The Montana Medical Board has been chasing Mark Ibsen for nearly 10 yrs. Their first attempt was a complaint from a Chiropractor who worked in Mark’s “doc in a box” practice. The AG of Montana at the time, I got the impression that he would have been happy if Montana were a “opioid desert”. I am told that the Chiropractor filed a complaint with the board that he was prescribing too many opioids. Many other practices were being raided and shut down, and Mark was trying to help those pts, who had been thrown to the curb. He was trying to lower or wean their doses down, but he found that ~ 20% were ultra-fast metabolizers. Mark spent a lot on legal fees and kept pushing the medical board back. The Medical Board’s aggressive posture cost Mark so much in legal fees that he ended up closing his practice.
A couple of years ago, Mark decided to provide pain management to what he called “opioid refugees”. Using the rules that the DEA created during the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual office visits would be permitted, and prescribers could prescribe controlled medications under those guidelines.
Now the Medical Board has an attorney – probably the State AG to call for a Grand Jury to investigate Mark. The date of this Grand Jury is July 23, 2025. Of course, it is claimed that a Grand Jury could indict a “ham sandwich”. That may be because a Grand Jury is just a judge, a jury, and the prosecuting attorney.
IMO, if this Grand Jury finds “probable cause” that Mark is violating some law by treating these “opioid refuges “, and pulls his medical license. It will be a “death sentence” to all the intractable chronic pain pts that Mark has been trying to manage their intractable chronic pain pts and optimize their QOL.
How many patients will die from being thrown into cold turkey withdrawal, or commit suicide? It is anyone’s guess. But the primary function of all medical boards is to protect the public’s health & safety. Unfortunately, no one is involved in how this all shakes out, will not have any culpability for the adverse outcomes of their decisions.
A grand jury is a legal body primarily responsible for determining whether there is probable cause to believe that a crime has been committed and whether criminal charges should be brought against a suspect167. It serves two main functions: investigatory and accusatory (charging)125.
Investigatory Function
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The grand jury can investigate potential criminal conduct by subpoenaing documents and witnesses, reviewing evidence, and hearing sworn testimony25.
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This investigatory power allows the grand jury to gather information independently of the prosecution, although in practice, the process is usually guided by the prosecutor25.
Accusatory (Charging) Function
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After reviewing the evidence, the grand jury decides whether there is enough evidence (probable cause) to formally charge a person with a crime. This formal charge is called an indictment13567.
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If the grand jury finds insufficient evidence, it can issue a “no-bill,” and no charges are brought15.
Additional Features
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Grand jury proceedings are conducted in secret to encourage witness cooperation, protect the reputation of individuals not indicted, and allow jurors to deliberate without outside influence357.
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The grand jury does not determine guilt or innocence; it only decides whether there is enough evidence to proceed to trial2710.
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In the U.S. federal system, a grand jury typically consists of 16 to 23 members, and an indictment requires the agreement of at least 12 jurors56.
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The grand jury acts as both a “shield” against unfounded or oppressive prosecutions and a “sword” to bring charges where warranted25.
In summary, the grand jury’s function is to review evidence presented by the prosecution, investigate as necessary, and decide whether there is probable cause to formally accuse someone of a crime, thereby protecting citizens from unwarranted criminal charges while enabling legitimate prosecutions to move forward12567.
- https://www.justice.gov/jm/jm-9-11000-grand-jury
- https://www.mololamken.com/knowledge-What-Exactly-Is-a-Grand-Jury
- https://www.findlaw.com/criminal/criminal-procedure/how-does-a-grand-jury-work.html
- https://www.santacruzcountyca.gov/grndjury/gjfunction.htm
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_jury
- https://www.uscourts.gov/court-programs/jury-service/types-juries
- https://www.nyjuror.gov/pdfs/hb_grand.pdf
- https://courts.ca.gov/courts/jury-service/civil-grand-jury
- https://www.tdcaa.com/journal/grand-jury-where-the-community-meets-the-law/
- https://miamisao.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Florida-Grand-Jury-Handbook.pdf
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