Pubdate: Thu, 09 Jun 2005
Source: Hickory Daily Record (NC)
Copyright: 2005 Hickory Daily Record
Contact:  http://www.hickoryrecord.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1109
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/Raich (Raich v. Gonzales)

COURT RULING ENSURES ENFORCEMENT

Medical use of marijuana should be a states' rights issue, but since
the U.S. Supreme Court ruled federal law trumps state statutes,
federal authorities won't be able to ignore medical marijuana cases.

The feds must follow the dicta of the courts and the law.
Lackadaisical enforcement in any area - even in the instance of a
proven medical treatment - invites legal challenges in other cases.

The appellate system of due process mandates even-handed enforcement,
even if laws and court rulings are not popular. Now, authorities can't
ignore the use of medical marijuana without giving drug lords a
potential loophole.

It's one of the elements that renders the system strong and sometimes
frustrating. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake