A Trickle of Compassion

Legislation that would have barred the U.S. Justice Department from spending money to persecute medical marijuana users failed by a vote of 264 to 161 in the House of Representatives today. It attracted 13 more votes than a similar bill did last summer. You could say that's encouraging, since the Supreme Court just last week confirmed the federal government's authority to snatch homegrown medicine from sick people. Or you could say it's discouraging, since the Court's decision should have stirred to action all those principled conservatives who, like Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, may not approve of marijuana as a medicine but believe the matter should be left to the states. My fear is that it did.