http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n540/a04.html?204
AURORA COPS SAY LOCAL DOC HANDED OUT POT PRESCRIPTIONS TO UNQUALIFIED PATIENTS
AURORA | Police arrested an Aurora doctor Thursday who they say doled out medical marijuana certificates to healthy patients who didn't qualify, including two undercover officers.
The doctor, Manuel Aquino-Villaman, 69, was booked into the Aurora Municipal Jail on charges of attempting to influence a public servant and conspiracy to distribute marijuana, both felonies. He posted $6,000 bond and was released.
Aurora police Chief Dan Oates said Aquino-Villaman's examinations had "all the trappings of a complete fraud" and the two undercover officers were stunned at how easily they obtained his recommendation, despite not having a serious illness or injury.
"We were pretty much shocked," Oates said. "Officers were in there for minutes, they never said they felt any pain or suffered from any conditions that are contemplated by the Colorado law."
Officers launched the investigation because they came across a large number of medical marijuana users, many of whom seemed healthy, with medical marijuana cards issued using Aquino-Villaman's certificate.
Medical marijuana opponents have said for months that Colorado's burgeoning medical marijuana industry is largely propped up by healthy marijuana users who exploit the state's medical marijuana law to use the drug recreationally.
"I think its a widespread problem," said State Sen. Nancy Spence, R-Aurora. "That's why I believe there are close to 100,000 people either on the medical marijuana registry or have applied to be on the registry."
Spence sponsored legislation this year that makes it harder for doctors to give medical marijuana recommendations to patients who don't need them.
Medical marijuana supporters, however, say most medical marijuana patients have a legitimate need for the drug.
"I think the vast majority of patients and doctors are acting in compliance with the law," said Brian Vicente, executive director of Sensible Colorado, a medical marijuana advocacy group. "If there are doctors that are writing recommendations without establishing a bona fide relationship, they should be subjected to sanctions."
Vicente questioned the need for police to crackdown on those doctors though, and said it doesn't seem police have put the same efforts into going after doctors who write bogus prescriptions for other drugs, such as painkillers. "I think it is fascinating the Aurora police would make this a priority when there are people abusing far more dangerous drugs in their community and people engaging in actual violent crime," he said. "Marijuana is a pretty benign substance. I think it just shows that they are wasting taxpayer dollars prosecuting this area."
Chief Oates declined to say if police have launched similar stings against doctors writing bogus prescriptions for other drugs.
"I shouldn't talk about other investigations," Oates said.
But, Oates said, police are not looking to chase down doctors who hand out bogus medical marijuana certificates.
"There was enough evidence about this that we felt compelled to do this minimal inquiry of sending an undercover in," Oates said. "We are not on any crusade against medical marijuana or anything like that."
Aquino-Villaman's arrest could be the first time in Colorado a doctor has been accused of granting bogus certificates and then arrested. Oates said it was certainly the first in Aurora and he didn't know of others in the state. Ron Hyman, director of the state's medical marijuana registry at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, said he had not heard of any other similar arrests.
Hyman said a doctor's recommendation is required for a person to receive their medical marijuana card.
If Aquino-Villaman is convicted of a crime, the State Board of Medical Examiners could strip his license or issue sanctions against it, Hyman said.
If that happens, patients who received a medical marijuana card using Aquino-Villaman's recommendation will not be able to renew their card using his recommendation, Hyman said, and will have to find a new doctor.
Until they are up for an annual renewal, and unless Aquino-Villaman's medical license is stripped or sanctioned, those medical marijuana users will not lose their cards, Hyman said.
AURORA COPS SAY LOCAL DOC HANDED OUT POT PRESCRIPTIONS TO UNQUALIFIED PATIENTS
AURORA | Police arrested an Aurora doctor Thursday who they say doled out medical marijuana certificates to healthy patients who didn't qualify, including two undercover officers.
The doctor, Manuel Aquino-Villaman, 69, was booked into the Aurora Municipal Jail on charges of attempting to influence a public servant and conspiracy to distribute marijuana, both felonies. He posted $6,000 bond and was released.
Aurora police Chief Dan Oates said Aquino-Villaman's examinations had "all the trappings of a complete fraud" and the two undercover officers were stunned at how easily they obtained his recommendation, despite not having a serious illness or injury.
"We were pretty much shocked," Oates said. "Officers were in there for minutes, they never said they felt any pain or suffered from any conditions that are contemplated by the Colorado law."
Officers launched the investigation because they came across a large number of medical marijuana users, many of whom seemed healthy, with medical marijuana cards issued using Aquino-Villaman's certificate.
Medical marijuana opponents have said for months that Colorado's burgeoning medical marijuana industry is largely propped up by healthy marijuana users who exploit the state's medical marijuana law to use the drug recreationally.
"I think its a widespread problem," said State Sen. Nancy Spence, R-Aurora. "That's why I believe there are close to 100,000 people either on the medical marijuana registry or have applied to be on the registry."
Spence sponsored legislation this year that makes it harder for doctors to give medical marijuana recommendations to patients who don't need them.
Medical marijuana supporters, however, say most medical marijuana patients have a legitimate need for the drug.
"I think the vast majority of patients and doctors are acting in compliance with the law," said Brian Vicente, executive director of Sensible Colorado, a medical marijuana advocacy group. "If there are doctors that are writing recommendations without establishing a bona fide relationship, they should be subjected to sanctions."
Vicente questioned the need for police to crackdown on those doctors though, and said it doesn't seem police have put the same efforts into going after doctors who write bogus prescriptions for other drugs, such as painkillers. "I think it is fascinating the Aurora police would make this a priority when there are people abusing far more dangerous drugs in their community and people engaging in actual violent crime," he said. "Marijuana is a pretty benign substance. I think it just shows that they are wasting taxpayer dollars prosecuting this area."
Chief Oates declined to say if police have launched similar stings against doctors writing bogus prescriptions for other drugs.
"I shouldn't talk about other investigations," Oates said.
But, Oates said, police are not looking to chase down doctors who hand out bogus medical marijuana certificates.
"There was enough evidence about this that we felt compelled to do this minimal inquiry of sending an undercover in," Oates said. "We are not on any crusade against medical marijuana or anything like that."
Aquino-Villaman's arrest could be the first time in Colorado a doctor has been accused of granting bogus certificates and then arrested. Oates said it was certainly the first in Aurora and he didn't know of others in the state. Ron Hyman, director of the state's medical marijuana registry at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, said he had not heard of any other similar arrests.
Hyman said a doctor's recommendation is required for a person to receive their medical marijuana card.
If Aquino-Villaman is convicted of a crime, the State Board of Medical Examiners could strip his license or issue sanctions against it, Hyman said.
If that happens, patients who received a medical marijuana card using Aquino-Villaman's recommendation will not be able to renew their card using his recommendation, Hyman said, and will have to find a new doctor.
Until they are up for an annual renewal, and unless Aquino-Villaman's medical license is stripped or sanctioned, those medical marijuana users will not lose their cards, Hyman said.
