Within the past three years, at least two patients, one in Seattle and one in Hawaii, have died because they were denied liver transplants do to medical marijuana use. Norman Smith from Los Angeles may be a third.
Mr. Smith has inoperable liver cancer. His Cedars-Sinai Medical Center oncologist approved the use of medical marijuana to mitigate chemotherapy side effects and pain for back surgery.
Less than two months before he was scheduled for a liver transplant, Cedars-Sinai denied the transplant because Smith tested positive for marijuana. In order to get back on the bottom of the transplant list, he must complete a six month substance abuse counseling program.
Smith may not have six months to live. Cedars-Sinai is treating him with radiation in lieu of a transplant.
Marijuana use, by the way, has no known adverse effect on survival rate of transplant patients. Nevertheless, thanks to Cedars-Sinai's conflicting policies, we now have irrefutable proof that smoking marijuana can kill you.
Meanwhile, Fed's raided a dozen medical marijuana dispensaries in Washington State.
According to an affidavit by DEA Special Agent Daniel Olson
"Any state law that purports to make the distribution of marijuana legal, for any purpose, does not provide a defense to federal law"
Olson claims that dispensaries complying with the spirit and letter of state medical marijuana laws are not being targeted. But the dispensaries have no legal defense against federal laws that supersede state laws, and prohibit the distribution of marijuana for any reason.