WA Nurse Has License Suspended for Prescribing Medical Marijuana to 2 Children, Ages 6 and 4!
The Washington State Department of Health as revoked the license to practice of a King County nurse after he prescribed medicinal pot for two small children.
The Health Department says Joel Berman issued marijuana certifications to two children ages 4 and 6, after diagnosing them with what is called a "wasting" condition. According to the Wikipedia medical definition:
wasting, also known as wasting syndrome, refers to the process by which a debilitating disease causes muscle and fattissue to "waste" away.
...Wasting can be caused by an extremely low energy intake (e.g., caused by famine), nutrient losses due to infection, or a combination of low intake and high loss. Infections and conditions associated with wasting include tuberculosis, chronic diarrhea, and AIDS."
The Department of Health says you can't diagnose a child with "wasting" unless one of the illnesses listed is present. There has to be a cause for the syndrome. Berman gave them marijuana certifications without checking their patient histories, or a physical examination to determine what was causing the "wasting." The DOH says Berman failed to examine the children to prove terminal or debilitating conditions that would have possibly allowed for medical marijuana.
Berman voluntarily gave up all his medical credentials, and can no longer practice in the state of Washington.