Patients throughout Oklahoma may have limited options for providers able and willing to sign medical marijuana recommendations due to major health care systems telling their doctors not to talk to patients about cannabis treatment options.
The Tulsa World reports that the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority released a list last week of 38 physicians statewide who've registered as providers willing to recommend medical marijuana for patients. The authority says it released the list "as a courtesy" to potential applicants whose own physicians may be unwilling to sign a recommendation.
Tulsa residents seeking patient licenses are reporting being turned away from their primary care providers within the Saint Francis Health System. A system spokeswoman says hospital rules require physicians follow federal law, which still considers marijuana a Schedule I drug.