The medical records will show that he died due to complications associated with massive liver failure. He would have likely survived longer if he received a timely organ transplant but was denied access because he followed his physician’s recommendation, used medical cannabis during his treatments for liver disease, therefore testing positive for THC metabolites and rather than receive the gift of a potentially longer life -- instead doctors at the University of Washington deferred to federal prohibition laws and mores, handing Tim a death sentence.

There are no pharmacological or physiological reasons why Tim Garon, or any medical marijuana patient, should logically be denied access to life-saving or life-enhancing organ transplants.

In my view, commonsense and humanity were completely lacking here on the part of the doctors who denied Tim and his family a chance at a continued life together.

For the better part of ten years NORML (and the ACLU’s Drug Litigation Project) have been 1) monitoring increasing numbers of medical patients denied access to organ transplants for the singular reason that they test positive for cannabis and 2) researching litigation and legislative options to compel organ banks to stop discriminating against medical patients who use cannabis, most especially in states where medical marijuana patients are supposed to be protected by state laws.

Today’s weather in Seattle calls for cloudy and dark weather. That is hardly unusual for this time of year up there, but on this day, the clouds will be particular dark ... notably the ones hanging over the doctors at the University of Washington who decided earlier this week to sacrifice Timothy Garon on the altar of pot prohibition rather than treat him like an ailing brother or a sister, wife or child?

Would these doctors really deny organ transplants to a loved one that tested positive for cannabis? I think not.

[Source: http://blog.norml.org/2008/05/02/patient-in-washington-state-denied-a-liver-transplant-for-physician-recommended-legal-medical-marijuana-use-is-sacrificed-on-the-alter-of-pot-prohibition/ ]

Related Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qAoc_UKS4Y

Marijuana occupies a bizarrely paradoxical place in American culture. Its use is widespread, commonplace among the young and ubiquitous in popular culture. Yet it remains highly illegal, and talk of legalization is usually deemed political suicide.

Here are five signs that pot should be legal soon -- and five reasons why it probably won't.

1. Pot is indelibly a part of the cultural mainstream. The stoner comedy Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay grossed $14.6 million in its first weekend, making it the second most popular movie in the country. Most pro basketball players blaze, according to sources as diverse as the ganjaphile Mavericks player Josh Howard and the anti-drug ex-Knick Charles Oakley. And on April 20, thousands of revelers turned out at the University of Colorado and the University of California at Santa Cruz to celebrate the 4/20 herb holiday.

As of 2002, notes Keith Stroup, legal counsel with the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, 47 percent of American adults had smoked marijuana at some time in their lives, according to a CNN/Time poll. By today, he adds, "it is likely there are more living Americans who have smoked marijuana than who have not. Approximately 26 million Americans smoked marijuana just in the last year. All of these people know it did not cause them any real harm and that it did not keep them from having a successful life and career."

George Lundberg, MD, comments on why marijuana should be reclassified as something other than a Schedule I drug.

Related Link: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/510902

This year's 4/20 holiday was bigger and bolder than ever before, generating big headlines, big web traffic, and really really big pot parties. Even the Drug Czar participated by suggesting the holiday is dangerous and warning parents to keep a close eye on their children. But for all the fanfare, no one got hurt on 4/20.

I don't think one could possibly overstate how revealing that simple fact really is. Scanning the 4/20 news coverage, one fails utterly to find examples of the sort of negative outcomes we've been told to expect when people use this drug. Last week, more people got more stoned more publicly than any other day of the year. If pot is dangerous, this would be the time to learn that lesson in stark terms. So where are the hospitalizations? The fights? The car accidents?

In Boulder, CO a turnout of 10,000 produced no arrests or mishaps. This means not only that police were ignoring open marijuana use, but that the users were remarkably well behaved under the influence of the drug. They didn't fight, steal, damage property, or do anything else that would have forced the police to take action. Out of 10,000 people at a completely disorganized marijuana-themed event, nothing went wrong at all.

"Unsubscribe is a movement of people united against human rights abuses in the ‘war on terror’. Thousands of unsubscribers have now joined up. The threat of terrorism is real, but trampling over human rights and abandoning our values is not the answer. From Guantanamo Bay, Rendition, Torture and Waterboarding -- we unsubscribe."

K.K. Forss does not claim medical marijuana solves all his problems. His pain from a ruptured disc in his neck is debilitating. He is unable to go to work or to the First Baptist Church he used to attend because of the pain and muscle spasms. Taxpayers through Medicare spend over $18,000 a year on his various medications. Half of those drugs are strong narcotics. The other half address the various side-effects brought on by the first half, such as nausea, heartburn, heart palpitations, difficulty sleeping, and muscle spasms.

No, marijuana would not completely address all his pain, but it made a tremendous difference in the quality of his life when he tried it for over a year. It helped him regain 38 pounds he had lost. It calmed his muscle spasms and helped him sleep. In short, it alleviated many side effects and greatly reduced his need for other expensive medications. Mr. Forss estimates that being allowed to use medical marijuana would save taxpayers at least $12,000 a year in medications he would no longer need. He would also be able to work occasionally and attend some church services.

Video Description: "One of the great northwest's most talented musicians, Tim Garon is dying. Doctor's denied him a liver transplant because he is a medical marijuana patient. In this clip from happier days he performs one of his own original tunes,"Goodbye Baby" from the Chai House in Seattle."

Related Story: http://www.physorg.com/printnews.php?newsid=128507390

Tim Garon lies in his hospital bed as his girlfriend, Leisa Bueno, leans over to give him a kiss while they wait to hear if he will be put on a transplant list to receive a new liver Thursday, April 24, 2008, in Seattle. Garon was refused a spot on the transplant list, largely because he has used marijuana, even though it was legally approved for medical reasons. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Related Links: http://www.myspace.com/timgaron
A deeper perspective: http://www.garon.us/Tim Garon.html

So, yesterday I got my "goodie bag" package from High Times Magazine and it definately made my day and put a smile on my face. Included in the prize for getting My 20th Anniversary Cannabis Cup story published on the High Times website were: March, April and May 2008 copies of High Times Magazine; a 2008 Ultimate Grow Calendar; Jorge Cervantes' Ultimate Grow DVD; a sexy black tee that says "Official High Times Centerfold Taster" right across the boobs; and, a beautiful Chromium Crusher precision grinder that looks more than a little dangerous.

Thank you, High Times, for putting on such a great event ... thank you for choosing my story ... and thank you for the goodies! By the way, I really love the new website design and improved navigation. Keep up the good work.

My story was originally published here on the Geeklog and contains a few more memories than the version on High Times. (How I Spent My Thanksgiving Vacation) The links to all three stories follow:

Story #1: http://hightimes.com/cancup/ht_admin/3987 by Judy aka TechnoHippie
Story #2: http://hightimes.com/cancup/ht_admin/3986 by Jet Baker
Story #3: http://hightimes.com/cancup/ht_admin/3985 by Mr. P. Sykes