“The Truth about Medical Marijuana”

In 1996 California voters passed Proposition 215, allowing physicians to recommend marijuana for medical purposes. Last October the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that doctors have a constitutional right to discuss marijuana with patients. Refusing to accept the will of the electorate, the federal government is fighting back. In January, prosecutors secured a drug conviction against Ed Rosenthal by suppressing key information at trial—that he had been deputized by the City of Oakland to distribute medical marijuana. Upon learning this, the public was outraged and members of the jury disavowed their verdict. However, instead of a possible 60 years, Rosenthal was sentenced to only one day in prison, and a victory was declared for medical marijuana. Not to be discouraged, the Department of Justice has since asked the Supreme Court to allow it to punish doctors who recommend marijuana, and the DEA continues to raid and close down clinics. Will the federal government stop the use of medical marijuana? Can the American people stop the federal government? What is the truth about the medicinal benefits and social impact of marijuana, and why does the government continue to oppose any and all drug decriminalization? This Independent Policy Forum assembles several of the foremost experts in medicine, drug policy, and journalism (Ed Rosenthal, Donald I. Abrams, Edwin Dobb, and Robert J. MacCoun) to discuss the past, present, and future of medical marijuana and the “war on drugs.”