355 R.I. Doctors Have Approved Medical Marijuana Use

[Ganjarden]

The Rhode Island Department of Health has made public a list of the 355 doctors who have signed applications for their patients to use marijuana for medicinal purposes.

State health officials provided the names of the doctors, and the number of marijuana-card applications they have each signed in response to a public records request from The Journal.

In a statement to The Journal, the Rhode Island Medical Society “strenuously” opposed the publication of the names of any doctors who had signed medical marijuana applications, saying it would “inevitably disrupt the affected medical practices” and “undermine the purpose and effectiveness of Rhode Island’s medical marijuana law.”

A majority of the doctors who consented to be interviewed by The Journal said they did so out of a belief that public discussion shed light on important aspects of the four-year-old medical marijuana law.

Twenty-one doctors approved at least 10 medical marijuana use applications. Those doctors account for 513 of the 1,347 medical marijuana cards issued by the state health department, or about 38 percent. The doctors and the number of applications they have approved are:

Vladislav Zayas, 100

Dennis J. Mikolich, 54

Syed A.H. Rizvi, 36

Edward V. Reardon, 34

Frank W. LaFazia, 31

Todd E. Handel, 31

Herman Ayvazyan, 26

Joseph B. Guarnaccia, 24

Jerrold N. Rosenberg, 22

John A. Cece, 21

Debra L. Roberts, 18

John J. Przygoda, 14

Randy B. Kozel, 13

Albert J. Marano, 13

Peter J. Bellafiore, 12

John S. Straus, 12

Dennis J. Aumentado, 11

Josiah D. Rich, 11

John J. Bandola, 10

Howard P. Safran, 10

Amy Goldfarb, 10


NewsHawk: Ganjarden: http://www.420magazine.com/
Source: The Providence Journal
Author: Katherine Gregg
Contact: The Providence Journal
Copyright: 2010 The Providence Journal Co.,
Website: 355 R.I. doctors have approved medical marijuana use

[Brinna]

This publication of names and numbers is blatant intimidation of physicians, meant to chill recommendation of medical cannabis. However, in this case, I think it backfired. As the good doctors said: "public discussion sheds light on important aspects of the four-year-old medical marijuana law."

When debate is free, open and public, the restoration to our whole society, of the gifts from this spectacularly generous plant – comes ever closer to fruition.

[MedicalNeed]

Brinna I think you maybe onto something there. Thank You.


I think someone from ASA, MPP or one of the biguns needs to contact these doctors and try and get a Town Hall style thing going and use this "Intimidation" tactics in the press and in other ways I haven't even thought of?

Ideas anyone?

I think there may just be a way to "Spin" this and turn it into something to Help the doctors and the Populace.

Thinking Outside the Box is what we need here!