Wyoming Medical Society Announces Opposition To Medical Marijuana Effort

[Jacob Redmond]

The Wyoming Medical Society has come out against a proposed ballot initiative that would legalize medical marijuana in Wyoming.

The statewide group, which counts more than 700 physicians and physician assistants as members, announced its opposition in a position paper posted to its website.

The statements says the group "opposes medical marijuana outside of the regulatory process of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration."

A spokesman with the group said its members consulted with several Wyoming medical professionals and the Colorado Medical Society.

The group's opposition comes as Wyoming voters could be asked to decide whether to legalize medical marijuana as early as November of next year.

The Wyoming chapter of National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws must collect 25,673 signatures of registered voters by Feb. 8 to get the question on the ballot for the 2016 general election.

Read more about the Wyoming Medical Society opposition to the effort in Sunday's Wyoming Tribune Eagle.

News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: NEW: Wyoming Medical Society announces opposition to medical marijuana effort | WyomingNews.com
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Website: Local News Cheyenne Wyoming

 

[mk1903a3]

of course they oppose it they are on the take from the drug companies.

 

[mlang52]

No fellow physician, that I ever knew, was on the take from any of the drug companies. The situation is developing because they don't want anything to cut into their personal incomes. They love destroying other physicians, in any way they can, to decrease the competition, and increase their own incomes! They are a very petty group! When people see results, they are going to realize that doctors, like this, are more interested in their bottom line than they are in relief of patients' suffering! (The oath to treat suffering no longer applies, especially to us that suffer chronic pain from traumatic injuries!) They have no problem with alcohol, abuse and the number of deaths caused each year from overdose from that "use"! They don't care that no one has ever, in the history of the world, died from cannabis overdose! They don't care that it was used as medicine for centuries! Basically, they don't care about good patient "care"! They prefer to remain ignorant. That means that they are protected by a "standard of care" the becomes substandard because of their resistance, to become better educated about the potential benefits of cannabis. They hide behind the CSA (Controlled Substance Act) which capriciously and arbitrarily place drugs into a classification system that routinely uses misrepresentations, to establish drugs as class one, and unusable as medical treatment. Even the true medical component of "heroin" (Diacetyl-morphine) is used in other countries as pain medication.

No, it is not that they are on the take. It is just too much trouble for them to practice good medicine, meaning learning something more than they do in their fake CME (continuing medical education) "seminars"! They are afraid that people are going to be just as capable of taking care of many of their medical problems, without the daily ingestion of the toxic pills that they push, in their, required, monthly visits! They are afraid that the patients are going to be able to grow their own medicine in their back yards!

 

[wildjim]

Drug reps, as they are called give doctors all kind of bennies. They provide free samples to give to patients to get them buying those drugs, with all their side effects. They provide the doctors lunches for their entire office. They give doctors free trips to hear the reps and 'associated' doctors speak about their drugs. They gave free 'toys' like pens, clocks, dart boards and more. So don't tell me drug companies don't BUY doctors. I have seen it personally. $200 a plate dinners with all the wine one could drink for doctors and their guests. I have been a guest, so don't tell me drug companies don't buy doctors. I have boxes of pens and many other 'toys' from those drug reps. THEY BUY THE DOCTORS!

Fortunately the laws have recently changed and freebies like pens and such are not allowed. But the trips are still allowed.

The medical field has been in my life for 35 years. Doctors protect each other. Rarely do they testify against another doctor. They don't, as you say, love to destroy other doctors to protect their income. Their income losses are directly related to the health insurance companies. Doctor offices are being bought by large medical providers and universities, to control the doctors more. Doctors are paid a salary now, they don't own their own offices. Health insurance companies and drug companies together spend 4 billion a year buying comcast and other tv providers with their purchasing of commercial advertising. Have you ever seen a commercial selling a drug, or should I say do you ever see a commercial not for a drug company? Could you imagine the loss of 1 billion dollars in advertising? You really wonder why they don't want medical marijuana? Now you know. Now you know the real power they hold. And who holds the power.

WJ

 

[mlang52]

The laws changed over ten years ago! Your experience does not reflect mine. Do you, honestly, think a few cheap advertising pens, or coffee cups, are going to get doctors to write the products? A few physicians, as I did, write generics and tier one drugs to save people money. The only thing doctors are realistically guilty of, is not being in touch with the, low income, peons that have to worry about how they are going to pay for all of those $200+ prescriptions. Doctors do testify...against the competition! You are correct in the fact that they protect each other. I had an elderly patient in a nursing home, killed when the nurses crushed up her Oxycontin to make sure the patient took it. Then the lawyers said they would not take the case! They killed the old lady, and the nurse bragged about getting the, crushed, pills down her, in the nurses' notes! The doctor had to order that! And I had an experience last December that cost my mother her life. It happened because of one of those small hospital deals with a university hospital over two hours away from home, when the situation could have been handled in a closer hospital. Yes, doctors are getting salaries and their consultations are dangerous for the patients, in some instances.

Otherwise, drug companies have been advertising for years, since the Congress approved of the use of more liberal drug advertising guidelines. Those advertisements have been over fifteen years, at least! Actually, it could have been twenty-five years ago! And, no, I have no doubt why doctors oppose medical cannabis. It would cut into their incomes, when people will not have to spend their hard earned incomes, on inadequate, and sometimes incompetent, office visits. Believe me, I know the power they hold! I suffered at the hands of many a "good" doctor, intent on destroying my practice!

 

[wildjim]

The laws changed over ten years ago! Your experience does not reflect mine. Do you, honestly, think a few cheap advertising pens, or coffee cups, are going to get doctors to write the products? A few physicians, as I did, write generics and tier one drugs to save people money. The only thing doctors are realistically guilty of, is not being in touch with the, low income, peons that have to worry about how they are going to pay for all of those $200+ prescriptions. Doctors do testify...against the competition! You are correct in the fact that they protect each other. I had an elderly patient in a nursing home, killed when the nurses crushed up her Oxycontin to make sure the patient took it. Then the lawyers said they would not take the case! They killed the old lady, and the nurse bragged about getting the, crushed, pills down her, in the nurses' notes! The doctor had to order that! And I had an experience last December that cost my mother her life. It happened because of one of those small hospital deals with a university hospital over two hours away from home, when the situation could have been handled in a closer hospital. Yes, doctors are getting salaries and their consultations are dangerous for the patients, in some instances.

Otherwise, drug companies have been advertising for years, since the Congress approved of the use of more liberal drug advertising guidelines. Those advertisements have been over fifteen years, at least! Actually, it could have been twenty-five years ago! And, no, I have no doubt why doctors oppose medical cannabis. It would cut into their incomes, when people will not have to spend their hard earned incomes, on inadequate, and sometimes incompetent, office visits. Believe me, I know the power they hold! I suffered at the hands of many a "good" doctor, intent on destroying my practice!

Woa there, you sound so angry. I am sorry, but I will not argue on this or any blog with anyone. The fact that you appear to be a doctor makes you suspect to me. I only spoke of my personal experience. The laws I spoke of were changed within the past five years by the republican congress. They change them every couple years to repay the political donation dollars they get from those companies to run for office, again and again. Do you think it was really a few pens or coffee cups? The free trips and dinners man. Hawaii, Las Vegas and the Bahamas were where my doctors and their families went to be fed the "prescribe this drug" mantra. Who would not want to take their family to Hawaii for free? Just to give free samples and then write a prescription to a patient for a medication that has no history? And those commercials for new drugs say to report any side effects to the FDA. Why? Patient guinea pigs as I see it.

I always ask if there is a cheaper version of a new prescription and suggest all do the same. I had a doctor walk out of the office because I asked if there was a cheaper version. I commend your prescribing as you did and many doctors I know do the same. Unfortunately pharmacies also have different charges for insured and uninsured patients. I had one experience when I was paying over $800 a month for health insurance. During that time I paid a $50 deductible for a medication every month for years, and when I changed to Medicare, I had no prescription coverage for one month only because I was trying to understand Part D and make a choice of coverage. When I had to pay cash for that month's prescription I was charged $7.00 rather than the usual $50 which is rather strange. Who was getting the $43 I "overpaid" for the medication? The pharmacist explained it was due to the agreement they had with the insurance company. Agreement that I pay more for a $7.00 medication? I have two different prescriptions, both tier 4, that cost over $500 a month on Medicare with Part D. They would be even more if I had to pay cash, which I will have to do for part of every year due to the doughnut hole in Part D. Look at Medicare Part D and you will be so confused you will wonder who came up with that trash. Oh yea, George W Bush and his confederates in the congress and senate, all republicans. I was a republican all my life until I needed chemotherapy and found out the truth about the cost. Fortunately I had personal relationships with many doctors and I am still here complaining about health care in this country. It still took all of my life savings and more to be able to stay alive with my family. Oncology doctors are the only doctors that are permitted to "sell" the chemotherapy medications, at what ever profit they want, directly to patients suffering the worst illnesses possible. Thanks to Bush and his allies in the congress.

The drug companies and insurance companies have been advertising for years for sure, but only within the past five years have they been advertising with billions, to comcast, NBC, CBS and ABC and others, telling people to tell their doctors to give them the drugs they are advertising. Thanks to the republican congress. Can you imagine how comcast would react if congress made them stop advertising their drugs and they lost billions of dollars in advertising? Or NBC, CBS or ABC?

Come on, you don't know this stuff?

I am sorry about your mother and you have my sincerest sympathy. My father was recently deceased due to an "incident" during a simple procedure, he was 89. Unfortunately we all know someone or are related to someone that had a bad result or experience from someone in the medical field. But nurses are not doctors and we were talking about doctors and not the orders they write. I have had a few serious negative experiences myself and unfortunately those experiences resulted in a doctor punished and another removed from a hospital system. Incompetence is not the only problem with doctors and others in the medical field. Having to work long hours contributes to errors by medical personnel as does substance abuse. A problem that many nurses, doctors and anesthetists are having today.

I would like to know more about the perceived suffering you experienced at the hands of other doctors and the other side of the story just out of curiosity. No offense, but why would you think other doctors were "intent on destroying your practice"? And you say that all doctors do the same to protect their practice. There are thousands of patients seeing few doctors in most areas in the country. Plenty of patients to go around I think. Your accusations sound a little strange. But no reply is necessary.

There are more than 30 different physicians in my town/county of 25,000 residents and none of the doctors are intent on destroying another office that I have heard of, either by the doctors or employees in their offices. I worked with many of them and have had a 30 year personal relationship with some. Sure doctors do testify against other doctors, but not as often as you might suggest. Many doctors in my town did testify against another doctor. People died because of that doctor. I support doctors that try to get their "associates" under control. Only that one doctor was ever testified against in my town and that doctor is in jail right now. He destroyed his own practice by prescribing 100 times the normal use amount of Oxycontin to 18 - 25 year olds and he even exchanged sex for drugs with minors. Strange "practice" for an oral surgeon. The DEA investigated him for a few years before prosecuting him. He was out of control in my opinion.

I am sorry your experience being a doctor was not what you expected. My occupational/professional experience was not what I expected and I am sure others can say the same. We are in agreement that allowing cannabis to be used by patients would cause a loss in many different areas of the medical field and some of the "extreme" income enjoyed. But I differ where to place most of the blame. Not at doctors, but at drug companies, health insurance companies and politicians.

One of the biggest problems today is the too often used drug testing for anything from a new job, including job position changes, to allowing a patient to have access to opiate pain medications, add to that the "contracts" many doctors are requiring patients to sign to get proper pain control. Mostly due to large employers like the previously mentioned comcast, Home Depot and others including health insurance companies. No police officers are required to take piss tests. No politicians are either. And now some politicians are demanding that people on public assistance be drug tested to see if they "deserve" help. Unconscionable in my opinion. Thank you republicans in control of the Congress and Senate. I don't see an end to drug testing for many years. Many elections.

WJ

 

[mlang52]

Angry? Really? The laws were changed while I was in practice, and that was over fifteen years ago. I wish I had been offered those dinners in Hawaii! I could not afford to go there on my own. (I could not leave for long, anyways. The family doctors hated it when I took vacations.) Then again, practicing in rural areas was much different than in the big cities with the Ivory Towers. And, no, I "don't know this stuff" Because I am not all knowing. (That was a little condescending, on your part.) I can see why you "don't argue".

The problems are known as petty politics. They occurred when I was the only surgeon in town who also practiced family medicine. I was forced out of hospital where I admitted more people in the hospital, that last month, than all of the other six doctors, that were in town. An example of their politics resulted in a young lady (daughter of a friend of mine) that was sent to see a surgeon in another town instead of consulting me, when all she had was an appendicitis. She got a hysterectomy, instead! She and her lawsuit were laughed out of the courtroom by the good old boys! Just a few of many of the insane patterns of practice in the small town hospitals. My biggest problem was the fact that I had two years of graduate school, two years of pain management certification studies, and a five year general surgical residency. They complained that I "acted like I knew more than them"! I don't miss swimming with the sharks. Maybe they were afraid that their standard of care was being harmed! I am sure you know how the standard of care works. Sadly, It seemed that it put them at risk for lawsuits, because their standard of care had to improve, after I came to town. I also made the administrator mad because I did minor operations (warts and such) in my office. I refused to take patients to the hospital, so they could be charged the thousand dollar OR charge. Just facts. No anger.

 

[wildjim]

Sorry for your misunderstanding what I said. It was an attempt at being sarcastic, not condescending.

The laws have been changing every couple years. Not just 15 or 25 years ago as you stated. That's a fact.

I am sorry you experienced such a difficult time in your practice. Any association with "pain management" is bound to cause trouble for any physician. That is extremely unfortunate, not only for the doctor but for the patient and all of society. With that in mind, I am sure you are not the only one that had a difficult time as a "provider" and most should understand why your time was a problematic one. Commendations for helping patients suffering chronic illnesses and chronic pain. I went through a pain management situation, but it was done with spinal medication, so I can commiserate with others in an intractable pain condition or life altering pain. I would like to know what state you practiced in only to see if it agrees with my "guess". You should be able to tell that I am also in a rural community. Might be larger than yours, county population a little under 25,000 in the county. Pretty small county seat (some call it a town) and county, in most people's opinion.

As for office surgeries, I would think most people with some sort of medical insurance would go to a family practice physician for small, non-anesthesia type surgeries. The non-insured are forced to go to emergency rooms for colds or a couple stitches, causing medical costs to go up for everyone. Add to that the loss of income to family physicians. My cancer doctor does plenty of surgeries, daily, in the office. I don't think too many hospitals have a problem with office surgeries. But that is only through my experiences with other family physicians and some specialists.

A lot of what has happened within the past 6 years has been political and a result of sequestration. Sequestration is a republican device to cut all areas in federal spending without regard to what the spending cuts do. That includes defense, human services and infrastructure. Sequestration has forced large cuts in services such as Medicaid and social services, include defense spending and military in those cuts. Unfortunately those cuts have also made it difficult for doctors by the cuts of payments to providers by medicaid. If you retired from practice 15 years ago, most of this would might not have affected you. As this was the republican way to try to castrate President Obama. It only punished the country.

I went to one of those dinners in 1998. Sorry you missed them. Most of my experience was with family practice doctors. I guess being a surgeon wouldn't provide enough selling of products for the drug reps to offer such bennies. I don't know. Most of the docs I had business associations with have retired in the past 5 years. And some of my information I gained from listening to them and their gripes about how "things" were going. Most of them had been bought out by large conglomerates looking for their profits, and in the process lowering the doctor's income. I guess all middle-men make the most profit in most instances. Most of my associates were on a salary for their last five years working. Some have been forced to be hospitalists in their "retirement", contractually obligated related to the sales contract of their group or office. Which really means part-time work and being on-call for what they describe as physicians minimum wage. This type of thing has been happening since your retirement from practice. The large medical groups, mainly insurance related, are taking over all over the country. Most are self insured, which shows how close to being an insurance company they really are.

What you speak of is the experience of a single doctor and his difficulties with other local providers, and I agree with your argument. But what I am speaking about is a systemic change, nationally, in the medical field. What I am talking about is not the change that is affecting doctors, but the entire medical establishment and the change to a for profit management that doesn't give two shakes about anyone but stock holders. Providers or patients. A terrible rabbit hole into which those corporate raiders are taking us. Before long, all doctors will be under their control. The only doctor that I know personally, who still controls his own practice, is my neurologist. But he also has a side job.

Now it might be too late to do anything, but understanding what is going on is a good thing and I suggest others watch what is going on. When the largest buys out all the others, we will finally have a single payer healthcare. Unfortunately it will be the most expensive available world-wide. As people were transfixed by Obamacare, congress made these changes. Republican politicians wage constituent control with the lies they tell to get re-elected. Woe and doubt is what they propagate. But lemmings will follow any leader.

WJ

 

[mlang52]

Thank you for your reply. I worry about the future medicine, even my own health care. You are correct that medicine has changed dramatically. I have a book, from the eighties, that warned of the impending changes coming with "corporate medicine". I broke my back four years ago and cannabis is the best relief that I can get from my neuropathy. I had L-2 explode into my spinal canal. The cauda equina. If it had been L-1, I would have been unable to walk. (I had a neurologist, that I had to see, tell me that it was not neuropathy!) It only took the doctors, I see, four years to get my pain to a tolerable level! And, the gabapentin clouds my brain.

They gave our care over to the insurance companies, the most dishonest, of all businesses, I know!

 

[wildjim]

They gave our care over to the insurance companies, the most dishonest, of all businesses, I know!

Brother, you are so correct with that statement. They run the world. We paid their losses when the banks' bad investments caused the collapse of our economy 8 or so years ago. Law and regulatory changes made possible by President Bush 2 and the republican controlled congress. It is important to remember who the lobbyists are, the same corporations as the donors to their campaigns. The same corporations that pay billions for television advertising. And don't forget that the republican/conservative controlled Supreme Court made corporations people. Donors make for terrific bribes when their donations are unlimited. Unfortunately we have to start at a state level to get rid of the career politicians and get real term limits.

We're screwed and and no individual is immune. The companies we depend on to give us "important" and true information, mainly television and radio, are unable to because they are under the control of their advertisers. I believe if another republican is elected as president and the Congress and Senate remain under the republican control, the 'legalized' states will be under attack by the new Attorney General and the DEA. Both, most likely, will have new heads that will want to get back to what their donors require of them. When I say 'legalized" I mean medical and/or recreational. Some of the republicans running have already stated that they would stop allowing it and close dispensaries. Look at the money. What kind of corporations don't want legal medical or recreational cannabis use? Let us start with pharma, alcohol, piss test medical and tech corporations, and the industrial prison complex. Let's not forget the police, and insurance companies. Wonder who the lobbyists and donors are? Senator McCain's wife(lol) owns the largest Anheuser-Busch distributorship in the country. Who needs to know where and why his argument is towards keeping it illegal?

But lemming will follow anyone.

 

[mlang52]

I have no love for either party. But, lest we forget, Mr Obama is claiming The ACA to be his legacy. It was passed by a vote completely opposed by the Republican party. To have less government is what Rand Paul calls for. He is not on board with legalization,but does allow for a state regulated control. But, the big mouthed chump, who reminds me of the loudmouth, self aggrandizing bullies, that I encountered during fraternity life. Many of them never made it through college. Mr Trump impresses me as a person who is getting by with non-specific "ideas" that sound no different than any of the past, bloviating, bastards that have been nominated or elected. The present group of Republicans have nothing new to offer, except the man who opposed the 4th Amendment violations of our own government. They, in doing so, have proven hat they have become the tyrants that the founding fathers warned us about. Mr Paul has called for term limits and a complete repeal of the IRS with a flat tax. He has called for defunding of a group of people that would save a fetus, alive, in order to harvest specific tissues. One can agree with abortion all he wants. But, that is not to agree with such barbaric actions! The prison/industrial complex, set up by the present people in government, profits off of sending non-violent people to prison, too! It is sad that they see people as throw away lives! The poor are caught in a system that spits them out to be labeled as ex-felons, and unemployable. That means the only thing they have left, to make enough money to survive, is the exact thing that will send them back into the prison system! Rand Paul also co-authored the bill (CARER?) that would help people like that get introduced back into society as a useful employee, available to work for any job he was qualified, not limited by the "felon" label. Sadly, he is in the single digits and portrayed as a DC insider, by MSM, when he is just the opposite! And, may I remind you, Mr Obama has no problem using executive orders to provide amnesty for illegal aliens, but can't lift a finger to change the cannabis laws, that would have ruined his life, had he been convicted. The Democrats have failed us in not taking care of it when they controlled both houses and had an incumbent president in office. Yell at the Republicans all you want. But the Democrats are just as much to blame, if not more, for this ACA fiasco, and the continuing prison/industrial complex. Most of the guys are beholden to the rich owners of corporations that control the government. It is no longer "we the people" But, "ye the subjects"! Sadly, if they don't present themselves up as whipping boys to their parties, they can never expect to be able to get a nomination to the office of president.

 

[wildjim]

It is too late at night for me to start on the democratic party. Obama in a round about way, lied to us. that is my feeling about him.

The prison industrial complex has been around since Reagan and Bush the first. The main political plan to incarcerate so many poor black, brown and white young men caught up in the criminal justice system was to prevent them from voting. It has nothing to do with them having the ability to be employed, except prior to their arrests. No one I know could live on minimum wage and that is pretty much controlled by those republicans in congress and has been for decades. Most of the age group caught up in the criminal justice system normally "might" vote democratic, and that is what the republicans are so afraid of. Problem is, most wouldn't register to vote, anyway.

As for the illegal aliens, how are you going to chase 12 to 14 million people out of the country? Especially when so many companies hire them under the table. Or home owners hire them by the day at home depow and places like that where they stand in groups to be picked and hired. I'd rather have them paying taxes for that work. And paying into a special illegal alien Medicare and Social Security fund that only supports Americans on Social Security and acts as a penalty to illegal aliens working here illegally. They would lose all that they pay into that fund.

Look at Bernie and see where he stands on issues that are important to the country. I know too many republican doctors and just don't trust Rand Paul. We simply can't choose a single issue and make an uneducated vote because of our ignorance of the real issues. Issues like the Planned Parenthood crap. That is what would be called diversion of attention, political sleight-of-hand and a red herring. The same with abortion and that kooky lady in Kentucky that wouldn't follow the law she took an oath to follow. Two more insignificant issues. Fortunately we have more than a year to watch everybody and keep track of the questionable 'facts' they spit out like watermelon seeds.

Know how to tell when a politician is lying to you? You can see their lips move.

WJ