Court's ruling on marijuana reeks of 'reefer madness'

0 Comments | USA TODAY, June, 2005

Diane Monson has suffered for years from degenerative spine disease and painful muscle spasms. On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court told Monson that she can be prosecuted for trying to relieve her own pain.

Three years ago, federal agents barged into her house, seized and destroyed the six marijuana plants Monson was growing at her doctor's suggestion. Monson, an accountant who lives in Oroville, Calif., had been getting relief from the active ingredient in marijuana that no ordinary drug had been able to provide.

It was all legal under the laws of California, one of 10 states that since 1996 have authorized patients to grow or obtain marijuana for medical needs with a doctor's recommendation. But the high court ruled that Congress' blanket ban on marijuana trumps the...