Californians approved Proposition 215, known as the Compassionate Use Act of 1996, by a margin of 56% to 44%. Prop. 215 allows Californians to obtain and use marijuana for medical purposes as defined in the text of the proposition, including AIDS, glaucoma, and cancer. And in May 2003, Maryland became the 8th state to enact medical marijuana legislation (the other states are Alaska, Colorado, Maine, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington). The tide is slowly turning, as people all over America are beginning to soften their opinions and accept marijuana as a valid treatment in certain medical situations.

However, under Federal law, marijuana is classified as a Schedule 1 narcotic with no approved medicinal value. The DEA has made multiple raids and arrests in California to enforce Federal law over the will of the state’s voters. They have seized assets, handcuffed invalids to their beds, and prevented defendants from using state medical marijuana laws in their own defense in Federal court.

Prop. 215 provides a safe way for patients with legitimate needs to obtain marijuana for personal use. They don’t have to find unscrupulous dealers and purchase something of unknown quality or content. In addition to the Fed’s hysteria in classifying marijuana in the same category as heroin, this issue is widely interpreted as a states’ rights issue: the states should have the right to determine for themselves whether marijuana should be made available legally and under what conditions.

The Marijuana Policy Project estimates that Federal efforts against marijuana cost taxpayers $12 billion per year. This money could be put to better use than locking up non-violent offendors and terminally ill patients. I support medical marijuana as well as the decriminalization bill proposed by State Senator Joe Simitian.

For more information on this subject, please visit the Marijuana Policy Project and NORML.