Conservatives Must Show Their True Colors. . .

And it better be green. Today the Supreme Court heard arguments regarding California's medical marijuana policy and the federal government's anti-drug laws. Check it out. From AP (though I have a million better articles if anyone wants them):

The justices refused three years ago to protect distributors of medical marijuana from federal charges. They are confronting a more personal issue this time -- the power of federal agents to go after sick people who use homegrown cannabis with their doctors' permission and their states' approval.

The stakes are high because 11 states have passed medical marijuana laws since 1996. A defeat for the two California women might undermine those laws and discourage other states from approving their own.

A loss for the government, on the other hand, could jeopardize federal oversight of illegal drugs and raise questions in other areas such as product safety and environmental activities. A Bush administration lawyer told the justices they would be encouraging people to use potentially harmful marijuana if they were to side with the women.

I have been thinking about this over the last couple of days, and I am still unsure how exactly I want to attack the issue. I've decided to not even mention the fact that marijuana should be legal for medicinal use all across the country. Or that it should be completely decriminalized, and possibly legalized in general (I never like to support medicinal and recreational marijuana in the same paragraph, it takes away for the former's cause, but, oh well, I trust you people).

The way I see it, none of that has anything to do with this case. Nothing. Let that be decided by voters and doctors. What this is about is the rights of citizens who abide by the laws of their home states, but are arrested, harassed, abused and jailed by the federal government for failing to abide by their laws. The citizens of California long ago voted on and approved the growing, sale, and consumption of medical marijuana, and still the DC-based federal government refuses to abide.

This is an issue of state's rights, an issue that conservatives love to talk about. If they cared so much about protecting a state's sovereignty (such as in the case of segregation, and, a little more recently, abortion) then there really should be no problem here. But that's not how the GOP and conservatives think. Instead, they take their personal feelings and twist and turn the Constitution and the Bill of Rights into a defense for them.

This case is somewhat monumental in my opinion. We're finally going to see what rules this country: politics or principles.


P.S.
I just hope that Rehnquist's ongoing bout with thyroid cancer gives him a better insight into the suffering of these people.