NORTHAMPTON — The state’s top medical marijuana gatekeeper is shutting down her Northampton practice, citing concerns after two colleagues had their medical licenses suspended in connection to their dealings with the drug.
Dr. Jill Griffin in an Aug. 1 letter informed her patients that she will no longer be providing the annual certifications needed to purchase medical marijuana and will close her 41 Locust St. office at the end of the month. Griffin earlier this year stopped accepting new patients.
Griffin could not be reached for comment. But in a recorded message that greets those who call her office, Griffin reiterated some of the points made in the letter.
“My reason for closing the practice is driven significantly by the hostility toward those who practice the type of medicine that I practice,” she said. “In recent months in Massachusetts, several of my colleagues have faced disciplinary actions arising out of their practice in cannabis medicine.”
In her letter, she wrote, “Although I know, as a matter of my experience and training, that I have done nothing wrong in caring for you, the risk of losing my medical license is a peril I can no longer endure.”
The state’s other two top providers had their medical licenses suspended earlier this summer by the Board of Registration in Medicine for allegedly improperly certifying that thousands of patients were eligible to receive medical marijuana. Griffin’s registration board file shows that she has no disciplinary or criminal history.
Together, Griffin and those two Greater Boston physicians, Dr. John C. Nadolny and Dr. Tyrone S. Cushing, provided more than a quarter of the state’s total number of active medical marijuana certifications as of June 3, according to state records.
The absence of such key medical cannabis providers raises questions about whether the already small number of physicians ready to grant access to the drug will be able to meet patient demand, which is expected to increase.
Griffin has made arrangements with Canna Care Docs to take custody of her patients’ records. The files will be made available to the provider, which has eight offices in Massachusetts, including one in Northampton, only with written permission from patients.
Kevin Kafka, managing director of Canna Care, said in a statement that the company is confident it will be able to meet the needs of local patients.
“There is considerable demand for certifications in Northampton, and to meet that demand we are bringing on an additional physician to work in that office.
“We envision expanding our hours to include a fourth day of the week if the demand is there for the service,” he stated. “As an organization, we have a lot of experience scaling up to meet demand, and believe that we can meet whatever access challenges may exist.”
Griffin, along with Dr. Mario Addabbo and Dr. Lydia Kapell, who work at Canna Care’s King Street office, are among only 13 physicians in western Massachusetts who have seven or more active medical marijuana certifications.
Of the state’s nearly 36,000 active physicians, only 155 have completed the training and certification needed to provide medical marijuana access to patients, according to state records.
Chris Lindahl can be reached at clindahl@gazettenet.com