Jacob Bell
New Member
As counties throughout the Central Valley move towards banning medical marijuana dispensaries, another segment of the medical marijuana industry is coming under scrutiny.
Local doctors who recommend the controversial treatment to their patients are being watched more closely as several drug busts have been traced back to their recommendations.
Last year, a drug bust in Boston led investigators back to marijuana plants that were grown in Fresno County with the recommendation of local doctors. While the people who grew and sold the marijuana face trial later this summer, the doctors involved are not facing any repercussions.
Currently, doctors who prescribe marijuana to their patients are protected by Proposition 215 and cannot be punished for doing so. They are not liable if the patients choose to misuse it either, but some politicians would like to see that change.
"We need to have Sacramento clarify how you can dispense marijuana to people who really need it," Fresno County Supervisor Henry Perea said. "We need to sit down and figure out how to make it secure."
According to Perea, while some patients do have a legitimate need for marijuana, others are merely taking advantage of the system.
"There are over 20,000 plants grown from the prescriptions in Fresno County," he said. "That's 10 times more than what is needed."
Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims agrees, saying that she has seen individuals with prescriptions for up to 82 plants.
"That's more than anyone needs," she said. "The number of plants is just a made-up number. Some of these people just want to smoke dope."
However, Dr. Terrill Brown of Medical Cannabis of Fresno disagrees, saying that he recommends as many as 90 plants for some patients depending on how they plan to ingest the medicine.
"Some of my patients need 90 plants because they cook with it, and that takes about four times as much as normal," he said, noting that he often recommends this way of using the drug because it provides better pain relief than from smoking the cannabis.
But, when one of his patients was caught selling marijuana last year, Brown said he was not too surprised. Despite being cautious when giving recommendations, he admits there are always a few people who will take advantage of the system.
"It's a breach of an implied trust between the doctor and the patient," he said. "But there are definitely going to be people out there who will abuse marijuana."
According to Brown, he faced no legal trouble as a result of the bust, and compares it to when people misuse other types of prescription drugs. If someone abuses his or her painkillers, the doctor is not held responsible, Brown said.
But local government throughout the Valley seems to be concerned with the recent trend of people selling their medical marijuana. Doctor's prescriptions provide protection so plants can be grown in plain sight, preventing law enforcement from acting until there is evidence of illegal activity.
"The laws in California are so convoluted that it makes enforcement difficult," Mims said.
Her office fully supports the ban on dispensaries in the county, but she sees doctors as the next crucial step towards controlling medical marijuana.
"Doctors need to be regulated more," she said.
The high cost of a medical marijuana consultation also concerns officials who think that for that kind of money, doctors are more likely to recommend the drug to their patients.
Brown charges $200 for a first time visit, and $100 for the annual renewal of the recommendation. Other area doctors also typically charge between $100 and $150 for consultations.
"I question some of the recommendations because when I talk to the users they do not have legitimate cases for medical cannabis," Mims said. "They will say 'Oh, my back hurts, I need to smoke it for the pain in my back,' but I look at them and they are some young kid in their 20's."
According to Brown, doctors who give medical marijuana recommendations are supposed to spend anywhere between five and 30 minutes evaluating their case – he said he typically spends 15 to 20. During that time, he learns about patients' history and what other medications they have been taking for their conditions.
While most people come to him seeking pain relief, he said that the medicine works for a variety of ailments including eating disorders and asthma. The hardest cases to substantiate though are migraines, depression and insomnia, and at that point he has to use his discretion to determine if someone is lying.
"There's a sixth sense that you have to develop," Brown said. "I take very seriously what I do."
Brown is part of the Society of Cannabis Clinicians, a group of California doctors dedicated to providing the medical community with guidelines on how to appropriately recommend marijuana to patients.
Even with some patients being caught abusing the system, Brown said he is not afraid of his line of work, and is surprised more physicians don't do it.
"There's less stress than working in a hospital, and it can be very lucrative," he said. "It's the single most rewarding aspect of medicine I've ever done."
As for the dispensaries getting kicked out of the counties, Brown said he is not so much worried that he will be next, but is instead concerned for his patients. Without the dispensaries, he knows they will have a harder time getting the medicine they need and are allowed under California laws.
"It's so stupid," he said. "They're going on the basis that it's illegal, but it's not. I am extremely unhappy that they would take away a patient's right. They should be able to obtain their prescription."
News Hawk- Jacob Ebel 420 MAGAZINE
Source: thebusinessjournal.com
Author: Hannah Esqueda
Contact: Contact Us
Copyright: The Business Journal
Website: Fresno med pot doctors under a microscope
Local doctors who recommend the controversial treatment to their patients are being watched more closely as several drug busts have been traced back to their recommendations.
Last year, a drug bust in Boston led investigators back to marijuana plants that were grown in Fresno County with the recommendation of local doctors. While the people who grew and sold the marijuana face trial later this summer, the doctors involved are not facing any repercussions.
Currently, doctors who prescribe marijuana to their patients are protected by Proposition 215 and cannot be punished for doing so. They are not liable if the patients choose to misuse it either, but some politicians would like to see that change.
"We need to have Sacramento clarify how you can dispense marijuana to people who really need it," Fresno County Supervisor Henry Perea said. "We need to sit down and figure out how to make it secure."
According to Perea, while some patients do have a legitimate need for marijuana, others are merely taking advantage of the system.
"There are over 20,000 plants grown from the prescriptions in Fresno County," he said. "That's 10 times more than what is needed."
Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims agrees, saying that she has seen individuals with prescriptions for up to 82 plants.
"That's more than anyone needs," she said. "The number of plants is just a made-up number. Some of these people just want to smoke dope."
However, Dr. Terrill Brown of Medical Cannabis of Fresno disagrees, saying that he recommends as many as 90 plants for some patients depending on how they plan to ingest the medicine.
"Some of my patients need 90 plants because they cook with it, and that takes about four times as much as normal," he said, noting that he often recommends this way of using the drug because it provides better pain relief than from smoking the cannabis.
But, when one of his patients was caught selling marijuana last year, Brown said he was not too surprised. Despite being cautious when giving recommendations, he admits there are always a few people who will take advantage of the system.
"It's a breach of an implied trust between the doctor and the patient," he said. "But there are definitely going to be people out there who will abuse marijuana."
According to Brown, he faced no legal trouble as a result of the bust, and compares it to when people misuse other types of prescription drugs. If someone abuses his or her painkillers, the doctor is not held responsible, Brown said.
But local government throughout the Valley seems to be concerned with the recent trend of people selling their medical marijuana. Doctor's prescriptions provide protection so plants can be grown in plain sight, preventing law enforcement from acting until there is evidence of illegal activity.
"The laws in California are so convoluted that it makes enforcement difficult," Mims said.
Her office fully supports the ban on dispensaries in the county, but she sees doctors as the next crucial step towards controlling medical marijuana.
"Doctors need to be regulated more," she said.
The high cost of a medical marijuana consultation also concerns officials who think that for that kind of money, doctors are more likely to recommend the drug to their patients.
Brown charges $200 for a first time visit, and $100 for the annual renewal of the recommendation. Other area doctors also typically charge between $100 and $150 for consultations.
"I question some of the recommendations because when I talk to the users they do not have legitimate cases for medical cannabis," Mims said. "They will say 'Oh, my back hurts, I need to smoke it for the pain in my back,' but I look at them and they are some young kid in their 20's."
According to Brown, doctors who give medical marijuana recommendations are supposed to spend anywhere between five and 30 minutes evaluating their case – he said he typically spends 15 to 20. During that time, he learns about patients' history and what other medications they have been taking for their conditions.
While most people come to him seeking pain relief, he said that the medicine works for a variety of ailments including eating disorders and asthma. The hardest cases to substantiate though are migraines, depression and insomnia, and at that point he has to use his discretion to determine if someone is lying.
"There's a sixth sense that you have to develop," Brown said. "I take very seriously what I do."
Brown is part of the Society of Cannabis Clinicians, a group of California doctors dedicated to providing the medical community with guidelines on how to appropriately recommend marijuana to patients.
Even with some patients being caught abusing the system, Brown said he is not afraid of his line of work, and is surprised more physicians don't do it.
"There's less stress than working in a hospital, and it can be very lucrative," he said. "It's the single most rewarding aspect of medicine I've ever done."
As for the dispensaries getting kicked out of the counties, Brown said he is not so much worried that he will be next, but is instead concerned for his patients. Without the dispensaries, he knows they will have a harder time getting the medicine they need and are allowed under California laws.
"It's so stupid," he said. "They're going on the basis that it's illegal, but it's not. I am extremely unhappy that they would take away a patient's right. They should be able to obtain their prescription."
News Hawk- Jacob Ebel 420 MAGAZINE
Source: thebusinessjournal.com
Author: Hannah Esqueda
Contact: Contact Us
Copyright: The Business Journal
Website: Fresno med pot doctors under a microscope
