Timothy Garon is the man I wrote about on Saturday who was denied a liver transplant by the University of Washington Medical Center because he’s a medical marijuana patient, and as a result, will likely die in the very near future. His case will be profiled at 5pm today on KIRO TV. Also, Dominic posts some contact numbers for the hospital and more information on the case over at Slog.
UPDATE: Here’s KIRO TV’s report:
We know that the DEA has been all over doctors prescribing pain medications and medical marijuana. I would not be surprised if the Feds threatened to withhold research grants from the UW if medical marijuana users are given a place on the waiting list.
@1
I wouldn’t be surprised either, but we’re still waiting for the facts to come out.
Republican attitudes toward medical marijuana are the 21st-century manifestation of irrational fear of witchcraft. When you get right down to it, Republicans are frightened little people.
Roger Rabbit spews: Republican attitudes toward medical marijuana . . . .
Would that be guys like Mark Emmert, the Republican President of the UW? Nah, its probably a just coincidence.
If I might be allowed an opinion, Emmert is unfit to be a pimple on Richard McCormack’s ass.
Let’s legalize marijuana and end this ridiculous Prohibition.
Amen, brother!
@4 IMO you’re unfit to be a pimple on the ass of the pimple on Emmert’s ass.
Lee, do any thoughts ever pop into your head not involving pot? Sounds like Rodent’s OCD to me.
I would like to know the entire list of things that would deny a person a liver transplant before I make up my mind on this.
Troll is right.
Look, most rational folks support the legalization of MJ … at least in the same form as tobacco. BUT support for legalization does not mean that all approaches to increasing use make sense.
Advanced age can be a disqualifier for a liver transplant. So can having hepatitis B.
11
What about advanced age and being a pot smoker… wait that would qualify you right??? Or would you be too old???
Troll @ 9 -VERY GOOD POINT! I would also like to see the disqualification lists.
@8
Lee, do any thoughts ever pop into your head not involving pot?
Sometimes I think about how many idiots hang out in these comment threads.
@9-13
I don’t put any of you in the same category as Mark, but will one of you please read either the original AP article or Dominic’s follow-up. The reason he was denied the transplant appears to be that the UW views his marijuana use as something other than medicinal. They view him as an addict. For a right wing troll to make this mistake is understandable. For a medical institution to make this mistake is inexcusable.
Lee,
I tried to find some new, unbiased information on the case, but there seems to be little out there. However, one new piece of info was interesting:
“With so few organs available, the UW Medical Center says patients selected are ultimately those with a reasonable chance of survival and a good outcome. In a given year, there are approximately 98,000 patients waiting for organs in the U.S. and only 6,000 donors.”
So, pot use aside, you’re saying that this guy is more deserving than 91,999 other people who could use that liver? Are ALL of them also pot smokers?
I read a Washington Post arcticle on it. Harborview first denied him, but said if he was abstinent for six months he could have the transplant. So then he went to UW Medical Center, and they denied him, but said it would reconsider if he enrolled in a sixty day drug treatment program.
And they don’t view him as an addict. They are concerned it’s a potential indicator of an addictive personality.
“Many doctors agree that using marijuana _ smoking it, especially _ is out of the question post-transplant.
The drugs patients take to help their bodies accept a new organ increase the risk of aspergillosis, a frequently fatal infection caused by a common mold found in marijuana and tobacco.”
Interesting that Marky should talk about being deserving over 91,999 people – that’s close to the 125,000 people that George Bush’s daddy got him past to get into the NG when he was working very hard to avoid real combat in Nam. More than 100,000 were legitimately on the list for the Guard – but Bush thought he was better than the rest – and ran like the coward he is into the NG instead of fighting in Nam.
Troll @ 16
If the “many doctors…” quote is true, then a good amount of blame should fall on Garon’s doctor for allegedly not knowing it was a disqualifying factor. Did you happen to read if his doc was some sort of a pro-pot crusader?
BiBiGoober @ 17
Please go back to the kiddie table. The adults are having a conversation.
BTW, how about you go to your local National Guard office and mention how you think only cowards join the Guard.
@15
So, pot use aside, you’re saying that this guy is more deserving than 91,999 other people who could use that liver? Are ALL of them also pot smokers?
You just said “pot use aside”, then you said, “Are ALL of them also pot smokers?” My god, man, you couldn’t make a bigger ass of yourself if you tried.
@16
And they don’t view him as an addict. They are concerned it’s a potential indicator of an addictive personality.
And that’s still wrong. Medical marijuana use is not a potential indicator of an addictive personality. That’s the problem here.
The aspergillosis issue is irrelevant because Garon would not be using medical marijuana post-transplant.
@18
If the “many doctors…” quote is true, then a good amount of blame should fall on Garon’s doctor for allegedly not knowing it was a disqualifying factor. Did you happen to read if his doc was some sort of a pro-pot crusader?
Garon’s doctor arguably should have known. That’s still not a reason to condemn a man to die. I’m pretty sure you’d feel the same way if your own doctor made a mistake.
Please go back to the kiddie table. The adults are having a conversation.
Not really. You may be impressed with yourself, but that doesn’t really carry much weight with the adults around here.
Lee @ 19
My “pot aside” sentence was a stand-alone question — that you failed to answer. The second, separate question then took out the “pot aside” qualification. I’m sorry if you were confused.
As to your response to Troll… What constitutes “medical” use of marijuana other than the Rx? Are you saying that the magic piece of paper (Rx) prevents pot addiction? How would the doctor know at what level Garon would or would not develop a dependency?
Having personally known people with severe pain issues and who have no interest in getting high, I can tell you that they still can become highly dependent on the medications — even when following the prescriptions to the letter.
The “kiddie table” comment was to BBG because of the irrelevant Bush comments and my perception that a number of people here were having a substantive conversation.
@20
My “pot aside” sentence was a stand-alone question — that you failed to answer. The second, separate question then took out the “pot aside” qualification. I’m sorry if you were confused.
Then let me answer it now. Whether or not someone uses medical marijuana should not matter in any way over whether a person is on the list or removed from it. I can’t say I know everything about how people get on the list, but I do know that the belief that a medical marijuana patient is more likely to be an addict is incorrect. And the belief that their lives are somehow less worthy is insulting.
As to your response to Troll… What constitutes “medical” use of marijuana other than the Rx? Are you saying that the magic piece of paper (Rx) prevents pot addiction? How would the doctor know at what level Garon would or would not develop a dependency?
I don’t believe that the piece of paper prevents pot addiction, but many people who receive transplants take medications that have potential for abuse and they don’t get booted from the list for it. And marijuana is far less addictive than many other medications. In fact, while many prescription medications can lead to chemical dependencies, pot can only lead to psychological ones.
Having personally known people with severe pain issues and who have no interest in getting high, I can tell you that they still can become highly dependent on the medications — even when following the prescriptions to the letter.
Then show me the people who were denied transplants because they were taking those medications.
The “kiddie table” comment was to BBG because of the irrelevant Bush comments and my perception that a number of people here were having a substantive conversation.
Thanks for coming back with something substantive.
The right is pro-life – except when it’s not.
And Marky I said it in 71 and I’ll say it again. I said it on national TV in fact and I’ll say it anywhere you like. If you joined the NG ahead of 100,000 other people in order to avoid going to Nam – you are a coward. In your case – you’re just a coward anyway.
And anytime you want bitch – just try to set me down at the kiddie table.
Lee, YOU didn’t write about this guy. You POSTED about him. Someone else did the reporting, as you point out in your O.G. post.
Ain’t blogging sposed to have a big “hat-tip” culture of giving credit where it’s due?
BiBiGoober @ 22 “…just try to set me down at the kiddie table.”
Emotionally, intellectually… you’re already there.
@23
Lee, YOU didn’t write about this guy. You POSTED about him. Someone else did the reporting, as you point out in your O.G. post.
Ain’t blogging sposed to have a big “hat-tip” culture of giving credit where it’s due?
Considering that the AP reporter who wrote the original story happens to also be a good friend of mine and he hasn’t complained to me, I’m not too worried that I’m crossing any lines here.
The issue is there are not enough donors for the increasing demands of organ transplantation. Don’t make it about things that it’s not about. They have to choose the best candidate that has the best chance of survival so there must be criteria. If you want to help increase the awareness of becoming a donor then do that rather than try to blame somebody!
Be like that Larry Niven sci fi story. Too many speeding tickets and you get used for spare parts. We could apply it to the other thread about breaking down on the I90 bridge. Not only do we impound your car, but on a 2nd offense, the driver is sold for spare parts.