News & Events
A Trailblazer in the Medical Cannabis Community
Our Founder and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shelley Turner, MD CCFP, was recently interviewed in Grassroots News discussing the opening of our new Winnipeg Health Centre and what led her to specialize in cannabinoid therapies for addictions, sleep disorders, mood disorders, and chronic non-cancer pain.
Excerpt from article: “Dr. Shelley Turner is a physician who grew up in the Interlake community of Gimli, Manitoba and a member of Pimicikamak (Cross Lake) First Nation. She is recognized as a trailblazer in the medical cannabis community across Canada. Not only did she help develop and teach the first cannabis course offered by a post-secondary institute in Manitoba, she has conducted more than 19,000 patient interactions across Canada with patients who are utilizing cannabinoid therapy to assist with a range of issues from pain management to insomnia.
She specializes in cannabinoid therapies for addictions, sleep, mood disorders, and chronic pain and is currently involved in a number of research projects that look to build research capacity among people with lived and living experience of cannabis use and/or mental health problems and illnesses.
On June 25, 2020, Dr. Shelley and team opened the second Manitoba-based Ekosi Health Centre right next to Meyers pharmacy on William and Isabel, purposely located between Health Sciences Centre and Main Street; she believes this community deserves all the supports possible to address the opioid crisis. When asked about the ongoing stigma attached to the use of cannabis, Dr. Shelley said the number of lives lost to the opioid epidemic is a severe and persistent threat to our families and communities which adds to the constellation of issues we already deal with. (In fact, on September 5th, 2017, the Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council declared their first ever state of emergency on the opioid drug crisis impacting their communities). Combining opioid replacement therapy (ORT) with medicinal cannabis treatment protocols, Dr. Shelley facilitates safe access and harm reduction with the end goal of building resilience in patients.”
