STATES SHOULD PUSH MEDICAL POT ISSUE

It's one thing for the federal government to do what it can to curb
this nation's insatiable appetite for illegal drugs. It's quite
another for the government to go as far as to take viable medical
options away from suffering patients -- and to trample on states'
rights in the process.

But the U.S. Supreme Court just gave its blessings for Congress to do
so. The court ruled that federal law does not allow the use of
marijuana, regardless if those taking it have a doctor's
recommendation to alleviate symptoms of serious illness. The ruling
will have a chilling effect on the eight states, along with the
District of Columbia, that have allowed patients to grow or certified
co-ops to distribute the drug for therapeutic use.

New York is not one of those states, but it certainly should remain
open to the possibility as more research is done on the subject.
That's because marijuana has been shown to lessen the discomfort
level of cancer patients, as well as increasing the appetite of AIDS
patients who have become weak and have little desire for food. Used
in these cases, medicinal marijuana is simply a humane way to provide
some level of comfort for those on the verge of what oftentimes are
extremely painful deaths.

The court's ruling also runs counter to national polls that show a
majority of Americans favor doctor-approved medicinal use of
marijuana.

Still, the high court is really not who is at fault here. It
basically said that, since the federal government has deemed
marijuana to be illegal, it would be up to Congress to grant an
exception for medicinal purposes. Unfortunately, Congress has not
found the political will to do so.

That leaves it up the states to take on a responsibility most of them
would rather avoid: They would have to take administrative oversight
over the distribution of the drug themselves, rather than leaving it
up to co-ops formed following the approval of medical use of
marijuana in public referendums. Unless Congress acts, sympathetic
states such as California should push to the limit their authority to
carry out the will of their own people.