SMOKE GETS IN YOUR POLITICS

THIS WEEK'S issue of Time magazine basically lists marijuana as a
medicine. Now, can Washington and President Bush finally wake up and
change federal policy so that states can allow sick people to use
medical marijuana if they need it?

This is what Time reports in an article on the year in medicine:
"Research into the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of
cannabis continued to bolster the case for the medicinal use of
marijuana, making the 'patient pot laws' that have passed in 11
states seem less like a social movement than a legitimate medical
trend." The article then cites studies that found that cannabis
lessened the pain and suppressed rheumatoid arthritis and "can reduce
inflammation in the brain and may protect it from the cognitive
decline associated with Alzheimer's disease."

"If politicians would be a little bit more willing to listen to the
voters, they'd find there is more support than they think," noted
Tommy McDonald of the anti-drug war Drug Policy Alliance.

No lie. AARP polled Americans over age 45 in 2004 and found that 72
percent support allowing patients to use medical marijuana if a
physician recommends it. That number can only grow as people see
family members and friends benefit from the drug. A late friend of
mine used marijuana to increase her appetite and ease her discomfort
as she fought cancer. Yes, she tried Marinol, the legal pill-form
equivalent to marijuana, but it didn't do the job.

When President Bush first ran for the White House, and he was asked
about medical-marijuana laws, the Washington Post reported, Bush
answered (as only Bush answers): "I believe each state can choose
that decision as they so choose."

In office, alas, Bush has taken a hard-line approach. His
administration has challenged states that voted to legalize medical
marijuana. White House drug czar John Walters contends that
medical-marijuana is a cynical gambit used by people who want to
legalize all drugs and are hiding behind sick people to advance a
pro-drug agenda.

Some San Francisco politicians, if reluctantly, have come to a
similar conclusion as they have had to deal with the crime that hangs
like smoke around some pot clubs. City legislators have proposed
limits -- an ounce per visit to a club instead of a pound -- to cut
down on abuses.

I know that folks at the drug czar's office bristle at the notion
that they lack compassion for sick people. But it's true. They may
mean well, but if they really cared about people who are suffering,
they would help them get what they need.

Bush could borrow a page from the Special City and tell the
Department of Justice and other federal agencies to back off if
states follow criteria designed to separate the sick from the stoned.
But the Bushies can't do that because they won't recognize
marijuana's medical use.

The Oakland-based Americans for Safe Access has filed a lawsuit
against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to stop the
agency from claiming that marijuana has no medical use. The goal,
according to a news release, is to force the government to "publicly
admit that marijuana is now effectively used for medical treatment,
clearing the way for medical reclassification that would eventually
allow doctors to prescribe it to their patients nationwide."

Meanwhile, Bush should act. He can start by telling federal agencies
not to enforce drug laws against medical-marijuana users in states
that have legalized its use and employ specific safeguards to prevent abuse.

Then he should call for the removal of marijuana from the Controlled
Substances Act's Schedule 1 table -- reserved for such serious drugs
as heroin, with no medical use -- and put marijuana into a category
that allows doctors to prescribe it.

Not prosecuting sick people would save the federal government money
- -- by cutting legal and penal expenses. It would leave medical
decision-making to doctors. And it would uphold states' rights.

Another plus: It would show that Bush still can confound his critics.
It would be like his 2003 Thanksgiving in Baghdad -- but Christmas
for those who are sick or in pain.