The Cato Institute in Washington sponsored a panel discussion on medical marijuana that bears directly on Wednesday's hearing by the U.S. Supreme Court of a major case dealing with the controversial treatment.

The libertarian think tank's forum, "The Law and Politics of Medical Marijuana," featured Alan Bock, author of "Waiting to Inhale: The Politics of Medical Marijuana." Bock is an editorial writer at the Orange County (Calif.) Register. Also participating was Kevin Zeese, president of the Washington-based Common Sense for Drug Policy, a pro-decriminalization advocacy group.

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