420
Founder
Legitimate Users Should Be Kept Safe From Federal Prosecution
Let's get this straight: It's legal in Oregon and nine other states to use marijuana for medicinal purposes. But you risk being busted by the feds.
That's the crazy situation after this week's medical-marijuana ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court. The court didn't strike down states' pot-for-patients laws; however, the justices said users could be prosecuted under federal law. In response, Oregon officials wisely stopped issuing medical-marijuana cards until they could figure out what the heck was going on.
Would it be too much to ask Congress to bring common sense and clarity to the situation?
The court's ruling was logical. It upheld Congress' authority to regulate drugs on a nationwide basis. But Congress' and the Bush administration's unyielding approach to medical marijuana defies logic.
The Statesman Journal editorial board has opposed Oregon's medical marijuana initiative as overly broad. Indeed, nearly 10,000 Oregonians are authorized to use marijuana, compared with 13 people in Vermont, 119 in Montana, 198 in Alaska and 668 in Colorado.
However, there is strong evidence that marijuana can work better than conventional medications in easing suffering of some people with chronic or terminal diseases. In those situations, the greater moral crime would be to deprive those people of relief.
Unlike millions of voters, the federal government appears blind to that reality. Just listen to what John Walters, the director of national drug-control policy, said in response to this week's ruling: "Today's decision marks the end of medical marijuana as a political issue."
What's he been smoking?
If anything, the court ruling will intensify that debate because legitimate users are likely to choose pain relief over legality. Rather than encouraging citizens to quietly flout the law, the feds should face the issue head-on.
Put a moratorium on prosecuting legitimate medical-marijuana patients. Undertake large-scale, neutral studies of the value and appropriate role of medical marijuana.
If the Bush administration won't take those actions, Congress should give it a nudge.
Pubdate: Sat, 11 Jun 2005
Source: Statesman Journal (Salem, OR)
Copyright: 2005 Statesman Journal
Contact: letters@statesmanjournal.com
Website: Statesman Journal: Salem news, sports, entertainment. Serving Salem, Oregon.
Let's get this straight: It's legal in Oregon and nine other states to use marijuana for medicinal purposes. But you risk being busted by the feds.
That's the crazy situation after this week's medical-marijuana ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court. The court didn't strike down states' pot-for-patients laws; however, the justices said users could be prosecuted under federal law. In response, Oregon officials wisely stopped issuing medical-marijuana cards until they could figure out what the heck was going on.
Would it be too much to ask Congress to bring common sense and clarity to the situation?
The court's ruling was logical. It upheld Congress' authority to regulate drugs on a nationwide basis. But Congress' and the Bush administration's unyielding approach to medical marijuana defies logic.
The Statesman Journal editorial board has opposed Oregon's medical marijuana initiative as overly broad. Indeed, nearly 10,000 Oregonians are authorized to use marijuana, compared with 13 people in Vermont, 119 in Montana, 198 in Alaska and 668 in Colorado.
However, there is strong evidence that marijuana can work better than conventional medications in easing suffering of some people with chronic or terminal diseases. In those situations, the greater moral crime would be to deprive those people of relief.
Unlike millions of voters, the federal government appears blind to that reality. Just listen to what John Walters, the director of national drug-control policy, said in response to this week's ruling: "Today's decision marks the end of medical marijuana as a political issue."
What's he been smoking?
If anything, the court ruling will intensify that debate because legitimate users are likely to choose pain relief over legality. Rather than encouraging citizens to quietly flout the law, the feds should face the issue head-on.
Put a moratorium on prosecuting legitimate medical-marijuana patients. Undertake large-scale, neutral studies of the value and appropriate role of medical marijuana.
If the Bush administration won't take those actions, Congress should give it a nudge.
Pubdate: Sat, 11 Jun 2005
Source: Statesman Journal (Salem, OR)
Copyright: 2005 Statesman Journal
Contact: letters@statesmanjournal.com
Website: Statesman Journal: Salem news, sports, entertainment. Serving Salem, Oregon.
