cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Doctor Facing Revocation of License





Marijuana Doctor Facing Revocation of License
Posted by CN Staff on July 13, 2003 at 08:41:50 PT
By Toshi Maeda, Associated Press
Source: Associated Press
Oakland, Calif. - A doctor who recommended that thousands of his patients use marijuana is facing charges that could cost him his medical license, but the physician and his supporters say the case is merely an attempt to hush a vocal advocate for medicinal use of the drug.Tod H. Mikuriya, 69, wrote marijuana recommendations for 7,500 of his patients without conducting sufficient medical examinations, according to officials with the Medical Board of California, which has moved to revoke or suspend the doctor's license.
But Mikuriya's defense team has asked an administrative law judge to dismiss the accusation, citing California's voter-approved law that allows doctors to recommend marijuana to sick patients. A judge heard arguments in the case last week, and is expected to rule on Mikuriya's motion in three weeks.Mikuriya, of Berkeley, has been at the forefront of medical marijuana advocacy for decades, and has written a book with Ed Rosenthal, a renowned medical marijuana advocate who faced his own legal case earlier this year."Dr. Mikuriya is the biggest fish, the most visible advocate who has been writing on this for 40 years," said John Fleer, one of Mikuriya's attorneys.The controversy surrounding Mikuriya comes as the Bush administration is stepping up its efforts to crack down on doctors who approve marijuana use. State law allows doctors to recommend marijuana in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.Last week, the administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court to let federal authorities punish doctors who recommended pot to their patients. The move was in response to a San Francisco-based federal appeals court's October ruling that the Justice Department may not investigate doctors merely for recommending marijuana.Mikuriya is among nearly a dozen California physicians under investigation by the medical board in connection to medical marijuana recommendations. Some of the doctors have written more recommendations than Mikuriya.Torrance doctor William Eidelman is the only doctor currently under suspension by the board in connection to medical marijuana approvals. Eidelman is fighting that suspension. At least one other marijuana-recommending doctor in California was temporarily suspended from practicing medicine.The medical board, meanwhile, stresses that the accusation against Mikuriya has nothing to do with marijuana.Deputy Attorney General Lawrence Mercer, who represents the medical board, told the judge Friday that the charges against Mikuriya are about "a doctor practicing without doing what a good doctor has to do."Hallye Jordan, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Bill Lockyer, said doctors are required to perform a physical exam, check the patient's medical history and do follow-up work."We believe that Dr. Mikuriya did not provide that responsible, standard care," Jordan said.Mikuriya disputes the allegations."They say I didn't see them, I didn't examine them. That's absolutely untrue," Mikuriya said, arguing he spends at least 15 minutes with each patient before issuing a recommendation.Mindy Devereax, 51, said her life has dramatically changed since she met Mikuriya three years ago and started using medical marijuana."Within 15 minutes, he understood, recognized and diagnosed my problems," said the Albany resident who is recovering from a brain injury and suffers from chronic pain and depression following a car accident."I cannot tolerate this much pain. He is the only one who saved my life," she said.Mikuriya, a psychiatrist specializing in the history of medical cannabis, insists marijuana is very effective in alleviating chronic pain, muscle spasms, depression and alcoholism."This is very much like a holy war, not based on science or medicine, but based on ignorance and incorrect information," Mikuriya said.Frank Lucido, another Berkeley doctor who is under investigation for having recommended marijuana to a 16-year-old patient, said the accusations against Mikuriya are having "a chilling effect to other doctors" who recommend marijuana.The case is In the Matter of the Accusation Against Tod Mikuriya, 12-1999-98783.Complete Title: Medical Marijuana Doctor Facing Revocation of License Source: Associated PressAuthor: Toshi Maeda, Associated PressPublished: Sunday, July 13, 2003Copyright: 2003 Associated Press Related Articles & Web Site:Tod H. Mikuriya, M.D.http://www.mikuriya.com/Psychiatrist's License May Be Revokedhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16839.shtmlPot Doctor's License In Jeopardyhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16838.shtmlBush Wants Marijuana Ruling Struck Downhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16834.shtml
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Comment #13 posted by Rev Jonathan Adler on July 14, 2003 at 16:26:31 PT:
Dr. Mikuriya is also Guilty of being LEGAL!
God Bless Todd, my first doctor and the one who has helped the most patients in the nation. That makes him a national HERO! I was impressed with the thorough exam and detailed education he provided with a smile and a friendly demeanor. 
He even up-dated the script yearly and stayed in touch as I migrated to Hawaii. There is such a thing as "GUILTY of bring LEGAL! I know full well that it is true. Political imprisonment happens. Right now the state is trying to hold up my medical registration renewal for no reason at all, except maybe "my being me". I found out it has sat on the Director's desk since early June! (Guilty of being legal! Main thing is, don't give up. Aloha, Rev. Jonathan Adler
Hawaii Medical Marijuana Institute
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Comment #12 posted by FoM on July 14, 2003 at 12:17:49 PT
News Article -- Associated Press
This article is by the same AP Writer but slightly different then the above so instead of posting the article I thought I'd post the link for you all to check out.Here it is!http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2003/07/13/national1218EDT0455.DTL
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Comment #11 posted by BigDawg on July 14, 2003 at 06:55:02 PT
I saw my physician last week...
for 15 minutes.I walked out with a HANDFUL of Pharm prescriptions. Should I report this doc to the authorities?Naw... it was only pharm meds./sarcasm
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Comment #10 posted by trichome on July 13, 2003 at 17:48:05 PT:
Dr. Tod is my HERO!
This is the same type of government that held him and his family in a concentration camp for being Japanese/Americans.Now visibly threatened that he is one of the most intellegent people in the USA they are trying to take his license to practice medicne away.I don't believe for one minute that Dr. Tod Mikuriya would have done anything against his oath of office or professional standards to circumvent a recommendation to use medicinal cannabis for anyone.I have seen him for years and he has always been a professional of the highest standards. This guy is top drawer, first class.
TRICHOME.ORG
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Comment #9 posted by Truth on July 13, 2003 at 16:40:31 PT
oh yeah
with out Tod I'd be doing Pharmys today, sure glad I'm not.
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Comment #8 posted by Truth on July 13, 2003 at 16:37:48 PT
Tod
We first went to Tod, before we moved. He is a wonderful man, kind and understanding. We did only have 15 minutes, both the wife and I, but he was very thorough, he also followed up on the phone.Tod is a saint in my book.
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Comment #7 posted by Virgil on July 13, 2003 at 14:55:01 PT
Correction again
When you do a search for 30 articles, I was never able to go back past 1000. If you do a single search it goes back to thread 10 on December 1, 1998- http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread10.shtml
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Comment #6 posted by Virgil on July 13, 2003 at 14:43:03 PT
April 5, 1999 had the doctor on Cnews
The Cnews archives start at 1000 on April 1. 1999. The doctors web page made Cnews in thread 1026 on April 5th with these words. From http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread1026.shtmlWelcome to the www page of Tod H. Mikuriya, M.D. 
Dr. Mikuriya is one of the world's foremost authorities on the uses of medical cannabis. He has few peers in his knowledge of cannabis' therapeutic uses, efficacy, history, routes of administration and potential for abuse. Dr. Mikuriya has 30 years of clinical experience in the medical uses of cannabis, his review and knowledge of the pre-prohibition medical literature is unsurpassed. This is where Dr. Tod's writings will be published. Visit this page to find out more about medical cannabis or about retaining Dr. Mikuriya as an expert witness. 
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on July 13, 2003 at 14:06:22 PT
Pictures of Dr. Mikuriya
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/030713/168/4o2d9.htmlhttp://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/030713/168/4o2d4.htmlhttp://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/030713/168/4o2d2.htmlTod H. Mikuriya, M.D.:
http://www.mikuriya.com/
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Comment #4 posted by drfistusa on July 13, 2003 at 12:06:22 PT:
what about viagra?
you can buy viagra on the web and get a prescription on the phone, what about those Docs. ??? 
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on July 13, 2003 at 11:41:17 PT
Thanks JR
I'm going to watch the video after I get done mowing and can concentrate on it. I haven't found a news article so far to post about Marc's arrest. I'll keep looking!
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Comment #2 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on July 13, 2003 at 10:59:54 PT
Meanwhile...
Marc Emery arrested in Regina: http://www.pot-tv.net/archive/shows/pottvshowse-2061.html
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Comment #1 posted by goneposthole on July 13, 2003 at 09:43:32 PT
If the good doctor
were prescribing Ritalin, Prozac, or 'the purple pill' Nexium, 
he would be richly rewarded by the pharmaceutical companies.However, since he has been prescribing the most efficacious, benign medicine that can benefit those who are sick, he has become a pariah.A pogrom against sensible doctors apparently has begun, too.It makes sense that it makes no sense.Another great day on earth. paz 
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