grown compliant with section 7606 of the federal farm bill. Janel entered into the cannabis industry as a parent advocate after her research led her to the discovery that CBD sourced from the Cannabis Sativa L plant would potentially be of benefit to her child, Harmony, who suffers from a rare genetic condition called, Lissencephaly. After several failed attempts to obtain safe, tested, CBD-rich oil for her child, she decided she would become the source. Since Janel’s introducing this high CBD/low THC oil into her daughter’s life, Harmony has gained a quality of life that no synthetic drugs had ever provided her. After seeing her child’s own success, Janel made it her mission to help offer the same to all, and that is how Palmetto Synergistic Research & Palmetto Harmony were born. Her company today deals with thousands of people who have benefitted in some way from the cannabis plant and is wanting to donate her time to help advance this cause to allow access to South Carolina residents to the full plant under a comprehensive medical program.

 She also works as a volunteer with Hugs for Horses therapeutic riding program in Georgetown and is a consultant in the hotel industry; critiquing and evaluating sales team professionals as well as offering recommendation and training to increase sales capture rates. Judy’s greatest strengths are her creativity, drive and leadership. She thrives on challenges, particularly those that expand awareness of medical cannabis and its benefits. Judy is a past catering sales manager at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta where she was involved in developing and implementing sales and marketing strategies to include; securing new accounts, maintaining existing accounts, and maximizing profitability while increasing customer satisfaction. Judy organized and helped execute corporate meetings, association groups, social functions as well as catering with notable success in large-scale event planning. She also holds a bachelor’s degree from East Stroudsburg University and an MBA from University of Phoenix. She lives in Murrells Inlet with her husband, their daughter, Kira, and have two older children no longer at home.

 He has won many prestigious awards in his esteem career most notably the Teacher of the Year award presented by Residents, 2005-2006 and 2003-2004; Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science, USC School of Medicine and the Hoff-Robinson Fellowship Award, Division of Substance Abuse Medicine, Medical College of Virginia Hospitals, Postgraduate, 1985. Dr. Merlin has also been published in several peer reviewed medical journals. A word from DR. Merlin. As an Addiction Doctor I am certain that the current heroin and pain pill epidemic, with all it’s death and destruction, can be laid at the feet of traditional treatment of chronic pain with opioids. This is not merely my opinion, but rather the conclusion of every epidemiological study on the subject. The National Academies of Science, Engineering,Medicine reports that there is “Conclusive or Substantial evidence that Cannabis or cannabinoids are effective for chronic pain”. In 32 years, I have never seen a cannabis related death. It is simply wrong to deny the citizens of SC an alternative to traditional treatment of chronic pain. Further, to conflate medical and non-medical cannabis use is intellectually dishonest.”

During his tenure he was responsible for administration of the association’s training programs, publications, and interests at the Statehouse. He served on numerous committees,and task forces regarding matters related to vulnerable adults and children and advocacy for crime victims. He also chaired the committee that brought the Amber Alert program to South Carolina. He retired in 2014.

 Don retired after 22-years of active duty from the United States Navy, as a Hospital Corpsman, 13 of those years assigned to the United Sates Marine Corps as a Combat Corpsman. During his war time experience, he administered care in multiple combat arenas to include Beirut Lebanon with the Multinational Peace Keeping Force, where he received a purple heart.  In Somalia, Don participated in Operation Restore Hope, a multinational Intervention to restore food distribution and humanitarian aid operations and aboard ship, he participated in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm.  Having experienced many military conflicts, his expertise with PTSD and other lifelong combat related injuries among veterans is a source of experience he brings to his profession as a staff nurse in the Veterans Administration Hospital system.

 

Since working in this position, I have received a Daisy award and was nominated for Health Care Hero for my care of a terminally ill patient.  That patient experience inspired me to collaborate with my daughter making items for a memory making box, also referred to as legacy work.

Our unit has adopted this legacy work into our end of life care for patients. I have achieved these things by following my desire and passion to do more and to do what is right. I have working experience in providing patient and end of life care. Working in the oncology specialty I am honored to be a part of patients’ fights against their disease.  Seeing this, I will fight with them in any way I am able.

The act that I am supporting is the Compassionate Care Act. It cannot be coincidence the name of the legislation is also the care, we as nurses, aim to provide. I believe there is great potential to do good by implanting medical cannabis as a treatment option, especially in oncology and end of life care.  Our patients and our loved ones deserve all the options we can give them.”

 

Due to service connected disabilities I was able to use the Veterans Administration Vocational Rehabilitation program and complete a Master’s in Social Work degree from the University of South Carolina.

Our youngest daughter Mary-Kate has numerous health challenges such as hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, epilepsy and she is visually impaired. It was during my Research Method course that we tested the effectiveness of CBD oil at treating Mary-Kate’s seizures. The results were eye opening and led me to becoming and advocate for patients in South Carolina to have legal and safe access to physician recommended cannabis.

My father is a Vietnam Veteran with Parkinson’s and Multiple Systems Atrophy due to Agent Orange exposure and like all disabled veterans in South Carolina is being denied legal and safe access to physician recommended cannabis.

It is time for South Carolina to allow children like Mary-Kate and Veterans like my father access to a better quality of life.