U.S. Supreme Court Stays Distribution of Medical Marijuana August 31, 2000
News Summary
The U.S. Supreme Court granted an emergency request from the Clinton administration and temporarily prohibited California marijuana clubs from distributing the drug for medicinal purposes, the Associated Press reported Aug. 30.Earlier federal court rulings allowed the Oakland, Calif., Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative to distribute marijuana to people in the state whose doctors approved of the drug for medical reasons. But the Clinton administration argued in its emergency request that allowing distribution of marijuana would "promote disrespect and disregard for an act of Congress that is central to combating illicit drug trafficking and use by giving a judicial stamp of approval to the open and notorious distribution of illegal substances to potentially thousands of users without any of the strict controls required by federal law."
The 7-1 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court postponed the effect of the federal court rulings until the high court can formally review the case. But the granting of the emergency request may signal that the Supreme Court plans to invalidate state medical marijuana laws, anyway.
In 1996, California voters approved a medical marijuana initiative that allows seriously ill patients, with a doctor's recommendation, to grow and use marijuana for pain relief. But the state has been unable to implement the initiative because of conflict over a federal law that prohibits the use of medical marijuana.
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