POT RULING QUESTIONED

I read with great interest the article by Stephen Henderson on the
recent Supreme Court ruling on medical marijuana. While it is
unfortunate that state-sanctioned medical marijuana patients will
continue to be persecuted by the federal drug enforcement agencies, I
found myself in agreement with Justice Stevens who wrote for the
majority: "The case is made difficult by respondents' strong arguments
that they will suffer irreparable harm because, despite a
congressional finding to the contrary, marijuana does have valid
therapeutic purposes."

The Supreme Court noted its duty was to determine, "not whether it is
wise to enforce the statute in these circumstances; rather. . .whether
Congress' power to regulate interstate markets for medicinal
substances encompasses the portions of those markets that are supplied
with drugs produced and consumed locally."

Seldom has Congress been less wise than in adopting a policy calling
for the arrest of terminally ill patients attempting to save their
lives or ease their pain with medical marijuana. The court has
indicated it is now up to those legislators to correct their policies
and legalize the use of medical marijuana throughout the United States.

Jack A. Cole

Executive Director, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

Medford, Mass.