LUNGREN'S WAR ON THE CANNABIS CLUBS

Editor -- Despite a few conciliatory phrases after Prop. 215's victory, Dan
Lungren has revealed himself; he's as ``tough'' on medical marijuana as he
is ``soft'' on assault rifles. His minute lateral to federal law
enforcement on the cannabis issue won't fool voters; Lungren has tied his
political future to the drug war.

State lawmakers' reluctance to provide 215 with enabling legislation that
less controversial measures might have expected left buyers' clubs
vulnerable to a spineless judicial decision hamstringing their
``caregiver'' role.

The judges said in effect: 215 is lawful, but so (probably) is a Lungren
order to prevent cannabis from being distributed to patients unable to grow
their own. That ruling has apparently encouraged the federal government to
move against six Northern California clubs in federal court, temporarily
pre-empting Lungren.

Lungren has made two dubious political bets -- first, a healthy majority of
California voters approved 215. Lungren is betting that they were conned;
however, polling data from around the nation show cannabis is increasingly
recognized to be medicine. Second, prison and college budgets are on a
collision course. Voters won't be happy when they realize their sons' and
daughters' educations have been sacrificed to a dubious drug policy run
amok. It might be a bad time for a noted drug warrior to run for governor.

THOMAS O'CONNELL, M.D.

San Mateo

)1998 San Francisco Chronicle