We talked to many patients who attended the trial who have been helped by Mr. Chavez. Others need to step up on this issue. California Attorney General Bill Lockyer's office says he is assembling a task force to develop a statewide plan to implement Prop. 215. Perhaps he should enter the appellate process on Mr. Chavez's behalf as well. Newly elected Gov. Gray Davis has the authority to pardon Mr. Chavez or to commute his sentence.
Local officials can help also.
Sheriff Mike Carona and District Attorney Anthony Rackauckas could meet with people on all sides of the issue who have a stake in the development of consistent policies toward medical marijuana patients and establish guidelines that will tell people how to avoid running afoul of the law. The county supervisors could study the matter and develop an implementing ordinance. Mr. Chavez will lose more of his life to incarceration in large part because state and local officials failed to implement the voters' mandate. That shouldn't happen again. I understand that a number of people have written letters to Judge Thomas J. Borris of the West County Court in Westminster regarding today's sentencing of Marvin Chavez, who was found guilty on several marijuana-related counts last November.