The court could go further and decide that state laws legalizing pot for medical purposes are unconstitutional because drug policy is an area pre-empted by federal law. California is one of eight states whose citizens decided they were competent to make scientific judgments. In 1996, voters passed Proposition 215, allowing anyone to treat himself with a joint for any illness, on a physician's recommendation. Calling Dr. Cheech. Calling Dr. Chong.
Medical marijuana is the compassion cover for legalization.
Its potency can vary greatly from batch to batch. Marijuana is a narcotic. According to the Drug Abuse Warning Network, marijuana use accounted for 87,150 emergency-room admissions in 1999, up 455 percent from a decade earlier. Medical marijuana is a way to persuade the public that pot is benign. It's also great for getting kids hooked.