Naturopath's license pulled over medical pot 'assembly line'
OLYMPIA, Wash. - A Seattle-area naturopath’s license has been suspended on charges that she provided medical marijuana authorizations after patient exams that fell below state standards.
The Board of Naturopathy and the state Department of Health say Carolyn Lee Bearss saw 106 patients and gave all but one a medical marijuana authorization at the Seattle Hemp Fest last year.
Charges say the exams averaged less than 15 minutes per patient, that patients weren’t required to provide medical records and that Bearss didn’t adequately diagnose the source of patients’ pain or discuss treatment options with them.
Health officials said Bearss' “assembly-line” procedures amounted to a medical marijuana authorization mill that doesn’t meet patient care standards.
Bearss may not apply to have her license reinstated for at least two years, state health officials said. She must also pay a $50,000 fine in order to reinstate her license and will be on probation for three years if she returns to practice.
The Board of Naturopathy and the state Department of Health say Carolyn Lee Bearss saw 106 patients and gave all but one a medical marijuana authorization at the Seattle Hemp Fest last year.
Charges say the exams averaged less than 15 minutes per patient, that patients weren’t required to provide medical records and that Bearss didn’t adequately diagnose the source of patients’ pain or discuss treatment options with them.
Health officials said Bearss' “assembly-line” procedures amounted to a medical marijuana authorization mill that doesn’t meet patient care standards.
Bearss may not apply to have her license reinstated for at least two years, state health officials said. She must also pay a $50,000 fine in order to reinstate her license and will be on probation for three years if she returns to practice.
George Washington and Thomas Jefferson... Both Grew Marijuana...
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Check your history books or do a search online..Marijuana being used and taxed will generate hundreds of millions of dollars for this country and new jobs..The tax dollars will help many people and programs.
It is safer than aspirin and many other over the counter drugs.
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Oil companies hate marijuana- Hemp because it creates a very usable fuel source, makes clothes, rope, paper, and countless other affordable and highly usable items we need and use.
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People from around the world have used marijuana for thousands of years.
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Marijuana helps thousands with pain and has never killed anyone..
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People die every hour of the day from drinking alcohol...
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Do the math.......    Every State that makes marijuana legal will be helping there state and the economy.
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As it should be.
Pot heads is what's wrong with much of America: Â loss of men majoring in math, science, chemistry, etc.Â
Unless pot laws are enforced, Â there is no hope of an American economic recovery.
People shouldn't be shocked that this happened. This is extremely common. While I have to say that I agree with one aspect of their intentions (we should all be able to smoke), it's a-holes like these that hurt real patients that truly need it. Although I'm not sure what is going to happen with these practices now that 502 has passed.Â
Considering marijuana is safer than aspirin, I don't find what she did irresponsible in the slightest. What kind of RX/Auth do you need from your physician for aspirin? Yeah, none. I don't know her motives so I can't comment on that, but perhaps she was of the mindset that the illegality of marijuana is ridiculous and this was her way of telling the government "up yours". I can respect that. Of course, it could have been strictly for some extra cash too. Either way, I don't care.
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Here we go! More regulations and rules to follow. (:
Who knew naturopaths needed licensing. They sure as heck don't regulate anything else in that industry.
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And why is this something worth going after, anyway? Now that reefer is legal. What a waste of tax dollars.
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 @kathy961@ymail.com What does that have to do with this article?
Sad.... another in the long line of BS MMC holders and their BS stamp of approval..... More cause for outright legalization.
funk with your posts you must just sit and watch this just to comment , and with them i cant tell if your some kinda of turn coat on us med users or are you with the real movement to do this right , are you for or against medical users ,
She already has a solid customer base, she'll be making that money back in no time.
Don't have to worry about that kind of problem any more. You'll be seeing the industry of cannabis doctors start to disappear in the next couple of years. A lot of people were making a ton of money off of authorizations.
 @Blindman There were a few legitimate ones too, though. Pot is 50 times more anti- inflammatory as aspirin. Aspirin has killed a lot of people, pot has not. http://druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/basicfax3.htm