21.   For years, some researchers and marijuana advocates have accused the federal government of refusing to fund medical marijuana studies for purely political, non-scientific reasons.

22.   He said the law allows people to take medical marijuana on the recommendation of a physician.

23.   He said he was surprised by his arrest because the medical marijuana law is retroactive.

24.   Imagine the Republican response to that kind of logic if it came from a Democrat and the subject were medical marijuana.

25.   Imler, scowling at the pill bottles in his desk drawer, said he himself relies on medical marijuana to ease his epileptic seizures.

26.   In cases where a patient is considering stopping treatment because of the agony, or cannot keep food down, medical marijuana can be life-saving.

27.   In fact, there is ample evidence that the Clinton administration fashioned its punitive response after California and Arizona had each passed medical marijuana initiatives.

28.   In California, the suits have highlighted the legal gray area of medical marijuana.

29.   In the District of Columbia, meanwhile, the November ballot contained a proposal to legalize medical marijuana, but Congress intervened and prevented the vote from being counted.

30.   Ironically, the failure to compromise on a relatively non-controversial topic such as medical marijuana could open the door to a much broader rejection of the drug war.