Supreme Court Rejects Ban on Medical Marijuana

And who’s to say it’s not for medicinal purposes? 

The Supreme Court today struck down appeals from two holdout California counties that had opposed the lifting of the state’s ban on medical marijuana.

The action likely will clear the way for patients in San Diego and San Bernardino counties to seek county-issued identification cards that show they are eligible to possess and use marijuana.

These identification cards have been required under state law since 2004, but the two counties have refused to issue them. Their lawyers had asserted the state’s authorization for using medical marijuana conflicted with the zero-tolerance policy set by federal law. 

Graham Boyd, director of the ACLU’s Drug Reform Law Project, said today’s order “marks a significant victory for medical marijuana patients and their advocates nationwide.” It dispels any remaining doubts that the state laws are valid, he said, and it “leaves ample room for states to move forward . . . with independent medical marijuana policies.”

Since California’s voters adopted the Compassionate Use Act in 1996, 12 other states have approved measures permitting medical use of marijuana. The others are Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. The New Hampshire Legislature passed a similar measure recently that awaits action by the governor.

With 13 states already having adopted compassionate use act legislation, Delaware might be ready to permit this humane  treatment for people suffering from acute pain. Any legislative interest?