Biography
Dr. Abraham Benavides, M.D., is an internationally-recognized cannabis research expert and Costa Rica's #1 cannabis health scholar, as recognized by the Cannabis Science & Industry Center of the Americas in 2023. He is the Co-Founder and CEO of MEDEC-CR, Costa Rica's premier medical cannabis doctor's association.
A graduate of The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dr. Benavides has spent over a decade working in the cannabis industry as a medical reviewer, author, editor, and scientific advisor for leading cannabis and CBD organizations worldwide. He has co-authored and peer-reviewed over 800 scientific articles on cannabis, terpenes, and related medical conditions.
He has served as Lead Cannabis Educator and Scientific Advisor for Veriheal, the largest provider network of medical cannabis cards in the US, and as Medical Advisor for CBD Oracle. In 2022, he was invited by the Society of Cannabis Clinicians to speak at the Inaugural Costa Rica Cannabis Congress.
Dr. Benavides honors his Chorotega great-grandmother's plant-based medicinal practices, combining traditional Costa Rican values with modern, peer-reviewed medical science.
