Patient Education

I. Executive Summary Who We Are

My Compassion is one of only four 501(c)(3) medical cannabis nonprofits in the country. Our organization
was founded by patients who have witnessed the positive effects of medical cannabis on chronic
conditions such as cancer, Crohns disease, epilepsy, HIV/Aids, multiple sclerosis and many other lifeimpairing conditions. We have directly observed how medical cannabis has helped alleviate these
conditions. Across the country medical cannabis is showing positive results in improving peoples health,
and giving them hope and a better way of life.

What We Do
My Compassion seeks to understand, educate, connect, and energize the millions of people living with
medical conditions that are losing hope with current synthetic medicines and are looking for natural,
alternative healing through medical cannabis. We believe everyone should have access to the most current
and correct information when making choices about their treatment options. No one touched by the
healing properties of medical cannabis should ever feel alone. Together we become stronger and have the
power to generate positive change in ourselves and our community through education and a better
understanding about medical cannabis, otherwise known as medical marijuana.

Our Objectives

Provide a variety of education opportunities where My Compassion can share important

information about medical cannabis with the public, patients, caregivers, local and state
government departments, hospitals and universities.
Facilitate networking and the exchange of ideas among new and existing patients, caregivers,
cultivators and dispensary owners. Sponsor presentations about the Illinois Compassionate Care
Act and related topics by experts and members.
Maintain lines of communication with other professional associations and organizations that will
foster cooperative activities and a positive outcome for patients and their families as they begin to
navigate and understand the medical cannabis system.

My Compassion Mission, Vision and Values

Mission: My Compassions mission is to increase awareness and understanding through education,
information and advocacy of all the medical benefits and healing properties of cannabis.
Vision: Through outreach, understanding and acceptance, My Compassion intends to place cannabis on
track to be rescheduled, researched and readily available in its natural form for medical
purposes.
Values: Embodied in the acronym PRIDE:
Professionalism, conduct the business of My Compassion with integrity, trust and
compassion.
Respect, for patients, families and each other.
Integrity, always do the right thing.
Diversity, understand and embracing the diverse beliefs and needs of patients and the
community.
Excellence, what we strive for in everything we do.

My Compassion works to promote patient health and safety to those that use cannabis for medicinal
purposes. Our services include advice and support, consultation and resources, evaluation assistance and
strategic assessment through our national call center, public education and resource materials, live
presentations, webinars and onsite patient advocates.
Our organization plays a crucial role by informing and supporting patients, as well as safeguarding the
rights of patients and support networks. Interacting with the patients enables the team to learn more about
unmet patient needs and this information can guide us in the development of new medical cannabis
product types, new patient processes, and create a valuable patient voice.

My Compassion Milestones
Milestone
Combined Federal Campaign for Office of Personnel Mgmt
USPS HQ in Detroit, MI
USPS HQ in Pontiac, MI

Date Completed
July 2013
Sept. 2013
Oct. 2013

US District Courthouse in Detroit, MI

US Army TACOM (Tank Command) in Warren, MI
McNamara Federal Building in Detroit, MI
FDA Building and Patent Office in Detroit, MI
VA Hospital Center in Detroit, MI
Michigan Medical Marijuana Tradeshow in Taylor, MI

Oct. 2013
Nov. 2013
Nov. 2013
Nov. 2013
Nov. 2013
Nov. 2013

300 Public Meetings, Seminars and Conferences

The American Cultivator Donation Newspaper Business
Calvin College Nursing Class in Grand Rapids, MI
The American Cultivator 1st Release - MI
Wayne State University - 3rd year Law School in Detroit, MI
Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, MI

Dec. 2013
Dec. 2013
Feb. 2014
April 2014
April 2014
April 2014

Presentation in Denver, CO to 5,000 attendees

Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, MI
Autism One Expo in Rosemont, IL
Presentation in Atlanta, GA to 1,000 attendees
Chicago Cannabis Conference 2014 - Navy Pier in Chicago, IL
My Compassion Branch Development Illinois Branch

April 2014
May 2014
May 2014
May 2014
June 2014
June 2014

International Pharmaceutical Academy Conference in Toronto, CN

Alternative Treatments Seminar in Glenview, IL
Wellness House Cancer and Cannabis Presentation in Hinsdale, IL

Sept. 2014
Sept. 2014
Oct. 2014

II. Community Outreach Programs Together with Alternative Treatments Corp, My Compassion will provide Community outreach and
education to patients, caregivers and the public about medical cannabis treatments and the Illinois
Compassionate Care Act. Our comprehensive mission and concern for public safety has allowed us to
become the most trusted resource for cannabis information in the country.

National Cannabis Information Center:

Each year, My Compassion provides patients information, help, and support to individuals who call or
contact us online. Mycompassion.org serves thousands of visitors each year, offers access to the latest
information on cannabis and helps people find programs and services in their area.
A majority of patients call the Information Center to learn about specific conditions and how cannabis
helps. We receive many inquiries about treatment options, drug interactions, side effects and state laws.
My Compassion understands these are important issues that patients face when deciding to use cannabis
for medical purposes.
Whether people have questions about cannabis, need practical solutions to daily problems such as finding
treatment, or are just looking for support from someone who understands, My Compassions trained
information specialists are available seven days a week to answer the questions many patients and
families ask about:

Qualifying conditions
Treatment options
Side effects
Drug Interactions & Safety
Talking with your physician
Where to legally purchase medical cannabis
Medical cannabis laws in their state

Community Meetings:
My Compassion community meetings are open to the public to provide the most accurate information
about the benefits of cannabis, qualifying conditions and the laws surrounding patient use. They can also
provide opportunities for feedback from attendees that may bring attention to broader concerns, including
competency in service and products from dispensaries, the importance of developing partnerships with
local community-based organizations, community safety concerns as prerequisite to health, expansion to a
broader cannabis wellness orientation, and the socioeconomic factors that impact health in a
community, including familial acceptance, cultural disparities, and ignorance.
On average each state police district has an estimated 160 plus cultural community centers. Alternative
Treatments and My Compassion will begin our outreach by providing public meetings that provide in
depth, up to date information on the Illinois Compassionate Care Act, health benefits, laws, science,
product types, and much more. During these community meetings attendees will have the opportunity to
hear from a variety of guest speakers another experience will appear with vulnerable populations in
attendance, who often experience many of the worst health disparities; that is they have poorer health
outcomes than other segments of the participating community. Health Equity requires addressing the
social determinants of health i.e. poverty, hunger, unemployment, educational attainment as a necessary
first step to overall increased well-being.

Patient Advocate and Outreach:

Through the combination of Alternative Treatments Corp and My Compassions educational resources
related to responsible medical cannabis administration and its health effects, My Compassion has a
network of experts representing all facets of medical cannabis treatment programs. This includes
healthcare professionals, lawyers, law enforcement, research and development, information technology,
and communication companies from which to draw and present the necessary educational information.
Over the past five years My Compassion has worked hand in hand with patients who use cannabis to treat
their conditions. We have gained a vast amount of knowledge in this field and understand the concerns
and needs of patients who use cannabis. My Compassions trained Patient advocates will be available on
sight at each dispensary location that utilizes our services to provide the most accurate, up to date
information about medical cannabis.
Veteran Outreach:
My Compassion takes great pride in assisting veterans with their questions and concerns about medical
cannabis. Our years of experience with veteran patients who use cannabis has helped us gain a clear
understanding of their needs. My Compassion helps veterans to have better options by working with
enthusiastic partners such as churches, local VFWs and other agencies. Our outreach extends to
individuals and organizations that assist veterans and may want to participate in partnership activities
that will benefit the veterans who choose to use cannabis for their health:

Veterans Health Administration (VHA)

OEF/OIF/OND Program Managers
Telehealth Coordinators
My HealthVet Coordinators
Women Veterans Program Managers

Harm Reduction Outreach:

My Compassion strongly advocates for the responsible use of medical cannabis. Our work aims to
promote patient health, dignity and community impact through program development and sustainability,
organizational development, monitoring and evaluation, and community mobilization. Capacity building
assistance is designed to assist in implementing and sustaining science-based and culturally proficient
prevention, behavioral interventions and prevention strategies. Our services include advice and support,
evaluation assistance, strategic assessment and organizational planning through community consultation
and resource development including print materials, presentations and webinars.

Policy and Advocacy Eliminate the existing disparities in the provision of health care and basic
human services for medical cannabis patients and their communities.
Training & Capacity Building Assist community-based organizations and other community
stakeholders through the provisions of skills-building training, community consultation, and other
forms of technical assistance.
Educational Seminars Hosting and sponsoring regional seminars that provide social intercourse
and an abundant networking pool of resources, information, best practices and science.
Resources & Publications Our expert staff has developed tools and resources that reflect the
most current and innovative information on methods of harm reduction therapy and cannabis.
Publications are listed in the Resources and Publication Materials for Outreach segment.

Child Safety and Protection Outreach:

My Compassion provides education on responsible use including storage, dosing and disposal of medical
cannabis. At the local level, our coalition network connects directly with patients and caregivers many of
whom have children, by providing workshops and distributing educational materials to assist with
creating a safe environment in homes where cannabis is permitted, especially with curious young
children around.
My Compassion offers a variety of resources to our coalition network to help educate patients and local
communities. These resources include awareness campaigns, tip sheets, safety guides and videos on
medical cannabis storage, dangers of in-home extraction, odor, transporting and accidental ingestion of
medical cannabis by children and other adults. My Compassion urges government to enhance the
structure and stabilize funding for medical cannabis poisoning safety procedures and solutions.
My Compassion and Alternative Treatments Corp will conduct research via questionnaires to study the
behaviors of patients regarding medical cannabis and safety. Published reports indicate there is a strong
need for public awareness and the safe, responsible use by cannabis patients.

Medical cannabis is produced in a variety of medible forms such as candies, cookies and sodas as
it is currently the leading cause of child poisoning in all 23 Medical Cannabis states and is the
leading type of child poisoning in Colorado. Even though there is a reduction of cannabis use in
medical cannabis states from children there is still a need to educate the public on the handling of
their medicine when its in view of the child.
74% of child poisoning in Colorado involves a parent or grandparents medical cannabis medible.
Half of the calls to poison control centers and emergency room visits were for exposures and
ingestions among kids 12 and under.
Policy and Advocacy Eliminate the existing disparities in the provision of health care and basic
human services for medical cannabis patients and their communities.
Training & Capacity Building Assist community-based organizations and other community
stakeholders through the provisions of skills-building training, community consultation, and other
forms of technical assistance.
Educational Seminars Hosting and sponsoring regional seminars that provide social intercourse
and an abundant networking pool of resources, information, best practices and science.
Resources & Publications Our expert staff has developed tools and resources that reflect the
most current and innovative information on methods of harm reduction therapy and cannabis.
Publications are listed in the Resources and Publication Materials for Outreach segment.

III. Public Education and Resource Materials All of My Compassion publication materials have esthetically pleasing images and easy to read content,
which are suitable to most people. All materials are reader centered making it appealing to readers at all
literacy level which is written in clear and simple language with a warm, supportive tone.
The vast content of information is developed by a collaboration of professionals which include Directors,
Medical and Legal Advisors, Patients, Caregivers, Researchers and Cultivators. My Compassions
educational materials are used for multiple forms of outreach and include:

Brochures are descriptive explaining each condition, potential effects of cannabis, variety of
cannabis product types to administer, and contact info to My Compassions National Cannabis
Information Center via its toll-free number or website.
Fact sheets and flyers are image heavy documents with descriptors, charts, graphs, bright colors
representing surrounding specific topics such as qualifying conditions, facts and figures,
diagrammatic images, etc.
Guidebooks on the Illinois Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act providing the Patient section of
the Act, legislation updates, legal opinions, court findings, judicial process and being a responsible
cannabis consumer.
The American Cultivator a quarterly publication, will provide local information on the latest
news regarding cannabis health, technology, state and federal laws, science based articles,
community meeting schedules, national informational updates, patient testimonies and more.
Online classes, webinars, and podcasts will make educational outreach available to shut-ins and
patients who have limited abilities to leave their homes and/or facilities. Each seminar type will
utilize technology advancement for increased access to those that are deaf, low vision, terminal, or
disabled.
Websites deliver a high level of information for anyone looking to learn more about medical
cannabis. Our site is easy to navigate and designed to provide information on chronic conditions
and the laws. Community meeting and event schedules are listed at all times along with the latest
science based evidence and clinical trials for cannabis and conditions like cancer, epilepsy and
Crohns disease.

IV. Summary My Compassion is equipped to provide patients access to the best resources for safe and effective medical
cannabis education, information and administration. Alternative Treatments Corp staff will be welltrained through an online educational certification system for specific positions such as medical cannabis
specialists, intake technicians and patient advocates.
Educational materials including books, newsletters, pamphlets, product comparison charts, patient
testimonials and research studies will be available for patients with some level of digital tablet, for up-tothe-minute medical cannabis information. Specifically, these educational tools will include information to
help patients through the selection process with details on strains, dosage, and various means of
administration.
Additionally, our websites offer a variety of educational resources, including patient and physician
networking, access to research studies, responsible use of medical cannabis, information on events and
focus groups, as well as state laws that have a direct impact on cannabis patients.
Over the past five years My Compassion has taken great pride in educating patients and caregivers about
the laws and use of medical cannabis. As dedicated advocates we have had a positive impact on the lives
of thousands of patients who feared using cannabis and now find great relief from the plant. My
Compassions motto is You Must Increase Awareness to Increase Acceptance Our dedication to
increasing awareness and understanding has allowed us to become the most trusted resource for medical
cannabis in the country.