Pubdate: Wed, 15 Jul 2015
Source: Ukiah Daily Journal, The (CA)
Copyright: 2015 The Ukiah Daily Journal
Contact: http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/feedback
Website: http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/581
Author: Carole Brodsky

'UNITED' STATE OF CANNABIS: CONSULTING COMPANY POINTS TO PATIENT SUCCESSES

Editor's note: This is the third in a series of articles covering the 
establishment of one of the first tribal cannabis farming projects in 
the United States. The Pinoleville Pomo Nation is providing readers 
of The Ukiah Daily Journal with a first-hand, exclusive look at the 
people, the processes and the philosophical underpinnings of this 
groundbreaking medical cannabis project.

"All of the founders of United Cannabis have a fondness for cannabis, 
because one way or another, we started out as patients," explains 
Chad Ruby, COO of the United Cannabis Corporation.

Ruby explains the origin of the company that is providing the 
expertise and consultation for the production of medical cannabis 
products - soon to be managed and distributed by the Pinoleville Pomo 
Nation's Medical Cannabis Collective, just north of Ukiah.

"The story of United Cannabis begins with the founding of River 
Rock," says Ruby. River Rock is a Colorado-based cannabis growing, 
processing and dispensing operation - the brainchild of longtime 
friends and partners Tony Verzura and Earnest Blackmon.

Injuries from a car accident and a subsequent addiction to 
painkillers motivated Verzura, the United Cannabis technical officer, 
to devise cannabis solutions for his chronic pain.

"Being patients fueled our motivation. I blew out the anterior 
cruciate ligaments in my knees and had herniated discs in my lumbar 
spine," says Verzura. "We were patients trying to help patients."

In 2009, Tony Verzura and a handful of partners founded River Rock, a 
medical cannabis dispensary. The project started humbly in a detached 
garage where three "grow" lights and six cannabis plants served five patients.

Six years later, the flagship operation included an 18,000 
square-foot greenhouse, 9,000 square feet of indoor cultivation, the 
tracking of over 200 cannabis strains from seed to sale and service 
to over 100,000 patients and customers.

River Rock and its affiliate partners garnered 30 local, national and 
international awards for a variety of cannabis products. Blackmon and 
Verzura pushed forward and with their network of associates developed 
proprietary organic cannabis products for patients under the global 
identity they named United Cannabis Corporation. Blackmon continued 
on to become River Rock's master grower.

The focus on medical cannabis continued to be the team's raison 
d'etre. The United Cannabis Corporation was formed to facilitate the 
development of a medicinal cannabis product line and patient-tracking 
software program that gathers data and guides physicians toward the 
provision of optimum care. "First we looked at science, then 
software," says Ruby.

"United Cannabis is a bio-cannabinoid technology company, built on 
scientific research, product development, and implementation of a 
proprietary cannabinoid therapy program," says Verzura. A powerhouse 
of medical and scientific advisers was enlisted, who have helped 
standardize and perfect the company's medical products and protocols.

Brent Reynolds Ph.D. is United Cannabis' chief medical adviser. He 
co-discovered the existence of stem cells in the adult mammalian 
brain, resulting in clinical trials for treatment of diseases such as 
spinal cord injury, stroke, ALS and pediatric disorders.

In 2008, Reynolds was recruited to the department of Neurosurgery at 
the University of Florida, where he studied and developed treatment 
approaches for aggressive juvenile and adult brain cancers. Reynolds 
and his colleagues are investigating the treatment and management of 
cancer as a chronic disease. He has authored more than 60 
publications with several manuscripts receiving over 1,000 citations, 
and as an inventor has 18 granted patents.

United Cannabis' medical director Dr. Barry Bialek received his 
degree from George Washington University in 1985. He worked as the 
clinical assistant professor for the University of Arizona's 
department of family medicine. He was the lieutenant commander in the 
Commissioned Corps Indian Health Services for the United States 
Public Health Services, serving as a family and emergency medicine 
physician for the Fort Apache Indian Reservation in Arizona.

Bialek was an academic appointee for the Engineering for Developing 
Communities projects in Israel, Nepal and China. He is the associate 
adjunct professor in Engineering and Applied Sciences at the 
University of Colorado, and is a member of the university's Medical 
Cannabis Research Group.

His Colorado practice specializes in medicinal cannabis-based family 
medicine. Dr. Bialek presides over the United Cannabis ACT Now 
Program, is the project's Native American medical liaison and the 
assistant medical director overseeing clinical human observational studies.

"Our research team dedicated all their energy to patients. We are 
trying to help patients supplement their endocannabinoid system by 
using the most optimum cannabis medicine and nonabrasive delivery 
methods available," Verzura explains. "Every human is born with an 
endocannabinoid system that controls the communication between the 
central nervous system and the immune system, similar to traffic 
lights regulating the flow of cars. Its job is to keep the system in 
homeostasis," he explains.

Verzura compares endocannabinoid receptors to familiar computer 
devices that utilize plugs designed with multiple male-to-female 
interlocking holes and pins.

"If you're missing 10 out of 100 pins, your device will still conduct 
electricity, but not everything will fire correctly. Traditional 
medicine ignores those broken 10 pins and treats patients as if the 
missing pins aren't there. Cannabis therapy fine-tunes the body 
toward homeostasis. It interacts with the body's signaling system to 
more completely communicate what's needed."

Verzura and his team have witnessed countless reversals of what 
appeared to be hopeless medical situations. "We never use the word 
'cure' but we have had patients with metastatic Stage IV liver and 
breast cancer who had run out of options, and a year later, after 
following our protocol are still testing as cancer-free," says Verzura.

"The observational data is taking us toward better results, even 
though ironically, it's still virtually impossible to keep a bank 
account in this industry," he concludes. "We're not lobbyists. We're 
not politicians. I'm a grass-roots person. My goal was to get medical 
products into the United Cannabis program. Once you have 20 people in 
remission, you are compelled to go to the next level - to help more people."

Next: : Taking the "Harm" out of "Pharm:" United Cannabis Corporation 
creates high-grade standardized medicine and a patient tracking 
system for the Pinoleville Cannabis project.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom