Marijuana Case Taken to "High" Court

The Supreme Court agreed on Monday to hear a case that deals specifically with the issue of whether "medical necessity" is a plausible defense to the federal law that makes marijuana distribution illegal in the United States. A lower court had granted the California-based group, the Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative, the right to distribute marijuana to individuals who had provided documented medical proof from their physician’s that the use of the drug would be an effective treatment for their illness.

In August, the Supreme Court put the lower court ruling on hold and barred the California club from distributing marijuana while the government pursued its appeal. Eight states already have medical marijuana legislation in place or approved by voters, including, Arizona, Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington State, Maine, Colorado, and Nevada, allowing the possession and distribution of marijuana for medical purposes.

Regardless of the outcome of the Supreme Court case, the public reaction is sure to be swift and significant. Proponents of legalization will surely be pointing towards this case as the possible first step towards realizing the advantages of limiting the outrageous profits that continue to fuel the illegal drug trade in the United States. Supporters of the "War on Drugs" will undoubtedly argue that this case should be used as the forum through which the United States denounces the use of illegal drugs once and for all and rededicates itself to the elimination of drugs in American society.