Elizabeth Cramer Ernst is the founder of Hamptons Medi-Spa and one of the most notable medical cannabis practitioners on the East Coast. Hamptons Medi-Spa is a telemedicine site and service which grew out of Liz’s passion helping her patients obtain access to medical marijuana.
Following A Passion
In 2014, Ernst’s mother suffered a spinal cord injury. Due to her subsequent mobility issues, she struggled to receive appropriate care. In 2016, Ernst’s broke her ribs, for which she was prescribed morphine and percocet. She realized the issues around controlled substances and prescription medication. The combination of these events further fueled Ernst’s dedication to accessible and alternative forms of care.
On the 30th of November 2016, nurse practitioners were allowed to start writing prescriptions for cannabis. Elizabeth obtained her license on the 1st of December which marked the official commencement of Hamptons Medi Spa. Today, she has treated thousands of medical patients, including some amazing cases with children with rare conditions.
Medical marijuana is slowly gaining traction on the local as well as the global level. The UK approved cannabis-based medication in November, 2019. New York state approves medical marijuana for certain, specific conditions. According to Elizabeth, having access to a card provides tremendous freedom for doctors and relief for patients who may suffer from chronic conditions. Additionally, Ernst also assists patients come discontinue addictive prescription medications such as opiates, pain meds as well as other psych meds.
Currently, Ernst uses medical marijuana for the treatment of several conditions including chronic pain, PTSD, patients with seizures, cancer as well as conditions such as OCD and anxiety. Many of her patients are children and infants.
In May 2019, the federal appeals court reinstated a landmark decision that decided that Cannabis’s Schedule 1 classification posed a problem to the health of paritnets. While the medical community still holds reservations against the use of medical marijuana however, Ernst believes that many practitioners could be convinced through additional research and advocacy. Ernst believes that with time, the use of medical marijuana will become increasingly normalized.
In addition to her work with patients, Elizabeth is also involved in research and advocacy. In 2015, Elizabeth successfully sued the State of Florida in Federal court in the case of Cramer et al vs. Agency for Health Care Administration which effectively broadened the scope of supplies and services available to patients at home through the Medicaid program.
She currently has a project ongoing with NYU and was assigned a neonatologist and she’s studying cannabis use in babies during birth injury. Additionally, many of her insights on the uses of medical marijuana come from anecdotal evidence and her work with patients. Many teens and adolescents benefit from medical cannabis as it takes them off the street and allows them to deal with their anxiety in a non-impairing way.
Elizabeth is currently working to create a program in Jamaica to assist with healthcare and medical marijuna over there. She leads a team of clinicians and candidates who have worked on a lot of research projects with Canadian companies. The end goal is to provide pediatricians with as much research as possible to legitimize their prescriptions. In doing so, Elizabeth’s specific interest is milligrams and specifically the search for a daily dosage that can be extrapolated depending on the specifics of the medical case.
Elizabeth is also the founder of Hemp in the Hamptons, which is a hemp infused bodycare company which emerged from the creation of a cream that Elizabeth created. The cream received fantastic reviews and patients have used it for a variety of issues such as shingles, for neuropathy, sunburn, muscles of course and pain.
For 2020, Liz would like to expand Hemp in the Hamptons by making it more available and accessible. Additionally, she would like to open a physical shop where people may purchase their products in person.
