Will PhRMA Be Treated the Same as Medical Marijuana?

by: Matt Singer

Fri Aug 13, 2010 at 12:44:41 PM MST

Another key change recommended by the panel would prohibit a doctor from being paid or soliciting pay from caregivers and dispensaries. It also would be illegal for a physician to hold an economic interest in a business if that doctor certifies the "debilitating medical condition" that allows a patient to participate in a medical marijuana program.

Sands said statistics show that many physicians have authorized medical marijuana cards for a small number of patients. However, she said there are a handful of doctors who have approved medical marijuana cards for many, many people.

If a doctor has a financial incentive to overprescribe marijuana, my hunch is that the worst that happens is too many pot smokers have a quasi-legal way of smoking pot. Conversely, when physicians have financial incentives to order additional tests and drum up business for hospitals and their own practice, we see insane health care inflation.

If there is a place where we need to be least worried about this sort of abuse, it is probably in the medical marijuana world. At least, that's what I think. Of course, I'm down to legalize, regulate, and tax, so my position on this may not mesh with everyone. But there are far more serious problems facing this state.