Michigan Doctor issues 22,000 medical marijuana cards and immediately suspends its medical licenses from the state

Medical marijuana is already a mainstream aspect of health care in many states in the United States. Doctors in states where legal marijuana programs are fully in place have a responsibility to issue certificates of approval to patients they deem fit for the program. Patients use medical marijuana to deal with several types of health conditions, including pain relief, inflammation, seizures, insomnia, and a host of other ailments.

A recent court case saw the Michigan appeals court ruling to uphold a two-year suspension of a doctor who issued 22,000 medical cannabis certificates in one year. Read on as we look at the specifics of this case and why the appeals court decided to uphold the doctor’s suspension verdict.

Medical marijuana in Michigan

The state of Michigan became the thirteenth state to legalize medical marijuana following a decision by 62.7% of its electorate in November 2018. The state’s medical marijuana program requires all patients and primary caregivers to have a state registration card. Between October 2014 and 2015, the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs had 84,785 new and renewed medical marijuana certifications.

The requirements for a patient to qualify for a medical marijuana card in Michigan are very straightforward, which is why the state always has a high turnover of applications and certifications. To qualify, the applicant must be a Michigan resident. The applicant must also provide written certification from a state licensed medical practitioner. The doctor will indicate the patient’s condition while explaining how marijuana will help in achieving the patient’s therapeutic goals. The state also has applications classified for those aged 18 and over and those under the age of 18.

A closer look into the case

It is possible that you initially doubt the authenticity of the numbers shown above, but you read that right, the number is 22,000. Dr. Vernon Proctor, the doctor in question, stated in his defense that the number given in court for certificates was incorrect. Instead, he denied the claims, stating that there were more than 1,000 in the specified time period. To support these claims, Proctor stated that they visited five clinics a day and that each of those clinics had around 20 to 50 patients a day.

The arguments that Dr. Proctor were aimed at establishing the possibility that he could meet all the necessary requirements for so many patients in the same period of time. An expert who commented on the matter during the hearing stated that it was impossible to get a proper exam on 60 patients in a week. The prerequisite for the offer of such certificates, however, is the premise of a precise and thorough examination. The good doctor has a practice in Baldwin, 120 km north of Grand Rapids.

The court’s conclusions on Dr. Proctor’s case was well-documented records from various sources showing a trace of his certification-related activities during the same time period. One of the records used by the court is from the Board of Medicine, which confirms that between June 9, 2015 and June 8, 2016, 21,708 certifications from Dr. Proctor were approved. The court also received documents from the Michigan Bureau of Professional Licensing Medical Marijuana detailing the former manager of his interactions with Dr. Proctor’s office. She stated that her office plays the role of reviewing applications for medical cannabis certification. While she was in the practice of Dr. Proctor interacted to find out details about patients such as names and date of birth, claiming he and his staff were unable to provide the information.

The initial suspension of Proctor by the Bureau of Professional Licensing was then set after the Board of Medicine’s Disciplinary Subcommittee had its first administrative hearing in September 2018. In confirming the Bureau’s decision, the judge stated that Dr The evidence provided was highly questionable and showed a lack of openness and dishonesty towards the patient. This becomes more problematic given the expected ethics of the clinical profession and the weight of responsibility that the profession brings.

Impact of the Medical Marijuana Certification Ruling

It is not too far-fetched to expect that such a judgment will have implications for future certification applications and approvals. The atmosphere surrounding medical marijuana is still viewed by many as a license to enjoy recreational marijuana in states that have only legalized medicinal use. As a result, regulators in such states take special precautions to ensure that the correct examinations are carried out to ensure that patients really need medical marijuana intervention. Unsurprisingly, the bureau took a particular interest in the case and made sure it received enough publicity to discourage others from doing the same.

When it comes to certifications, it is expected that most doctors will be reluctant to process excess certifications. Likewise, more background checks are being done to ensure that patients are getting the therapeutic benefits of an intervention with marijuana without developing undesirable side effects. How big the impact will be is still open to debate, but the certification impact is sure to materialize soon, which may not be the best news for those seeking approval only.

Bring away

When you consider that the state of Michigan does not have a legal market for recreational marijuana use, one begins to understand why a lot of attention is paid to medical marijuana card applications. There are fines and penalties for misdemeanors and crimes for the unlawful possession and use of the natural product outside of the medical field. Because of this, many may hide under medical marijuana to gain access to such products. Given how this case turned out, more doctors need to be more careful than before.

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YES, MICHICAN VOTED IN RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA!