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Medical marijuana patients face transplant hurdles

news.yahoo.com — Timothy Garon's face and arms are hauntingly skeletal. His liver, ravaged by hepatitis C, is failing. Without a new one, his doctors tell him, he will be dead in days. But Garon's been refused a spot on the transplant list, largely because he has used marijuana, even though it was legally approved for medical reasons.

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  • highlyhigh, on 04/27/2008, -14/+9damn his girlfriend is hot!
  • killbert24, on 04/27/2008, -7/+81This is absolutely ridiculous and sickening. Somebody using a natural plant for health reasons is enough reason to just let them die? ***** this, I hope a law is taken to Congress and SOON.
    • gmiley, on 04/27/2008, -5/+27We SERIOUSLY need some reform in this area. It really is past the point of total ridiculousness. Why should anyone EVER be refused medical treatment because they have used drugs, legal or illegal? It makes absolutely no sense at all.
      • dmallymally, on 04/27/2008, -0/+11The only case i could see this though, is if say an alcoholic wanted a liver transplant, i don't think they should take precedence over someone else who's liver is failing who didn't drink.
        • gmiley, on 04/27/2008, -6/+3I think the only determining factor in who should get priority is how long a person can live without the transplant, period. I understand what you are saying, but I don't think they should ever let someone die if they have the means to help them.
          • dmallymally, on 04/27/2008, -1/+6i don't think so, that was a personal choice to drink and is not the fault of the person who didn't drink. And since there is a huge demand for such a short supply of organs, i say the nondrinkers are at the top of that list.
          • trogdoor, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1The problem comes when you don't have the means to help everyone, you have to choose who you are going to let die and there is no easy way to make that decision.
        • mrsteveman1, on 04/27/2008, -1/+7Alcohol is known to damage the liver, hence you don't give alcoholics transplant livers if they refuse to quit drinking.

          Pot doesn't do that. Wake me when you want to discuss heavy smokers demanding lung transplants, because THATS different.
          • dmallymally, on 04/27/2008, -2/+4True, yeah i hear ya. Denying someone a transplant for marijuana is just plain stupid, since it doesn't do anything, but especially since they obtained it legally, that's ridiculous.
          • gmiley, on 04/27/2008, -7/+2Actually marijuana causes more damage to your lungs than the damage caused by smoking a cigarette. There have been several articles on that in the past.
            http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn3039-cannabi ...
          • mrsteveman1, on 04/27/2008, -1/+2When did i make any claims about smoking pot and lung damage? I simply said heavy smokers, of anything, demanding lung transplants.

            I wasn't even defending pot, i was saying it doesnt do anything to the liver, hence bitching about pot use in a liver transplant candidate is entirely political and ridiculous.

            But since you brought it up, i don't care if pot is worse on lungs. Pot serves a purpose, cigarettes don't.
      • DrDreyfus, on 04/27/2008, -8/+5Because people who don't do drugs and try to stay healthy come first?

        He contracted Hep C by sharing needles with drug addicts... I think a father of three that contracted Hep C in a gym by means of sweat from an infected person deserves it more
        • quizmaster520, on 04/27/2008, -5/+13When he was a TEENAGER.

          But I see what you're saying. We'll rank people on how much they deserve to live. That's a great idea.
        • mrsteveman1, on 04/27/2008, -3/+7Interesting that you completely avoided the medical issues and went straight to determining who deserves it more because of social status.

          If they are both sick, whats the difference? What if daddy decides to start drinking later? What if daddy likes to molest those 3 kids? Is he still a better choice?
        • CaptainAmerica1, on 04/27/2008, -0/+2I agree...sounds like a good argument for NOT getting into drugs.
    • daines88, on 04/27/2008, -3/+8Yes... let's just sit around and hope something goes through congress.... Get off your ass and do something about it.
    • pershingdriver, on 04/27/2008, -5/+1I guess you missed the part about he mold that is common on pot and tobacco that will cause an infection and kill someone on immune-suppressants. There is no way congress should get involved look what a mess they have made of the VA system.
      • meschmie, on 04/27/2008, -1/+5It said if you use it AFTER the transplant it is possible you could have an infection, and that they don't know the complications about use before.
        "But there's little information on whether using marijuana is a problem before the transplant,"
        So I guess you missed the part of the article where it had words.
        • pershingdriver, on 04/27/2008, -2/+2No I saw it I just ignored it as being medically incorrect.
          Mold can be in your system dormant for months until your immune system is compromised by another illness or immune suppressors
    • NoStoppingUs, on 04/27/2008, -10/+4I used to not oppose the legalization of marijuana, but i've come to understand how ***** up your guys' thinking is on things. If you guys support it, i'm against it.
      • bromac, on 04/27/2008, -1/+5I'm for you getting proper care if you're injured. By YOUR ***** up logic, you'd be automatically for your own death.
      • hikaruzero, on 04/27/2008, -0/+6That's the problem with normal people like you. Your perspective on life is that it's all black and white. You think, hey, all marijuana thinkers are ***** up. So let's support the prohibition of medical marijuana.

        But the truth is, if you had ever smoked pot, you would probably understand that the world is NOT black and white, nor is it even 256 shades of gray. Life isn't that simple, and neither is this case. It's a shame that you don't have the mental capacity to understand that.

        Many marijuana users are logical and think normally. Many of them are bastards and con artists and spineless losers. By the same token, many ordinary non-smokers are logical, and think normally. And many of them are bastards and con artists and spineless losers.

        The world does not change with the drug. The drug changes with the world. Get with the times and start using your noggin'.
    • OverkillTASF, on 04/27/2008, -6/+8Marijuana has been declared a dangerous drug. Right or wrong, the federal government (and most other state governments) still considers marijuana a dangerous substance. Users of dangerous substances will be denied a transplant in favor of non-users. Why? Because what's the point in giving someone a perfectly good organ if they're going to "poison" themselves with a dangerous substance when there are other donors in line?
      Not that I actually consider marijuana dangerous, but that's the root of the problem here. It's not like marijuana users are being singled out.
      • jeremy1967, on 04/27/2008, -3/+6So will people who eat unhealthy diets be denied? How about those that don't exercise enough? What about those who drive too fast and don't wear seat belts? The fact is, there are many common activities that carry a certain amount of risk. By the logic being applied here, only those who live a perfect, risk-free life should be granted the appropriate medical care. What a ***** up world we live in.
    • ghostfish, on 04/27/2008, -2/+4They aren't being "let die" they're being skipped over in favor of somebody else who is more likely to benefit from the surgery.
    • arobicha, on 04/27/2008, -4/+4To those of you who think this is the time to press the issue of pot-legality: You sicken me. While there this man may be in desperate need of a liver, there are MANY others just like him who need it just as badly; who are better matches, who are younger, and who took better care of their bodies. You are questioning what is already a very difficult moral issue. Do NOT try to make it seem like you're taking the moral high ground by claiming you're attempting to save a life. So are the doctors who decided who got the liver, so is the doctor who will transplant the liver, and so is the doctor who will oversee the person's recovery.
    • SierraAlpha, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1The guy got hep C from shooting drugs, and they don't want to give an organ to a drug user because it was from his choosing that he contracted the disease. It's better suited to go to somebody who didn't have any control over their fate.
  • talktomikey, on 04/27/2008, -3/+16Not all drugs are good... But some are great. =D
    • meschmie, on 04/27/2008, -3/+8Weed is not a drug, it's a herb.
      • matschig, on 04/27/2008, -3/+3Wow.
      • refreshers, on 04/27/2008, -0/+5It's a hug!
      • gernblansted, on 04/27/2008, -2/+5If coffee were reviewed officially by the DEA standards of today, it would be illegal, and US prisons would be more profitable than they are now. For those not aware of contemporary US prison profit standards, that would be a big chunk of change.
      • CaptainAmerica1, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1Drug: Any substance which when absorbed into a living organism may modify one or more of its functions

        Therefore, "weed" *is* a drug.
    • Ashur420, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1I agree not all drugs are good. Aspirin are perfectly legal. Go down a bottle of em and it will be your last headache ever. One night I smoked damn near a half peezy of wizzle and woke up in the morning hungry as hell; but, perfectly fine. We have a sham of a medical system if dying individuals are denied life saving care because they consume marijuana. He probably uses it to fight pain. I know I would.
  • rockasoo, on 04/27/2008, -0/+48Until I read the description I thought this guy needed a "Face Transplant"...
    • xeren, on 04/27/2008, -0/+0you can face many hurdles trying to get a face transplant
    • shakbhaji, on 04/27/2008, -0/+3Oh, I've seen this movie... it was terrible.
    • smacksaw, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1Same here...I was like "Dude, ***** that! Smoking pot won't mess up your circulation in your face!"

      You know, because you're not supposed to smoke if you get a facelift because it collapses the capillaries.
    • thedrue, on 04/27/2008, -0/+2Me too, I was really confused! I am mildly disappointed to see that there isn't some awesome new procedure for transplanting an entire face though...
  • nreynolds, on 04/27/2008, -0/+17The words "face transplant" and "marijuana" usually lead to a very different conversation in my experiences...
  • bigmacur, on 04/27/2008, -10/+4boo to those doctors......turns out weed does kill......
    • jcaino, on 04/27/2008, -0/+10No, doctors and idiot lawmakers kill.
    • RedHerringHack, on 04/27/2008, -0/+3Doctors kill. The stats don't lie. They are #4.
      • jackalsclaw, on 04/27/2008, -0/+2what? medical accidents are not any where near the top in the US.
  • dizturbd2, on 04/27/2008, -5/+8I think the doctors are smokin crack...
  • pyro12, on 04/27/2008, -6/+57So weed doesn't kill anyone unless they kill you for using it. What a pathetic system.
  • cowisgood, on 04/27/2008, -4/+43I know this is dealing with medical marijuana, but still, taking someone's life away because they like to get high every now and then is pathetic.
    But this poor guy was told he could use it, which makes it even more ridiculous.
  • paradox4190, on 04/27/2008, -3/+11That's outrageous, there are many more 'orthodox' prescription drugs that do horrible damage to the organs and have numerous side effects while doing very little to help. Just because marijuana has such a bad image with the general public is no reason to discout its use as medicine.
    • skidme, on 04/27/2008, -9/+1Right, but those prescriptions are taken to help the person, regardless of side effects. Mary Jane is damage done willingly, without any positive "side effects".
      • Rikkochet, on 04/27/2008, -0/+13Please explain your comment in full, because to my ignorant eyes it appears that you are dismissing a family of drugs called "painkillers" as having no positive side effects.
    • UcIc, on 04/27/2008, -1/+3A good example is Accutane which is a prescription based drug used in the treatment of cystic acne. That ***** is so potent that while you're on it, you have to constantly be tested for liver damage. If a woman gets pregnant while on it, it will cause major birth defects and often times will negate any form of birth control that the woman is taking. So this is a legally prescribed drug which definitely has implications of causing liver damage. If this man is denied a new liver because of smoking weed (which has no effect on the liver), should not the users of Accutane be denied as well since they "don't care about their liver"? Mind you, this is a drug that has no real benefit to your body besides cosmetic purposes.
      I don't think EITHER should be denied.
  • KLowD9x, on 04/27/2008, -4/+28This disgusts me. How can they sleep at night knowing they are going to kill a man because he found relief for his pain in a plant?!
    • bigmacur, on 04/27/2008, -1/+7they sleep because they smoke weed too.....
    • UcIc, on 04/27/2008, -1/+6Because at the end of the day, this guy is just another name and number to them. The government/lobbyists/corporations don't care who they kill, maim, or inconvenience as long as they still have money flowing into their pockets. The only time they care is when something like this would actually happen to one of THEIR loved ones. Only then would you see any sort of effort for change to be made.
    • daizaru, on 04/27/2008, -0/+4Because they deny people transplants all day, the a desensitized corporate shills designed to make money and medicinal marijuana is a cost effective alternative to otherwise high priced medicine.
    • isaactwito, on 04/27/2008, -0/+3money money money money money money money
  • fixhist, on 04/27/2008, -7/+9The root of all problems is Narcotics interest groups.
    No body would go for medicinal marijuana,if codeine is available in shelf medication.

    Narcotic cartels got Codeine removed from shelf medication to push drugs on streets.
    It will be too hard for codeine back on shelf,as Narcotics makes 30% of American economy.
    Codeine is the so-far the best medication for loose motions and specially useful for AIDs & Cancer care.

    It goes in the interest of Narcotic lobbyist to create hurdles in easy access to marijuana or for that matter to any range of codeine based medication.
    • bromac, on 04/27/2008, -1/+7I'm sorry, but codeine is *****. Having had it for pain, it was FAR less effective than a joint.

      Even when I was on more powerful opiates (oxycodone), a joint was far more effective at killing the pain. Also, the opiates made me very very tired, and caused all sorts of stomach irritation. At least I could eat and function normally if I had a few puffs.
      • MsArtGeek, on 04/27/2008, -1/+3not to mention far less chemical dependence issues than with opiates...
      • SierraAlpha, on 04/27/2008, -1/+1Having tried both, for pure pain relief (no other factors included) oxycodone is far superior to a joint. You just have some complex and need to defend your almighty plant.
        • pojut, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1No, I think it's just that you haven't ever smoked medical-grade marijuana. Far more powerful stuff than what you find on the street.
        • ashfish, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1Why does he have some crazy need to defend the plant if it indeed worked better for him? His body may be more receptive to marijuana than yours was so it worked better for him. Health is a very personal thing so saying X is going to have these effects in everyone, or Y is going to work better for you than Z without trying both is silly.
    • sgtpppr, on 04/27/2008, -0/+8And of course the fact codeine will end up turning you into a junkie if you take it long enough. The medical establishment would rather prescribe a very addictive opiate (like codeine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, or oxycontin) than allow someone to smoke a joint because marijuana is considered hazardous.
      • dynelol, on 04/27/2008, -0/+2While i fully see your point, since we know MOST people (currently including myself) smoke weed rather than eat of vape it, it may be that they want to say "Swallow this pill." instead of "light this on fire and suck on it."
        • sgtpppr, on 04/30/2008, -0/+1Still...you can't compare the chance of getting lung cancer after MANY years of inhaling marijuana smoke to the extremely powerful negative side effects of short/long term opiate use. There aren't any old heroin junkies because they never stay junkies more than a few years (generally end up dead). The gov't has never used lung cancer from smoking as a reason pot is illegal and not ok for medicinal use. Check out the side effects for chemotherapy. It's up to the doctors to weight the positives and negatives...not law makers who are more interested in political platform and votes.
  • cheech794, on 04/27/2008, -1/+8"if using dope with a doctor's blessing should be held against a dying patient in need of a transplant." The simple answer NO.
    • NikoKun, on 04/27/2008, -0/+2Exactly, how is his situation, any different than someone who uses opium based meds, as recommended by their doctor?
  • Enjia, on 04/27/2008, -4/+16the guy got hep C from shooting drugs, and they don't want to give a organ to a drug user. not saying it's right, but do people who stay "clean" deserve organs more?

    discuss
    • matschig, on 04/27/2008, -9/+0Discuss? xD

      BURIED
    • sdrumsalot, on 04/27/2008, -2/+0Standing on the sidelines, noble
    • qwdggtryj887m, on 04/27/2008, -3/+1I agree with you, Enjia. This is probably the most important aspect of the story. Discussing whether or not a drugs user's (past or present) life is more important than any other person's is valid. I would argue that people are people, and doctors take an oath to help anyone, regardless of situation. It's just the human thing to do.

      This story makes me angry.
    • shotgunefx, on 04/27/2008, -0/+3That's a big part of the story that's easy to miss. How much of it has to do with him booting drugs?

      Certainly, it's beyond inhuman to deny someone a transplant because of smoking grass, as it's side effects are minimal, and not even very addictive (if at all), but the fact that he shoot speed is certainly relative. I'm not saying he shouldn't be able to get a transplant, but certainly there's more to the discussion than the fact that he smokes marijuana.
    • XIStEw13IX, on 04/27/2008, -1/+2I think that if the issue was that the man shot speed in the past then i would give the board a bit more of an open thought but since i am assuming that the guy isn't doing any drugs other then the medicinal marijuana and the whole ordeal is about him using medicinal marijuana i tend favor the patients side.
  • wexmajor, on 04/27/2008, -2/+20Even if it wasn't legally prescribed to him this would still be disgusting and insanely immoral.
  • drfluffer, on 04/27/2008, -7/+0He isn't it knew.
  • sdrumsalot, on 04/27/2008, -17/+4Please no more stupid, lame posts about marijuana. The guy was an addict, who do you think they would give it to the addict or the guy who does not abuse his body. This is a ***** lame posts just trying to get all the potheads to digg it up because the word marijuana is in it. WTF.
    • Rikkochet, on 04/27/2008, -2/+12They give it to the person who is a match and has the highest need, you ***** imbecile. Look up the word "triage".
      • sdrumsalot, on 04/27/2008, -8/+2WRONG, you're not supposed to do any drinking or drugs when you are on a transplant lists or you forfeit your transplant, the rules are there for a reason DICK.
        • dynelol, on 04/27/2008, -1/+6He got the weed legally. That's like saying just tolerate the pain and not to take any pills for the pain either. You're stupid.
    • DrDreyfus, on 04/27/2008, -7/+3agreed
      • sdrumsalot, on 04/27/2008, -6/+0WRONG, you're not supposed to do any drinking or drugs when you are on a transplant lists or you forfeit your transplant, the rules are there for a reason DICK.
        • RepubOperative, on 04/27/2008, -0/+4He is in agreement with you....DICK.
    • quizmaster520, on 04/27/2008, -2/+2That's funny, I don't remember reading anything in the article about him being an addict.
    • sdrumsalot, on 04/27/2008, -7/+3You act as if he is the only patient on the ***** transplant list. Are you saying people on the list who do not use drugs do not deserver the transplant. Some are probably in his exact condition and have never used drugs or alcohol and have stayed healthy for the majority of the life, that's responsibility, that's discipline, they SHOULD be at the top of the list. How do you think he got Hep C. LETS FEEL SORRY FOR THE DRUG ADDICT WHO DIDN'T GET THE TRANSPLANT AND LETS SAY FU TO ALL THE OTHERS WHO STAYED CLEAN AND DO NOT GET THE TRANSPLANT EITHER. *****.
      • dynelol, on 04/27/2008, -3/+3CAPITAL LETTERS! I IMMEDIATELY TAKE IT SERIOUSLY!
      • ashfish, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1Of course we're not saying they don't deserve to have a transplant. But why should his prior drug use history disqualify him and take him out of his place in line for a transplant? There's no evidence he'll go back to using. There's no evidence someone who's been completely clean, when faced with the recovery process won't turn to illegal drugs. This whole approval process is retarded.
    • XIStEw13IX, on 04/27/2008, -1/+1the article doesn't say anything about him being addicted to anything, and i certainly hope you don't mean he is addicted to marijuana because marijuana is not chemically addictive and less habit forming then most prescription and over the counter drugs, so claiming that the guy was addicted to marijuana just makes you look like an ass.
  • XIStEw13IX, on 04/27/2008, -3/+12WTF, I'm willing to bet that if one of those board members got sick and was offered medicinal marijuana that they would take it in a heartbeat, i know i would.
    • captric, on 04/27/2008, -2/+1No - they are smarter than that and you can get better drugs cheaper and legally anyway!
      • psnapplebee, on 05/04/2008, -0/+0No, you can't.

        Medical marijuana provides a therapeutic profile and ease of use that is unmatched by any other cost-effective drug available.
  • patrflav, on 04/27/2008, -3/+7Seeing the picture made me cry, really, this makes me so sad.
    http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080426/capt.0 ...
  • Emnsta, on 04/27/2008, -5/+8Digg Army! ASSEMBLE!!!
  • skews13, on 04/27/2008, -3/+9my heart goes out to timothy,and his family. i'm sorry timothy,you seem to live in a country where compasion is no longer practiced. just christianity,and capitalism.
    • Phant0mMaster, on 04/27/2008, -1/+2Thank you so much for dragging religion into things. We all know insulting the majorities personal beliefs is the key to change! I don't think all atheists are douche-bags, but with people like you I can see why some might think so.
      • skews13, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1my humblest apologies,i did not know your church was running to his aid on this issue as we speak. good for you.
    • orph3us, on 04/27/2008, -0/+2I'm not Christian, or even religious. But it seems to me that the true Christianity values compassion and forgiveness and leaves judgement up to God. Can't call a person that lacks compassion a very good Christian.
  • Rikkochet, on 04/27/2008, -1/+10If donor organs are so ***** scarce, can someone explain to me why the organ donor program is still an opt-in system instead of an opt-out system? How many thousands of people die needlessly every year because people died and didn't join the organ donor program due to laziness?
    • deviouster, on 04/27/2008, -0/+5I don't know why it is this way. I agree with you though. I am the recepient of a double lung transplant (my story: http://youtube.com/watch?v=dQMPe3C1x4U ) which I received when I was only 10 years old. I agree with you 100% - it should be an opt out system, if anything. I volunteer for the donor network of arizona, I know enough statistics to write a book - and it's just plain sad how unfortunate most cases end because there wasn't a donor available when needed. It doesn't hurt you at all to sign up..
      • dynelol, on 04/27/2008, -0/+5If that would've been a rickroll, it would've been the best one yet.
      • SirFoxx, on 04/27/2008, -1/+1What would stop hospitals from letting people die early when there was still a chance of recovery just to harvest organs from the patients?
  • 2h3px, on 04/27/2008, -1/+1I wish we could help this guy. Damn you passive madia. Damn you.
  • kotn2012, on 04/27/2008, -1/+5So, those who use/used drugs are deemed useless in society? I think they should have worked out these 'guidelines' before they legalized marijuana, just for certain circumstances like these.
    • sgtpppr, on 04/27/2008, -2/+4This headline and description is a little misleading though because it isn't giving the whole story. The guy got Hep C from being a junkie. He tested positive for drugs (marijuana), so they don't want to 'waste' an organ on him. Obviously, there is a whole lot of precedents and judgment calls involved here. The establishment considers all illicit drugs the same and they're treating this case as the same as if an alcoholic needed a new liver due to drinking and tested positive for alcohol while applying for a new liver. This makes it obvious how the gov't and medical establishment groups ALL illegal drugs together as the same. The guy was a known IV drug user and the don't see the distinction between shooting up and smoking a joint. It's still very wrong and it'll cost these guy his life, but it's a little more complex than just 'you smoked dope once and now you can't have a liver'. The list of donors is short and the list of needed organs is long. Hopefully, he can still get his organ and not decide to go back shooting up.
  • Enron1985, on 04/27/2008, -3/+6The body is a temple, people who use marijuana have no business receiving transplants. Organ transplants need to be reserved for people such as alcoholics with cirrhosis.
    • champagnebubble, on 05/03/2008, -0/+0 you say" the body is a temple,,people who use marijuana have no business receiving transplants..." I have something to say to that.. He put seed bearing herbs hear for our use and he said it was good. Also jugde not lest yea be judged! No one has the right to play God.
    • psnapplebee, on 05/04/2008, -0/+0It was medicine. It was medicine. It was medicine. He's not some wild partier -- cannabis as medicine has substantial advantages over the other medicines currently available. It was prescribed to him, and they sentenced him to death on purely ideological/political (NOT MEDICAL) grounds.
  • SentientFlan, on 04/27/2008, -1/+3Screw it. Someone needs to summon the ghost of Hippocrates. Apparently doctors haven't been following that oath they took. That's about as much humor as anyone can make of this, but it's less absurd than the situation. The "War on (some)Drugs" has reached critical stupidity and inhumanity.
  • donkeydrop, on 04/27/2008, -6/+5Inaccurate; the guy is an addict that's how he got hepatitis in the first place (from using dirty needles).
    • SentientFlan, on 04/27/2008, -2/+4No, he was infected from sharing needles when he was a teenager, not currently.

      "Garon believes he got hepatitis by sharing needles with "speed freaks" as a teenager. In recent years, he said, pot has been the only drug he's used. In December, he was arrested for growing marijuana."
    • UcIc, on 04/27/2008, -2/+5When he was a teenager. He's currently 56. How would you like to have all of the mistakes you make as a kid held against you for the rest of your life? As long as hes not continuing to pursue that current course of action, what the does it matter?
    • quizmaster520, on 04/27/2008, -1/+3When he was a teenager...
  • lizlemoncello, on 04/27/2008, -2/+3Man, this is grim. It's not like he's abusing prescribed opiates... it's just... pot.

    I can't even imagine...
  • Ihatenicks, on 04/27/2008, -5/+2There's no doubt it's certainly unethical, but in a wider view I'd certainly have to admit that transplants should go to those who would continue to live a healthy life with a transplant, there's not much point in depriving someone to give a transplant to someone else who's ***** anyway, and has a very short life expectancy with or without it.
    The bigger picture though is that fact that medical herb use can be officially state authorised but that it remains a federal offense.
    • Ellipsys, on 04/27/2008, -0/+5Bureaucracy is not a suitable excuse for the loss of human health/life.
  • alienunknown, on 04/27/2008, -1/+7Well they should stop giving everyone transplants who have had pain relief in hospital then, because most people in hospital in pain are put on morphine which comes from opium poppies and diamorphine (heroin) is a semi-synthetic drug made from morphine. I guess they all have "addictive personalities" too...
  • user5124, on 04/27/2008, -0/+6What happened to marijuana being banned because the government was concerned about our health?
  • deviouster, on 04/27/2008, -0/+7Being the recepient of a double lung transplant (my story: http://youtube.com/watch?v=dQMPe3C1x4U ) and an active participant in the organ donation network, I am disappointed that the united network for organ sharing (UNOS.org) is acting this way. this man was taking it for MEDICAL purposes and he was refused. How sad.
    • deviouster, on 04/27/2008, -0/+2I meant to say, that I am disappointed that the united network for organ sharing is ALLOWING this to happen.
    • deviouster, on 04/27/2008, -0/+3Also, any diggers interested in signing up to be a donor can sign up online at http://www.donatelife.net/
      Just think of my story and how a donor saved my life when I was only 10.
  • BriVaps, on 04/27/2008, -7/+2i knew a cronic marajuana user who smoked so much weed that a pot bush started to grow out his dick hole
  • paranoidbrick, on 04/27/2008, -3/+1There is no way that a court will deny him the transplant. I have to think that this is going to end up being a victory for the legalization movement.
  • m1ss1ontomars, on 04/27/2008, -0/+4Well, think of it this way: there are only a limited number of livers available for transplant, and it's not like they're throwing away the liver instead of giving it to him.
  • sdrumsalot, on 04/27/2008, -9/+3WHERE ARE ALL YOUR DIGGS FOR ALL THE PATIENTS WHO STAYED CLEAN AND NEEDED A TRANSPLANT BUT COULDN'T GET IT EITHER. HE IS NOT THE ONLY ONE ON THE TRANSPLANT LIST THAT HAS BEEN DENIED. "ITS SUCH A TRAVESTY THAT A POT SMOKER IS BEING DENIED THE TRANSPLANT", IT IS A TRAVESTY THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE STAYED CLEAN THEIR ENTIRE LIFE ARE DENIED JUST THE SAME. SHAME ON ALL OF YOU!
    • keviniskool, on 04/27/2008, -1/+5WHY ARE WE YELLING?
    • isaactwito, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1Dude, we're ***** because he's being denied a transplant because he used marijuana that was legally prescribed to him. We're not saying that a pothead should be chosen over other people who need a transplant, but this is a pathetic failure of the system. Also stop bitching and yelling (kudos to keviniskool).
    • familynight, on 04/27/2008, -0/+2all caps aside, are you seriously saying that because this guy used drugs for some period of time as a teenager and now, at the age of 56, ingests marijuana on the advice and with the prescription of a doctor his life is worth less than someone else's? in my humble opinion, that's a shameful attitude.
      • sdrumsalot, on 04/27/2008, -1/+0he was a needle user- lifetime addict. That is how he contracted Hep C. It is more complicated than the story leads you to believe
        • ashfish, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1Excuse me? How the hell do you make the connection that because he used a needle hes a lifetime addict? Do getting shots mean you're a lifetime addict of vaccinations?
      • psnapplebee, on 05/04/2008, -0/+0No, it doesn't say that anywhere. He used needles as a teenager. Quiet.
    • ashfish, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1Wow, it's great that we can put a value on people's head just by the substances they ingest. I love this country.

      /sarcasm
  • BriVaps, on 04/27/2008, -5/+1smoke too much marajuana and you will become a chronic masterbater
    beware little jimmi, beware
  • FunnyBunnyBo, on 04/27/2008, -2/+31) I completely agree with the sentiment of this article. Absolutely.
    2) I was there when one of my loved ones was in this very state from this very condition and was "skeletal with a bloated belly". It's just too late. Give them morphine and guide them gently to rest. Liver transplants are very rare. They give them to children first, and on up. And if you are even 50% to this stage at age 60 years or older, it's just not worth it. I'm sorry but it's true!
    3) Taking marijuana is no reason to be persecuted, in any way shape or form.
    • joloveli, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1What a great point you made. Considering the condition this man is already in- send the liver to someone else (..a child). I'm not being apathetic, my heart goes out to this man and his family but we all have to live (or die) with the decisions we make.. it's a sad and sick situation, but this stuff happens. However the decision should not be based strictly on his pot use (which I have the feeling it's not.....)
  • jawagas, on 04/27/2008, -1/+2Oh come on, you guys are F'ing hippies. It's very unfortunate that this man is in this predicament but he was offered a solution by taking the 60-day program. Many of these facilities receive federal funding, and could loose such over the treatment of a single patient.
  • HappyScrappy, on 04/27/2008, -5/+2Not sure why people are up in arms over this. They take into account the possiblity of being addicted to other drugs too, not just marijuana.

    You don't want to give an organ to someone who is just going to die of addiction anyway.
    • NikoKun, on 04/27/2008, -0/+4But Marijuana wont kill people, and certainly not from addiction... And when compared to most other drugs, has a relatively low addictive potential.

      Besides, him using Medical Marijuana, because it helps him, and a doctor recommended it.

      How dare you not be up in arms... You just don't see the reality of this...
      • HappyScrappy, on 04/27/2008, -1/+1Please, I'm not saying Marijuana is the most harmful drug, but it's not harmless either.

        And I don't know why you are even talking about the chemistry. I know a guy who was addicted to Everquest, for 4 years. He lost his job, he lost nearly everything. And Everquest has no chemistry at all. The question is one of whether this person is an addictive type. You not I didn't say they were going to OD or die of being addicted to Marijuana. I said whether they're going to die of addiction. And being addicted to one thing is a good hint as to whether a person is an addictive type.

        Medical Marijuana (ha!) or no has nothing to do with it. Rush Limbaugh had prescriptions for Oxycontin, and yet he was still addicted and it seems it wasn't doing him any particular amounts of good.

        It isn't about whether the Marijuana is medical. It isn't even really that it is Marijuana. It's about the person taking it and what is might say about them.
        • psnapplebee, on 05/04/2008, -0/+0>Please, I'm not saying Marijuana is the most harmful drug, but it's not harmless either.

          It is a medical treatment in this case, and apparently it was an effective medicine for him -- therefore, it REDUCED harm. Side effects or no -- all of which are considerably more mild than the heavy doses of polypharmacy that would match cannabis's profile in this case.

          >I know a guy who was addicted to Everquest, for 4 years. He lost his job, he lost nearly everything. And Everquest has no chemistry at all. The question is one of whether this person is an addictive type.

          Fact is, he was taking medicine.

          >Medical Marijuana (ha!)

          This shows exactly how much you know about the actual medical advantages of this substance. Again, anti-emetic, appetite-stimulating, cost-effective, easy administration, self-titration. That profile is not matched by any drug available.

          >It's about the person taking it and what is might say about them.

          Right. That he wanted the best medicine available. You've got to be kidding me with this stupid argument of yours.
  • captric, on 04/27/2008, -5/+3So - anyone in Digg need another reason not to smoke pot????? Oh - ya - and I am shocked he was a musician - gosh - I am sure he was well on his way to a cure for cancer or something important. Its a little hard to feel sorry for people that abuse their body against all medical advice and current knowledge, lead a life of addiction to one drug or another, and then ask some one to donate a liver to him over some kid or young adult who is a good student, good citizen, and productive member of society.
    • foosed, on 04/27/2008, -2/+5people like you sicken me, i bet you were listening to music as you wrote about how musicians don't do anything important, a cure for cancer is meaningless if life is no longer worth living (and I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking a world without music and other arts would be a dismal place . did you miss the part about it being MEDICAL marijuana, named so for it BENEFICIAL traits according to all "medical advice and current knowledge," ***** you.
      • captric, on 04/27/2008, -4/+2Smoke another joint and calm yourself hippie moron. Medical Marijuana is an OXYMORON when you can get better, cheaper, More effective and LEGAL drugs just about anywhere. Sure I listen to music, musicians are entertainers and that is all they are, most are undereducated, most abuse drugs, alcohol and tobacco and have addictive personalities. Then when they are dying they want the people who went through life doing the right things to help them out. You know medical marijuana makes about as much sense as Intelligent Design compared to Evolution.
  • dizilbdog, on 04/27/2008, -0/+4Think what you may, but I think the United States is now a third world country in some ways. We do not take the value of life for anyone here seriously unless they have millions and millions of dollars.
    • champagnebubble, on 05/03/2008, -0/+0I know a man that almost died because he did not have insurance.So of course I think you are absolutely right.No one values life anymore.
  • foosed, on 04/27/2008, -0/+2"Marijuana, unlike alcohol, has no direct effect on the liver. It is however a concern ... in that it's a potential indicator of an addictive personality," Sade said.
    That's incorrect for one, marijuana has no addictive traits, and how does using a substance at one point in your life indicate an addictive personality, especially when they started using on the doctors orders. If this is not corrected and that man dies, the people on that committee should be up for malpractice charges.
  • Apocrypha, on 04/27/2008, -0/+3This is terrible. The North American attitude towards mj draconian, ignorant, hurtful, costly...anything but helpful.
  • NikoKun, on 04/27/2008, -1/+2What a total load!!! So he deserves to die, simply because of the medicine he uses? They have the power to save his life, but they wont because he uses a totally unrelated, doctor recommended, medicine???

    This is the second pot-related article today on digg, which people should be outraged about... -_-
    • Phant0mMaster, on 04/27/2008, -1/+1"They have the power to save his life"

      Actually, it's probably not as simple as "Oh! Should we give this man one of the plentiful spare livers that happen to be lying around?" It's probably more like "F*ck! We don't have enough livers for everybody! Should we give one to the old guy who needs one because he did speed and probably won't live for long after the transplant anyways?" I'm surprised the University was even willing to reconsider if he did the drug program.

      Moral of the story- Do pot, don't do speed.
      • NikoKun, on 04/27/2008, -0/+3How is his use of Medical Marijuana, any different than someone medically using opium based medicines?

        And why should he lose his transplant, because of what he did as a teenager? -_- He can't very much help the stupid things he did in his youth... Nor should those things be held against him, when trying to save his life.
  • isaactwito, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1I think it's just about time that we fix this problem of the government not giving a ***** about us.
  • DrDigg, on 04/27/2008, -0/+3As a GI/Liver doctor and a supporter of medical marijuana, I blame his doctor who told him it was ok to take marijuana. Any doctor worth a damn knows that they won't transplant people with marijuana in their system. Poor guy, I don't think he should be punished for his idiot doctor.

    BTW if everyone was an organ donor this probably wouldn't come up. We would have enough organs to go around.
    • Surferess, on 04/27/2008, -0/+0As a medical marijuana user (RRMS), can I even donate my organs? I also do not donate blood, because I assume they just don't want it.
    • psnapplebee, on 05/04/2008, -0/+0"Any doctor worth a damn knows that they won't transplant people with marijuana in their system"

      And that's absolutely moronic, as there's no evidence whatsoever that cannabis would interfere with the transfer process, OR lead to problems after the transplant is completed. Quite the theoretical opposite actually, if you examine some of cannabis's anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating effects.
  • kainan32, on 04/27/2008, -1/+1
    So basically some doctors said "Here smoke this. It'll make you feel better." And then they said, "No you can't have this liver cuz you smoked pot and you're just gonna ruin it with all that pot we gave you and other bad drugs n stuff."

    Wow.
  • theratdotus, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1goodbye world
  • dildoolielly, on 04/27/2008, -3/+4Asprin kills 3000 people annually, pot = 0 deaths to date

    Why are we not building new prisons for the millions of aspirin dealers?!

    How many aspirin does the Hospital hand out?

    P.S. Thanks Christians
    • SierraAlpha, on 04/27/2008, -1/+2Yes I'm sure in the history of the world, there hasn't been a single death from pot.
      • Surferess, on 04/27/2008, -2/+1Not a single documented case. Feel free to try to find one.
      • psnapplebee, on 05/04/2008, -0/+0Correct, it's an incredibly physically nontoxic substance, and one which would cause you to pass out FAR before any serious life-threatening toxicity levels were reached.
    • edebolt, on 04/27/2008, -1/+3people die all the time from Pot. I knew a guy in Hawaii who was stoned and fell off a cliff into the ocean. Lots of people have accidents and buy the farm. Bruce Lee the famous martial artist is believed by many to have died from ingesting hashish. So its far from perfect.
      • Surferess, on 04/27/2008, -3/+0FYI Hashish is not pot.
        • edebolt, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1hashish is resin collected from pot plants. You had to have already known that
      • dynelol, on 04/27/2008, -3/+2Your logic is pretty stupid. He died from the impact of a fall and from being an idiot.
        • edebolt, on 04/28/2008, -1/+1oh I see and people who drive DUI and have a bad accident then its not because of alcohol that they died? they died from physics... thanks for clearing that up.
          • dildoolielly, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1More people die due to sleep deprivation vs drunk driving on our highways.

            Are we going to take away sleepy people's rights to equal health care?

            See how silly you sound now?
          • edebolt, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1your not even listening to your logic. Sleepy people and drunk people aren't dieing from alcohol or being tired. they are dieing from physics and being idiots. What's your point? you want universal free medical care for idiots and darwinian selection losers?
      • psnapplebee, on 05/04/2008, -0/+0Behavioral toxicity is another thing entirely. Marijuana doesn't MAKE PEOPLE do stupid things -- if they're stupid, they might act stupid. This guy was a @#!@#! MEDICAL PATIENT, and he was taking a PRESCRIBED DRUG because, frankly, as I noted above, it provides significant benefits over any other medication available.
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