WHO ARE THE PEOPLE?

I have spent the better part of six days, over the last couple of weeks, in
your beautiful part of our state. I have been attending the medical
marijuana trial of Steve and Michele Kubby. It has been very interesting
and informative watching the adversarial skills of the opposing attorneys.
Watching the judge's expressions as he listens attentively to each side,
knowing his power and being so fair and cool with it is our justice system
at work.

I do, however, have a problem with the district attorney calling his side
of this case "the people" this and "the people" that.

The real "people" of this state voted four years ago to allow people just
like the Kubbys, and many more of us, to do just what the Kubbys were
doing. So, just who are the "people" the district attorney is referring too?

For years we were, told "if you don't like the way things are then change
them." Well, we did change one of the things that we felt was wrong. That
marijuana can be used, cultivated, possessed, grown or provided to
seriously ill people who are in one way or another given some relief by
this God-given plant. It was Proposition 215, and it became Health and
Safety Code Statute 11362.5. It is the law now - here in California. The
people, the voters, the taxpayers have said to allow the compassionate use
of marijuana.

So why is all this time and money being wasted on these or any other
patients who are now obeying the law?

L.J. Carden, Concord