MEDICAL MARIJUANA

As many of your readers may have heard by now, Ed Thompson, Libertarian for
Governor, supports significant reform of this nation's marijuana laws. What
your readers may not know is that Wisconsin's members of Congress will have
their own opportunity to weigh in on this subject when Congress debates,
later this summer, whether to allow a medical marijuana initiative in the
District of Columbia to take effect.

The Libertarian Party of Wisconsin strongly urges members of Congress to
defend the will of the people in D.C. This is not simply a question about
the effectiveness of medical marijuana; it is a matter of respecting the
doctor-patient relationship as well as the idea of democracy. If the people
of the District believe that doctors should be allowed to recommend
marijuana to their patients and that patients should be allowed to use it,
then Congress should not interfere.

Standing in the way of legal medical marijuana is one of the most egregious
examples of the misguided War on Drugs. This is one of the reasons why the
national Libertarian Party has targeted U.S. Representative Bob Barr (R-GA)
- -- the primary opponent of medical marijuana in D.C. -- for defeat in his
upcoming primary.

The War on Drugs is wasting billions of taxpayer dollars in order to deny
Americans a measure of personal freedom.

While we do not expect the federal government to admit defeat and retreat
completely from this battle, we wholeheartedly urge members of Congress to
make an initial common sense concession and allow seriously ill patients in
D.C. access to marijuana if they -- and their doctors -- believe is
necessary for their well-being.

Aaron Biterman

Libertarian Party of Wisconsin

Brookfield, WI