Oregon doctor's license suspended for signing marijuana cards - Oregon - International Cannagraphic Magazine Forums

Euripides Eumenides · 03-08-2004, 03:01 PM

Oregon doctor's license suspended for signing marijuana cards

https://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...143EST7105.DTL

A doctor who signed nearly half of all the medical marijuana cards in Oregon was suspended from practicing medicine on Thursday.

Dr. Phillip Leveque, 81, said Thursday he has signed more than 4,000 cards for people with crippling disorders who want to smoke pot to alleviate their pain. He had two offices in Portland and traveled frequently along Interstate 5 to mass meetings in hotel conference rooms with patients seeking the card.

By the time of his suspension Thursday, Leveque had authorized roughly 40 percent of all the cards issued in Oregon since the state became one of nine in the country legalizing pot for medicine in 1998.

Leveque was under scrutiny since 2002, when the Oregon Board of Medical Examiners suspended his license for 90 days and fined him $5,000 for signing cards without first seeing patients face-to-face. Sometimes, he reviewed descriptions of patients ailments sent by fax.

At the time, Leveque agreed to more thoroughly evaluate patients before signing the cards.

The Oregon Board of Medical Examiners on Thursday issued a statement saying Leveque had not followed through on that agreement.

Leveque called the board's action an "inquisition," and said he had signed thousands of cards because other doctors were reluctant to give patients the medicine they needed. He charged $150 for a physical for the card.

Several Oregon physicians hired by the board as consultants raised concerns about Leveque's practices, according to board executive director Kathleen Haley. They found he approved cards for patients with psychiatric disorders and prior histories of drug addition for whom marijuana was not appropriate, and recommended smoking pot for conditions that could in no way benefit from the drug, Haley said.

"It isn't the numbers that are significant here," she said. "It's the manner in which the patients were evaluated and the adequacy of that."

Haley said the board will consider permanently revoking Leveque's license.

Oregon's Medical Marijuana Act, approved by voters in 1998, allows residents to grow and use marijuana for medical purposes. A doctor must verify that the patient has a "debilitating medical condition" such as cancer, glaucoma, AIDS or severe pain.

Nine states have some form of medical marijuana law. In addition to Oregon, they are Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada and Washington.

©2004 Associated Press

Hippo · 03-08-2004, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Leveque was under scrutiny since 2002, when the Oregon Board of Medical Examiners suspended his license for 90 days and fined him $5,000 for signing cards without first seeing patients face-to-face. Sometimes, he reviewed descriptions of patients ailments sent by fax

i guess he should have made his patients see him 1st, imo thats fucking obvious and asking for your licence to practice to be revoked.
Not that u should have to have a stupid badge to smoke pot

Vapour · 03-08-2004, 03:23 PM

Now you see what happens when you give one institution power. They abuse it. Thousands of cards signed at $150 a card....

The simple answer is to cut out all the 'professionals' and just allow people to smoke/grow their own.

Profiteers love prohibition.

ToP KaT · 03-12-2004, 08:19 AM

Dr. Levesque is a frequent guest on "Cannabis and Common Sense" at www.crrh.org .

I don't think he's a profiteer. $150 doesn't sound excessive for a physical exam, and he's one of the few physicians willing to do this kind of work.

If more physicians were willing to see these kinds of patients, competition would drive down the price of their services.

03-08-2004, 03:01 PM	#1
Euripides Eumenides Electra (ca. 420) Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 61	Oregon doctor's license suspended for signing marijuana cards Oregon doctor's license suspended for signing marijuana cards https://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...143EST7105.DTL A doctor who signed nearly half of all the medical marijuana cards in Oregon was suspended from practicing medicine on Thursday. Dr. Phillip Leveque, 81, said Thursday he has signed more than 4,000 cards for people with crippling disorders who want to smoke pot to alleviate their pain. He had two offices in Portland and traveled frequently along Interstate 5 to mass meetings in hotel conference rooms with patients seeking the card. By the time of his suspension Thursday, Leveque had authorized roughly 40 percent of all the cards issued in Oregon since the state became one of nine in the country legalizing pot for medicine in 1998. Leveque was under scrutiny since 2002, when the Oregon Board of Medical Examiners suspended his license for 90 days and fined him $5,000 for signing cards without first seeing patients face-to-face. Sometimes, he reviewed descriptions of patients ailments sent by fax. At the time, Leveque agreed to more thoroughly evaluate patients before signing the cards. The Oregon Board of Medical Examiners on Thursday issued a statement saying Leveque had not followed through on that agreement. Leveque called the board's action an "inquisition," and said he had signed thousands of cards because other doctors were reluctant to give patients the medicine they needed. He charged $150 for a physical for the card. Several Oregon physicians hired by the board as consultants raised concerns about Leveque's practices, according to board executive director Kathleen Haley. They found he approved cards for patients with psychiatric disorders and prior histories of drug addition for whom marijuana was not appropriate, and recommended smoking pot for conditions that could in no way benefit from the drug, Haley said. "It isn't the numbers that are significant here," she said. "It's the manner in which the patients were evaluated and the adequacy of that." Haley said the board will consider permanently revoking Leveque's license. Oregon's Medical Marijuana Act, approved by voters in 1998, allows residents to grow and use marijuana for medical purposes. A doctor must verify that the patient has a "debilitating medical condition" such as cancer, glaucoma, AIDS or severe pain. Nine states have some form of medical marijuana law. In addition to Oregon, they are Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada and Washington. ©2004 Associated Press
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03-08-2004, 03:23 PM	#3
Vapour The Herbal Gerbil Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: All over the world, i'm omnipotent. Posts: 87	Now you see what happens when you give one institution power. They abuse it. Thousands of cards signed at $150 a card.... The simple answer is to cut out all the 'professionals' and just allow people to smoke/grow their own. Profiteers love prohibition. __________________ Anaesthesia of the masses.
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03-12-2004, 08:19 AM	#4
ToP KaT New Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 10	Dr. Levesque is a frequent guest on "Cannabis and Common Sense" at www.crrh.org . I don't think he's a profiteer. $150 doesn't sound excessive for a physical exam, and he's one of the few physicians willing to do this kind of work. If more physicians were willing to see these kinds of patients, competition would drive down the price of their services.
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