Pubdate: Fri, 26 Nov 2004 Source: Capital Times, The (WI) Copyright: 2004 The Capital Times Contact: http://www.captimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/73 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal) STATES' MEDICAL POT LAWS GET HIGH COURT HEARING The Supreme Court today was hearing arguments in a case that will determine whether patients in California and 10 other states can continue to use marijuana for medical purposes. At issue is whether states have the right to adopt laws allowing the use of drugs the federal government has banned or whether federal drug agents can arrest individuals for abiding by those medical marijuana laws. California passed the nation's first so-called medical marijuana law in 1996, allowing patients to smoke and grow marijuana with a doctor's recommendation. The Bush administration argues that those laws violate federal drug rules and asserts that marijuana has no medical value. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake