Day: 06/15/2015

A tainted high

http://www.oregonlive.com/marijuana-legalization/pesticides/index.html#incart_maj-story-1

A total of 14 chemicals were found in eight of the samples, including a half-dozen the federal government has classified as having possible or probable links to cancer.

Among them: a common household roach killer and another whose health risks prompted the federal government to eliminate it for most residential uses more than a decade ago. Though many growers say they follow organic practices, only one of the pesticides detected in the analysis is approved for use in organic agriculture.

Nearly 70,000 Oregonians rely on medical cannabis to treat everything from cancer to seizure disorders. Next year, thousands of consumers are expected to enter the market as Oregon transforms into a state where it is legal to buy marijuana for recreational use…

http://cannagramma.com/2015/03/24/new-mexico-patients-respond-to-cannabis-producers/

Many producers support some mandatory testing of cannabis and cannabis products, but not all the tests that the State of New Mexico now mandates, (as of February 27, 2015). Some have been testing for various contaminants and cannabinoid content ever since a testing lab opened in Albuquerque a few years back, but the lab is now closed and now all the patients and producers have to wait for new full service labs to open in New Mexico if they want to test products legally.

Some producers feel they should be exempt from testing for certain contaminants because they feel their particular growing/drying/curing process is already safe enough. Patients believe all producers need to comply to all the testing requirements no matter how they claim to grow and process their plants, considering that they were trusted in the past with regard to cannabinoid content in bud and other products, and it was found that many could not live up to their claims when their products were tested. (SF Reporter, June 3, 2014)…

Does this look like a criminal to you?

Photo:  Marla James

http://www.thecannabist.co/2015/06/12/videos-pot-raid-santa-ana-california

A few weeks after the Santa Ana Police Department’s May 26 raid on Sky High Holistic, an unpermitted marijuana dispensary in the southern California city, two newly released videos show the officers behaving in an unprofessional manner…

Voters in Santa Ana approved a lottery system to allow legal cannabis collectives in the city — Cypress Hill frontman B-Real won a license, and Sky High Holistic did not — but an Orange County Superior Court judge recently issued a temporary restraining order against the measure…

http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2015/06/santa_ana_cops_caught_on_

camera_eating_pot_candy_joking_about_kicking_amputee_patient_in_her_nub.php

The Weekly has received footage from a recent marijuana dispensary raid that appears to show Santa Ana police officers eating pot candy and throwing darts after destroying–or so they thought–all the surveillance cameras inside the cannabis shop.

The video footage shows an officer stuffing something into his mouth and handing something to another cop, who asks him “What flavor?” The officers then laugh. The footage is too grainy to be certain that the item that the officer picks up from the counter of the cannabis shop is in fact a pot edible, although the behavior of the officers suggests this is the case.

Also in the footage: a female police officer joking that she wanted to kick Marla James–a marijuana activist and wheelchair-bound amputee who was present during the raid–in her “nub.”

Yikes! Presumably, the police officers depicted in the video thought their actions and statements would not be recorded, but they were: the officers failed to remove all the secret cameras. Other footage obtained by the Weekly shows police officers, some of whom are wearing ski masks, battering down the dispensary’s front door and then storming the establishment with guns drawn. The footage also shows the officers using a crowbar to dislodge various surveillance cameras and a DVR machine…

[UPDATE]: Santa Ana Cop In Raid Footage Recalls Party Time W/Judge Who Signed Search Warrant

When the PDMP is down, pharmacist won’t fill prescriptions

It’s not enough for the pharmacist to talk directly to your doctor — they must also check the PDMP.  So when this database isn’t working for some reason, that’s just too bad.  How often do computer systems go down?

http://www.pharmaciststeve.com/?p=10806

http://adph.org/PDMP/Default.asp?id=1931

Frequently Asked Questions for PDMP (Alabama)

How do I report a patient that might be committing fraud?
If you suspect a patient is committing fraud, contact your local police department and file a report.

What does it mean when my patient(s) is not listed in the PDMP database? I contacted the pharmacy and was told the patient received their Rx.
There are several possible circumstances why a patient is not listed on a report:

The information in the PDMP database in not based on real time. There is a two week interval between the date of dispensing and your request. All searches should be a minimum of two weeks old…

Does the PDMP staff track consumer usage of controlled substances?
No. The PDMP database was established to assist state license regulators, practitioners, pharmacists and law enforcement to prevent diversion, abuse, and misuse of controlled substances. The goals of the PDMP are achievable through these professionals.

Is it “unauthorized disclosure” to place a PDMP Patient History Report into a current or prospective patient medical chart?
No. PDMP legislation does not have restrictions regarding the management of patient medical records…

Is it “unauthorized disclosure” if a patient request to review or receive the PDMP Patient History Report without signing a HIPPA release for his/her medical chart?
Yes. According to Title 20, Section 20-2-214 permitted users of the controlled substance database include: authorized representatives of the certifying boards, licensed practitioner (authorized to prescribe, dispense, or administer controlled substances), licensed pharmacist, and state and local law enforcement authorities.

http://bsd.dli.mt.gov/license/bsd_boards/pha_board/mpdr/MPDR_info.asp

(Montana)

The MPDR enforces very strict limitations, as defined by law, about who can access the information and what they can do with it (§37-7-1506 MCA). The following Montana-licensed health care providers can access the online MPDR service to view the prescription history of patients who are under their care or who have been referred to them for care: Physicians, Dentists, Naturopathic Physicians, Optometrists, Pharmacists, Physician Assistants, Podiatrists and APRNs with a Prescriptive Authority endorsement. Any individual can request a copy of their own prescription history from the MPDR. Authorized representatives of Medicare, Medicaid, Tribal Health, Indian Health Services and Veterans Affairs may also access the online MPDR service. In addition, law enforcement officers may subpoena information related to an active investigation, and Licensing Board investigators may request information related to an active investigation into alleged prescription abuse or diversion by a licensed health care provider.

http://www.pdmpassist.org/content/utah-state-profile

(Utah)

Who May Request Patient Information?
Prescribers: yes
Pharmacists: yes
Pharmacies: no
Law Enforcement: yes
Licensing Boards: yes
Patients: yes
If other requester (specify): Physician Assistant, Nurse Practitioner, Prosecutor, Medicaid Fraud and Abuse, Medicaid Drug Utilization and Review, Workers Compensation State, Medical Examiner, Correctional Supervision, Drug Treatment Provider, Researcher, Prescriber Delegate, Dispenser Delegate, Mental Health Therapists.

How confidential can the information be if all these people have access to it?