Legal Commentary

Medical Marijuana Patient Dies After Being Refused Liver Transplant

By Jeralyn

Via NORML on the death of Timothy Garon:

The medical records will show that he died due to complications associated with massive liver failure. He would have likely survived longer if he received a timely organ transplant but was denied access because he followed his physician’s recommendation, used medical cannabis during his treatments for liver disease, therefore testing positive for THC metabolites and rather than receive the gift of a potentially longer life—instead doctors at the University of Washington deferred to federal prohibition laws and mores, handing Tim a death sentence.

There are no pharmacological or physiological reasons why Tim Garon, or any medical marijuana patient, should logically be denied access to life-saving or life-enhancing organ transplants.

Here's more on Tim Garon’s plight. You can watch this video with a moving news account of Tim and his family.

Here's a prewritten letter you can send Congress in favor of federal legislation that would prevent tragic stories such as these.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on May 02, 2008 (boomark / email).