Medical Marijuana Program Is Still Alive

[420]

Hawaii's medical marijuana program is absolutely not "essentially dead," and neither is that of any other state ( "State's medical marijuana program 'essentially dead,' " June 7 ). Last week's Supreme Court ruling did not overturn any state medical marijuana laws or take away any of the protections these laws provide. It simply maintained the status quo, under which patients protected under state law still remain vulnerable to federal prosecution.

That's an imperfect situation, but it's precisely the way things stood on June 5. Nothing has changed.

U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo cannot prosecute doctors for recommending medical marijuana. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals firmly upheld a physician's right to make such recommendations, and the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the government's appeal of that decision.

If Kubo goes after doctors, he will be breaking the law -- and he will suffer the consequences.

BRUCE MIRKEN

Director of Communications

Marijuana Policy Project

Washington, D.C

Pubdate: Mon, 13 Jun 2005
Source: Honolulu Advertiser (HI)
Copyright: 2005 The Honolulu Advertiser, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.
Contact: letters@honoluluadvertiser.com
Website: http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/

[smoking_r1]

no shit its still alive.... the club i go to has a neon sign on the window glowing "very open"