Smart Pot Policy

[User]

Finally, an American president has realized that the war on drugs doesn't have to be a war on sick people, on common sense or on compassion.

President Obama's Justice Department did the right thing this week in advising federal authorities to not arrest or prosecute medical marijuana users and suppliers, as long as they're obeying state laws.

Now, if only Congress followed the administration's lead and made the nation's drug policy more humane. And if only New York abandoned its reluctance to allow sick people to legally obtain and use medical marijuana.

Those who will take the administration's decision as a sign that America is headed the way of the Roman Empire should read the Justice Department memo. The agency remains committed to prosecuting major traffickers of illegal drugs, including marijuana. It still recognizes that marijuana is a major revenue source for violent Mexican drug cartels. It is not allowing drug dealers to use medical marijuana as a cover for illicit operations. Nor is it legalizing pot or forgoing enforcement of the law when it otherwise makes sense.

But it also recognizes that bringing the full weight of federal law enforcement to bear on a cancer patient whose physician prescribes marijuana in accordance with state law is not a smart use of limited resources.

It's worth noting that this memo comes amid a national debate on health care in which politicians vow to not let bureaucrats get between patients and their doctors. Yet Congress has long insisted on putting itself squarely between doctors and patients when it comes to medical use of marijuana. These politicians, hardly a doctor among them, reject out of hand research and experience that shows marijuana is effective in relieving nausea from cancer chemotherapy, stimulating appetite for AIDS patients and, to a lesser degree, reducing glaucoma pain, the frequency of epileptic seizures and the effects of some other disorders.

The Justice Department's move, however, is only a first step toward a more rational drug policy. Such a medical matter should not be subject to the whims of presidents or political agendas. Congress should change the law to allow physicians to prescribe marijuana as their medical expertise dictates.

And New York, which has legislation pending to legalize the use of medical marijuana, should seize this opportunity and follow the lead of 13 states that already have such laws on the books.

The real crime here is in continuing to turn sick people and their doctors into criminals, just for relieving pain and suffering.


NewsHawk: User: http://www.420magazine.com/
Source: timesunion.com
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