Dr. Jeffrey Block, MD
Dr. Jeffrey Block, MD, Founder: Nurturing Nature®... an interdisciplinary consultancy group advancing the safe and effective clinical use of contemporary cannabinoids.
Bio:
Dr. Jeff Block is an allopathic physician, Board-certified anesthesiologist, and accomplished botanist. “DocBlock” is Fellowship-trained in both pain management & addiction medicine.
At the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine’s Department of Anesthesiology, Professor Block teaches cannabinoid medicine to physicians completing their subspecialty Fellowship training in pain management. Since 2020 he has authored four textbook chapters concerning endocannabinoid receptors and medical Cannabis.
As a highly awarded horticulturist and Florida Master Gardener for Miami-Dade County’s Agricultural-Extension Offices, DocBlock educates on behalf of the University of Florida’s Institute of Food & Agricultural Sciences program and advises their research on hemp.
He is the Founder of “Nurturing Nature®” Group - an independent, interdisciplinary consultancy using integrative medicine and translational science to advance the safe and effective clinical use of cannabinoids.
Moriah Barnhart
Moriah Barnhart, Advocate, Founder and CEO, CannaMoms
Bio:
Moriah is an advocate and businesswoman based in the Tampa Bay Area. She became a leader in the medical cannabis community after witnessing the benefits cannabis provided her young daughter while battling brain cancer. She co-founded CannaMoms in 2014 to educate the public about medical cannabis and advance medical cannabis policy reform at the state and federal levels. In 2015, Moriah helped launch Women Grow Tampa Bay, serving as founding chairwoman of the organization aimed at connecting, educating, and empowering women in all segments of the cannabis industry. She also organized large-scale advocacy efforts in support of Amendment 2, the successful 2016 ballot measure that established Florida's medical cannabis program. Moriah currently sits on the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Hemp Advisory Committee and Consumer Education Subcommittee. She regularly appears in the media and as a speaker at cannabis policy and business conferences.
Dr. Barton K. Hershfield, MD
Dr. Barton K. Hershfield, MD, Medical Cannabis Physicians of SWFL
Bio:
Dr. Hershfield received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 1979. He completed his internship and residency in Family Medicine at the University of Maryland Hospital in 1982. He became certified by the American Board of Family Practice in 1982 and was recertified in 1989. He practiced emergency medicine from 1982 to 2007, becoming certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine in 1988, and earning board recertification in 1998 and 2008. He was the Associate Director of the Wheeling Hospital (WV) Emergency Department for 18 years. During that time he was also the team physician for Wheeling’s professional ice hockey team, the single A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins. From 2007 to 2012 he worked as a cruise ship physician in Hawaii. He moved to Florida in 2012 where he initially practiced urgent care medicine full-time, and medical pain management part-time. When he saw the benefit that medical cannabis provided to very close relatives, he learned all that he could about it, and opened a solo medical cannabis practice in Cape Coral in 2019 where he has practiced exclusively since 2020.
Since 2021 he has been active in the Florida Medical Cannabis Physicians Group (FMCPG). The FMCPG consists of physicians from throughout the state who have unrelated medical practices, but who share the core values of practicing the best possible cannabinoid medicine and of educating their patients, and also share the mission of trying to improve the medical cannabis climate in Florida through legislative and administrative advocacy. Serving as the unofficial scribe of the group, he has helped put the group’s recommendations and educational material into documents such as those which were included in a Legislative Packet that was widely distributed to members of the Florida Senate and House of Representatives, and also drafted amendments for the sponsors of medical cannabis-related bills. With other members of the FMCPG, he has travelled to Tallahassee to meet with legislators and to speak at committees which were considering medical cannabis legislation. The FMCPG invites and encourages all medical cannabis physicians in the state to participate in its meetings which are conducted through Zoom, to learn about and to help influence issues that affect Florida’s medical cannabis physicians and their patients, as well as to share best cannabinoid medicine practices.
DR. JEFF KONIN, PhD, ATC, PT, FACSM, FNATA
Dr. Jeff G. Konin, PhD, ATC, PT, FACSM, FNATA, Clinical Professor, Florida International University
Bio:
Dr. Jeff Konin is a Clinical Professor and Director of the DAT program at Florida International University in Miami, Florida. At FIU, he is also the Director of the Global Initiative for Cannabinoid Research and Education.
As the President and Founder of Konin Consulting, LLC, he advises individual athletes, Universities, healthcare professionals, sport organizations, and companies within the cannabis industry. He is a consultant to the University of Alabama and University of Georgia Athletics Departments. Nationally, he served as the founding chair of the Cannabinoid Task Force for the National Athletic Trainers’ Association. Dr. Konin is also a member of the American Cannabis Nurse’s Association (ACNA), the American Medical Marijuana Physicians Association (AMMPA), the Society of Cannabis Clinicians (SCC), the International Cannabinoid Research Society, and the Florida Medical Marijuana Consortium Scientific Program Committee.
Dr. Konin is the co-editor of 25 textbooks, numerous peer-reviewed publications, and has shared his expertise at professional conferences throughout the United States as well as in many countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Norway, Romania, England, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, France, Switzerland, and Austria. Among the many awards he has received for his lifetime body of work, Dr. Konin is a member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Hall of Fame and holds Fellowship status in both the NATA and the American College of Sports Medicine.
Dr. Derrick Desilva, Jr., MD
Dr. Derrick Desilva, Jr., MD, Associate Attending Staff, Dept. of Medicine, Raritan Bay Medical Center (RBMC) and Teaching Faculty, JFK Medical Center
Bio:
• Associate Attending Staff, Dept. of Medicine, Raritan Bay Medical Center(RBMC), Perth Amboy, NJ
• Teaching Faculty JFK Medical Center, Edison, NJ
• Past-Chairman of Planning Com. Age Management Medicine Group (AMMG)
• Past President of American Nutraceutical Association
• Recipient of the Alan Mintz Award for Excellence in Clinical Age Management Medicine
• Best Doctor Award by Castle Connolly for the past 19 consecutive years
• Host of “Ask the Doctor” on WCTC Radio, NJ
• Medical correspondent for Cablevision (News 12 NJ) and Host of “Health Matters”
Eric Stevens
Eric Stevens, Advisor, Florida for Care
Bio:
Eric Stevens helped launch Florida's Medical Marijuana Yes on 2 campaign with United for Care in 2013 with John Morgan and Ben Pollara. He served in every role but settled in as the Campaign's Finance Director from 2014-2016 The 2016 multi-million dollar statewide campaign effort passed with the highest margin of any medical marijuana question in any state ever at 71%.
He now serves as a Senior Advisor to Florida for Care, a non-profit(c)(4) social advocacy organization made up of the majority of those involved in Amendment 2. Florida for Care focuses on educating the public and elected officials and continues to work for smart policies for Florida's medical marijuana system for patients, doctors, and operations based on best practices. The last few years led the Florida Cannabis Physicians Policy Group with Charles Felix for the last two years, drafting policy papers, events, and discussions. Their most recent focus was related to telehealth passing in Florida and continued improvements that help Florida Doctors.
Before this, in addition to various his other work experience, Eric worked in his home state of Massachusetts with the Mass Patient Advocacy Alliance to help pass Question #3 for Medical Marijuana in November 2012. Eric attended the University of Miami business school in Coral Gables, where he helped found the University's chapter of Student's for Sensible Drug Policy. He originally received an endowment at University of Miami that allowed him to begin his pursuit in this field.
While residing in Miami Beach for the past five years, Eric helped Miami Beach become the first city in the state to decriminalize possession and Miami Dade as well become the first county before the state law passed. He also has been involved in many local discussions regarding ordinances, zoning and more regulations related to this topic.
DR. JEFF KONIN
Dr. Jeff G. Konin, PhD, ATC, PT, FACSM, FNATA, Clinical Professor, Florida International University
Bio:
Dr. Jeff Konin is a Clinical Professor and Director of the DAT program at Florida International University in Miami, Florida. At FIU, he is also the Director of the Global Initiative for Cannabinoid Research and Education.
As the President and Founder of Konin Consulting, LLC, he advises individual athletes, Universities, healthcare professionals, sport organizations, and companies within the cannabis industry. He is a consultant to the University of Alabama and University of Georgia Athletics Departments. Nationally, he served as the founding chair of the Cannabinoid Task Force for the National Athletic Trainers’ Association. Dr. Konin is also a member of the American Cannabis Nurse’s Association (ACNA), the American Medical Marijuana Physicians Association (AMMPA), the Society of Cannabis Clinicians (SCC), the International Cannabinoid Research Society, and the Florida Medical Marijuana Consortium Scientific Program Committee.
Dr. Konin is the co-editor of 25 textbooks, numerous peer-reviewed publications, and has shared his expertise at professional conferences throughout the United States as well as in many countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Norway, Romania, England, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, France, Switzerland, and Austria. Among the many awards he has received for his lifetime body of work, Dr. Konin is a member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Hall of Fame and holds Fellowship status in both the NATA and the American College of Sports Medicine.
Dr. David S. Berger, MD, FAAP
Dr. David Berger, MD, FAAP, Owner, Wholistic ReLeaf
Bio:
Dr. David Berger (“Dr. David”), a board-certified pediatrician with more than 25 years of clinician experience, has gained a national reputation for his expertise in holistic pediatric primary care, with specialties in the areas of nutritional and detoxification therapies for autism, ADHD, and related disorders; and immune dysregulation such as allergies, asthma, and autoimmune disorders. Dr. David also treats adults with these medical conditions. Additionally, Dr. David offers preconception and prenatal counseling, testing, and treatment to optimize the health of both women and infants.
Dr. David goes above and beyond to ensure each of his patients knows he genuinely cares about their well-being. His philosophy is grounded in an individualized approach to medicine that honors each individual’s unique life circumstances.
Born and raised in South Florida, Dr. David chose his career path at age four. Many years later, he graduated from The Medical College of Pennsylvania before completing his Pediatric Residency at the University of South Florida/Tampa General Hospital, where he began use of holistic therapies.
Dr. David has been in private practice since 1997 and is an advanced practitioner of biomedical therapies, advocating for the Autism Research Institute philosophy since 1999. In 2005, Dr. David opened Wholistic Pediatrics & Family Care, his medical practice in Tampa, Florida. In 2010, he was appointed assistant professor at the University of South Florida College of Nursing. Two years later, he helped develop and lead the Preconception to Infancy (P2i) Portland Think Tank, from which the international P2i initiative was developed.
Dr. David launched his Wholistic ReLeaf clinic in 2016 to help qualified Florida patients use medical cannabis as a treatment option. Today, he is one of only a few pediatricians in Florida qualified to evaluate and certify medical marijuana for patients under the age of 18.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. David was invited three times to share his expertise with the FDA vaccine approval committee as they considered the Emergency Use Authorization applications for COVID-19 vaccines.
After recognizing the need for heartfelt education that could extend beyond his medical practices, and reach non-patients and colleagues worldwide, in 2021 Dr. David launched his health education company, Dr. David MD, with his YouTube video series, Your Health, Your Choice, focusing on issues related to health, education, and medical choice.