Colorado pot doctors under suspicion

Two doctors account for more than a third of the patients on Colorado's medical-marijuana registry, and five doctors account for more than 50 percent of the patients, according to statistics from the state health department.
In all, of the 10,000 medical-marijuana patients on the state's registry, 75 percent of those received their recommendations from one of only 15 doctors.
The clustering of so many patients on the registry from so few doctors has raised the suspicions of state officials.
"It's a cause for concern," said Jim Martin, executive director of the state Department of Public Health and Environment. "At least in any other area like this, we would want to be sure that the physicians are meeting the standards of care."
State Attorney General John Suthers went a step further, suggesting the state Board of Medical Examiners investigate the top pot-recommending docs.

Thanks Sharan!

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Posted By jamesk at 2009-09-02 13:35:35 permalink | comments

Tags: medical marijuana colorado

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doug. : 2009-09-19 16:27:51

I have a condition that I am losing large amounts of muscle. The pain is huge and will be increasing untill I die. I live in Iowa and all they can do is give me dangerous drugs that are very expensive. I can not sleep and eat very little due to the pain. I have been reading about Colorado and the relief of pain there Doctors can help with by using pot instead of the dangorous drugs.I am considering selling my investments in Iowa and move to Colorado because of this. I have no life to speak of now,as I am in lots of pain constantly. Evan using the pills.I hope Colorado keeps with the currant trends by allowing Doctors to help people with lots of pain.I will be watching what becomes if they investagate the Doctors. We all know if they want to they will find something evan if they have to make it up.Such a twisted world we live in. Instead of trying to help with something that has been around a long time they restrict its use.

@smt. : 2009-09-03 11:36:54

you're right, if all of this opposition would meet doctors who dole out narcotics, and so many do, the rates of opiate addiction in America could not possibly be where they are today. It should be seen as ironic.

smt. : 2009-09-03 02:34:52

It would be a shame if these doctors were punished for this. After all, a pot prescription will be a lot less harmful a medicine than many of the other substances they prescribe.

Sean. : 2009-09-02 16:06:07

"At least in any other area like this, we would want to be sure that the physicians are meeting the standards of care."

I'd like to think that the "very important government people", whose role it is to care for the populations of "regular people", might wonder if there's a reason so many are being prescribed and are benefiting from the application of medical marijuana, and how many more might benefit if they weren't afraid of the judgments of close-minded peers in the same population. Perhaps if they were to look to themselves and the outcomes and effects of their own policies, they may learn something very vital. A dose of medical marijuana might also facilitate...awareness.

Adam. : 2009-09-02 15:22:27

"The Health Department can question whether it's proper medicine to issue hundreds of certifications in one day and perhaps make some referrals to the medical board," [John] Suthers said.."

I'd like if the author would have (at least somewhere in the piece) subtracted the number of patients who came to these 15 doctors claiming all the other doctors in the state had let them down.

The fact is the majority of cannabis prescriptions sought (especially in Colorado, according to recent DoseNation posts) by these patients are turned down because the doctor is often fearful of this type of witch-hunt. By the way, they have this thing called the hypocritical oath... or something. ;-)

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Colorado pot doctors under suspicion

Posted By jamesk at 2009-09-02 13:35:35 permalink | comments

Tags: medical marijuana colorado

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