What will history say about a country that touts its democracy, but pursues a policy counter to the will of over two-thirds of its people? How will our children reconcile that, in their name, we made the victims of this policy the "least among us:" the weak, the sick, and the dying? How far are we as a nation willing to go to keep them from using unapproved medicines? Should the United States government continue its war on medical marijuana? The therapeutic use of cannabis represents one of the great political, social and moral issues of our time, and the answers to the questions posed by it are clear in the public mind.

By resounding margins, the public supports the medical use of marijuana. By and large, it sees the medicinal benefit of the plant and follows health issues surrounding it closely. The public’s support for it has grown significantly over the past six years, and appears to be even stronger since September 11, 2001. Fundamentally, the public does not want medical marijuana patients arrested and sent to prison, and it does not support the efforts of the Bush Administration to shut down the California patient cooperatives. It can accept marijuana’s use as medicine without immediate FDA approval.

The gravity of this problem can be seen in the estimated number of arrests involving the medicinal use of marijuana: nearly 250,000 in the last ten years. Understanding the injustice behind this number, numerous states have passed legislation recognizing marijuana’s potential as medicine, and voters in eight states have approved ballot initiatives legalizing its medicinal use. The Federal government, though, has thwarted implementation of these laws.

The shift of voter registrations away from the major parties coupled with the strength of support for the issue indicates that the public is looking for a political solution to this problem. With an overwhelming majority of their members backing medicinal cannabis, either of the two major parties is in a position to take the lead on it. The party that endorses this issue stands to not only unify their own party, but also attract a substantial number of opposing party members and independents who also feel strongly about it. However, if both major political parties continue on the previous course of medical marijuana prohibition, third parties will seize this issue and its overwhelming public support, thereby accelerating the decline in overall party registrations. Essentially, the major parties have much to gain by endorsing the medicinal use of marijuana, but also much to lose if they do not.

Americans are a kind and generous people, with a legacy of caring for the "least among us." Through their answers on these polls they are making it clear that they want to perpetuate this tradition and will vote their consciences to do so. The public has spoken on the issue of medical marijuana. The next time politicians are approached by their aides or constituents about it, hopefully silence will no longer follow.