Angel Raich is a famous marijuana activist who sued the federal government in order to use medical marijuana. The case reached the Supreme Court of the United States. Raich was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor earlier in 2012. Her condition causes seizures, constant pain and headaches. Raich’s doctors, from the University of California-San Francisco, told her to prepare to die.
On Monday night, Raich was removed from the hospital at UCSF’s Parnassus campus because she was using marijuana. You might find it interesting that UCSF is one of the country’s teaching hospitals responsible for researching the efficiency of marijuana in treating pain and cancer. Raich has known about the brain tumor for quite some time now but was recently diagnosed with radiation necrosis, which is a radiotherapy complication.
Raich supposedly was at UCSF for tests and had been using marijuana through a vaporizer when either a nurse or a doctor noticed her. The person who saw her doing so told her they would call ‘the Feds’ if she did not stop using it.
“The pharmacist said, you can’t use cannabis in this hospital,” Raich said. “That’s a death sentence.”
Dr. Frank Lucido, Raich’s doctor, said that she must use marijuana every two hours she is awake and anyone who denies her the use is committing ‘malpractice.’ According to a statement on Raich’s website, “Angel will suffer imminent harm without access to cannabis.”
UCSF released a statement that said their hospital is “a smoke-free campus and this includes medical marijuana.”
“Any particles from vapor and odor could have an impact on other patients and hospital employees. Under federal and state law, a physician is at legal risk related to any activity that could be construed as prescribing medical marijuana to a patient.”
The government was sued by Raich after a DEA raid in 2002 at a residence in Butte County that was home to six pot plants. Those plants were providing Raich with her medical marijuana. Raich is currently in the middle of another Supreme Court case. This case involves the filing of an amicus brief that is supporting the lawsuit filed by Florida to overturn Obamacare. The case, Florida v. United States Department of Health and Human Services, should begin oral arguments towards the end of March. Raich suffered a seizure while at UCSF and had to be transported to another hospital. Her condition from that night is not known yet and neither is what happened exactly while at the campus.
