63-year-old Norman Smith was diagnosed with inoperable liver cancer in 2009, and was placed on the transplant list at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center as his only hope of survival. But in February, he was removed from the list because he was taking the medical marijuana his oncologist prescribed to deal with the side affects of chemotherapy and the pain from a back surgery.

Yet doctors at Cedars-Sinai's Liver Transplant Program took Smith off of the list because he was using marijuana and did not show up for a drug test. To go back to the bottom of the list, Smith must abstain from marijuana use for six months, undergo random drug tests and receive counseling.

However, Smith's oncologist, psychologist, medical marijuana advocates and other supporters are urging the hospital to approve Smith for a transplant. In a letter to the hospital, the ASA (Americans for Safe Access) wrote "Denying necessary transplants to medical marijuana patients is the worst kind of discrimination. Cedars-Sinai would not be breaking any laws, federal or otherwise, by granting Norman Smith a liver transplant, and it's certainly the ethical thing to do."

Around the country, many others are suffering this same discrimination. Send a strong message to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center that this is not acceptable. No longer should ill patients lose their right to a transplant because of their therapeutic use of Cannabis!

Learn more about the struggle to protect patient's rights at americansforsafeaccess.org