Who Is Gunjan Goel? California Doctor Used Marijuana At Work, Medical Board Says

A California doctor stands accused of not only using marijuana while she was on call, but also while she was at work as a neurosurgeon. The Medical Board of California, which regulates and licenses physicians in the state, has accused San Diego surgeon Gunjan Goel of using the drug while on the job, local NBC affiliate KNSD-TV reported.

The first complaint made to the board about Goel, a University of California, San Diego neurosurgeon, was in May 2014, but she wasn’t investigated until months later. A state investigator first approached Goel in a parking lot at her apartment complex in January, asking her for a hair sample.

She told the investigator at the time that she sometimes uses marijuana when she is not working. After another interview with an investigator, Goel allegedly admitted to using marijuana about three times between July and December 2014.

In court documents filed Aug. 26, the medical board alleged Goel used marijuana daily, while at work and on call. It also accuses her of repeatedly possessing a controlled substance and engaging in conduct not considered professional, KNSD reported. The station said it could not reach Goel for comment, and when they reached the University of California, San Diego, a representative said Goel was still only accused.

Goel reportedly did not have a medical marijuana card. To get medical marijuana in California, a patient has to be diagnosed with an approved condition by a medical doctor.

In California, some of these patient evaluations can take under five minutes, and some physicians who give out medical marijuana prescriptions can see hundreds of patients a day, USA Today reported. Currently, 23 states along with Washington, D.C., and the United States unincorporated territory of Guam have laws allowing medical marijuana to be prescribed, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.