Dr. Dick The Asshat Dentist

[elvenflow]

Modnote: The following 19 posts were moved from the Welcome to FC thread.

I'm a seriously ill old fart who moved 3,700 miles to be able to use cannabis legally. Since settling in Portland I have had absolutely no one to talk to about medical use of the herb and have had to muddle through on my own. There is a great deal of prejudice against medical cannabis users in the medical community here, and I have actually been refused dental services, of all things. Its rather isolating.

 

[Vitolo]

Perhaps try to not be so open with your sharing in the medical and paramedical communities.
MJ use is your business, and will cause other medical professionals to alter your treatment.
My advice to all, and my personal practice is to cover my ass and stay legal, but keep it to myself.

 

[lwien]

I have actually been refused dental services, of all things.

First off...........welcome to FC.

And secondly, what the hell? I've never heard of such a thing. I'd be curious as to WHY they would refuse dental services to an MMJ patient. Did ya ask?

But yeah, I agree with Vito on keeping it kinda tight to the chest in regards to the medical community in general.

I'm a vet and all my medical work is done at the VA. I had a whole blood workup done as part of a physical about a year ago and when I went in to see the doc for the results, she said, "Looks like you use marijuana, eh?", to which I had to reply.......yes. I was kind of in shock. I had no idea that they were going to test for that, but what's kind of weird is that as of about 2 to 3years ago, the VA changed their policy in regards to MMJ and they will no longer deny medical service to those using marijuana................thank God.

So it's basically ok by the Veterans Administration but it's still viewed as illegal by the Feds. Very odd.

 

[grokit]

Mmj is the Va's #1 remedy for ptsd. Stress kills, and combat stress is the worst.
The obvious takeaway is that mmj is a great, non-toxic remedy for all stressed-out folks.
Take that, rescheduling-resistant fda!

 

[lwien]

Mmj is the Va's #1 remedy for ptsd. Stress kills, and combat stress is the worst.

Now if we can just get the VA to write a script for it. My co-pay for any prescription is 9 dollars for a 30 day supply. That would be sa-weeeet if they prescribed marijuana, eh? For that though, the feds would have to reclassify it. But as of now, I'll welcome their current stance on it with open arms.

But I'm still really curious why a dentist would refuse service to one who uses medical marijuana. That's just too weird. On what medical grounds can he stand on?

 

[grokit]

That's a problem, because of the fed's wishy-washy stance atm asswipes like this dentist can still claim that he's bound by existing federal law. He doesn't have to accept the state's lawful permissions!

 

[lwien]

That's a problem, because of the fed's wishy-washy stance atm asswipes like this dentist can still claim that he's bound by existing federal law. He doesn't have to accept the state's lawful permissions!

He's bound by existing law for what. There's nothing against the law in providing dental care to a patient who is using any illegal substance.

 

[killick]

Now if we can just get the VA to write a script for it. My co-pay for any prescription is 9 dollars for a 30 day supply. That would be sa-weeeet if they prescribed marijuana, eh?

VACanada doesn't write prescriptions, but if the prescription is to cover service related injuries they pay 100% of the cost. I just bumped up to 3 grams/day, but VAC covers up to 5 per day. So far, so good! I have a prescription for a vaporizer here, too, but haven't figured out which one of the seeming hundreds of great new products coming out to use it on yet...

 

[lwien]

VACanada doesn't write prescriptions, but if the prescription is to cover service related injuries they pay 100% of the cost. I just bumped up to 3 grams/day, but VAC covers up to 5 per day. So far, so good! I have a prescription for a vaporizer here, too, but haven't figured out which one of the seeming hundreds of great new products coming out to use it on yet...

Fuck, and here I thought that I had it good here in SoCal. They'll even provide you with a vaporizer? Can you pick any vaporizer that you want? That's insane..............in a very good way.

 

[grokit]

asswipes like this dentist can still claim that he's bound by existing federal law

He's bound by existing law for what.

Keyword: "claim"

 

[lwien]

Keyword: "claim"

But why would he do that? I still don't understand. Why turn down a paying customer just because he's an MMJ patient?

 

[killick]

@lwien there are no parameters that I'm aware of. All it says is 'marijuana vaporizer' on a plain ole docs scrip pad. Last time I had nebulous instructions like that I found the most expensive piece o kit I could find, and got reimbursed. But this is a vaporizer, and it's very important, so I'm learning as much as possible, and this forum is a wealth of knowledge!

If I can find it I'll post a link to an article on how MMJ is being used through VAC.

 

[grokit]

But why would he do that? I still don't understand. Why turn down a paying customer just because he's an MMJ patient?

Why are people dicks? For some, because they can be. For others, because politics/profit.
You have to choose to be a dick, even if you were born with the name richard

 

[Vitolo]

But why would he do that?

As a child he had little control over his environment.
He was a child of the early 70's, and his parents, a couple of flower children (he thought of them as "dirty hippies" and was embarrassed by them), raised him to be a long-hair.
They smoked pot (and grew it too).
He swore one day he would grow up and become a Dentist, and not be what his parents wanted... (a "Super Grower of Medical Marijuana")
No control.
His given name was "SkyBlossom Richardson".
When Sky grew up he was bitter.
Rejecting all things "Hippy", he changed his name to "Richard Richardson", later to become the Dr. Dick we all know now.
He kept his vow to make miserable the lives of other Hippy's and "Potheads" that he was able to influence. Blinded by preconceived notion, an MMJ card means nothing to him, just another excuse to be a Hippy.
@elvenflow was unfortunate enough to bump into SkyBlossom when he sought dental care.
I am sad for SkyBlossom, and I am disappointed on behalf of @elvenflow

 

[lwien]

As a child he had little control over his environment.
He was a child of the early 70's, and his parents, a couple of flower children (he thought of them as "dirty hippies" and was embarrassed by them).
They smoked pot (and grew it too).
He swore one day he would grow up and become a Dentist, and not be what his parents wanted... (a "Super Grower of Medical Marijuana")
No control.
His given name was "SkyBlossom Richardson".
Rejecting all things "Hippy", he changed his name to "Richard Richardson", later to become the Dr. Dick we all know now.
He kept his vow to make miserable the lives of other Hippy's and "Potheads" that he was able to influence. Blinded by preconceived notion, an MMJ card means nothing to him, just another excuse to be a Hippy.
@elvenflow was unfortunate enough to bump into SkyBlossom when he sought dental care.
I am sad for SkyBlossom, and I am disappointed on behalf of @elvenflow

Bigotry can take on many forms I guess, and yeah, it all starts with the parents.

It's just so odd to me as I have never really experienced bigotry to any extent and this is exactly what that is.

 

[elvenflow]

The dentist felt that the only reason a medical cannabis patient would want a dental extraction was to obtain pain meds. I am looking into legal action.

 

[lwien]

The dentist felt that the only reason a medical cannabis patient would want a dental extraction was to obtain pain meds.

 

[killick]

@elvenflow sorry to hear about your crap experience with Dr Dick Dickson. I've never had an issue, other than the occasional doctor telling me what their local college tells them to say, and then we both ignore it and continue with healthcare. I don't know how I'd personally respond to bring denied service simply over a providers lack of understanding, but if history shows anything I may be a bit more of a brute than the average citizen - hence the meds in the first place... Although MMJ has been incredibly helpful and enlightening, and i think I'm a much calmer person now. But triggers are just that, and we don't really know how we respond to them until the buttons get pushed. I hope your next experience goes smoother!

Ps - if anyone needs more narco pain meds i have an old metal kids lunchbox full in a dresser drawer. MMJ has replaced *a lot* of heavy pain killers in my world...

 

[Quetzalcoatl]

The dentist felt that the only reason a medical cannabis patient would want a dental extraction was to obtain pain meds. I am looking into legal action.

LOL

Tell him to shove it where the sun don't shine, and then tell the next dentist you find about how much of an asshat the last dentist you saw was.

 

[elvenflow]

Sorry about getting off track there. One of the main problems with trying to hide my cannabis usage is fielding the questions that arise because I am not on the vast plethora of stuff that is normally required for my condition, the lack of which in my records leads to all sorts of questions as to why I am NOT taking various things, that, in a medical state such as Oregon, immediately leads to the conclusion that I must be a pothead. Oddly enough, refusing pain meds can also lead to questions. "Why don't you want Percocet"? "Why aren't you on anti -spasmotics?" "Are you using MARIJUANA???"

At the moment, I have a paralyzed left arm, I am dragging my left leg and I cannot swallow solids or talk normally. And I am fine with just cannabis, nutritional supplements (nothing exotic there, just the mito cocktail ) and propranolol. This makes doctors really suspicious that I might be one of those "weed people".

There is the tooth that needed to come out for an idea of what he was ignoring, for any professionals that may think I was exaggerating so I could refuse Vicodin.

 

[herbivore21]

Perhaps try to not be so open with your sharing in the medical and paramedical communities.
MJ use is your business, and will cause other medical professionals to alter your treatment.
My advice to all, and my personal practice is to cover my ass and stay legal, but keep it to myself.

I must disagree with you here Vito, my friend.

Guys, if your doctor/dentist/legitimate scientifically supported healthcare provider is judgmental or can't get past your herb usage, get a new clinician/doctor/whoever.

You need to be 100% open with healthcare providers about the chemicals you put into your body. This is crucial if you want to get effective healthcare and not waste your time and money. These doctors have no right to judge you and are doing the wrong thing if they do. They are obliged to keep your confidence unless you are going to kill somebody or something!

My GP, psychologist and psychiatrist all know of my cannabis usage (and in the past my usage of swathes of other drugs). They have varying opinions but my psychiatrist and psychologist are both very supportive of my usage of cannabis, which they both agree is not a cannabis use disorder but is genuine medical usage for otherwise debilitating illnesses (it is also recreationally enjoyed, because guess what - cannabis is fun for most people!!!).

Whilst my GP is prejudiced against cannabis, they acknowledge that I know more about cannabis than they do and that they are in fact very sheltered and have very little idea on the topic. They also acknowledge the remission of my eating disorder and anxiety thanks to mmj.

Your medical professionals need to be people you can be frank and honest with about what you do with your body. If you can't, you simply need to keep looking til you find one. Life is too short to put your health at risk because a doctor is too judgmental for you to feel comfortable sharing relevant medical information!!!

 

[CarolKing]

It really depends on the type of community you live in? Small town Dr. are more closed minded than large cities physicians. Some folks don't have a large variety of doctors to choose from especially if you are in a HMO.

I haven't been open with my doctor about my certification for cannabis. My HMO doesn't include that as a remedy for anything. I'm using cannabis for pain and muscles cramps. I don't know if my doctor would agree with that? If my insurance agreed with cannabis as an alternative to pharmaceuticals I maybe would risk his disapproval? I could be surprised as to his reaction? I really don't know how he would react? I've just had my cert since last May. I've only seen my family doctor once. I do go to a podiatrist and a chiropractor for care and haven't mentioned to them either. I agree with @Vitolo. Sometimes you need to keep your mouth shut. The less said the better.

Theres a lot of prejudice about cannabis in the medical field, partly because most folks still combust. That's one of the reasons there are so many cannabis certification clinics around run by Naturopaths in the area where I live.

 

[canj00digit?]

That's true, in the US you have the added worry that a disagreeable physician could somehow impact your insurance coverage.

 

[herbivore21]

True, I forgot that we have a much better medical system here for this kind of situation, even though cannabis is basically not legal for any reason here yet (although almost from the look of things!)!

I truly worry about you guys for not having access to any/the right medical care. There have been a few mental health scares I've noticed involving FC members which have really scared the fuck out of me when realizing that in the US there is not necessarily any access for any kind of treatment options unless they got insurance.

Don't get me wrong, we have our problems with health care here too; but in my experience the Australian public healthcare system does allow people to be honest with their clinicians about any and all substance use which is medically relevant data.

More importantly, people here have the right and usually the ability (except unfortunately in some remote areas) to go elsewhere if their doctor's personal politics are getting in the way of best practices when it comes to healthcare - which is as it should be.

I wish that everyone could have this kind of access to healthcare or better regardless of irrelevant bullshit like their bank account/insurance status!

 

[DieHard]

I am in a prohibition state and I have to agree with @herbivore21. I tell my docs everything. I had one doctor (that I have been seeing for years) threaten to stop my treatment if I did not stop MJ. I looked him in the eye and said I will not stop because it helps with my pain. (He is a Pain Management Doctor). I said "are you really gonna stop my treatment?" He mumbled about " the new laws" and has not brought it up since. I give him some piss quarterly. I can see the test showing THC right on the cup (instant read test). He never checks the "marijuana" box on the paperwork that goes to the lab. So they don't test for that. Lately we have been discussing legalizing it. He is now all for it! One asshat converted!