Testifying in U.S. District Court in California, lawyers for the Justice Department stated that the federal government has the right to penalize doctors who recommend marijuana by revoking their licenses to dispense medication.

The testimony was part of the final stage of a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The lawsuit claimed the U.S. government's position on the state's voter-approved medical-marijuana law violated doctors' free-speech rights. the ACLU said many doctors shy away from recommending marijuana for fear of losing their federal right to prescribe medication.

Joseph W. Lobue, a lawyer with the Department of Justice, argued that it doesn't matter that California voters approved the medical-marijuana act, saying that federal law applies no matter how citizens may have voted.

COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE:

Posted by W.C. on 16 Feb 08 06:19 AM EST

Here we go again.."no matter how citizens vote"?!If our voices are not heard at the polls,then i say we no longer need to abide by federal laws since we, the citizens, most likely didnt get to vote on there federal law.

Posted by Dwayne Polidori on 24 Jun 09 08:58 AM EDT

Thumbs down on federal laws and their law makers.It is time we take our country back!!Fire all lawmaker and we start making the laws after all the constitution says WE THE PEOPLE NOT WE THE LAWMAKERS!!!It's time we stand up against this unlawful government after all who pays the bills here.

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