MEDICAL MARIJUANA USE WINS COURT OK

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA -- An appeals court ruled Tuesday that a
federal law outlawing marijuana does not apply to sick people who may
smoke pot with a doctor's recommendation.

The ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was a blow to the
federal government in its fight against medical marijuana. The Justice
Department has argued that state medical marijuana laws are superseded
by federal drug laws.

In its 2-1 decision, the court said prosecuting medical marijuana
users under the federal law is unconstitutional if the marijuana is
not sold, transported across state lines or used for non-medicinal
purposes.

Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon and
Washington state have laws similar to California's, which have been
the focus of federal drug interdiction efforts. The appeals court has
jurisdiction over all of the states except Colorado and Maine.