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| Doctor Sees Prescribing Marijuana as Moral Duty |
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Posted by FoM on March 06, 2002 at 10:23:23 PT By Bill Kettler, Mail Tribune Source: Medford Mail Tribune 
The physician who made headlines for writing half of Oregon's medical marijuana prescriptions came to Medford Monday to see new patients.About 20 sick people and medical-marijuana activists converged on Medford's South Comfort Inn to visit Dr. Phillip Leveque, the Willamette Valley osteopath who signed more than 1,700 of Oregon's 3,500 prescriptions for cannabis. "This is my moral obligation as a physician," said Leveque, 79, during a break between patients. "If I can help somebody, I will. That's why I'm a physician." Leveque started seeing patients on the road soon after Oregon's voter-approved medical marijuana initiative became law in May 1999. He began visiting patients in Medford and other rural small towns when he realized that many people who qualified for medical marijuana couldn't find a local physician who would sign their application. "That's not what the doctors are supposed to be doing," he said. Leveque noted that Oregon's medical marijuana law specifically forbids any disciplinary measures or fines against doctors who approve a medical marijuana request, but many doctors still seem reluctant to do it. Fewer than one in 10 of Oregon's 8,300 physicians have authorized a patient to use marijuana. Of the roughly 780 doctors who have, only about 270 have signed for more than one patient. The law allows patients who have one of nine conditions (such as multiple sclerosis, HIV, severe pain, frequent nausea or seizures) to possess marijuana and use it as medicine if they have obtained a physician's approval. Doctors must evaluate a patient's condition and sign a form before Oregon Health Services will issue a card. For two years, Leveque traveled quietly across Oregon, visiting patients and signing marijuana applications for people who met the legal criteria. He started speaking out publicly about problems with the medical marijuana law last year, after his identity was revealed and the Oregon Board of Medical Examiners began an inquiry into his marijuana-card activities. The medical board has charged Leveque with unprofessional conduct and notified him that his license to practice medicine could be revoked or suspended. He's also been ordered to undergo medical and psychological exams to determine his competence to practice medicine. Leveque said he has signed at least 100 applications for Jackson County residents. "Most of them are quite ill, or disabled, or destitute, or living on Social Security disability," he said. One of his patients, a 29-year-old Medford man who has had diabetes since age 10, said medical marijuana has reduced his dependence on prescription drugs. "Marijuana took me off six different pills," said the man, who asked that his name not be used to protect his wife and two children from harassment. Leveque adamantly denied that he would sign an application for anybody who wanted one. He once threw a man out of his office who tried to get pot for his fractured finger. "We get some flakes," he said. "We get the athlete's-foot and dandruff guys (who want a marijuana card)." He doesn't charge for a consultation but people often give him money. He said contributions will help him pay some of the $11,000 in legal fees he's incurred since the state board of medical examiners began looking into his practice. Leveque said he wants to help people in pain because he knows how they feel. Prostate surgery and a spinal cord injury have left him in frequent pain. "My feet are on fire all the time. I have some empathy for these poor sick folks. I'm inclined to believe them" Leveque said people who think he has abused Oregon's medical-marijuana law miss the real issue. "The story is not crazy Leveque," he said. "The story is my 1,800 patients and nobody will help them. That's why I'm doing it. This whole system is insane." Dr. Leveque will see patients again today. To contact him, call 890-0100. Complete Title: Doctor Sees Prescribing Marijuana To Those in Pain as His Moral Duty Source: Medford Mail Tribune (OR) Related Articles & Web Site: Medical Marijuana Information Links Oregon Marijuana Doctor Under Scrutiny Molalla Doctor Facing Discipline Medicinal Pot Is Doctor's Specialty Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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| Comment #2 posted by Lehder on March 07, 2002 at 05:53:04 PT |
| The article makes me wonder how many physicians would prescribe alcohol to their patients and for what ailments. How many would prescribe cigarettes? Drink this until you black out, smoke these until you gag, call me from the gutter in the morning. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #1 posted by FoM on March 06, 2002 at 20:41:17 PT |
| From: D. Paul Stanford e-mail: stanford@crrh.org Subject: MedMJ Poll now at kptv.com KPTV.com, Channel 12 in Portland, Oregon has a poll on its home page at http://www.kptv.com Please vote. The question is: "Should naturopaths and nurse practitioners be able to prescribe medicinal marijuana?" Currently we're losing:
No 60% [ Post Comment ] |
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