Global Healthcare Conversations with Mieko Perez ft. Dr. Bridget Williams

Dr. Bridget Williams is an established board-certified family physician, author and the CEO of Green Harvest Health, medical cannabis clinics located in Ohio. Green Harvest Health is the only medical cannabis and life coaching office in Ohio. Dr. Williams brings nearly twenty years of experience in family medicine from The Cleveland Clinic and certifications in life and cannabis coaching to her practice.

Dr. Bridget provides valuable “medical motivational talks” on medical cannabis, CBD, life balance and confidence. In 2019, Dr Bridget branched out into developing her own line of CBD products as well as white labeling and CBD product development for other businesses.

When not seeing patients, Dr. Bridget hosts a CBD and holistic education series, creates education videos for the Cannabis Hub and is teaching faculty at the Cleveland School of Cannabis.

Dr. Williams is the founder and CEO of the nonprofit GHH Community Foundation. The focal program of the nonprofit is “The Cannabis Can Project”, a gathering of cannabis businesses united to network in a collaborative environment while providing community service opportunities to support the communities that support us. Dr. Williams is honored to be a Women in Medicine Top Doctors for 2021.

After speaking with Dr. Bridget Williams, only one quote came to mind "You can't be hesitant about who you are." – Viola Davis

Hopegrown would like to welcome Dr. Bridget William!

My story of how I got into cannabis is published in the anthology book "Drop the Mask, Share the Crown".

A version of the chapter, "The Unexpected Crown" is attached.

A shorter version is:

I became frustrated with traditional medicine way too early in my career. I called it, factory medicine. I worked in a large prestigious hospital system as a family physician cranking out diagnosis and prescriptions every fifteen minutes.

I was often exhausted and disconnected to what I thought being a physician was supposed to be about. I still had ideals about the art of medicine. I believed in service and providing care and guidance to patients in need.

My patients were more frustrated. Therefore, I started helping patients get off of medications. One of these patients asked me about cannabis. This was over fifteen years ago in Ohio so this was not only taboo but illegal.

Despite this, I did some research on cannabis so I could offer my medical opinion and dismiss this patient's inquiry. Instead, I was shocked by the information I discovered.

The medicinal possibilities of cannabis were something I never heard of and I was intrigued to learn more, I followed my patient in her journey while offering titration, timing and dosing suggestions based on my research, this patient started to sleep better, lose weight, and reduce her stress.

Fast forward fifteen years, when medical cannabis legislation came to Ohio I wanted to get involved. After turning down card mill job options, I decided to open my own offices, Green Harvest Health, the only medical cannabis, and life coaching offices in Ohio. Our focus is education, empowerment, and empathy. We help patients, 'Reclaim their Wellness'.

The healthcare community has taken an unfortunate backseat in the development of modern-day medicinal cannabis. Where we could have been leaders and supported our patients, we often dismissed them from our practices, belittled their choices and shamed them for their decision to choose a holistic path.

The only way to progress is education and research in the medical community. However, the way for true change is grooming independent critical thinkers as physicians that know how to support our patients, discern what is medically appropriate and what is propaganda.

There needs to be larger controlled double-blind studies to better understand the medicinal potential of THC and CBD. We also need to understand minor cannabinoids to better utilize them.

In five years, there will inevitably be more medical cannabis states which would lead to more mainstream patients that find medicinal success with their cannabis choices.

People will have the option of choosing pharmaceutical cannabis options, possibly synthetic or herbal dispensary sources. People will be more educated or at the very least more and more curious about medical cannabis.

My best advice is to have a goal in mind with your use. Having a goal in mind will help a first-time user choose how much they use (recommend starting slow and low regardless), the method that best suits their goal and the cannabinoid and terpene combination that fits best.