Medical Marijuana User Dies After Being Denied Transplant
I've said before that federal restrictions over medical marijuana use will disappear as soon as the President, Vice-President, or one of their family members needs it, or perhaps a Supreme Court justice or one of their family members, to relieve the pain of cancer or some other terminal disease. Until then we will continue to see incidents like this.
Timothy Garon, 56, died Thursday at Bailey-Boushay House, an intensive care nursing center. He was denied a spot on the transplant list primarily because he used medical marijuana to ease the symptoms of hepatitis-C.
He was told last week he would not be placed on the list until he completed a 60-day drug treatment class. Obviously, as he had less than a week to live, a ludicrous requirement.
Dr. Brad Roter told Garon to smoke marijuana to alleviate nausea and abdominal pain and to stimulate his appetite. He said he did not realize it would create an obstacle for Garon if he were to need a transplant.
Dr. Robert Sade, director of the Institute of Human Values in Health Care at the Medical University of South Carolina said, "Marijuana, unlike alcohol, has no direct effect on the liver. It is however a concern ... in that it's a potential indicator of an addictive personality."
An addictive personality? Oh come on, he needed it in order to survive the suffering he was enduring. Those who criticize medical marijuana users need to experience their suffering to really know why it is necessary.
4 comments:
Another senseless beaurocratic decision ends in avoidable tragedy. This blog has never been more aptly named.
How could he NOT know that his use of Marijuana would be road block to a transplant? If someone knows they could need a liver transplant the steps towards that are well layed out. For example, if you are on the list and you have a drink, just one, then get the call. No transplant. They tell you that up front when you go through the listing process.
"How could he NOT know that his use of Marijuana would be road block to a transplant? If someone knows they could need a liver transplant the steps towards that are well layed out. For example, if you are on the list and you have a drink, just one, then get the call. No transplant. They tell you that up front when you go through the listing process."
....They said in the article that he was denied being put on the list until he completed the 60 day drug course. He probably didn't know it would be a problem until it was already too late.
Vote Ron Paul. Write him in.
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