Documents Show Abortionist Wrote Marijuana Certifications in Heber Springs

Abortion, Marijuana,

A Little Rock abortionist has been working at a medical marijuana clinic in Heber Springs, according to documents Family Council obtained last week via the Freedom of Information Act.

Dr. Thomas Tvedten is the owner of Little Rock Family Planning Services, Arkansas’ only surgical abortion facility.

Documents obtained from the State Medical Board via the Freedom of Information Act indicate that besides operating an abortion facility in Little Rock, Dr. Tvedten began certifying patients to use medical marijuana at Heber Springs Cannabis Clinic in September of 2019.

According to the documents, in February of 2020 Dr. Tvedten certified a 12-year-old girl to use medical marijuana. A complaint filed against Dr. Tvedten indicates that the girl was receiving treatment from child and adolescent psychiatrists Dr. Scott Hogan and Dr. Lynn Thomas in central Arkansas.

When the girl’s psychiatrists learned Dr. Tvedten had certified their patient to use marijuana, they filed a complaint with the Arkansas State Medical Board.

The Arkansas State Medical Board asked Dr. Kristi Kindrick, a board certified psychiatrist, to review the case. Dr. Kindrick prepared an Expert Reviewer’s Report outlining her findings. The report indicates Dr. Tvedten diagnosed the child using a screening tool for post-traumatic stress disorder, which the report says is not a substitution for a psychiatric evaluation. The report also notes that marijuana exposure puts children with severe mental illness at significant risk of worsening symptoms.

The report concludes that “Dr. Tvedten has acted in a grossly negligent manner” in diagnosing the child and certifying her to use medical marijuana.

The Arkansas State Medical Board suspended Dr. Tvedten’s medical license in August pending a disciplinary hearing before the board.

On October 1, the board opted to reinstate Dr. Tvedten’s license, but barred him from certifying anyone to use medical marijuana until the board holds a disciplinary hearing in December.

Obviously, this situation highlights a number of issues with Arkansas’ medical marijuana laws.

For example, Arkansas’ medical marijuana amendment lets physicians with no experience diagnosing mental illness certify people to use marijuana for mental illnesses like PTSD, Alzheimer’s, and Tourette’s syndrome.

Family Council will continue to monitor and report on this situation.

You can read the documents Family Council obtained via the Freedom of Information Act here and here.

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Pregnant Woman’s Death Will Be Prosecuted as Double Homicide: LRPD

Abortion, , , ,

Dekeesha McPhearson, 35, was killed in a shooting on October 1 in Little Rock; according to KARK, she was pregnant when she died.

LRPD has not counted her death as a double homicide due to the FBI reporting standards that the police department follows; those reporting standards do not count unborn children as murder victims.

However, the LRPD told KARK that McPhearson’s killer will face two counts of murder if and when the killer is arrested.

That’s because of Arkansas’ fetal homicide law.

In 1999 Family Council worked with state legislators to pass Act 1273, the Fetal Protection Act.

The law made it a crime to injure or kill an unborn child who is more than 12 weeks gestation. A few months later, authorities used that law to prosecute a group of men who were hired to attack a pregnant woman and kill her unborn baby.

In 2013 we worked with lawmakers to expand the fetal homicide law to ensure it protected unborn children at every stage of development, starting from the moment of conception.

Laws like these promote the sanctity human life and help establish legally that unborn children are living human beings — something that could play a role in overturning Roe v. Wade.

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State Medical Board Lets Abortionist Partially Resume Practice Pending Hearing in December

Abortion, , ,

On Thursday the Arkansas State Medical Board agreed to let abortionist Dr. Tom Tvedten partially resume his practice, pending a hearing before the board in December.

Dr. Tvedten is an owner and medical director of Little Rock Family Planning Services, Arkansas’ only surgical abortion facility. The facility utilizes other abortion doctors besides Dr. Tvedten.

The State Medical Board suspended Dr. Tvedten’s medical license in August due to allegations that Dr. Tvedten “exhibited gross negligence and ignorant malpractice” in evaluating, diagnosing, and certifying a minor for a medical marijuana card.

Discussion between board members, Dr. Tvedten, and Dr. Tvedten’s attorney was live streamed during Thursday’s board meeting.

Members of the State Medical Board questioned the manner in which Dr. Tvedten evaluates and certifies patients to use “medical marijuana.” One made statements indicating Dr. Tvedten disregarded the opinions of two separate, board-certified pediatric psychiatrists in certifying the minor to use medical marijuana. However, the board opted not to have a full disciplinary hearing on the issue until December.

Obviously, this state board meeting raises a lot of questions.

The board indicated it will have a hearing in December to determine if Dr. Tvedten violated state law and should be penalized. It’s possible Dr. Tvedten and his attorney could reach some sort of agreement with the medical board to avoid further disciplinary action. For the time being, however, the board has let him partially resume his practice.

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