Pubdate: Wed, 08 Jun 2005
Source: Denver Post (CO)
Copyright: 2005 The Denver Post Corp
Contact:  http://www.denverpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/122
Author: Rachael Matier
Cited: Gonzales v. Raich ( www.angeljustice.org/ )
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Marijuana - Medicinal)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/opinion.htm (Opinion)

SUPREME COURT AND MEDICAL MARIJUANA

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to allow the federal government to
continue arresting patients who are using medical marijuana legally
under state law amounts to a death sentence for many of these sick
individuals.

Coloradans showed their compassionate support of medical marijuana
patients by overwhelmingly passing Amendment 20 in 2000, and it is
inexcusable that federal agents now have the power to punish these
patients who we were trying to safeguard.

Angel Raich, who sued U. S. Attorney General John Ashcroft for her
right to use her medicine, asked, "Since when did being permanently
disabled become a crime in the United States of America?"

The bottom line is that we need to protect sick and dying patients
like Raich and those here in Colorado from being imprisoned for merely
taking their medicine.

Rachael Matier, Telluride