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11-07-2008, 10:13 AM
| #1 (permalink) |
| Administrator  Join Date: Mar 2007 Co-Op: no Vendor: no Patient: yes
Posts: 14,315
Rep Power: 605232       | Is MMJ a Reason to Deny Someone a Transplant? Is MMJ a Reason to Deny Someone a Transplant? link: http://cannabisnews.com/news/23/thread23898.shtml Medical Seattle, WA -- The death this week of a musician who said he was denied a liver transplant because of his medical-marijuana use has highlighted a new ethical consideration: Should pot use with a doctor's blessing be held against a dying patient who needs an organ transplant? Timothy Garon, 56, used marijuana to ease the symptoms of advanced hepatitis C. Dr. Brad Roter, the physician who authorized Garon to smoke pot to alleviate nausea and abdominal pain and to stimulate his appetite — a use authorized under a Washington state law approved by voters in 1998 — said he had not known it would be such a hurdle if Garon were to need a transplant. Garon died Thursday, one week after he said he learned from his doctor that a University of Washington Medical Center committee had again denied him a spot on the liver-transplant list. "He said I'm going to die, with such conviction," Garon said then. "I'm not angry, I'm not mad, I'm just confused." His death at Bailey-Boushay House, an intensive-care nursing center, was confirmed Friday by his lawyer, Douglas Hiatt, and Alisha Mark, a spokeswoman for Virginia Mason Medical Center, which operates Bailey-Boushay. Garon, lead singer for Nearly Dan, a Steely Dan cover band, believed he contracted hepatitis by sharing needles with "speed freaks" as a teenager. In recent years, he said, pot had been the only drug he'd used. In December, he was arrested for growing marijuana. The UW Medical Center declined to talk about Garon's case specifically, but released a statement saying: "Although medical marijuana may be an issue in rare cases, it is never the sole determinant in arriving at medical decisions about candidates for organ transplants, and whether a patient is listed. Patients with a reasonable chance of survival and a good outcome, given a variety of factors, are listed." The statement also noted that there are about 98,000 patients waiting for organs in the United States and only 6,000 donors available. Hiatt said Friday that UW was being "completely disingenuous" about the transplant denial: "They denied him because of medical-marijuana use," he said. "They have a shortage of organs, and they're using moral judgments to decide who gets one." Garon had been in the hospice for two months. His doctor at Harborview Medical Center told him she wouldn't put in his paperwork for transplant consideration at UW until he avoided pot for six months, Hiatt said. The university soon offered to reconsider if he enrolled in a 60-day drug-treatment program, but his liver disease was too advanced by then for him to last that long, doctors told him. The university-hospital committee agreed to reconsider its decision, then denied him again. Because of the scarcity of donated organs, transplant committees such as the one at the UW Medical Center have tough standards for deciding who should get them. Does a candidate have other serious health problems? Will he or she religiously take anti-rejection medicines? Is there good family support? Is the candidate likely to drink or do drugs? And what about medical marijuana authorized by a doctor? "Most transplant centers struggle with issues of how to deal with people who are known to use marijuana, whether or not it's with a doctor's prescription," said Dr. Robert Sade, director of the Institute of Human Values in Health Care at the Medical University of South Carolina. "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." Garon's girlfriend, Leisa Bueno, of Olympia, said Garon had not used other drugs or alcohol since he was diagnosed with hepatitis in 2001. The Virginia-based United Network for Organ Sharing, which oversees the nation's transplant system, leaves it to individual hospitals to develop criteria for transplant candidates. At some, people who use "illicit substances" — including medical marijuana, even in states that allow it — are rejected automatically. At others, such as the UCLA Medical Center, patients are given a chance to reapply if they stay clean for six months. Marijuana use is illegal under federal law. Typically, doctors don't realize that authorizing marijuana use for nausea or other disease complications may jeopardize their patient's chance for a transplant, said Peggy Stewart, a clinical social worker on the liver-transplant team at UCLA who has researched the issue. "There needs to be some kind of national eligibility criteria so that everyone will know what the rules are," Stewart said. The patients "are trusting their physician to do the right thing. The physician prescribes marijuana, they take the marijuana, and they are shocked that this is now the end result." No one tracks how many patients are denied transplants over medical-marijuana use. Pro-marijuana groups have cited a handful of cases, including at least two patient deaths, in Oregon and California, since the mid- to late 1990s, when states began adopting medical-marijuana laws. Another Seattle-area patient, Jonathan Simchen, 33, of Fife, Pierce County, said he was rejected as a kidney-transplant candidate at Virginia Mason and told by the UW that he will not be listed until he abstains from pot for six months. Simchen said he uses marijuana to control his blood pressure and to stimulate his appetite, which is disrupted by dialysis. Many doctors agree that using marijuana — smoking it, especially — is out of the question post-transplant. The drugs patients take to help their bodies accept a new organ increase the risk of aspergillosis, a frequently fatal infection caused by a common mold found in marijuana and tobacco. Seattle Times staff reporter Carol M. Ostrom contributed to this report. Complete Title: Is Medical-Marijuana Use Reason To Deny Someone an Organ Transplant? Source: Seattle Times (WA) Published: Saturday, May 3, 2008 Copyright: 2008 The Seattle Times Company Contact: opinion@seatimes.com Website: http://www.seattletimes.com/ |
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11-07-2008, 10:33 AM
| #2 (permalink) | |
| Guest
Posts: n/a
|  Re: Is MMJ a Reason to Deny Someone a Transplant? Quote:
I've encountered a similar situation with Healthcare, was rejected by a company a few years ago, with them telling me that I could reapply if I stayed "clean" for 2 years.... Yeah, you can have healthcare if you stop taking your medicine for 2 years.  They say it themselves in the article, marijuana doesn't directly affect the liver. The part about addictive personalities does make sense, but is too big a stretch to justify this, IMHO. | |
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11-07-2008, 10:50 AM
| #3 (permalink) |
| Administrator Join Date: Mar 2007 Co-Op: no Vendor: no Patient: yes
Posts: 14,315
Rep Power: 605232 | Re: Is MMJ a Reason to Deny Someone a Transplant? I agree with you 100%. To deny some of a transplant because they use mmj is nuts. Basically they are denying people life. Who made them God? |
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11-07-2008, 05:52 PM
| #4 (permalink) | |
| HIGH!!..from PLAWC  Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Los Angeles Co-Op: yes Vendor: no Patient: yes
Posts: 523
Rep Power: 8313 | Re: Is MMJ a Reason to Deny Someone a Transplant? Quote:
For the 1st 4 years after my transplant I was meserable with IBS issues so bad that I felt like a prisioner of my own home.....I begged them for something to give me relief and all I got was pills that made me feel even worse.......there were days that I felt like if this was going to be the way I was going to live....well maybe I didn't want to ..........Then my nieghbor suggested I medicate and for the 1st time since the transplant I felt real relief......this Aug when I returned from the DNC I was hospilizied at UCLA and on the 2nd day I was there the head nurse of the floor came in to my room to advise me that if I was using medical cannabis and if I were to reject the liver ...there was no way that they UCLA would give another liver....I almost felt like saying SOOO WHAT........Medical Cannabis is what gives me relief....and alows me to live a productive and painless existence. Not only do they think they're God... they only will try to solve proplems with their accepted forms of medicating if they don't get it from the pharmacical companys then they won't tell you about it... THE POLICY OF NOT TRANSPLANTING IF YOU USE MMJ HAS TO CHANGE!!!! Pura Vida...... Peace and Love to all  | |
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11-07-2008, 06:31 PM
| #5 (permalink) |
| WT Regular  Join Date: Sep 2008 Co-Op: no Vendor: no Patient: yes
Posts: 275
Rep Power: 3166 | Re: Is MMJ a Reason to Deny Someone a Transplant? This story is very disturbing to me |
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11-07-2008, 06:35 PM
| #6 (permalink) | |
| Administrator Join Date: Mar 2007 Co-Op: no Vendor: no Patient: yes
Posts: 14,315
Rep Power: 605232 | Re: Is MMJ a Reason to Deny Someone a Transplant? Quote:
Not only do you live a productive life, you help others do the same! I am proud to know you.  | |
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11-07-2008, 07:33 PM
| #7 (permalink) |
| Until there are none, adopt at least one.  Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: West San Fernando Valley Co-Op: no Vendor: NO Patient: YES
Posts: 4,457
Rep Power: 450902 | Re: Is MMJ a Reason to Deny Someone a Transplant? There are two of our WT community that I personal know of that have been denied a transplant because of their cannabis use. I won't list them, but hope that they come forth and post on their own. It is tragic for sure.  |
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11-07-2008, 08:45 PM
| #8 (permalink) |
| RIP Chata 1995-2009  Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: SFV Co-Op: no Vendor: no Patient: yes
Posts: 359
Rep Power: 720 | Re: Is MMJ a Reason to Deny Someone a Transplant? I am one of the 2 that BB mentioned. My kidneys failed in Sept 2003. For 14 months I struggled daily with nauesa, vomiting, insomnia, and lost 50 lbs. Another patient at my dialysis unit saw what I was going through, and one day mentioned MMJ to me. I had previously done some research on nauesa and discovered that many oncologists recommended MMJ. In Dec 2004 I approached my 2 kidney Drs. about using MMJ. One Dr said no, she was worried that my fluid intake would increase and cause problems. The other Dr said that he saw it as more of a quality of life issue, and even offered me a prescription for marinol. He also told me that it was very expensive and not that effective. I decided to get my recommendaton. In the mean time I got on the Habor UCLA kidney transplant list. Over the next year they put me through all sorts of tests. In April 2006, I had appointments with a psycharist and proctologist. The shrink asked me about drug use and I answered honestly. She seemed to be more concerned with my cigarette smoking and told me I would have to quit to get a transplant, which I knew and had tried several times with no success. The procotolgist was much less understanding, within 5 minutes she told me I am denying your transplant because of your MMJ drug use. And that if I wanted back on the list Iwould have to give up the MMJ and stay "clean" for 6 months. A year or so later while reading the paper Habor UCLA discovered they gave a liver transplant to a Japanese national after he donated $1,000,000 to them. They later found out he was a major crime figure in Japan, that was responsible for a few murders. A few months later I read that they were re-thinking their position on MMJ, but haven't heard any thing more The moral of the story is the medical profession is all over the place on MMJ use, and if you have money you can buy a spot for a transplant. |
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11-07-2008, 08:51 PM
| #9 (permalink) | |
| Until there are none, adopt at least one. Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: West San Fernando Valley Co-Op: no Vendor: NO Patient: YES
Posts: 4,457
Rep Power: 450902 | Re: Is MMJ a Reason to Deny Someone a Transplant? Quote:
I just cannot imagine life without you. OK, now I'm sobbing at just the thought.  | |
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11-07-2008, 09:10 PM
| #10 (permalink) |
| WT Regular Join Date: Feb 2008 Co-Op: no Vendor: no Patient: Yes
Posts: 177
Rep Power: 538 |  Re: Is MMJ a Reason to Deny Someone a Transplant? Denial is prejudism! MMJ works, they all know it; just what is going on, to do this to good people, and reward criminals who have money!? Thought it was illegal to buy a transplant...we've been proven wrong, eh? Spings, disgusting what they've done to you, I wish you the best, my prayers are with you. |
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11-07-2008, 11:31 PM
| #11 (permalink) |
| WT Advanced Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Co-Op: no Vendor: no Patient: yes
Posts: 723
Rep Power: 4417 | Re: Is MMJ a Reason to Deny Someone a Transplant? that is fucking outrageous. to say the absolute least. |
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11-11-2008, 12:27 PM
| #12 (permalink) |
| Since Prince Albert Was in a Can  Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Solano Co-Op: No Vendor: No Patient: Yes
Posts: 191
Rep Power: 3418 | Re: Is MMJ a Reason to Deny Someone a Transplant? I'm gonna say no. Let me tell you the short version of my little story - I was diagnosed with HCV in '94 - did interferon in 95 - began using MM in '96 - in late 2003 UCSF put me on the transplant list with a MELD score of 17 (they try to do transplants in the 20s, certainly < 30). In dec 2003 i gave a thc positive urine. They had me retest- as i had quit smoking on my own six weeks earlier i though it would be clean - another positive. they sent a registered letter saying i was suspended until i completed "drug Treatment" and was "clean" 12 months. I sent them a registered letter back with my recommendation, and an agrument. they refused to hear it. I had a freind write me a letter saying I graduated from his treatment program. I quit giving them my urine  . Nonetheless i came close to croaking. My year supension was up april 15 2005 - i got a liver April 26, 9 hours after recieving the last rites. My MELD was 38. I have, from the beginning, refused the vicodins, norcos, anti-depressents, and various mood elevators proffered. I continue to use, although mostly i vape these days. Because i have been very open about my use, a lot of post-transplant folks share their own experiences, although the croakers are still very closed. From the perspective of the medical establishment, it's easy to see their reluctance. My Dr is willing to give me marinol, and they simply don't have the information or inclination to understand the difference. Their training, and bias is to "Respect the Organ" . Only a few years ago transplants were told they couldn't travel to mexico because of the possibilityof infection. We are still routinely told not to drink ANY alcohol, although it is clear (to me at least) that the admonishment has less to do with any real damage than with the possibility of alcoholic drinking. |
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11-11-2008, 02:05 PM
| #13 (permalink) |
| Medicated  Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Backwardsfield "smoggytown USA" Co-Op: no Vendor: no Patient: yes
Posts: 1,899
Rep Power: 310637 | Re: Is MMJ a Reason to Deny Someone a Transplant? What can the MMJ community do to solve this injustice? We have people right here on WeedTracker that can attest to both the discrimination and the relief that MMJ has given them. How do we organize and get our message across? Can we use political power to form top down legislation banning discrimination against MMJ, or should we focus on educating the medical community of the eficacy and low risk of MMJ? |
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11-13-2008, 05:58 PM
| #14 (permalink) |
| Administrator Join Date: Mar 2007 Co-Op: no Vendor: no Patient: yes
Posts: 14,315
Rep Power: 605232 | Re: Is MMJ a Reason to Deny Someone a Transplant? This is so sad. I thank everyone who came and shared their story. You are in my prayers. |
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11-13-2008, 06:22 PM
| #15 (permalink) | |
| HIGH!!..from PLAWC Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Los Angeles Co-Op: yes Vendor: no Patient: yes
Posts: 523
Rep Power: 8313 | Re: Is MMJ a Reason to Deny Someone a Transplant? Quote:
I called several medical centers and spoke with transplant coordinators and said I was a student doing a paper for school.....when I got to the question about how many people had been denied a transplant because of mmj use every single one of them said they didn't know of any one keeping that kind of score. I wonder......just how bad it really is.......I would love to devote some time to this cause........I just don't have a clue where to start...... | |
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11-13-2008, 06:40 PM
| #16 (permalink) | |
| Administrator Join Date: Mar 2007 Co-Op: no Vendor: no Patient: yes
Posts: 14,315
Rep Power: 605232 | Re: Is MMJ a Reason to Deny Someone a Transplant? Quote:
Let's start right here. I have an idea. I will pm you | |
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11-13-2008, 08:41 PM
| #17 (permalink) | |
| RIP Chata 1995-2009 Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: SFV Co-Op: no Vendor: no Patient: yes
Posts: 359
Rep Power: 720 | Re: Is MMJ a Reason to Deny Someone a Transplant? Quote:
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12-10-2008, 08:44 AM
| #18 (permalink) |
| Administrator Join Date: Mar 2007 Co-Op: no Vendor: no Patient: yes
Posts: 14,315
Rep Power: 605232 | Re: Is MMJ a Reason to Deny Someone a Transplant? If anyone here is going through these these issues, please pm me. We are going to make our voices be heard! |
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12-10-2008, 10:37 AM
| #19 (permalink) |
| WT Regular  Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Third Rock from the sun, then left at the tree Co-Op: No Vendor: No Patient: YES
Posts: 163
Rep Power: 556 | Re: Is MMJ a Reason to Deny Someone a Transplant? Wow, that is just so wrong on so many levels! To have ppl right here in our own community suffering because of a stigma??!! First, I honestly have to wonder if using mmj has helped me (or actually helped the Interferon work better) because my viral load went from over half a million to zero in the first 10 weeks of treatment. I'm now in my 21st week and still have 27 to go, but I'm one of the fortunate ones in that I didn't have to get to the time when I needed a transplant, so far the treatment seems to be working, but I honestly wonder how much mmj plays or played in that happening? Others that I"ve talked too and chatted with said that they've been through the treatment and the ones who did it without mmj seemed to not be cured until they started using mmj during the treatment.....then they've seem their viral loads go down to zero as well. Not everyone, but it really makes me wonder if that's one of the reasons that I've been as successful with the treatment as I have. But, to deny a human being the chance at life because they choose to use something outside the big pharma industry is just so wrong on so many levels. The specialist told me I had a 30% chance at a cure and I showed him....lol. But, other than tell my experience, I'm not sure what I can do to help. Luckily, my Dr's all support my choice to use mmj with the Interferon treatment (especially since I prefer to ingest it) but for professionals to have such closed minds or to have stopped thinking for themselves is scary. The fact that they're buying into the billion dollar per year big pharma is scary. It is frustrating, but when ppl are dying because they choose to use a legal medicine within this state.......nuh-uh. That's just crazy. Wow......and my best to all my fellow WT'ers who either are fighting Hep C, are in treatment for Hep C, or are waiting for a transplant. It's a crappy disease and often ppl don't even know how they got it in the first place. Grrrrr, anyway, I'm off my soa****. Peace and One Love, Free |
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12-10-2008, 10:51 AM
| #20 (permalink) |
| Not taking a beating like a man is unethical  Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Inland Empire Co-Op: Yes Vendor: no Patient: yes
Posts: 97
Rep Power: 283 | Re: Is MMJ a Reason to Deny Someone a Transplant? While I agree that refusing medical assistance on the basis that the patient is a MMJ user is ridiculous! However the part that caught my eye Was Many doctors agree that using marijuana — smoking it, especially — is out of the question post-transplant. The drugs patients take to help their bodies accept a new organ increase the risk of aspergillosis, a frequently fatal infection caused by a common mold found in marijuana and tobacco. The problem seems to be three fold 1) Ignorance on the subject of MMJ 2) Health risks, while MMJ helps if it would indeed cause a fatal infection I understand the caution of the Dr's. How do we get Transplatees the medication they need? 3) With so many needs and so few donors why would the medical staff give a organ to a patient that would presumably continue to smoke marijuana, putting his life and the organ in jeopardy. I don't have any answers, this was a tragic loss. I hope that we as a community can get the information and research out so this sort of atrocity is a memory of the past! |
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12-10-2008, 02:15 PM
| #21 (permalink) | |
| Since Prince Albert Was in a Can Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Solano Co-Op: No Vendor: No Patient: Yes
Posts: 191
Rep Power: 3418 | Re: Is MMJ a Reason to Deny Someone a Transplant? Quote:
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12-10-2008, 08:03 PM
| #22 (permalink) |
| RIP Chata 1995-2009 Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: SFV Co-Op: no Vendor: no Patient: yes
Posts: 359
Rep Power: 720 | Re: Is MMJ a Reason to Deny Someone a Transplant? It was mentioned to me by one of my doctors at Harbor UCLA while on the transplant list. |
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12-10-2008, 08:38 PM
| #23 (permalink) |
| Administrator Join Date: Mar 2007 Co-Op: no Vendor: no Patient: yes
Posts: 14,315
Rep Power: 605232 | Re: Is MMJ a Reason to Deny Someone a Transplant? What is Aspergillus? Aspergillus is a fungus (or mold) that is very common in the environment. It is found in soil, on plants and in decaying plant matter. It is also found in household dust, building materials, and even in spices and some food items. There are lots of different types of Aspergillus, but the most common ones are Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus. Some others are Aspergillus terreus, Aspergillus nidulans, and Aspergillus niger. |
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12-10-2008, 11:45 PM
| #24 (permalink) |
| WT Advanced Member  Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Central Valley, Ca Co-Op: no Vendor: no Patient: yes
Posts: 782
Rep Power: 1699 | Re: Is MMJ a Reason to Deny Someone a Transplant? well this what happened to me, my time line might be messed up, so forgive me for that,! i have hepc, ad hemaphilla B and factor 11 defencency, and one other blood disorder, and they had allready misdiagnosed me Bipolor, my DR sent me to Standford , where as a matter of fact MY father and grand father are Aluni, when they were alive, well they said the cancer marker was up in my blood work, so off we go , now i have been clean and sober for 5 years allreadt by then and no mmj at that time, i go meet the DR with a very nice charater reference from my theapist abpout how homest i am and that i am doing quite well at this time , so he say's lets do some CT scans to look for the tumor, so they find a something and tell me to come back in 3 months for another CT, well they drew blood like always, it was after the ct scan that the drew that blood anyway, i come back and they do another and then they want one more to see how my kidneys are doing, anyway, after this we wait to see the DR, he comes in and looks at the blood work he then tells me that they found a liestion,, but it moved and they don't move he said, so we not sure what it is, so he then tells me that he will not put me on the transplant list cause i had been drinking, BULLSHIT, i had not drank in more than 5 years and i could barley keep food down , so i didn't understand at all, and that was that, he killed me, and he was wrong, so he put it in my records and UCSF wouldn't help me either than i went on mmj and then they truned down because of that, but i stopped and met all their critriaa, and they still truned me down. have to go i am sick Endlesssky  ps i came back after vomiting, to say i found the reason he thinking i drank, i looked at my blood work fron them and my ammionia level was 95, well that means i have waht is calld encepghlopghy, brian infection, that if it goes high enough and long enough i will go into demmtia and then coma, just go to sleep and not wake up, i have lost a few freinds from this and that DR let me walk out of that office with a time bomb waiting to go off, i can not count how many time i went to the ER sick and confused till someone dicided to run an imminia level and it was 120 it is suppost to be 23 or so, so he didn't even care , te reason it was high at stanford, i cannot filture the dye they use out of my liver. see ya have to vomiy again ELast edited by endlesssky; 12-11-2008 at 12:05 AM.. Reason: spelling |
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12-11-2008, 12:07 PM
| #25 (permalink) |
| Since Prince Albert Was in a Can Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Solano Co-Op: No Vendor: No Patient: Yes
Posts: 191
Rep Power: 3418 | Re: Is MMJ a Reason to Deny Someone a Transplant? endlesssky - i know what you are going through - are they giving you lactulose? drink all you can stand - people don't know - you're right, massive personality changes - have you got someone looking after you? i know there is nothing i can do, but tell you i understand and feel you - i'm going to pm you my phone number call me if you ever want to twalk to someone - dog |
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