Meet Dr. Ann Marie Wong, MD | Pediatrician/Medical Marijuana Doctor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Ann Marie Wong, MD and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Ann Marie, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I’ve been a practicing pediatrician for 24 years now. When Florida was legalized for medical marijuana at the end of 2016, I was approached by some other physicians to start a medical cannabis practice. Our collaboration did not pan out, but it led me to explore medical cannabis and spend time with doctors in Oregon and Michigan, which was fascinating. I was especially excited about the possibilities of treating children with CBD and cannabis and in seeing positive results with childhood conditions.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
What sets me apart from most other medical marijuana doctors is treating both children as well as adults. I started as a pediatrician for almost 20 years, then shifted my focus to medical marijuana. It wasn’t entirely easy, since four years ago, I would still get the raised eyebrow when I mentioned that I recommend medical marijuana, and the pediatric practice I had been working for let me go. I took it as a sign to go in 100 percent, I feel my brand is different since I spend time really getting to know the patients to try to provide a tailored individualized treatment plan for them, and continue to be available to guide them with adjustments until we reach a good regimen.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I might start the day at the all you can eat brunch at Cecconi’s, although you could spend the entire afternoon eating. Next, I would hit the beach or check out the art at the Rubell Museum. I would continue with a walk around Wynwood for views of the grafitti, and have dinner at my favorite sushi restaurant, Uchi. After Uchi, we could go listen to some music at Lagniappe, an outdoor beer garden with live music, then much later head to Liv, Space, or Eleven for the nightclub experience.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shout out to Society of Cannabis Clinicians for being an excellent resource for physicians interested in learning more about medical cannabis, to Dr. Christian Le for helping me get started in the practice, and Dr. Bonni Goldstein for inspiration as a pediatrician who made the leap to medical cannabis practice.

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