We first met Dr. Rachel Knox in early 2017 when renewing a family member’s medical card. I was impressed with her bedside manner. She truly cares for her patients and it was evident in the appointment we had with her. Instead of just running us through her office and giving us a card recommendation, she took the time to ask questions about what was bothering the patient and gave other helpful advice for pain management and healing. She also asked about the patient’s diet and activity level, things that are very much a part of what she does in her day-to-day practice which is in the fields of Family, Integrative, and Cannabinoid Medicine.
Dr. Rachel received her medical and business degrees from Tufts University after completing her undergraduate studies at Duke. She’s based out of her family-owned clinic in Tigard, Oregon called the American Cannabinoid Clinics. There other doctors at the clinic are her parents, Dr. Janice MV Knox and Dr. David Knox, and sister, Dr. Jessica Knox; collectively they are TheCannaMds (media entity). They study endocannabinology and apply it to the practice of functional and lifestyle medicine to help people achieve improved health in an integrative way. Dr. Rachel’s philosophy is that healthcare should be a system that promotes health first and treats acute and chronic diseases second. Besides just getting a doctor’s recommendation for cannabis, Dr. Rachel aims to fill the gap between what the patient wants to know about treating their ailment with cannabis and the facts. While communicating on ways of administration, the latest scientific research and study, she helps determine which strain would be most effective for each patient.
As the medical chair of the Minority Cannabis Business Association, she prides herself on being a woman of color and a small business operator in the cannabis community. “The war on drugs has negatively impacted women and people of color by the prohibition of cannabis.” (Dr. Rachel Knox) The mission of the MCBA is “To create equal access and economic empowerment for cannabis businesses, their patients, and the communities most affected by the war on drugs.” (MCBA)
Dr. Knox and family write recommendations at their clinics in Tigard, McMinnville, and Medford, but be sure to call her to see when she’s in other Oregon towns. And once you’re an established patient, renewing your doctor’s recommendation is easy! Telehealth video is offered for people who can’t come into the clinic. Telehealth allows long-distance patient/clinician contact and care.
Along with her family, Dr. Knox is a resident medical expert for Weed Horn (@weedhorn), and is currently working on a chatbot called ABBI, the first artificial intelligence to be applied to the cannabis industry.
