Man Denied Liver Transplant Due to Marijuana Use
A recent Associated Press article in the Seatlle Times told the story of a man who was denied a liver transplant due to his marijuana use, which was approved by his doctor to help him face symptoms of hepatitus C.
I think that this article was going for a human interest appeal. There’s a picture of a withered old man, hooked up to tubes and wires in his hospital bed, that appears right next to the story. It’s a sad picture, and evoked sadness in me, the reader.
However, the emotional appeal wasn’t enough to keep me from wondering about the holes in the story. Why was he denied the transplant- was it for ethical reasons, or because marijuana use has some kind of physical effect on people that is not conducive to a major organ transplant surgery? The article never reaveals the answer to this question, which I think is inexcusable on the author’s part.
Further, the man is reported as having been turned down from numerous hospitals and nursing homes due to his marijuana use, which, again, was approved by his doctor. Again, why? Am I the only one who thinks that it’s not an unreasonable for a health facility which doesn’t provide marijuana to deny a patient who is obviously relying on it?
And finally, the article states that he was arrested in December for cultivating marijuana in his home. Again, more questions arise- was he sent to prison? How did he obtain a prescription for it if he was arrested for growing it? And did his status as a felon have any sway in where he stood on the organ donor waiting list, or was that a detail that was brushed under the rug as well?
