Pubdate: Sun, 22 Mar 2015 Source: Orange County Register, The (CA) Copyright: 2015 The Orange County Register Contact: http://www.ocregister.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/321 RESPECT STATE LAWS ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA States across the land have legalized marijuana for medical and, in some cases, recreational use, but conflicts with strict federal anti-drug laws have left patients, other users, doctors, marijuana businesses and the banks and landlords with commercial relationships to those businesses vulnerable to federal raids and prosecution. A new bill introduced by Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., would solve this problem by simply respecting states' rights. Medical marijuana has been legalized in 23 states and the District of Columbia, but that has not stopped federal agencies from aggressively - - and inconsistently - enforcing a stringent federal ban on the drug, placing many individuals and businesses in legal limbo. Under S. 683, the Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States Act, the federal government would be prevented from going after marijuana users, physicians and businesses in states that have legalized marijuana for medical purposes. It would also reclassify marijuana from a "Schedule I" drug, defined as one "with no currently accepted medical use," to a Schedule II drug. In addition, the bill would amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow states to import certain strains of cannabidiol, or CBD, used to treat epilepsy and seizure disorders; provide a safe harbor for banks, credit unions and their officers and employees who deal with medical marijuana businesses; allow federal VA facilities to treat veterans with medical marijuana in states where it is legal; and make it easier for researchers to study marijuana. "Individuals who use medical marijuana in states where it is legal should not fear prosecution simply based on prosecutorial discretion," Sen. Booker said in a statement to Congress upon introducing the bill. He also decried the fact that the federal government treats marijuana as more dangerous than Schedule II drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine, despite a wealth of evidence to the contrary. "The view that marijuana has no medical use whatsoever, but ... methamphetamine has some medicinal use is troubling and contrary to science," he asserted. "For far too long, the government has enforced unnecessary laws that have restricted the ability of the medical community to determine the medicinal value of marijuana and have prohibited Americans from receiving essential care that would alleviate their chronic pain and suffering," Sen. Paul said in a press release. Even if one believes that the government has the right to dictate what someone can put into his or her body, it is difficult to justify laws that deny access to a drug with documented medical benefits for children suffering from cancer, people with debilitating epilepsy and seizure disorders or veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress or pain from war injuries. A rollback of federal marijuana laws is long overdue. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom