cannabisnews.com: Kaiser Doctors May OK Marijuana Kaiser Doctors May OK Marijuana Posted by FoM on July 06, 2001 at 06:52:51 PT By Karen Auge, Denver Post Medical Writer Source: Denver Post If Kaiser Permanente doctors want to endorse medical marijuana for a patient, they can, the HMO has decided. And if they don't want to, they don't have to. "It is our preliminary decision that physicians should be afforded the responsibility as to whether to endorse medical marijuana," said Dr. Kim Adcock, assistant medical director for Kaiser in Colorado. That came as good news to Earl Thomas, a Denver AIDS activist who has had the disease for 15 years. "I'm thoroughly relieved," Thomas said. Thomas said he hopes that smoking marijuana will revive his appetite and help him gain the 15 or 20 pounds he's lost to the disease. His doctor, Miguel Mogyoros, has told Thomas he would sign the form that would get Thomas on the state's registry of patients allowed to have small amounts of marijuana to relieve symptoms of certain diseases. But, Mogyoros said, he couldn't do that unless Kaiser's legal department OK'd it first. The state's medical marijuana program, approved by voters in November, debuted June 1 - with a caveat from the state's attorney general. Ken Salazar decided that a U.S. Supreme Court decision outlawing cannabis buyers clubs for California patients didn't invalidate Colorado's law. But Salazar included in his statement a warning that doctors who recommend the drug could face federal prosecution. Acting U.S. Attorney Richard Spriggs shot back a strongly worded statement that if Salazar and Gov. Bill Owens don't like the state law, they should not not look to federal authorities to solve the problem. Adcock said Kaiser Permanente will "do our best to provide physicians information about any jeopardy that decision (to endorse marijuana use) may put them in." "But it's still their decision." Adcock stressed that the decision is a preliminary one and won't become company policy until the person within the Kaiser administration who has the authority to make it official returns from vacation. He said the company hopes to notify doctors of the policy next week.Note: Preliminary policy: Let physician decide.Source: Denver Post (CO)Author: Karen Auge, Denver Post Medical WriterPublished: Friday, July 06, 2001Copyright: 2001 The Denver PostContact: letters denverpost.com Website: http://www.denverpost.com/Related Articles:Some Doctors Slow To Recommend Pothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10169.shtmlPot Law Passes Muster, But Doctors Risk All http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9925.shtml Marijuana Program Begins Today http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9928.shtml END SNIP --> Snipped Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #3 posted by dddd on July 06, 2001 at 18:46:39 PT This is Huge If HMOs start allowing their doctors to prescribe pot,it willindeed be a major step forward,,,,unfortunately,,HMOs areso intertwined with federal entities and payola,,that it's somewhatunlikely they will allow it.dddd [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Kevin Hebert on July 06, 2001 at 11:02:05 PT: This is an easy call For the pharmaceutical companies. Medical Marijuana keeps health costs down, because the patient can grow their own medicine. Widespread acceptance of medical marijuana for its diverse number of uses will greatly reduce health costs. As long as they keep getting their premiums, medical marijuana means greater profits for insurance providers, possibly in a huge way. It only makes sense for them to back it; it's just too bad they aren't more vocal about it. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Dan B on July 06, 2001 at 07:50:14 PT: Good For KP I was hoping these folks would have the good sense to look at their own longitudinal research (showing that cannabis use does not raise mortality), and it appears that they have. Good to see that yet another major medical association in this country is willing to step up to the plate with regard to medical cannabis.Dan B [ Post Comment ] Post Comment