JOINT FORCES

EDITOR: The Santa Rosa Police Department's refusal to obey a court
order to return medical marijuana to patient/caregiver Shashon
Jenkins is extremely disappointing. The concern is that the return of
medical marijuana to patients might expose officers to the risk of
federal prosecution.

The legal quandary is this: California law authorizes the use of
marijuana to treat certain health conditions, when recommended by a
doctor. Federal law, in a policy that flies in the face of all
scientific research, dictates that marijuana has no medicinal value
and is as illegal as methamphetamine, cocaine and PCP.

In order to dispel the fear of federal intervention, our law
enforcement community should take two steps:

First, police should adopt a protocol similar to the CHP's, which
mandates that officers are not to confiscate marijuana from any
person who can show qualification under state law. If this policy is
adopted, peace officers would never be put in a position of having to
return seized medicine.

Second, they should lobby Congress to change the federal law that
puts them in an awkward position. It's about time for the law
enforcement community to join with congressional leaders, such as
Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, to change the draconian federal laws that
keep sick people away from their medicine.

F. Aaron Smith

Santa Rosa