Another patient denied transplant over medical marijuana

It's happening again: Another man is being denied an organ transplant because he uses medical marijuana, which is legal in his state. This comes on the heels of the death of a man who was denied a liver transplant because of his legal marijuana use.

The latest outrage involves a man from Washington state whose kidneys and pancreas have failed because of diabetes. The man is only 33, but has been denied a spot on 2 organ transplant programs because he uses medical marijuana that was legally prescribed to him.

The programs' denial of marijuana patients isn't based on science but on the fear of a failed federal law. Even though state law permits marijuana, they cite the federal prohibition of marijuana as the reason for denying these patients, some of whom are still relatively young.

In other words, the programs equate legality with medical safety. They're putting an irrational law ahead of science - and it's killing people. Many prescription drugs that are not illegal in any state are not a cause for being denied a transplant, even though these drugs may pose a serious danger.

There ought to be a federal or state law preventing people from being left off organ waiting lists over medical marijuana.

(Source: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-transplant19-2008may19,0,6058279.story?page=1)