Colorado Governor Calls for More Oversight of Marijuana Prescriptions

Obtaining a prescription for medical marijuana in Colorado may soon prove more difficult, according to Colorado Public Radio. Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper has called for more oversight of physicians, as the vast majority of the state’s 100,000 marijuana prescriptions can be traced back to about two dozen doctors, and legislators want to ensure that these prescriptions are not being written frivolously. Dr. Larry Wolk, chief medical officer for the state health department, said, “We're fortunate from the pain patients' perspective, to have the legalized retail marijuana available. It doesn't necessarily have to be used for recreational use. I consider it over-the-counter. You don't need to go to a physician if you want to just access over-the-counter, recreational, retail—whatever you want to call it—marijuana to, in essence, self-medicate." Dr. Wolk insisted that there was no financial motivation for the governor’s decision, and that this was not an attempt to divert more patients to over-the-counter medication purchases.