editorial comment smoke this Scalia!

"The (Supreme Court) decision has no legal impact on the operation of Oregon's program," according to a statement by Oregon Attorney General Hardy Myers' office.

Despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling the federal government could prosecute medical use of marijuana, Oregon's attorney general gave the go-ahead on Friday to resume issuing cards that allow sick patients to smoke marijuana.

"Starting today, we will mail 100 to 150 cards per day until the 547 applications that the program approved since June 13 have been mailed," said Grant Higginson, M.D., administrator of the DHS Office of Community Health and Health Planning.

Oregon had stopped issuing new prescription marijuana cards until the state's top lawyer could review the Supreme Court's June 6 decision.

The court held in a 6-3 ruling the U.S. government could enforce a federal law prohibiting the cultivation, possession and use of medical marijuana even in the 10 states where it is legal under state law.

He said in his statement the Supreme Court decision would not alter Oregon's program and that the state was not obligated to tell patients they could be prosecuted under federal laws.

Oregon has issued 10,421 medical marijuana cards, the vast majority of them for severe pain, according to the Oregon Department of Human Services, which runs Oregon's prescription pot plan. Oregon voters approved the program in 1998.

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