Pubdate: Fri, 4 Jan 2008
Source: San Diego Union Tribune (CA)
Copyright: 2008 Union-Tribune Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.uniontrib.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/386
Note: Seldom prints LTEs from outside it's circulation area.
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n1500/a03.html
Author: Kevin M. Keenan

DIVERGENT VIEWS ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA ISSUE

The American Civil Liberties Union applauds San Diego's civic 
leaders, especially Councilwoman Toni Atkins, for standing up for the 
city's ill and vulnerable citizens who need medical marijuana. In 
filing a brief in support of our lawsuit, which defends the state's 
medical marijuana laws against the county's unfounded attack, the 
City Council sided with science, medicine, common sense, compassion 
and mainstream American feelings on this subject.

County supervisors are defying the will of the voters by refusing to 
implement California's medical marijuana law - the Compassionate Use 
Act - which allows patients with serious conditions such as cancer 
and AIDS to use the drug to relieve their chronic symptoms. 
Supervisors are denying its citizens access to healing medical 
treatment and a right to legal protections simply because they live 
in a county that refuses to implement state law. Most other counties 
in the state have long since implemented the measures voters approved 
in 1996 and 2003.

It is encouraging to see that the City Council, the mayor and the 
city attorney - representing the lion's share of the county - are 
supportive of preserving the right of individuals, in conjunction 
with trusted medical professionals, to chart their treatment course.

As executive director of the ACLU of San Diego and Imperial counties, 
we believe that seriously ill Californians should be free to access 
scientifically proven medical options without government interference 
based on ideology

Kevin M. Keenan

San Diego 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake