Rumors have been around for years that medical marijuana is legal, and although state law allows for it, it is still prohibited by federal law.

The Controlled Substance Act defines marijuana as a drug with no accepted medical value in treatment. Yet since the 1970s, 34 states have enacted laws that recognize medical marijuana’s value.

The frustration with the federal law has pushed voters in six states to support ballot initiatives which support the use of medical marijuana use. California Proposition 215 allows medical use of marijuana, but federal officials can still arrest the doctors who prescribe this drug.

Doctors who sign the prescriptions are really putting themselves and their careers on the line for their belief in the healing powers of medical marijuana. Even though the CSA makes it illegal to sell and distribute marijuana, hundreds of medical marijuana stores have opened across the state.

Recently, the United States Attorneys have enforced action which started protests across the county. This attempt to close down all marijuana distributors has not only affected California, but people in all states.

This problem won’t go away any time soon. Marijuana is a controlled substance and it should be categorized along the lines of alcoholic beverages. It would be wonderful if there were a thing such as a marijuana breathalyzer test, so that people under the influence could not drive.

It could also be categorized along the lines of vicodin and other prescription drugs. It should follow the same guide lines since it is being used for medical purposes.

The main problem is in the way the drug is distributed. The fact that a medical marijuana card is needed in order to use this drug definitely makes it stand apart from the rest.

If marijuana users want this drug to be used medically, then it should undergo the same regulations as all the other drugs and be supplied in the same locations.

If marijuana was primarily used in a pill form, then it might be more acceptable to the masses, but it’s not. It’s used like a cigar.

The fact that it is a smoked substance makes it stand apart. There is a risk of getting a contact high, which is almost worse than smoking cigarettes because it is a mind altering drug. I do understand that there are other forms to use this plant, but as far as medical purposes, it is mostly smoked not eaten.

We don’t go to a laughing gas store or a hydrocodine shop, nor do we need to purchase a card or a license to have these.

I was not greeted with a smile and the security guard hesitated to tell me where I was the first time I entered a shop. Had I been stoned or an avid smoker, maybe I would have had a totally different experience.

I am all for a person doing what they want to do on their own time, but it is still against the law. There are far more people smoking for pleasure than for medical purposes.