STATES' RIGHTS GO UP IN SMOKE, THANKS TO U.S. SUPREME COURT

Texas does not allow the use of medically prescribed marijuana for
pain relief.

That's our state's call, which is where the authority for these
decisions needs to stay.

The U.S. Supreme Court, however, ruled differently Monday, saying
states do not have the right to control who gets marijuana for medical
purposes.

A 6-3 decision effectively neutered a California law that allows such
use. The majority of justices said that the U.S. Constitution gives
the federal government the authority to prosecute those who use
marijuana for medical purposes, even though a state may allow it.

That is ridiculous.

A court that supposedly tilts to the more conservative view of the law
has allowed the government to reach into what essentially is a
states-rights issue. What has become of less federal intrusion?

California's right to allow for the medical use of marijuana - which
has been on the books since 1996 - should be left for Californians to
decide.

If one day that issue arises in Texas, our state's leadership should
be allowed to determine whether it will follow California's lead or
march down a different path. Whatever occurs in the future ought to
remain an issue for Texans to determine.

The highest court in the land, however, has expanded the federal
government's power into places it doesn't belong.