UPPER LAKE — On March 30 the California Medical Board waged accusations against Dr. Milan L. Hopkins, 67, of Upper Lake.
Hopkins is accused of gross negligence while dispensing medical marijuana recommendations.
This marks the third time the California Medical Board has taken action against Hopkins.
In 1979 the California Medical Board placed Hopkins on probation for 10 years for allegedly overprescribing controlled substances.
He was again placed on probation in 1998 for five years, with the California Medical Board accusing Hopkins of excessive prescribing of controlled substances and possessing 23 marijuana plants, psilocybin mushrooms and methamphetamine.
Hopkins provided Lake County Publishing with a prepared statement on Tuesday stating:
“The recent accusations of the California State Board of Medical Quality Assurance against my medical practice are baseless. I am confident that the eventual outcome of this case will affirm that my procedures conform to the standard of medical care.”
According to an April 19 Associated Press article, “The board is seeking revocation or suspension of Hopkins” medical license. It alleges that he: provided marijuana recommendations to patients without adequately reviewing their medical histories, searched for reasons to prescribe marijuana, failed to obtain patients” medical records, failed to perform appropriate exams and ignored one patient”s serious medical issues.”
The AP article further described one of three cases cited in the current accusations stating, “Hopkins in 2010 provided marijuana recommendation paperwork to an undercover agent who said she wanted it so she could ?chill out on the weekends” and not get into trouble for smoking pot.”
Hopkins allegedly sought a justifiable reason to prescribe medical marijuana. The undercover agent was allegedly prescribed the drug to treat insomnia. The agent reported that Hopkins charged $250.
