] Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich signed a law Thursday that ] will greatly reduce penalties for disease sufferers who ] use marijuana to relieve pain. ] ] The new law sets a maximum fine of $100 for "medical ] marijuana" users who have less than an ounce of the leaf. ] It makes Maryland the 10th state since 1996 to ease or ] eliminate sanctions for medical use of the herb, which ] gained wide use during the 1960s because of its euphoric ] effects. ] ] Maryland's move is a setback for the Bush administration, ] which had called on Ehrlich, a fellow Republican, to ] reject the measure. ] ] The White House has made marijuana a particular target of ] its anti-drug efforts, arguing that users often move on ] to more dangerous drugs. It has campaigned against ] medical marijuana proposals in several states, prosecuted ] distributors and growers of medical pot in California, ] and urged Canadian officials to reject a plan to ] eliminate criminal penalties for most marijuana users in ] that country. ] ] Despite those efforts, lawmakers in states across the ] nation have shown a willingness to separate marijuana ] from other banned drugs. That's largely because of claims ] by scientists and patients that the drug's most active ] ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), can ease pain and ] nausea and improve the appetites of those suffering from ] AIDS, cancer, glaucoma and other ailments. ItÂ’s a step in the right direction, but as long as it remains a "controlled substance" (an oxymoron if ever there was one) with fines for possession, the illegal drug trade will continue to profit. C'mon folks - quit being so damn wishy-washy on decriminalization. It's gotta be all or nothing. Attitudes ease toward medical marijuana |