The fourth PR MedCann.Biz convention kicked off yesterday in Río Grande, Puerto Rico with great success. The convention, bearing the tagline “a road to better medicine”, brings together everyone from policy makers to patients for a two-day event dedicated to Puerto Rico’s medical cannabis industry. The first day alone brought in a record-breaking number of attendees. According to the convention’s sponsor, the eponymous PR MedCann.Biz—which happens to be Puerto Rico’s leading cannabis consulting firm—there were thousands of representatives from all areas of the medical cannabis space, hailing from the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Most importantly, in the first day alone, a multitude of new medical cannabis patients were certified. MedCann.Biz president, Noemi Pérez, was excited and optimistic about the turnout and the number of new patients.

“Puerto Rico MedCann.Biz has evolved along with the needs of patients and the industry,” she said. “This year’s unifying theme, ‘A road to better medicine’ has guided the design of the event as a platform to provide education to professionals and patients using world-class speakers and also provide the opportunity to obtain cannabis certification in a convenient, professional, and secure environment.”

Among the topics discussed on the first day of the conference were the importance of industrial hemp and the potential to use medical cannabis for the treatment and management of opioid use disorder, anxiety disorders such as PTSD and insomnia, chronic pain, and cancer. The second day of the conference will feature panels on responsibly using edibles, treating Alzheimer’s with cannabis, and lab testing reports on Puerto Rico’s medical cannabis strains.

Although Hurricane María affected Puerto Rico’s medical cannabis industry, the island nation has still seen a significant growth in the space. In fact, according to Pérez, the number of medical cannabis patients has increased by 100 percent since April. This increase, both in certified patients and interested parties, was reflected in this week’s convention.

“The enthusiasm from all participants is palpable,” Pérez said. “In addition to patients, we have representation from dispensaries, manufacturing operations, and laboratories that serve the industry. Despite the challenges that remain, we are very optimistic about the future of medical cannabis in Puerto Rico.”