​A BC Naturopath Has Been Suspended For Illegally Prescribing Pot Over Skype

A Langley, BC naturopathic doctor who was handing out pot prescriptions over Skype has been suspended from practicing and was ordered to pay a $25,000 fine.

Jonas Laforge was suspended last October, following an investigation by the BC College of Naturopathic Physicians.

Laforge admitted he's been working with marijuana dispensaries to provide patients with "confirmation of diagnosis" letters for weed after speaking to them over Skype. But as a naturopathic doctor he has no legal authority to do so, the College said, rendering his prescriptions completely invalid.

Laforge continued to help patients access weed even after he got a letter from the College in July 2014 telling him it's against the law. He was also found guilty of providing cash-only Botox services without being licensed. As a result, he's been fined and suspended for a year.

The College said Laforge failed to disclose his criminal record, which, according to the CBC, stems from a 2002 pot possession conviction. He was sentenced to 70 days after customs agents reportedly found 20 kilograms of weed in his car.

The College is currently investigating six other naturopaths who are allegedly working with weed dispensaries, the CBC reports.

Under Health Canada rules, valid medical weed prescriptions can only come from a physician or a nurse practitioner. But anecdotally, people in Toronto and Vancouver, where there are hundreds of dispensaries, are reporting they're able to get prescriptions via Skype meetings held in the shops, or even just by showing up with some cash.

Both cities have recently pledged to crack down on dispensaries.

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