Yes. Dr. Lihi should be central to the story, especially because her expertise gives the conference participation more meaning. I would explain who she is first, then introduce polypharmacy in plain language and why her research matters for older patients.

Medical cannabis research is most meaningful when it helps answer the questions clinicians face in everyday patient care. For Tikun Olam, those questions have guided more than two decades of clinical research and real-world patient study.

That work was recently brought to the U.S. medical community by Dr. Lihi Bar-Lev Schleider, Tikun Olam’s Director of Research and a clinical epidemiologist whose work has focused on studying medical cannabis through real-world patient data and clinical outcomes.

At the Florida Medical Cannabis Conference & Exhibition, Dr. Lihi presented research on polypharmacy among older adults. Polypharmacy, the use of multiple medications at the same time, is common among older patients managing chronic conditions and often makes treatment decisions more complex.

Her presentation explored an important question within medical cannabis care: what happens to medication use when older adults begin medical cannabis treatment?

Drawing from Tikun Olam’s clinical research and patient data, the discussion examined changes in prescription medication use and the broader role medical cannabis might play within physician-guided care. Rather than viewing cannabis as an isolated treatment, the research looks at the full picture of a patient’s existing medications, symptoms, and health needs.

This approach reflects how Tikun Olam has studied medical cannabis since its founding in Israel in 2005. Over more than 20 years, our research has drawn from over 20,000 patient records, 17 peer-reviewed studies, and multiple clinical trials. This clinical foundation continues to inform how we study cannabis and develop condition-specific formulations.

From Florida, the conversation continued at CannMed 2026 in Lake Tahoe, where Dr. Lihi joined physicians, researchers, scientists, and patient advocates working to advance cannabinoid medicine.

These conferences create an important bridge between research and clinical practice. They give researchers like Dr. Lihi an opportunity to share findings directly with healthcare professionals, discuss the questions emerging in patient care, and identify where further research is needed.

For Tikun Olam, advancing medical cannabis means continuing that exchange. More than two decades of patient data have given us a strong foundation, but the work continues through research, physician education, and a commitment to understanding how cannabis fits into responsible, evidence-based patient care.