DOUBLE TALK ON MEDICINAL POT

A bill that would have protected doctors and patients employing
marijuana as a medicine died Wednesday night at the hands of Public
Safety Commissioner Charlie Weaver. Columnist Doug Grow rightly
pointed out March 17 that Gov. Jesse Ventura was the real killer of
Sen. Pat Piper's bill, despite his pro-medical-marijuana campaign
stance and despite this month's Mason-Dixon Research poll that finds
65 percent of Minnesotans in favor of medical use and only 20
percent opposed (15 percent ride the fence). Indulging in the
bait-and-switch politics-as-usual he forswore only weeks ago,
Ventura sided with Weaver, who has applied his own campaign slogan
of "tough, not nice" against debilitated patients.

Why the opposition? Weaver called the tiny medical use exception in
Sen. Piper's bill "a law enforcement nightmare." Presumably he
doesn't fear pot-crazed cripples attacking cops in the streets or
cancer patients lurching from their beds to commit unspeakable acts
of reefer madness. Real meaning: Drug cops don't like having to ask
any questions before kicking down the door for their beloved raids,
like that upon wheelchair-ridden Darryl Paulson.

Weaver complained that: (1) marijuana is sometimes more potent today,
and (2) that smoke is an irritant.

These arguments cancel each other out. High potency delivers the
medicine with minuscule smoke exposure.

Weaver also said Ventura would not support a state law that leaves
medical marijuana users in violation of federal law. That's double
talk to cover Ventura's political cowardice.

As the Institute of Medicine report confirms, marijuana is a safe
and effective medicine, albeit with minor respiratory risks.

Patients need protection, not from marijuana, but from coercive
big-government. Ventura, who once decried overbearing government,
now presides over the state enforcers who remain authorized to kick
down patients' doors, put guns to their heads, throw them in prison
and confiscate their earthly possessions. Ventura's odd reasoning:
To protect patients from federal prosecution they must remain
subject to state prosecution. That's a big help, Jesse.

- -- Paul M. Bischke, St. Paul.