Boost for Medical Marijuana

Source: Press-Telegram

To all the narrow-minded and misguided government agencies from Long Beach to Washington still persecuting medical marijuana patients, we'll put this as succinctly as possible: Stop.
It is time for you to give up this cruel and pointless fight against good citizens who are suffering and simply seeking relief from an effective, relatively benign and potentially free drug. Last week's ruling from the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals could not be clearer:

The federal government cannot continue prosecuting medical marijuana patients in California and the six other states whose voters overwhelmingly, in most cases approved propositions decriminalizing marijuana for medicinal use. Patients are now free to grow their own or obtain it without cost with a doctor's recommendation, something the voters of California tried to establish seven years ago when they passed Proposition 215.

But the nation's drug warriors, clinging to outdated, Nixon-era policies that wrongly classify marijuana as having no medical benefit, have fought against the will of the people at every possible turn. Enough, already.

Even the hesitant U.S. Supreme Court has begun to take the side of reason against the federal government's cruel medical marijuana battle. In October, the conservative court sided with the liberal 9th Circuit court to reject one of the most draconian tactics of overzealous White House drug warriors, who had threatened doctors with jail for suggesting that marijuana could help some of their patients. Doctors are no longer censored, fortunately, from providing whatever medical advice they believe is correct.

Long Beach cases have been just as misguided as the federal government's, though on a smaller scale. The Long Beach branch of the L.A. District Attorney's office has arrested and aggressively prosecuted medical marijuana patients in four cases, all but one of which were dismissed by judges. The other was overturned on appeal.

These local cases, along with numerous federal ones, have amounted to a complete waste of court resources, police time and taxpayer money. One involved a disabled septuagenarian veteran who was arrested after growing some immature plants with a doctor's recommendation. The man was forced to pay attorneys' fees in more than two dozen court appearances while the case was tried, refiled and dismissed three times. Since the plants were immature, he hadn't even smoked any of them.

The government's battles against medical marijuana have always been pointless and cruel, but now, with terrorism and street crime increasing, it is an irresponsible and dangerous waste of resources.

The federal court has now established parameters for Proposition 215. It is time past time for local and federal governments to finally uphold the will of voters and let sick people grow, possess and use marijuana for medical purposes without fear of prosecution.

Note: Court ruling sends a clear message to government agencies.

Source: Long Beach Press-Telegram (CA)
Published: Sunday, December 21, 2003
Copyright: 2003 Los Angeles Newspaper Group
Website: http://www.ptconnect.com/
Contact: speakout@presstelegram.com