DAILY MISSTATES COURT CASE CONCERNING MARIJUANA LAW

To the Daily:

Your story, A2 Voters Pass Initiative to Legalize Medical Marijuana
(11/03/04), misstated the medical marijuana case pending before the
U.S. Supreme Court, Ashcroft v. Raich. That case cannot overturn Ann
Arbor's new medical marijuana law, nor the 10 existing state medical
marijuana laws.

The right of states and cities to protect medical patients from arrest
under their local laws has not been contested by the federal
government and is not an issue in this case. While the court could
give the federal government permission to resume enforcing federal
marijuana laws against patients, it is important to remember that 99
percent of all marijuana arrests are made by state and local
authorities under local laws. Even if the government prevails in
Ashcroft v. Raich, overwhelming protection for patients will remain in
place.

Bruce Mirken

The letter writer is the Director of Communications for the Marijuana
Policy Project.