States' Rights Up in Smoke

From the Birmingham News (reg req'd):

A young mother in June Cleaver pearls and cardigan became Alabama's face of medical marijuana Thursday when she spoke out about how the illegal drug soothes her chronic pain.

Laura Campbell, 32, of Cullman appeared at a State House news conference held to announce the introduction of Alabama's first compassionate-use bill. In detailed and emotional terms, she talked about using marijuana to manage pain caused by years of fibromyalgia and three forms of arthritis.

"I'm not a threat to society, but I have to be criminal to get the medicine I need to survive," she said, with her husband looking on.

I'm not sure how likely it is to pass. According to polls, most Americans support the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes, but that didn't stop the Ashcroft Justice Department from going after caregivers in states where it's legal. A 2004 Alabama poll found that three-quarters of respondents said doctors should be able to prescribe marijuana. There's also a movement to legalize medical marijuana in (shockingly) Willie Nelson's home state.

Click here for a quick rundown on Raich v. Ashcroft, in which caregivers are suing the federal government to prevent it from interfering with their use of medical marijuana. The Supreme Court is expected to hand down a decision this spring or summer. Because of the states' rights angle, this is another issue that can cut across ideological lines; Jonathan Adler of the National Review warns that "a decision for the federal government could send federalism and the constitutional doctrine of enumerated powers up in smoke."