New California law allows organ transplants for medical marijuana users

Gov. Jerry Brown is putting an end to hospitals discriminating against cannabis users.

The Democratic governor signed a plethora of bills on Monday, including AB258, which prevents doctors and hospitals from denying organ transplants to people who use medical marijuana, the Associated Press reports.

Introduced earlier this year in February by San Rafael’s Democratic Assemblyman Marc Levine, Assembly Bill 258 states that “A hospital, physician and surgeon, procurement organization, or other person shall not determine the ultimate recipient of an anatomical gift based solely upon a potential recipient’s status as a qualified patient…or based solely on a positive test for the use of medical marijuana by a potential recipient who is a qualified patient.”

Levine’s legislation comes as great news to the massive number of Californians treating their illness or disorders with medical marijuana. Cancer patients such as Norman Smith have been removed from transplant lists simply because they use cannabis to combat the harsh effects of chemotherapy.
http://blog.sfgate.com/smellthetruth/2015/07/06/new-california-law-allows-organ-transplants-for-medical-marijuana-users/