A Fargo doctor found guilty in April 2000 of growing and regularly smoking marijuana will no longer be employed by MeritCare starting next week.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has deemed Dr. Craig Sprenger ineligible to participate in federal health care programs for five years.

Sprenger, an internal medicine doctor at MeritCare since 1995, cannot work with Medicare, Medicaid or any other federal health care program as of Nov. 20, according to a letter received Nov. 5 by the North Dakota Department of Human Services.

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