“Pause Pain and Wellness Medical Cannabis Clinics certainly are.” — Kirk L. Kinard, DO
OXFORD, Miss. — “Pause Pain and Wellness Medical Cannabis Clinics certainly are,” says spokesperson and owner Kirk L. Kinard, DO of Oxford, MS who has teamed with his pain management colleagues throughout the state to open clinics solely dedicated to the evaluation and education of patients considering this much-anticipated alternative to traditional pain medications.
The medical cannabis ballot initiative of the November 2020 election cycle received overwhelming support from over 70% of the Mississippi voting public, and the legislature heard them loud and clear by stamping their approval with Senate Bill 2095, the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act, which was signed into law earlier this year.
Mississippi asked and has now received, but “we are a conservative state, and many are still predictably cautious, if not skeptical, of the whole idea,” says Kinard. That reservation is exactly what sparked the idea to offer dedicated outlets for patients and medical providers alike.
Most of the debilitating medical conditions which currently allow a patient to be eligible for a medical marijuana card are related to chronic pain, which is a very challenging disease requiring attention to both the physical and emotional consequences of those suffering from its grip. A weekly report from the CDC in 2018 cited the following: “Chronic pain, one of the most common reasons adults seek medical care, has been linked to restrictions in mobility and daily activities, dependence on opioids, anxiety and depression, and poor perceived health or reduced quality of life.”
Pause Pain and Wellness clinics will utilize collaborating physicians in metropolitan locations throughout the state with specialty training and board certification in the field of pain medicine. “There are no better equipped physician-led teams to evaluate and manage this patient population with medical cannabis than those already with years of experience doing so,” says Kinard, who has seen the limitations of even the most specialized procedures and medications for many chronic pain patients in his almost 15 years of practicing pain management in north Mississippi. “Medical marijuana will be a welcomed option for many patients but, like any other prescription medication, patient selection and careful monitoring and education are certainly warranted to ensure its safe use.”
Pause Pain & Wellness exists to provide focused and compassionate care to patients throughout the state of Mississippi using an evidence-based application of medical cannabis research. As the only clinic with statewide locations, Pause Pain & Wellness goes above and beyond to keep patients in compliance with Mississippi law so they can keep their cards for as long as they need them.
It’s Time to Pause the Pain.
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