana law is associated with an almost 5% reduction in total suicide rate, an 11% reduction in the suicide rate of age 20-29 males, and a 9% reduction in the suicide rate of 30-39 males.”