medical marijuana legal says the supreme court (USA)

[Senior]

While at a glance this might not mater to you but it's actually very important to Canadians. Canadian policy regarding illict drugs is largely defined by U.S. policy. Hopefully we can see some sanity in practice in the near future with this one.

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The ACLU welcomed the Supreme Court's decision to let stand a federal court of appeals ruling that allows doctors to discuss and recommend medical marijuana to patients. The announcement effectively upholds the medical marijuana provisions of seven states within the Ninth Circuit, where the original ruling was made.

The case arose after California voters passed Proposition 215 in November 1996, making it legal for patients to grow and possess marijuana for medical use when a doctor recommends it. The Clinton administration reacted by threatening to revoke the licenses of physicians who recommended medical use of marijuana. The Bush Administration continued that policy.

"The Supreme Court's action today protects doctors and patients from government censorship of open and honest discussions in the exam room," said Graham Boyd, Director of the ACLU's Drug Policy Litigation Project, who argued the ruling in the Ninth Circuit.

Boyd and others represent 15 doctors and patients in California who have suffered as a result of the federal government's threats to doctors regarding the discussion of marijuana as medicine.

Judith Cushner, a breast cancer survivor and plaintiff in the case, said, "It's good to know that the federal government can't gag my doctors anymore and that I can get straight answers from them about every aspect of my medical care."

http://www.aclu.org/DrugPolicy/DrugPolicylist.cfm?c=81