What Ed Rosenthal Deserves

Ed Rosenthal, the cannabis cultivation expert who was convicted of federal drug charges last winter for growing medical marijuana in Oakland, California, is scheduled to be sentenced today. Most of the jurors who convicted Rosenthal later complained that they were kept in the dark about the details of his "crime": He was growing marijuana in cooperation with the city of Oakland for patients who are allowed to use it as a medicine under California law.

Press reports had indicated that Rosenthal faced a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison. According to the Drug Reform Coordination Network, however, he might qualify for a lesser sentence under a "safety valve" provision for nonviolent offenders.

Still, it's clear that Rosenthal will not get what he really deserves: compensation for his legal fees and an apology from the federal government for interfering where it has no business.