POSTURING IN REGARD TO LEGAL POT RATHER AMUSING

A reader to my blog by the name of Bruce posted this
comment:

"Next time you talk with Congressman Courtney please ask him about
this: http://majorityap.com/?q=node/18."

The Web page is a Republican-leaning group calling itself the Majority
Accountability Project. The specific item under discussion is the
effort of the Marijuana Policy Project to decriminalize the use of
marijuana for medical purposes. The Accountability Web site points out
how the marijuana lobbying effort is being focused at new House
members, and specifically singles out U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd
District, for taking a $2,000 campaign contribution from the marijuana
group's political action committee.

I soon received an e-mail from Chris Healy, head of the state
Republican Party and former campaign manager to former U.S. Rep. Rob
Simmons.

Tagging his e-mail with the words, "Joe Courtney Drop the Bong," Healy
was quick with his criticism.

"It seems Joe Courtney can't say no to drugs, or rather those who want
to legalize them," he wrote.

I found it all rather amusing.

About three years ago, I covered a protest outside Simmons' District
office in downtown Norwich where a small group of people who support
easing laws for the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. They were
hoping to convince Simmons to change his opinion on the subject.
Simmons voted against the Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment in 2003, a
proposal that would have prevented federal DEA agents from raiding the
homes of individuals in states where it was legally permitted to use
marijuana for medicinal purposes if prescribed by a doctor.

After meeting with the protesters, Simmons agreed to consider their
position and invited them to send him additional information he could
review.

When the Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment was raised again in Congress
the next year, Simmons voted in favor of it. He also voted in favor of
it in 2005 and again last year. It seems the group also included a
campaign contribution. Simmons got $5,000 from the PAC in 2004. That's
$3,000 more than what Courtney received.

I responded to Healy's "Drop the Bong" e-mail by pointing out that
fact.

"Whoops, I have been smoking too much, too," he wrote back. "But, fair
enough. I didn't know -- but I couldn't pass it up. Guilty and willing
to cop to it."

One might accept that on face value. Healy, after all, was the 2006
campaign manager and the contribution to Simmons was made during the
2004 campaign. And, one can certainly understand how tempting it must
have been for the head of the state Republican Party to take a shot at
the freshman Democratic congressman.

But I don't recall Healy being as tempted to have the same fun five
weeks ago when Republican State Rep. Penny Bacchiochi of Somers stood
next to Montel Williams at state Capitol press conference supporting a
bill she introduced in the General Assembly that would allow
Connecticut residents to legally use marijuana for medicinal purposes.

Eleven states currently allow the use of marijuana for medicinal
purposes, even though federal law dictates selling and possessing
marijuana is a crime. Last week, Rhode Island's legislature voted to
permanently extend its program permitting the chronically ill to
possess and use marijuana for pain relief.

Rhode Island Gov. Don Carcieri initially vetoed the measure the first
time it was passed because the state program didn't create a legal way
for residents to buy the drug. The legislature overturned the veto and
federal drug officials haven't arrested any Rhode Island citizen
enrolled in the state program.

But, they could because it is a federal offense.

That is the thrust of the Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment
in Congress: preventing federal drug officials from
raiding the homes of individuals who live in states
that have programs allowing for the use of marijuana
for medicinal purposes when prescribed by a doctor.

A decade ago, former Attorney General John Ashcroft, when he served in
the U.S. Senate, attempted to use the federal Controlled Substance Act
to override state initiatives decriminalizing medicinal marijuana use,
but was rebuffed by then-Attorney General Janet Reno.

"The Controlled Substance Act was not intended to displace the states
as the primary regulators of the medical profession, or to override a
state's determination as to what constitutes legitimate medical
practice," Reno said.

Ashcroft tried again after becoming President Bush's attorney general.
But, the courts ruled against him, agreeing with Reno's interpretation
of the law.

And, to answer Bruce's original question, Courtney does support the
legitimate use of medical treatments -- as prescribed by doctors -- to
ease the pain and suffering of those who are chronically ill.