Democrat Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation today, Assembly Bill 258, to allow medical marijuana patients to receive organ transplants.
Advertisement
Levine’s legislation ensures that medical marijuana users have the same right to access organ transplants as other patients by prohibiting a hospital or doctor from disqualifying a person exclusively because of medical marijuana use. The legislation, by Assemblyman Marc Levine, D-San Rafael, cleared the Legislature with little controversy. Cancer patients such as Norman Smith have been removed from transplant lists simply because they use cannabis to combat the harsh effects of chemotherapy.
“AB 258’s passage is the result of ASA’s membership tirelessly work for over two years”, said Don Duncan ASA’s California Director.
Hospitals in California and elsewhere have denied patients from receiving organ transplants exclusively based on their status as medicinal marijuana consumers. “Governor Brown deserves credit for protecting medical cannabis patients from this harmful discriminatory practice that has no bias in medical research”. Many of these patients have died after being denied an organ transplant….
Advertisement
The law takes effect in January.
