Crackpot Chronicles Current Posts
Media Bar

Ellen Sander's
Classic Rock Readers

Kindle Editions:

Ellen Sander's Classic Rock Readers

A Good Read!


Click to read a sample


Back To The Garden

Good Deals!



 
Monday, November 29, 2004

Supreme Court to Rule on Medical Marijuana

This basically humanitarian medical issue is a linchpin for several vital and contentious issues. State vs. Federal authority, the rights of patients and physicians, the case of victimless "crime" and ultimately, personal freedom. The criminalization of marijuana as a personal recreational choice extends to the prohibition of medical use in the U.S., which cruelly impacts cancer, glaucauma epilepsy, bipolar disorder and other patients for whom it could provide demonstrable efficacious relief. The first known mention of cannabis is in a Chinese medical text of 2737 BC. It was used as medicine throughout Asia and the Middle East to treat a variety of conditions.
Showdown over medical marijuana
from the November 29, 2004 edition

The Supreme Court hears a California case Monday that could become a signature decision of the Rehnquist era.
By Warren Richey, Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

WASHINGTON - Angel Raich and Diane Monson know plenty about the failings of modern medicine.

Ms. Raich has been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, and Ms. Monson suffers from what her doctors say is a degenerative spine disease. Both women have tried virtually every form of medication legally available, but the multiple side effects from prescription drugs have only compounded their difficulties.

In searching for an alternative, and upon their physicians' advice, the two California residents started using marijuana. Both say it helps them cope with pain.

But, yes, there is a problem. While medical use of marijuana is authorized under a 1996 California law, federal law bans marijuana as an illegal drug.

Monday Raich and Monson's case arrives at the US Supreme Court where the justices must decide whether California law or federal law should apply.

How the justices decide the case could affect more than just the applicability of medical-marijuana laws in California and a handful of other states with similar provisions. It could redefine the balance of power between Congress and the states and become a signature decision of the Supreme Court under Chief Justice William Rehnquist.

"I think it will be a landmark, one way or the other," says Randy Barnett, a professor at Boston University School of Law, who is arguing the case for Raich and Monson.

...Many analysts say the medical- marijuana case places the high court at a crossroads.
Read the rest of this fine article at the Christian Science Monitor which has a map of U.S. States that have pased laws permitting the medical use of cannabis as part of their excellent political, historical, medical and constitutional analysis.

// posted by Ellen @  04:59   //Permalink// 
Ellen says hey
Mainer, New Yawka, Beijinger, Californian, points between. News, views and ballyhoos that piqued my interest and caused me to sigh, cry, chuckle, groan or throw something.


Previous Posts

Mottos
N. Korea has a hacking ARMY?
Sexy New Chinese Movie to open in NY
Mick Jagger won't find out?
Oh come ON!
You GO girl!!
Chinese and American Interests in Inner and Outer ...
Cell Phones Continue to Explode
Taiwanification of Chinese brides
Where is Mr. Blackwell when you really need him?

Terror Alert Level
Terror Alert Status

Links

Baseball Crank
This Modern World
The Peking Duck
The Talent Show
ESWN
Simon World
Angry Chinese Blogger
Angry Chinese Blogger mirror
Open Letters to GWB


Archives


Web Gizmo

Technorati Profile

Site Feed



Weblog Commenting and Trackback by HaloScan.com

Search
Google




   

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?    Creative Commons License
The text of this work is licensed under a Creative Commons License, except those items which are cited, which belong to their original copyright holders. The photos and cartoons belong to their original copyright holders.
 
Inbound Links