Dr. James Smith

A 30-year interventional cardiologist, educator, cancer survivor who is practicing a science-driven cannabis treatment plan.

Dr. James Smith, a premier Louisiana cardiologist, leads a very personal mission when it comes to medical cannabis. After three decades of distinguished work in interventional cardiology, Dr. Smith was diagnosed with metastatic bone cancer in 2009. In 2015, Dr. Smith felt side effects from treatments and medications associated with his cancer presented too much of a hindrance to continue working. He retired and began investigating medical cannabis for his own use.

Pulling from his vast medical knowledge and experience, Dr. Smith devised a science-driven medical cannabis care plan for himself that allows him to reduce and limit narcotic medicines while maintaining a quality of life that affords him the energy to advocate for others. He has stood before Louisiana legislators and given testimony to push the state’s laws on medical cannabis forward. He has worked with educators to devise university-level courses that demystify the endocannabinoid system for medical professionals. He has worked tirelessly through his own illness to pave the way for future patients to benefit from his personal advocacy.

Dr. Smith studied at Hastings College and attended medical school at University of Nebraska. He studied internal medicine and cardiology at Tulane University, and he spent time working in the Cook County Hospital system in Chicago.