A victory in the War on Prohibition. From Plastic:

"U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer became an instant hero to medical marijuana users in California, advocates of liberalizing the nation's drug laws, and opponents of the federal government's at-times obsessive pursuit of special causes to serve a political agenda," MAYORBOB writes. "The defendant was Ed Rosenthal, who had been found guilty on three counts, which included his having grown and possessed more than 100 marijuana plants. Rosenthal, who claimed innocence on all charges because he was growing the weed as an authorized medical marijuana grower, was staring at the possibility of spending the next six decades behind bars. Following his trial, a number of the jurors registered their anger with the court over not having been able to hear the extenuating circumstances of Rosenthal's activities being legal under California law.

"Breyer, who was the trial court judge who was criticized by the jury members, ordered that Rosenthal serve one day in jail on each of the three counts he was charged with, and with the charges to run concurrently. Rosenthal walked out of court, essentially a free man because he had already spent more than a day in jail awaiting his original arraignment. The crowd in the courtroom, which was heavily populated with Rosenthal supporters erupted into applause and cheers at the news.

Meanwhile, Tommy Chong has plead guilty to the heinous crime of selling glass pipes and bongs for the admitted purpose of smoking marijuana. There may still be terrorists running around plotting to blow up the United States, but at least citizens won't be toking ganga through glass pipes and bongs. Welcome to John Ashcroft's America.

Remember, kids! If otherwise law-abiding citizens who smoke dope aren't harassed, arrested, prosecuted, and imprisoned by the Federal government despite state laws making dope legal, the terrorists have already won.

It's hard to believe there could be a U.S. attorney general more out of touch than Janet Reno, but John Ashcroft is a travesty. This is the same anti-Federalist jerk who overruled an Oregon voter's referendum on physician-assisted suicide and a California voter's referendum that legalized medical marijuana. See? He's an anti-Federalist jerk.

You may not like or use marijuana. Similarly, some people don't like or use alcohol. We tried outlawing alcohol across the United States in the Grand Experiment of Prohibition. Alcohol Prohibition was a huge failure that bred crime and corruption and didn't stop alcohol consumption or abuse. Drug Prohibition isn't working any better.