Medical Marijuana

In 1996, the people of California voted 2-to-1 in favor of Proposition 215, allowing for the “medical” use of marijuana in cases where there has been a doctor’s recommendation. As a result of this successful voter-initiative, so-called “cannabis clubs” sprung up all across the state, allowing its members to freely grow—and use—pot.

There is just one problem.

The federal government asserts that there is no such thing as “medical” marijuana. To them, there is only “marijuana” and that substance is illegal in the United States of America.

To demonstrate their authority in this matter, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), began aggressively raiding and prosecuting scores of clubs and individuals all across the state.

Stanford law professor Robert Weisberg speculates that the federal government may not be that concerned about medical marijuana, “but what they are bothered by is the ‘in your face’ attitude of California saying, ‘we defy federal law.’”

One of the raids was on Valerie Corral—the founder of “WAMM”—the “Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana” in Santa Cruz. Corral was on the state Attorney General’s task force that developed the guidelines for Prop 215.

“I have to say, I owe my life to marijuana,” says Corral, who has epilepsy. She claims that 86% of WAMM’s members suffer from serious illnesses like AIDS and cancer. She was at the bedside of one member, John Paul Taylor, who died just days after California Connected filmed the visit.

Just two weeks after WAMM’s marijuana crop was confiscated, the raid was denounced by a score of Santa Cruz county civic leaders. They supported WAMM by showing up at a public pot giveaway on the steps of City Hall.

It was then that State Attorney General Bill Lockyer also became involved, taking the extraordinary step of writing to U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft about the raid. Lockyer called it “a disheartening addition to a growing list of provocative and intrusive incidents of harassment by the DEA in California.”

Sacramento activist, Carla Lowe, who helped pass half-a-dozen anti-drug laws in the state disagrees. She sees Prop 215 as a ploy to get marijuana totally legalized. “They’re using sick people,” she claims. “It breaks my heart.”

An earlier version of this story first aired April 17, 2003.