Dr. Kirk Kinard

I have been a physician here in our beautiful state of Mississippi for close to two decades, specializing in pain management since 2008. I was born here, grew up here, and completed my medical training here. My practice focuses on pain relief, improved physical function, and enhanced quality of life while minimizing the role of medications which can result in chemical dependency and addiction. I am dual Board Certified in Anesthesia and Pain Medicine and have dedicated my career to helping people manage and recover from chronic pain.

From my research, I have concluded that medical marijuana, when prescribed with good judgment and oversight, can be a helpful therapeutic medication option for many patients suffering from chronic debilitating conditions.

While the treatment is new to our state, it is not new to medicine. There is some evidence suggesting that cannabis traces its origins to the ancient world and was in use more than 5,000 years ago. It was described in the United States Pharmacopoeia as early as 1850, and federal restriction of the use of this plant-based product did not occur until 1937. Legal penalties were not imposed for its sale and use until the 1950s. In 1996, California legalized cannabis for medical purposes and it has taken years for other states to follow suit.

In February of 2022, Mississippi became the 37th state to legalize medical marijuana, offering hope for relief to thousands of our good citizens. I decided to team up with many of my trusted medical colleagues across the state to bring the same experience and passion they have for their own pain management practices to the medical cannabis evaluation process. I wanted to create a pressure-free, stigma-free setting for patients and caregivers to learn more about the possible role of this treatment option. I have hand-picked some of the most qualified physicians in the state to oversee each of our clinics.

When a patient enters one of our clinics to be evaluated, we want them to feel comfortable and confident that they will be treated with dignity and respect as we gather information about their medical history and discuss treatment options. We are the only state-wide program which is solely dedicated to the entire process from getting a medical marijuana card, to understanding what to expect from a dispensary, to appropriate follow-up to ensure patient safety and satisfaction.

On behalf of our healthcare team, I look forward to helping you Pause The Pain.