This paper is an 8-page, 6-source paper analyzing the issue of marijuana decriminalization for medical purposes. Starting with a discussion of an upcoming Supreme Court ruling, the author provides an analysis of the case for decriminalization, including a recent book full of anecdotal evidence. The author then discusses how the federal government has taken a hard line against marijuana users and even doctors who prescribe the drug. This no-compromises attitude led to a lawsuit in 1997, in which several prominent doctors and patients sued the Drug Czar and Barry McCaffrey for violating their rights when, under Proposition 215, marijuana could be used in California and Arizona for medical reasons. The doctors claimed that they had been threatened by the DEA for prescribing the drug, while patients had been arrested and faced stiff penalties. The case has gone back and forth several times, while Proposition 215 has been suspended. The outcome is unclear, and the author finished the essay by describing how decriminalization necessitates removing marijuana from "Schedule I" status, which is reserved for dangerous drugs which have no medicinal value. 8 pgs. Bibliography lists 6 sources.
