As a condition of granting pain-management services, Family Care Health Center in Putnam County, West Virginia required patient Ronald Sprouse to sign an agreement stipulating that he would cooperate with unannounced urine and bodily fluid testing and that the presence of “unauthorized substances (legal or illegal) will result in discharge from the practice.” Kicked out of the program after testing positive for cannabinoids, Sprouse admits using them but is suing the health center and doctor anyway: “When he does not smoke marijuana, Sprouse claims he becomes violent toward his family and does not leave his house in fear of how he will react toward others in society.” He is representing himself. It’s too bad for his case that he doesn’t live in California, where lawmakers seem to be headed toward making medical marijuana smokers a legally protected class. (Kelly Holleran, “Pot smoker sues for getting dismissed from pain management center”, W.V. Record, Sept. 8)(& KevinMD, ER blog Crass-Pollination).
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A suit that should be summarily dismissed, then his sworn writ should be entered into evidence at his criminal trial for possession.
This deserves nomination for rank stupidity.
I can just see “The Dude” Lebowski saying to the judge, “Look maaan, we need a recess, well, I need a recess, for about five minutes…and then I’ll be right back. Hey would you happen to have a lighter, maaan?”
[…] smoked pot on sly, now sues over rejection by pain management program [Overlawyered] […]
Why drug test pain management center users? Drug testing in this country long ago ceased to be about anything other than repression of the majority by a small class of self-appointed despots. The whole idea of cannabis being “dangerous” got smashed in DEA v. NORML, so why does the country still operate as if that case never happened? Simply because a police state organizational infrastructure can’t stand to be contradicted by the truth. Do we have to pledge allegiance to some fascist lie in order to get government services anymore? Sprouse WAS stupid: cannabis is one of the best pain-management medicines avialable-harmless and low cost if you grow it yourself. Why submit to degrading drug testing when you’re already taking the best medicine around?
Mr. Bong – or perhaps Mr. Bong User, I’m going to have to challenge you on this. Puffing an occasional joint is probably not going to cause any kind of physiological problems of any kind. But correct me if I’m wrong, which happens often, isn’t there a good amount of evidence that is starting to accumulate which strongly suggests, if not downright proves that long term chronic use of cannabinoids correlates to major psychological (and other health) problems? Call it a conspiracy or whatever. I suspect there are far more and far more effective resources available to help manage pain which don’t seem to correlate to outright laziness and diminished productivity. I have a hunch there are.
If you don’t want to be honest with your doctor about the substances you’re doing, you’re not going to get controlled substances from him because you could be lying about your need for those [highly-addictive and sedating] pills too. That’s reasonable. Lying about things like this is a big red flag for malingering and/or drug-seeking.
Many citizens use cannabis for pain relief and for a ‘doctor’ to deny pain treatment because of this is medieval and shown a lack of compassion. I am sick to death of the ‘drug war’ exemptions to the 4th amendment. I hope all you anti pot people suffer pain so you can see what it’s like. Then come back with your self righteous bs!
j davis. You have multiple things going on with your post. First, let me point you to the thread right above yours. This site if rife with examples of medical malpractice suits in which patients don’t fully disclose details, suffer injury as a result of contraindication and then blame the doctor, the pharmacist, and everyone else, to get a litte more money. Not telling your doctor about a chemical, such as delta-4 thc for example, and the regular ingestion of it, might have serious consequences if that same doctor were to prescribe something such as an MAOI, for example. Now, let’s say a patient has a history of psychological addiction and witholds this from the doctor. Said patient also ingests about an eigth ounce of this potent “chronic” pot each day but witholds this little fact from his doctor, as well. And, the doctor prescribes a course of pain treatment which includes using powerful opiates. FFWD three weeks and the patient is now a full-fledged junkie and is found face down in a ditch, cold as death. Was that doctor being compassionate? Will he tell that to a jury in his med-mal trial or will his insurer settle for a few mill?
On the 4th Amnd question, what in the heck are you talking about? Most of the federal questions brought to courts (including SCOTUS) these days surrounding 4th Amnd seem to be favoring defendants. The k9 sniff might be one of the exclusions. And lastly, wishing suffering on others is just not acceptable.
So whats next? If you use alcohol you will be denied medical treatment? I am a Veteran that was shot and blown up in Iraq, I don’t use drugs, I don’t smoke pot but because of these pill heads all over this state so I can’t get anything for pain! So what should I do? Buy them on the street so I can’t be under the care of a Doctor and wind up taking too much or getting addicted. Yeah that is so much better than going to pain management right? Or maybe just eventually put a bullet in my head because I got sick of dealing with constant pain. I’m open to suggestion here. Doctors are only here for the people that have insurance or are rich. The healthcare in Cuba is better than the V.A. The V.A. just will prescribe medicine that is for sure going to kill us off but nothing that ever helps with real pain..