Kidney patient taken off transplant list for using medical marijuana

[Independent voter]

Recreational use is now legal in his state. On the other hand I know they've denied organs, and there is a lot of competition for organs, to alcoholics.

Maybe this is what happens when weed hits the mainstream, they have one kidney, look at the 20 patients and pick the guy who has no drugs in his system?






http://wgme.com/news/local/kidney-pa...ical-marijuana

AUGUSTA, Maine (WGME) -- A kidney patient in Maine has been taken off a transplant wait list for using medical marijuana.
State lawmakers are now considering a bill that would prohibit Maine hospitals from doing that, even though one local hospital says there are medical reasons to disqualify patients who use pot.
Garry Godfrey has Alport Syndrome, a hereditary disease which causes renal failure at a young age. He says it also causes debilitating pain, nausea and anxiety.
"I've tried so many pharmaceuticals and none of them worked, but the medical cannabis does,” Godfrey said. “It helps me function. It helps me take care of my kids."
Godfrey says he needs a new kidney and was put on Maine Medical Center's transplant list in 2003. In 2010, Maine Med adopted a new policy.

“I was informed that they changed their policy, that you can no longer use marijuana,” Godfrey said. “I was taken off the list."
Maine Medical Center spokesman Clay Holtzman could not comment on the specific case but issued a statement Tuesday.
"Our Drug Use policy currently prohibits transplant candidates from using marijuana, due to the risk of an invasive fungal infection known as Aspergillosis."
The Maine Med statement also says even during a transplant, this fungal infection can be life threatening for patients whose immune system is compromised.
Maine Med says once off marijuana, patients can requalify and get put back on the hospital's wait list.
But Godfrey says marijuana is the only drug that allows him to function.
"You should not be discriminated against for the type of medicine you choose," Godfrey said.
Godfrey testified in support of a bill that would prohibit hospitals from rejecting transplant patients solely for using medical marijuana. That bill is now in committee.
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[chazus]

I'm all for recreational and medical, however if there's a specific reason why they do that (and even allow to requalify), that's sort of the breaks. If it was just a blanket 'no drug' use, I'd be more annoyed... But if there is a specific issue with that one thing, it doesn't matter if it's recreational or not.

If the option is 'going to die of renal failure' then maybe dealing with pain is a better option. Either way, this isn't 'discrimination', this is 'we aren't going to do a procedure that might kill you because of what you're doing'

[Puupi]

"Our Drug Use policy currently prohibits transplant candidates from using marijuana, due to the risk of an invasive fungal infection known as Aspergillosis."

Which part of that did Mr. Godfrey not understand?

[zenkai]

I think I will side with doctors on this, while marijuana has medicinal uses, it also has it's problems, just like any other drug.

[Deleted]

Justified.

[EnclosedOne]

as it stands those are the current rules so if he wants to be on the list then he must follow said rules just like everyone else, if he doesn't like them then he can either fight to change them or not be on the transplant list, simple as that.

[Docturphil]

"Our Drug Use policy currently prohibits transplant candidates from using marijuana, due to the risk of an invasive fungal infection known as Aspergillosis."

Which part of that did Mr. Godfrey not understand?

Well I guess that's the end of that.

It has nothing to do with whether or not it's OK for this fellow to smoke weed. Seems to be they just want to donate the organ to someone who it will be more effective on.

[Astalnar]

The doctors did the right thing here. It sucks to be him.

[Deleted]

Maybe this is what happens when weed hits the mainstream, they have one kidney, look at the 20 patients and pick the guy who has no drugs in his system?

That's certainly what I would do. No point in wasting a precious organ on a drug addict.

[Kantalope]

That's certainly what I would do. No point in wasting a precious organ on a drug addict.

Because smoking pot makes you a drug addict

[Aoyi]

I'm curious as to the actual risk of that fungal infection. I was also immunocompromised and prescribed medical marijuana by my doctor. Granted, I don't live in Maine, but the risk factor is the same regardless of where you live. If there is a real risk of this infection specifically for kidney transplant patients, then it makes sense. I don't particularly agree with this though based on my personal experience and the decisions made by multiple doctors I was seeing at the time.

[Deleted]

Because smoking pot makes you a drug addict

It automatically places you below anyone not smoking pot.

[Masark]

It automatically places you below anyone not smoking pot.

It does not place them below you.

[Sky High]

It automatically places you below anyone not smoking pot.

no it doesn't, at least not to people living in glass houses.

[Ripster42]

"Our Drug Use policy currently prohibits transplant candidates from using marijuana, due to the risk of an invasive fungal infection known as Aspergillosis."

Which part of that did Mr. Godfrey not understand?

The part where Aspergillosis is only a problem if you smoke infected pot, and ingesting any other way poses no risk. So basically the claim is a bullshit reason to prohibit transplant candidates from using prescribed marijuana.

[alexkeren]

I'm curious as to the actual risk of that fungal infection. I was also immunocompromised and prescribed medical marijuana by my doctor. Granted, I don't live in Maine, but the risk factor is the same regardless of where you live. If there is a real risk of this infection specifically for kidney transplant patients, then it makes sense. I don't particularly agree with this though based on my personal experience and the decisions made by multiple doctors I was seeing at the time.

If I had to bet, it's not specifically about the type of transplant but rather the surgery and the risk of it spreading to other parts of your body it normally can't get to.

[Masark]

There is no medical justification for a blanket prohibition on marijuana use. All that is needed in this case is proper sterilization of the marijuana to eliminate the risk. Or not even that is they're using it via edibles or extracts rather than smoking or vaporizing.

[Ripster42]

If I had to bet, it's not specifically about the type of transplant but rather the surgery and the risk of it spreading to other parts of your body it normally can't get to.

It's about inhaling fungus spores from infected marijuana while on drugs to dampen your immune system so you don't reject the transplant.

[alexkeren]

It's about inhaling fungus spores from infected marijuana while on drugs to dampen your immune system so you don't reject the transplant.

So still not a BS reason. Because you get the drugs after the transplant, and transplants are time sensitive, its not the transplant team's responsibility to confirm in that time crunch if you aren't infected.

[Arterus]

There is no medical justification for a blanket prohibition on marijuana use. All that is needed in this case is proper sterilization of the marijuana to eliminate the risk. Or not even that is they're using it via edibles or extracts rather than smoking or vaporizing.

Or, just avoid using marijuana. There are benefits and drawbacks to using marijuana. If you are on a list for an organ transplant, you should not be taking any drug that could adversely affect your health. The stated reason is an absolute truth, when you have an organ transplant you must be on an immune system suppressor. You clearly have no idea what you are talking about. Someone receiving an organ transplant will be on immune suppressants for the rest of their lives. Smoking marijuana becomes not only an immediate threat to the organ recipient, but also a long term one.