In response to the article published on Dec. 23, 1996 (B-5) "Feds to punish
doctors who prescribe marijuana." The current DEA chief and drug czar are
continuing the standard policy of lying to the public and subverting the
law to reach the goals.

The actions by the DEA against laws passed in Arizona and California leads
the U.S. closer to a police state than ever before. The majority of voters
in these two states passed legislation to allow the compassionate use of
marijuana by seriously ill people when prescribed by Doctors. Backers of
Proposition 215 -- including many influential medical officials and
organizations -- say marijuana relieves nausea and stimulates the appetite
of patients who are wasting away with cancer, AIDS and other serious
illnesses. The measure was designed to make cultivation, sale and
possession of marijuana legal for certain medical purposes, and it included
specific protections to assure that doctors would not be punished for their
recommendations. The Justice Department chooses not to challenge these
laws in court because they might lose, so the DEA and drug czar plan to
subvert the will of the voters and prosecute the professionals that are
trained to diagnose and prescribe medication.

The voters obviously no longer have a voice in state policy and law
especially when their voice is contrary to those that are currently in
power. When the citizens of a country can no longer pass laws that are
upheld by law enforcement a totaltarian police state can not be far off.
General McCaffrey may call it Anarchy, but our founding fathers had a
different name for it: DEMOCRACY.

Scott Mills