Doctor Suspended Because of Medical Marijuana
Even though marijuana has been with us for some time now, it is only in the last couple of years that it has gained significant momentum. States seem to be legalizing medical marijuana like crazy even though the federal law is looming over each state. We can all agree that doctors prescribing medical marijuana are a somewhat new concept that still has to be generally accepted and carefully implemented throughout the country. Being a doctor and having the “privilege” of prescribing medical marijuana is something that is still frowned upon by the government, no matter how many states legalize marijuana or how many polls show the overwhelming support from it.
New Mexico
In the last six years, ever since they legalized it, New Mexico had its own fair share of ups and downs with medical marijuana. Now, in order to prove that they are doing everything in their power to keep the regulations strict, they have decided to use Dr. Narducci as the poster boy for their own errors.
Dr. Nicholas Narducci is the first medical professional that is currently being prosecuted for abusing his right to prescribe medical marijuana. He also failed to report a DEA investigation of his office. On top of that, he also suffers from chronic back pain, which is why he was a medical marijuana user as well. If that wasn’t enough, it seems that he has been prescribing the drug to people other than his regular patients. Even though the case against him is very thing, New Mexico wants to show that everything is perfectly fine and they have things under control. But in reality, they just don’t want the federal government to show up on their doorsteps and being crackdowns of medical marijuana dispensaries similar to those in California.
Are Doctors Even Allowed To Prescribe Cannabis?
Everything you just read wouldn’t be hilarious if it wasn’t for this fact: doctors are not allowed to prescribe medical marijuana. They simply diagnose the patient’s condition and then suggest that he might be eligible for medical marijuana. The next step is entirely up to the Department of Health which has final say in all this and decides whether to issue an approval and a medical marijuana enrollment card. The patient then has to acquire marijuana from a supplier that also has a license. Therefore, there is no doctor or pharmacist in New Mexico that is allowed to simply prescribe the patient with medical marijuana. That’s why the case is thin and basically just a big PR sting that will leave Narducci jobless.
The Soap Opera
The whole thing started from a security guard who was allegedly attacked by Narducci with a shotgun, if you can believe that. Oh, and supposedly Narducci owed the security guard money as well. We don’t want to know what’s going on there, but it seems like a subplot to this laughable prosecution. What’s odd is that the prosecution key witness is Dr. Steven Rosenberg, who is Narducci’s main competitor. Okay, we’ll stop right there or else our heads will explode from this soap opera. We will definitely keep you updated on the medical marijuana side of things related to this case.
