POT DESERVEDLY KO'D

The U.S. Supreme Court was right to rule this week that dispensing
marijuana to sick people violates federal drug laws. Indeed, the medical
marijuana movement is nothing more than a thinly veiled effort to legalize
pot smoking.

The decision sends the message that the nation's highest court is not going
to be misled by junk-science. There is no credible evidence that pot
smoking has any significant medicinal benefits.

There is much evidence, however, to show that pot can be a gateway drug to
much worse addictive substances.

In those extremely rare cases where hemp can be shown to alleviate pain and
nausea associated with cancer or arthritis, doctors may prescribe it by
pill and soon, we understand, by patch. This provides much more direct and
efficient relief than smoking the stuff which may cause other health problems.

In an interesting twist the justices' 8-0 ruling does not invalidate
measures adopted by voters in eight states that give sick people a
''right'' to obtain marijuana for medical purposes; however, the opinion,
written by Justice Clarence Thomas, does make clear that the distribution
of marijuana is illegal throughout the U.S.

In other words, sick people may smoke pot but not if they get it from
anyone who distributes it. That suggests the only way they can be legal
with the hemp is to grow it themselves - but, of course, it would be
illegal to sell it, or even give it away, to anyone else.

Though we welcome the high court's decision as striking a moral blow
against the nation's unlawful drug culture, the feds will have an awful
time enforcing it since there's no reason for local or state authorities to
help them.

In fact, we doubt they'll even try unless they're working with localities
and states on much bigger drug busts that only incidentally involve
cannabis use.