Pubdate: Fri, 17 Oct 2003 Source: Austin Chronicle (TX) Copyright: 2003 Austin Chronicle Corp. Contact: http://www.auschron.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/33 Author: Jordan Smith Cited: Drug Enforcement Administration ( www.dea.gov ) Cited: Marijuana Policy Project ( www.mpp.org ) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/Conant (Walters v. Conant) Note: Non-drug policy content snipped NAKED CITY (snip) Medical marijuana advocates claimed a major victory Oct. 14, after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to consider overturning a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision barring the feds from punishing doctors who recommend medical marijuana to their patients. After California voters approved a medical marijuana law in 1996, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and other agencies threatened to revoke the DEA registration of any doctor who recommended medicinal marijuana -- that would prevent the physician from prescribing any controlled substances for their patients, effectively putting them out of business. A group of doctors and patients sued and won, arguing that the punishment violated their First Amendment rights, and the 9th Circuit upheld that verdict. "By deciding not to hear this case, the Supreme Court has eliminated any doubt that states have the right to protect medical marijuana patients under state law," Robert Kampia, director of the Marijuana Policy Project, said in a press release. (snip) - --- MAP posted-by: Josh