Redeveloping plan to modify East Fort MyersDunbar High School works to beat the heat during spring practice
EAST FORT MYERS Redeveloping plan to modify East Fort Myers Southwest Florida is often called paradise, but some areas like East Fort Myers don’t live up to that. Now, the city is looking to change that.
FORT MYERS Dunbar High School works to beat the heat during spring practice Spring practice is heating up in more ways than one. High school teams are braving the elements right now.
Collier County Escaping an abusive partner – the ins and outs of injunctions for protection Survivors of domestic violence often seek an injunction, but for some, it may not be the best option to get out of a bad situation.
ESTERO Gulfshore Business honors 10 women for their contributions to business and Southwest Florida Lois Thome emceed a Gulfshore Business luncheon Thursday recognizing 10 local women for their contributions to SWFL.
NORTH NAPLES North Naples golf pro will have his sister caddy at PGA Championship Evan Bowser, the first assistant golf pro at LaPlaya Golf Club, will have his sister Elayna caddy for him at PGA Championship.
Person airlifted after crash on SR-31 near Bermont Road At least two people are hurt in another wreck on the roads on State Road 31 in Charlotte County.
Palm Beach Blvd. crash caused massive backups Two lanes are closed on Palm Beach Boulevard because of a crash near Orange River Boulevard.
Getting people back into their homes after storms For months, parts of our community have been involved in a back and forth with FEMA over the 25% flood insurance discount.
Lehigh Acres State Road 82: A road marked by tragedy and a plea for safety improvements State Road 82, specifically the stretch between Interstate 75 and Immokalee Road, is not just a highway; it’s a place marked by tragedy and danger.
Mixing meds can make a dangerous cocktail One thing doctors have to consider when prescribing meds is whether they will interact with any drugs the patient is currently taking.
LEHIGH ACRES Caught on camera: thieves end dream of new family home in Lehigh Acres Thieves in the night destroyed a family’s dream of building a new home, and their acts were caught on camera.
PORT CHARLOTTE HyperFiber internet service planned for Port Charlotte HyperFiber, an independent, high-speed fiber-optic internet service, will be available to more than 31,000 homes in Port Charlotte, said the company’s president and CEO, Dan Kennedy.
FORT MYERS What changes do you want to see on Cleveland Avenue? A drive down Cleveland Avenue in Fort Myers is a reminder of what used to be for many. Whether it’s the abandoned doctor’s offices, shopping plaza units or the old Sears; there’s room for improvement.
HyperFiber internet service planned for Port Charlotte HyperFiber has collaborated with Charlotte County’s engineering division, and the first Port Charlotte customers began to receive HyperFiber’s connection at the end of April.
FORT MYERS Cocaine found after K-9 ‘free-air sniff’ in Fort Myers Police arrested a man accused of trafficking more than 30 ounces of cocaine, after getting help from man’s best friend during a traffic stop.
EAST FORT MYERS Redeveloping plan to modify East Fort Myers Southwest Florida is often called paradise, but some areas like East Fort Myers don’t live up to that. Now, the city is looking to change that.
FORT MYERS Dunbar High School works to beat the heat during spring practice Spring practice is heating up in more ways than one. High school teams are braving the elements right now.
Collier County Escaping an abusive partner – the ins and outs of injunctions for protection Survivors of domestic violence often seek an injunction, but for some, it may not be the best option to get out of a bad situation.
ESTERO Gulfshore Business honors 10 women for their contributions to business and Southwest Florida Lois Thome emceed a Gulfshore Business luncheon Thursday recognizing 10 local women for their contributions to SWFL.
NORTH NAPLES North Naples golf pro will have his sister caddy at PGA Championship Evan Bowser, the first assistant golf pro at LaPlaya Golf Club, will have his sister Elayna caddy for him at PGA Championship.
Person airlifted after crash on SR-31 near Bermont Road At least two people are hurt in another wreck on the roads on State Road 31 in Charlotte County.
Palm Beach Blvd. crash caused massive backups Two lanes are closed on Palm Beach Boulevard because of a crash near Orange River Boulevard.
Getting people back into their homes after storms For months, parts of our community have been involved in a back and forth with FEMA over the 25% flood insurance discount.
Lehigh Acres State Road 82: A road marked by tragedy and a plea for safety improvements State Road 82, specifically the stretch between Interstate 75 and Immokalee Road, is not just a highway; it’s a place marked by tragedy and danger.
Mixing meds can make a dangerous cocktail One thing doctors have to consider when prescribing meds is whether they will interact with any drugs the patient is currently taking.
LEHIGH ACRES Caught on camera: thieves end dream of new family home in Lehigh Acres Thieves in the night destroyed a family’s dream of building a new home, and their acts were caught on camera.
PORT CHARLOTTE HyperFiber internet service planned for Port Charlotte HyperFiber, an independent, high-speed fiber-optic internet service, will be available to more than 31,000 homes in Port Charlotte, said the company’s president and CEO, Dan Kennedy.
FORT MYERS What changes do you want to see on Cleveland Avenue? A drive down Cleveland Avenue in Fort Myers is a reminder of what used to be for many. Whether it’s the abandoned doctor’s offices, shopping plaza units or the old Sears; there’s room for improvement.
HyperFiber internet service planned for Port Charlotte HyperFiber has collaborated with Charlotte County’s engineering division, and the first Port Charlotte customers began to receive HyperFiber’s connection at the end of April.
FORT MYERS Cocaine found after K-9 ‘free-air sniff’ in Fort Myers Police arrested a man accused of trafficking more than 30 ounces of cocaine, after getting help from man’s best friend during a traffic stop.
MGN FORT MYERS, Fla. – Some think medical marijuana, or low-THC marijuana, is only legal for people terminally ill or suffering from cancer, seizures and muscle spasms. But some doctors are currently prescribing medical pot to people they say may not fit those categories – and it is completely legal. Finding a treatment that works During what seemed liked a normal doctor’s visit, Miranda, a 19-year-old suffering from epilepsy, and Amelia, her mother, wait to discuss the teen’s progress with a new drug her physician prescribed. “Is your neurologist, remind me is he aware of you using cannabis?” asked the girl’s doctor. “Yes,” she replied. Due to the sensitive nature of this story, WINK News has concealed the real identities of the girl and her mother. Despite the good results they’ve seen with their new prescription, there is still a stigma attached to using medical marijuana, Amelia said. “I want people to know that there are services out there that can help them and they just can’t give up because they’re in fear,” she said. “We all have to stand together and we all have to stand up and fight for the medicine that we need for our children.” Miranda has used eight different medications, but none have had sustained success, Amelia said. “There have been periods where they’ve been effective at first, so for a couple of months, things seem to be going stable,” she said. “I can’t say well because there’s always other side effects from these medications and then they just get to the point there’s no longer effective.” And then there’s the side effects. “You cannot deal with them, you cannot handle them,” Amelia continued. “The ranges, changes in emotion, the behavior, they effect your entire mental state, your physical state. Hair falling out, weight gain, just a multitude of of problems from these medications and they all react differently with each child.” Amelia came across medical marijuana while researching a better way to treat her daughter’s seizures. “Absolutely I noticed a difference, an improvement in cognition, grades have gone up, um just overall improvement in temperament and of course seizure control,” she said. “And with the medical cannabis, if you miss a dose, there’s no side effect to that, you just resume your normal dose and you continue on.” **The legal opinions on the use of medical marijuana expressed by Florida Integrated Health in this Facebook Live video are their legal conclusions. Several others, including a former federal prosecutor, say that what the clinic is doing is not legal and you could put yourself at risk of prosecution for using medical marijuana in Florida.** Why it is legal The clinic Miranda uses is located off Metro Parkway in Lee County. Florida Integrative Health‘s executive director, Chris Ralph, says doctors’ ability to legally prescribe medical marijuana all comes down to a phrase in a 2001 law. “In 2001 we passed the Health Freedom Act that allows a doctor to provide any mode of treatment without restriction, and those words, without restriction are very important,” he said. “The only state law there is in Florida, is the Health Freedom Act and the Controlled Substances Act. The Controlled Substances Act clearly states that it is lawful to be in possession of a controlled substance if it is obtained by a practitioner, and the Health Freedom Act states that a patient has the right to access that mode of treatment as long as it’s agreed upon with informed consent by the practitioner or between the practitioner and the patient.” In 2014, state legislators passed the Compassionate Care Act, which allowed for the legal use of low-THC marijuana, also known as Charlotte’s Web, for patients with cancer, epilepsy or muscle spasms. Amelia said her daughter actually tried Charlotte’s Web first, but it did not work. “In fact, it sent us to the emergency room a couple of times,” she said. “In our situation, it caused seizures.” Ralph said low-THC is not an option for everyone. “What we know now two years later, CBD (Charlotte’s Web), after a short period of time of use, becomes nothing more than snake oil,” he said. “Because it requires THC to have that balanced homeostatic effect in that body. Most patients that we see will start off with some form of CBD. It will work for a short period of time and then it will stop working.” Is it really legal? Mark Bonner, an Ave Maria School of Law professor and former federal prosecutor, believes what Ralph is doing is illegal. “The only way you can get marijuana legally in the state, is if you have a doctor prescribe it under this new Compassionate Care Act,” he said. “Anybody else who’s selling, giving away marijuana not in that way, is committing a crime.” Ralph said the clinic works with law enforcement, including a former candidate for sheriff in Duval County who wrote in an open campaign letter that “a patient with a valid prescription for medical cannabis may lawfully possess and/or use cannabis for the treatment of their medical condition…” The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said they are aware of the clinic, but did not comment further. Locally, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said they believe they talked with Ralph at least once, but did not elaborate on the conversation.