KEEP THE SUFFERING IN MIND

California Attorney General Bill Lockyer's Medical Marijuana Task
Force, which is trying to find ways to implement Sec. 11362.5 of the
Health and Safety Code (Prop. 215) meets in Sacramento today.
Proposals for new policies and legislative initiatives are not
expected, but by next month's meeting some concrete recommendations
should be forthcoming.

The task force, co-chaired by San Jose Democratic state Sen. John
Vasconcellos and Santa Clara District Attorney George Kennedy, has a
daunting job. Although California voters passed Prop. 215 more than
two years ago, the previous attorney general opposed it and resisted
implementation. Most local governments still view use or cultivation
of marijuana through the old drug-war lens, preferring to prosecute
cases that involve any passing of the plant from one hand to another
rather than cooperating with patients.

The federal government has declared that state medical marijuana laws
conflict with federal laws and that federal laws trump state voters.
And even though the courts have told federal officials not to proceed
with their initial threat to punish physicians who recommend medical
marijuana, few doctors know much about the herb and many are
intimidated at the idea of discussing it with patients or recommending
it in writing.

Too many patients with physicians' recommendations are forced to rely
on the black market for supplies.

Attorney General Lockyer's task force includes police officials,
district attorneys, doctors, academic medical researchers, law
professors, people who have run cannabis distribution clubs and a few
medical marijuana advocates. Getting people with such diverse
backgrounds and interests to agree on new policies will not be easy,
especially with the federal government posing a constant threat. To
date small working groups have convened and will make preliminary
recommendations today.

It is important for this task force to be successful, not only to
demonstrate that the initiative process is not a farce, but to relieve
the suffering of Californians with AIDS, cancer, chronic pain, nausea
and other maladies who might find (as the recent Institute of Medicine
report documents) relief available from no other medication. Task
force members should keep those patients uppermost in their minds.