cannabisnews.com: Oregon Doctors License Suspended for Signing Cards





Oregon Doctors License Suspended for Signing Cards
Posted by CN Staff on March 04, 2004 at 20:49:34 PT
By Andrew Kramer, The Associated Press
Source: Associated Press 
A doctor who signed nearly half of all the medical marijuana cards in Oregon was suspended from practicing medicine on Thursday. Dr. Phillip Leveque, 81, an osteopathic doctor, said Thursday he has singed more than 4,000 cards for people with crippling disorders who want to smoke pot to alleviate their pain. He had two offices in Portland and traveled frequently along Interstate 5 to mass meetings in hotel conference rooms with patients seeking the card.
By the time of his suspension Thursday, Leveque had signed off on roughly 40 percent of all the cards issued in Oregon since the state became one of nine in the country legalizing pot for medicine in 1998. Leveque was under scrutiny since 2002, when the Oregon Board of Medical Examiners suspended his license for 90 days and fined him $5,000 for signing cards without first seeing patients face-to-face. Sometimes, he reviewed descriptions of patients ailments sent by fax. At the time, Leveque agreed to more thoroughly evaluate patients before signing the cards. The Oregon Board of Medical Examiners on Thursday issued a statement saying Leveque had not followed through on that agreement. Leveque called the board's action an "inquisition," and said he had signed thousands of cards because other doctors were reluctant to give patients the medicine they needed. He charged $150 for a physical for the card. "My patients tell me, Dr. Leveque, marijuana works better than any regularly prescribed medication," he said. Yet several Oregon certified physicians hired by the board as consultants raised concerns about Leveque's practices, according to board executive director Kathleen Haley. The board consultants found he approved cards for patients with psychiatric disorders and prior histories of drug addition for whom marijuana was not appropriate, Haley said. Also, Leveque recommended smoking pot for conditions that could in no way benefit from the drug, Haley said. "Our consultants said he was jeopardizing the health and safety of the patients," she said. "It isn't the numbers that are significant here. It's the manner in which the patients were evaluated and the adequacy of that." Haley said the board will now consider permanently revoking Leveque's license. Oregon's Medical Marijuana Act, approved by voters in 1998, allows residents to grow and use marijuana for medical purposes. A doctor must verify that the patient has a "debilitating medical condition" such as cancer, glaucoma, AIDS or severe pain. Complete Title: Oregon Doctor's License Suspended for Signing Marijuana Cards Source: Associated Press Author:  Andrew Kramer, Associated Press Published: March 05, 2004Copyright: 2004 The Associated Press Related Articles & Web Sites:Oregon NORMLhttp://www.ornorml.org/SOMM-NEThttp://www.somm-net.org/Oregon Doctor Stands Out in MMJ Prescriptionhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11960.shtmlDoctor Offers Relief Through Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11941.shtmlMolalla Doctor Facing Disciplinehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11802.shtml 
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Comment #14 posted by FoM on March 05, 2004 at 22:22:19 PT
News Article from TheChamplainChannel.com
State House Asked To Take Up Medical Marijuana BillMeasure Cleared Senate Last YearMarch 5, 2004BURLINGTON, VT. -- A group that advocates changes in U.S. drug policy says Vermont lawmakers should immediately consider a medical marijuana bill passed by the state Senate last spring.Eighty-two percent of voters in Burlington supported a ballot item calling for the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes.The bill is the House Health and Welfare Committee, where it is awaiting action. The Vermont chapter of NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said Vermont House members have an obligation to consider the measure passed by the Senate.Copyright 2004 by TheChamplainChannel.comhttp://www.thechamplainchannel.com/news/2901043/detail.html
Vermont NORML
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Comment #13 posted by FoM on March 05, 2004 at 14:27:22 PT
mamawillie
Thank you. My husband had his gall bladder removed after he got home from Vietnam and I remember how very sick he was. Pancreatitis is very painful and I'm sorry how they treated you. I've had 5 major operations but not my gall bladder. I don't want a 6th one particularly not having any insurance anymore. 
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Comment #12 posted by mamawillie on March 05, 2004 at 14:26:17 PT
More about Comey
http://www.talkleft.com/archives/004516.html (he is the one prosecuting Martha Stewart)http://netscape.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?dist=feed&siteid=netscape&guid={135C7755-BF1E-4855-B109-643489766799}http://www.msnbc.com/news/975734.asp?cp1=1Comey and drug war:
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/040308/usnews/8gitmo_2.htmhttp://www.capitolhillblue.com/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi?archive=14&num=1736http://www.wwex.com/intranet/Reports/news/PackageDealsDrugs.htm
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Comment #11 posted by mamawillie on March 05, 2004 at 14:09:51 PT
FOM... the answer
"Under Justice Department (news - web sites) rules, Deputy Attorney General James Comey is authorized to exercise "all power and authority" of the attorney general. No transfer of power is necessary."To put it in perspective, when I had pancreatitis, I was in the hospital for observation of the pancreatitis for 24 hours and then the next day I had my gallbladder removed. I went home 2 hours after I awoke from the surgery. Asscroft may be in the hospital a month or more...http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=3&u=/ap/20040305/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/ashcroft_hospitalized (yahoo updated the story)Ashcroft Hospitalized With Pancreatitis  
33 minutes ago By CURT ANDERSON, Associated Press Writer 
WASHINGTON - Attorney General John Ashcroft (news - web sites) was in a hospital intensive care unit Friday after suffering a severe case of gallstone pancreatitis, a serious and painful abdominal illness. Ashcroft, a 61-year-old former Missouri senator and governor, was being treated with antibiotics. The ailment often clears up after a week or so of treatment but sometimes requires surgery. In extreme cases, it can cause death. Doctors at George Washington University Hospital said they needed more time to evaluate Ashcroft and make a prognosis. It's possible Ashcroft could remain hospitalized for a month or more. Under Justice Department (news - web sites) rules, Deputy Attorney General James Comey is authorized to exercise "all power and authority" of the attorney general. No transfer of power is necessary. Ashcroft initially thought his sudden sickness was a stomach flu. But he began feeling so ill Thursday afternoon that he canceled an appearance at a news conference where he was to announce terrorism convictions. After returning to his Capitol Hill home, his condition worsened and he was examined by Dr. Daniel Parks, the White House physician, said Justice Department spokesman Mark Corallo. Parks advised Ashcroft to go to an emergency room, and the attorney general was taken to the hospital Thursday evening. "After a full medical workup in the emergency room, it was determined that he was suffering from a severe case of gallstone pancreatitis," Corallo said. Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas, a gland that secretes digestive enzymes and insulin. The two main causes are alcohol abuse and, as in Ashcroft's case, a gallstone that blocks the passage from the pancreas to the beginning of the small intestine. It also may be caused by infection, injury or certain medications. The illness also often occurs when a gallstone becomes lodged in the passage that leads from the pancreas to the small intestine. Symptoms include sudden, severe abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and fever. About 20 percent of the 80,000 cases of acute pancreatitis each year are classified as severe, according to the National Institutes of Health (news - web sites). Dr. John Baillie, a gastroenterologist and professor of medicine at Duke University Medical Center, said people with severe pancreatitis often stay in the hospital for a month or longer. He said there is a 10 to 20 percent risk of death, but those tend to occur among older people who have underlying medical conditions such as kidney disease or poorly controlled diabetes. Baillie explained that pancreatitis is "like a hand grenade going off, an explosion in the abdomen" that essentially shuts down the digestive system and causes a sharp internal buildup in fluids. Treatment involves fasting, to allow the pancreas to rest by reducing its secretions, as well as antibiotics and painkillers. Pancreatitis caused by a gallstone usually eases when the gallstone passes, but sometimes surgery is necessary. Much depends on whether the inflammation was severe enough to cause serious damage to the pancreas, which can trigger low blood pressure and damage other organs. Half of all severe pancreatitis patients require surgery later to remove dead tissue in the pancreas. Ashcroft is something of a fitness buff. He enjoys hiking, skiing, playing basketball, and clearing brush on property he owns in western Virginia. He usually takes five flights of stairs rather than the elevator to and from his office suite in the Justice Department. He also is highly religious. At the Springfield, Mo., headquarters of his denomination, the Assemblies of God, the Rev. Thomas E. Trask used the intercom system to lead some 1,100 employees in a prayer for Ashcroft.
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on March 05, 2004 at 10:49:49 PT
If Ashcroft Dies
Who will get his job? 
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Comment #9 posted by jose melendez on March 05, 2004 at 08:35:06 PT
the gall of it
 from:http://www.hmc.psu.edu/healthinfo/pq/pancreatitis.htmPancreatitis can also be caused by certain drugs, but these account for only around 5% of all cases. Drugs that can cause pancreatitis include azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine, dideoxyinosine, estrogens, furosemide, pentamidine, sulfonamides, tetracycline, thiazide diuretics, and valproic acid. Most chronic pancreatitis is due to alcohol abuse, but can also be caused by gallstones, excess fat in the blood, and heredity.   Maybe "doctors" Barthwell and Walters will suggest he'd feel better on crack, or a hit of heroin or deadly nightshade. 
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Comment #8 posted by Dark Star on March 05, 2004 at 08:15:31 PT
Good for What Ails You
The pain of pancreatitis is similar to that of Mediterranean Fever, which cannabis helps:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9165969&dopt=AbstractIronic, ain't it?
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Comment #7 posted by goneposthole on March 05, 2004 at 07:59:44 PT
I hope he lives
I don't wish any ill will towards Mr. Ashcroft. In fact, Dr. Leveque should write him a recommendation for medicinal cannabis. He needs some humbling to help him turn away from his arrogant, insolent self. A wretch he must be right now.The medical cannabis will be the Amazing Grace that he needs. God given grace in the form of a herb. It is right before his very eyes, should he choose to open them. Good luck to you Mr. Ashcroft and have a couple of tokes of the miracle plant. Never too late to change your mind. "You've got to prime the pump. Have faith and believe. There's plenty water down below, wash your face to your feet, but leave the bottle full for others. Thank you kindly, Desert Pete."- The Kingston TrioHow lucky can he get?
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Comment #6 posted by Treeanna on March 05, 2004 at 07:20:47 PT
Too bad he gets the best health care on our money 
It sure would be nice if Ashcroft up and croaked.One down, few thousand to go.
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Comment #5 posted by jose melendez on March 05, 2004 at 07:11:35 PT
offer amnesty to those who repent
I hope he "feels better" soon and thanks his doctors for providing relief from his pain . . . . . . and then apologizes to the millions of American citizens who dared seek their own, despite his hypocritical threats of prosecution.Is drug war legal?I dare say not.Though poisons kill millions,you jail us for pot!- jm
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Comment #4 posted by kaptinemo on March 05, 2004 at 06:29:09 PT:
The gall bladder also produces BILE
Which seems to be the primary substance fuelling this (p**s-poor) Administration's anti drug efforts. Pure, unadulterated bile. And now he will suffer a surfeit of it. And I do mean suffer; my own gall bladder turned traitor, and I had to execute it before it carried out it's assassination scheme. Had I not, it would have succeeded. It took me weeks to recover. All seeming joking aside, it's that serious. It's not pleasent. In fact it's bloody *dangerous* to have that happen so close to the liver. He's in big trouble.
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Comment #3 posted by mamawillie on March 05, 2004 at 06:00:34 PT
Asscroft in hospital
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040305/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/ashcroft_hospitalized&cid=542&ncid=716...For pancreatitis related to gall stones. I actually had this same condition a few years ago, and it is potentially life-threatening if not treated quickly. He apparently sat on it for a couple of days thinking it was stonach flu.....Mama
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Comment #2 posted by Kegan on March 05, 2004 at 02:37:14 PT
stories from Canada
http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/OttawaSun/News/2004/03/05/370472.htmlFri, March 5, 2004 Speed demons rise upPolice wage war on illegal methamphetamine operationsBy Laura CZEKAJ, Ottawa SunAS MARIJUANA grow operations proliferate across the country, police are bracing for the next wave of illegal drug operations -- methamphetamine labs. "I would say in the next two to three years here in Ontario, it's going to almost be at an epidemic proportion," said clandestine lab expert David Clarke, president of Canadian Emergency Planning Consultants Inc. in Barrie. The illegal and highly addictive drug has grown rapidly in popularity in the U.S., resulting in drug labs popping up like weeds across the country to meet the demand. The illegal labs already have a foothold in Western Canada and many law enforcement officials believe they are swiftly heading east. "There has been a gradual increase over the last few years of meth labs right across Canada," said Sgt. Doug Culver, the RCMP's national co-ordinator for synthetic drug operations. In 1999, the RCMP reported 14 meth labs across Canada. In 2003, that number jumped to 26. In the past 18 months, police have discovered 15 labs in southwestern Ontario, said Det. Sgt. Paul Henry, from the OPP drug enforcement section. "That seems to be a hotbed for them right now," he said. "It's definitely a problem ... it seems to be creeping this way (Ottawa)." In January 2003, police raided a clandestine east-end lab on Canotek Rd. and seized enough chemicals to produce an estimated $20 million worth of ecstasy pills. FLASH FIRES Drug labs house toxic and volatile chemicals, which have been known to explode or cause flash fires. The dangerous nature of meth labs was highlighted in southwestern Ontario in January 2003, when one blew up at a Milverton home, seriously injuring a father and son. The two were later charged. These labs can cook up a smorgasbord of illicit street drugs, such as methamphetamine, ecstasy and the date-rape drug GHB. Many of the ingredients used to cooking meth are legal and found in most homes. But for the "cooks" who mix up these chemicals, the potential profits far outweigh the risk. For an investment of a couple of hundred dollars, they can reap thousands in profits. "When we start talking about drugs, we are looking basically at a crime of greed," said Culver. "These people are not clandestine chemists because they really don't know what they are doing." Often they are following a recipe they got from someone else or found on the Internet. Organized crime has been linked to the majority of marijuana grow operations across Canada. But the recent rash of meth labs in the Perth County area was believed to be the work of a cook from the U.S. who taught a group of paying students how to make the drugs based on his method, said Clarke. It is estimated that every cook will teach four to six people a year how to produce the drugs. The result is a significant jump in the number of clandestine labs, many run by people with very little knowledge about the corrosive and explosive nature of the chemicals involved. The cooking process takes about three hours and can be done almost anywhere -- an apartment, a house, a motel room. Synthetic drug labs contain dangerous chemicals which leave contamination behind even after the drug lab is dismantled and relocated. This puts the next residents at risk, especially children. "There is a vast amount of contamination that occurs during the cooking process of making methamphetamine," said Culver. "There are vapours that seep into the walls and the carpets." Meth is a highly addictive stimulant, which can be taken orally, sniffed as a powder or injected. When it is converted into crystals, it can be smoked, which produces a more powerful effect. Meth users might experience feelings of pleasure and a rush of sensation. Largely known as a club drug, it goes by the street names of speed, meth, crystal, glass, chalk, or ice. But whatever the name, the drug is extremely dangerous and in some cases can be fatal even after a single dose. Side-effects can include damage to brain-cell endings, insomnia, anorexia or paranoia. "There have been overdoses on meth and lots of other club drugs because the user is not sure what they are getting or in what dose they are getting," said Culver. Because there are no set standards for these drugs, there is no telling what's actually in them, said Richard Viau, director of the drug analysis service for Health Canada. "You don't know the concentration of the drug, you don't know the strength," he said. "You may have tried something like it in the past and not had any problems. But you don't know the next time you try it what it is that you're trying." Often the dealer doesn't even know what he is selling. Of the exhibits seized by police nationwide and submitted to Health Canada for analysis, marijuana is the most common, followed by cocaine. CONTROL CHEMICALS "What we have been seeing the last couple of years is that meth is, in many regions in the country, moving into third place," said Viau. As U.S. law enforcement struggles to keep up with the spread of illegal labs, their Canadian counterparts are taking steps to stem the expected overflow. In January 2003, Health Canada established regulations that will help to monitor and control access to several chemicals used in the production of illicit drugs. "I think we are just starting to see the impact these controls are having," said Culver. Some facts about methamphetamine: - Meth is a synthetic amphetamine stimulant commonly abused by intravenous injection for the rapid, intense euphoria of the "rush" or "flash" effect. - Meth has a high potential for abuse and dependence. It is illegally produced and sold in pill form, capsules, powder and chunks. - Clandestine labs known as "mom and pop" labs are found in rural, city and suburban residences and even vehicles. - Some of the ingredients used to make meth include over-the-counter cold and asthma medications containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, red phosphorous, hydrochloric acid, drain cleaner, battery acid, lye, lantern fuel and antifreeze. 
________________________________http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/OttawaSun/News/2004/03/05/370471.htmlFri, March 5, 2004 Summit smokes out pot problemsBy ANTONELLA ARTUSO, Queen's Park BureauTORONTO -- Finding six children sleeping on urine-stained mattresses on the floor was one of the more unpleasant discoveries for police officers who've busted illegal pot operations in Ontario, says Community Safety Minister Monte Kwinter. Kwinter kicked off the two-day Green Tide Summit yesterday which brings together 65 stakeholder groups, including police, government officials, real estate agents and hydro representatives, to discuss the worsening problem of marijuana grow houses. Kwinter said an illegal grow operation in Toronto recently turned up six kids living in squalor, part of an estimated 10,000 children exposed to grow houses according to one police report. "Try to imagine what life was like for these kids -- think about the hazards which they may have been exposed to," said Kwinter. The goal of the summit -- organized by the Ontario government and the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police -- is to create a cohesive strategy to combat what police say is a rapidly expanding criminal activity in the province. NDP MPP Peter Kormos said there are already many laws on the books, including child protection laws, to respond to problems associated with grow operations. "The conference is somewhat redundant," Kormos said. Asked if legalizing pot would solve the problem, Kwinter said most of the marijuana grown in Ontario is headed for the U.S. market where it's illegal. 
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Comment #1 posted by ekim on March 04, 2004 at 21:41:08 PT
Leveque called the board's action an "inquisition,
Inquisition ------------hey Mel howbout a real movie.
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