Justices Reject Govt. Medical Marijuana Appeal

[Mairead]

Tue 14 October, 2003 16:14 BST
By James Vicini

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court let stand on Tuesday a ruling that the government cannot revoke the federal prescription licenses of doctors who recommend medical marijuana to sick patients.

Without any comment, the justices rejected a Bush administration appeal of the ruling that bars the government from punishing and from even investigating a doctor's conduct because of a recommendation that a patient use marijuana.

The federal government has classified marijuana as a controlled substance, an illegal drug, saying it has "a high potential for abuse," "no currently accepted medical use" and is unsafe even when used under medical supervision.

A U.S. appeals court in San Francisco ruled the federal government's policy against doctors who recommend marijuana violated constitutional free-speech rights of physicians and patients.

http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=3611122§ion=news

[LeftHander]

1. "Ear....."

FFffFFfffFFFfffFFF.......mmmmmm....ahhhhhhhhhhhfffffooooooooo

"Ahhh good for my glaucoma...got any chips left??"

[CheshireCat]

3. Does it really help glaucoma?

I have glaucoma. Have heard that it helps, but the report I saw said it didn't help glaucoma.

Course, my state hasn't legalized medical marijuana so its a mute point for me.

[benfranklin1776]

2. At last some sensibility returns to the barren wasteland of "drug policy"

Now jumping Johnny Asscroft won't be able to interfere with the doctor/patient relationship and bring the iron boot of federal prosecution down on glaucoma and cancer sufferers. Guess he'll have to focus now on busting those "really dangerous" bong sellers since that is to him a matter of infinite importance to the health and welfare of the nation.

[cosmicdot]

4. I'd say he owes some folks reparations for pain and suffering

http://www.stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/224/sfraids.shtml

[TahitiNut]

5. duplicate

See http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=165462