Pubdate: Thu, 09 Jun 2005
Source: Star-News (NC)
Copyright: 2005 Wilmington Morning Star
Contact:  http://www.wilmingtonstar.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/500
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/Raich ( Raich v. Gonzales)

THE ONE DRUG YOU CAN'T HAVE

The U.S. Supreme Court has given the federal government permission to
keep prosecuting sick people who use a drug that eases their distress
- - even though the drug has been legalized for that purpose by the
states they live in.

The 6-3 decision may be sound as a matter of constitutional law. But
the policy it upheld is morally indefensible.

Sure, the dangers of marijuana are real.

Yet so are the dangers of a host of drugs that are legal, advertised
and widely consumed. At least in theory, doctors and patients choose
them after balancing their risks and benefits.

But the federal government denies that choice to doctors and patients
if the drug being considered is marijuana.

Eleven states have passed laws in defiance of that irrational and
cruel policy. Now the Supreme Court has said the Constitution allows
federal prosecutors to go after pot-smoking patients in those states.

Even if such prosecutions remain unlikely, the possibility will
frighten many doctors and patients into abandoning a drug they say can
help ease pain, nausea and other problems.

Maybe those effects are all in their heads. Maybe other drugs would
work as well, or better.

But we usually leave such therapeutic decisions up to doctors and
patients -- unless, of course, influential voters consider that
therapy immoral and insist on imposing their morality on everybody
else.

Some of the officials who want to turn suffering people into felons
are the same officials who allowed the sale of other drugs that
apparently have killed thousands of people.

Of course, Vioxx and similar pills were manufactured by large
corporations and sold at handsome profits, which allowed these
corporations to make generous "campaign contributions" to members of
Congress and the president.

Medical marijuana is grown in small quantities for personal use: no
profits, no "campaign contributions."

And no humanity from politicians. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake