cannabisnews.com: State Board is Investigating Doctors Who OK Pot State Board is Investigating Doctors Who OK Pot Posted by CN Staff on April 01, 2007 at 07:13:32 PT By Anne Krueger, Union-Tribune Staff Writer Source: San Diego Union Tribune San Diego, CA -- It was a new one for Chaparral High School administrators. Two students had shown up on the El Cajon campus high on marijuana. When questioned, they produced a medical marijuana recommendation from a Mission Valley clinic called Medimar, claiming their drug use was permitted. The students were suspended and the Grossmont Union High School District sent a letter to parents reminding them that marijuana is prohibited on any school campus, doctor's note or no. The January incident drew national attention after media outlets such as Fox News erroneously reported that Grossmont Union officials were supplying marijuana to students who had a doctor's OK. The incident also got the attention of Damon Mosler, chief of the narcotics division of the San Diego County District Attorney's Office. Mosler has long been frustrated that he is powerless to prosecute doctors who might be signing off on marijuana use for anyone willing to pay. The 1996 passage of state Proposition 215, allowing the use of medical marijuana, and a subsequent federal court ruling prohibits prosecution of a doctor for recommending medical marijuana. “I have yet to find a criminal outlet for me to prosecute them,” Mosler said. “If I could, I would.” Complete Title: State Board is Investigating Doctors Who OK Medical Pot Snipped: Complete Article: http://tinyurl.com/27m22ySource: San Diego Union Tribune (CA)Author: Anne Krueger, Union-Tribune Staff WriterPublished: April 1, 2007 Copyright: 2007 Union-Tribune Publishing Co.Contact: letters uniontrib.comWebsite: http://www.uniontrib.com/Cannabis News Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #19 posted by FoM on April 02, 2007 at 17:05:12 PT Dankhank I agree. It is a weed or herb but not a drug. Man makes drugs. [ Post Comment ] Comment #18 posted by Dankhank on April 02, 2007 at 17:03:01 PT BTW ... Cannabis is a plant ... NOT a drug ... [ Post Comment ] Comment #17 posted by Dankhank on April 02, 2007 at 14:43:27 PT 18 ... so, a 16-year-old kid could go independently to a doctor and get a recommendation?I know that's true for abortions in some states.no matter, FoM's kind reminder that there was more to the story answered many of my points. Thanks ...there's still no statement that they possessed pot at school.the Federal Government is responsible for the school's policy [ Post Comment ] Comment #16 posted by charmed quark on April 02, 2007 at 11:53:22 PT Danhank - under 18 The California law does not have an age restriction on who can receive a recommendation. It's up to the doctor to determine if someone can be helped by the drug. This is pretty much the same for any prescribed drug, although drug companies put age restrictions and dosage recommendations on their drugs based on studies they perform. [ Post Comment ] Comment #15 posted by switchback on April 02, 2007 at 10:45:24 PT: Students I wholeheartedly believe in the legalization of marijuana. That said, we need to respect it as a drug. The last thing these young kids need is to be on drugs at school; no matter which drug. I'm pretty sure that they would have been suspended no matter which drug they would have brought, which I am totally OK with. Because cannabis is illegal, they were punished more harsh. It just makes me sad that cannabis has such bad stigmata upon it. Cannabis is a blessing, not a curse. [ Post Comment ] Comment #14 posted by FoM on April 01, 2007 at 16:36:32 PT What is Illness? I read the rest of the article and I really don't understand the scrutiny of who should have or not have a recommendation. Do they do that with heavy duty and addicting drugs like legal Oxycontin? I would think that there are young people that have been prescribed Oxycontin and they might look fine but be really sick. I thought a Doctor was to be able to care for a sick person and be able to help them in the way that he or she thinks is the best way for the patient. [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by Dankhank on April 01, 2007 at 16:21:08 PT parents so the story says:Two students had shown up on the El Cajon campus high on marijuana. When questioned, they produced a medical marijuana recommendation from a Mission Valley clinic called Medimar, claiming their drug use was permitted.how'd the authorities know the kids were stoned, on pot?story says they were diagnosed, and then confirmed the diagnosis.I suspect a few drugs could cause a similar reaction.The MMJ law doesn't cover those under 18, does it?If they were under 18 they got a recommendation fraudulently.I said nothing about whether the parents should be contacted or not.I asked "if suspension was mandatory to make a point."How old WERE the "kids?"That would seem to be important.I have yet to find a criminal outlet for me to prosecute them,” Mosler said. “If I could, I wouldAre you suggesting that Mosler could be correct in assuming guilt and wanting to prosecute at all costs, much as the school did?the story didn't say pot was confiscated, though it implies that maybe some was.How did you got to the idea that I didn't want parents to be notified?I merely asked if suspension was appropriate. [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by whig on April 01, 2007 at 15:38:03 PT Dankhank I read the article as the children brought the cannabis to school, and as Charmed Quark says, that must be done through the school nurse. Even if they only came in to school under the influence of cannabis, it would be hard for a teacher or administrator to determine that this is all they are affected by. The student is apparently altered, it could be anything.Again, the parents must be kept in this process, What about them? [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by charmed quark on April 01, 2007 at 14:28:04 PT Odd reaction by school The article doesn't really give enough information. It seems they are implying the kids were using the drug recreationally and not to treat a condtion.But assuming the kids were actually using the drug to treat some condition...In our school system, any drug taken at school has to be done through the school nurse and involves paperwork from the parents. Under the rather stupid "zero tolerance" rules, a kid taking any drug on campus who doesn't do it through the school nurse is genrally expelled. There was a case last year where an asthmatic kid died because they couldn't get his inhalor out of the nurses office in time.Drugs taken off school property do not require this.The article implied the kids showed up already "high" on the school's campus. I.e., that they did not take it at school. In the schools where I live, the school might have noted a behavioral problem, checked with the kids and found out it was from a medication taken at home. They then would call the parents, made sure the kid had been prescribed it, and then ask the parents to come in to discuss it as the prescribed drug was interfering with the kids learning at school. Something would be worked out - like a better scheduling of the drug so it doesn't cause a problem.But the kids certainly would not receive a suspension for the drug use.In the state where I live, a minor can't pick up a prescription drug - their adult caretaker has to do it. Maybe this is the same on the West Coast. If that is the case, I would think a recommendation for cannabis would be treated like a prescription, or should be.But this article totally ignored all these issues. It just implied some doctor was writting recommendations to the kids for recreational drug use. [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by Dankhank on April 01, 2007 at 14:16:09 PT hangin' on ... so we can't make an important statement without the suspension?bullshit [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by whig on April 01, 2007 at 13:57:56 PT Suspension This is to inform the parent of the seriousness of sending kids to school with drugs of any kind, but especially drugs which might be desirable to other students. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by whig on April 01, 2007 at 13:55:10 PT It's a problem If a kid came to school with Percocet, it would have to be cleared with a parent. That's just the way I'm looking at it. I know it's better that they should have cannabis than Ritalin. I know that the best thing is to get the parents to understand this. I don't believe it is right for the state to make those decisions, however, and the school has a fiduciary obligation to the parents to act as caretakers and not as replacement parents. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by RevRayGreen on April 01, 2007 at 10:04:35 PT In all things considered I've sen it first hand, first by my own personal experience and now with my son............as a teen-ager, cannabis is far better than any ADHD drug the schools try and get our kids addicted to starting in grade-school. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by Dankhank on April 01, 2007 at 09:59:52 PT suspension So, the response to coming to school high is to send them home?Wonder how they are to get an education, or is this missed in the discussion?whig, what is the problem here? The kids? The school? The Law? The media?Let's punish the kids ....riiiiiight ...that's it. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by FoM on April 01, 2007 at 09:30:21 PT A Comment and a Question Maybe things have changed since my son was young but I went to the Doctor with him and took responsibility for any medicine prescribed. Is that how it still works? [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by whig on April 01, 2007 at 09:20:29 PT parental abuse On the other hand, if the student truly does need cannabis and the parent would not grant consent, this is a problem which also requires addressing through some remedy, probably judicial. So the students could have a way of being represented and their interests protected. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by whig on April 01, 2007 at 09:17:14 PT parental authority I also think that the students should not be allowed to excuse themselves from using cannabis by presenting a note, the parent should be informed and allowed to make appropriate medical decisions on behalf of their minor. So suspension was the correct thing to do in this case for that reason. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by whig on April 01, 2007 at 09:14:03 PT ADA What about the Americans With Disabilities Act? If the kids have illnesses that only cannabis treats effectively, are they disallowed from school? It is possible the school district would want to provide a separate instruction system for them as special needs students, however. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by duzt on April 01, 2007 at 07:42:18 PT those pesky kids I'm sure none of those kids are on any medication. I came from a town that has the highest leukemia rate in the nation. Most of those were kids. What a terrible thing to replace a toxic chemical with a herb baked into a cookie. So much outrage over a plant when the big pharmas are killing a injuring our kids every day. The guys who's pockets are filled by the money that's gained from harming our youth (and I'm talking about big pharma and people like O'reilly) aren't going to see things differently until they stop getting paid. This is what happened with Barr. They know they are full of it but they love that power and money too much. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment