The United States of America vs. The Left Coast

[Steve Schear]

At 01:33 PM 11/21/2001 -0800, you wrote:
>Oregon refuses to ignore basic constitutional rights for the sake of the
>war on terrorism:
>
>"Portland police have refused a U.S. Justice Department request for help
>in interviewing Middle Eastern immigrants as part of its sweeping
>terrorism investigation, saying it would violate state law."
>
>"Arabs and Muslims have expressed outrage at the U.S. Justice Department's
>plan to interview the 5,000 men, who are not suspected of any crimes. The
>list is comprised of men ages 18 to 33 who entered the United States since
>January 1, 2000, from countries that have been linked to the hijackers in
>the September 11 attacks or were waystations for the terrorist
>organization, al Qaeda."
>
>[...]
>
>http://www.cnn.com/2001/LAW/11/21/inv.portland.police.questioning.ap/index.html
>
>
>Oregon does battle with Ashcroft over physician-assisted suicide laws:
>
>"The judge said his order "nullifies giving any legal effect" to
>Ashcroft's directive -- in other words, doctors should not fear legal
>repercussions if they follow the Oregon law."
>
>"Ashcroft's order prompted the court challenge, with Oregon officials
>saying the government was trying to strip the state of its right to govern
>the practice of medicine"
>
>[...]
>
>http://www.cnn.com/2001/LAW/11/21/assistedsuicide.hearing.ap/index.html
>
>
>DEA feds declare war on Californians:
>
>"Unable to find Osama bin Laden or dismantle al Qaeda, the Bush
>administration has attacked an easier target -- the 960 mostly AIDS and
>cancer patients of the Los Angeles Cannabis Resource Center."
>
>"The basis for the raid is the long-standing state-vs.federal government
>dispute over who has say over drug laws. In 1996, California voters
>approved Proposition 215, which gave patients the right to possess medical
>marijuana. The federal government has refused to recognize the law in
>California and eight other states and Washington, D.C., which have passed
>similar medical-marijuana measures. Last May, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled
>against the reopening of an Oakland club, a decision cited in last weeks
>search warrant."

I can't see any constitutional basis for the FDA (or much of the FAA or FCC 
regulations for that matter). Perhaps not regulating California marijuana 
clinics impacts marijuana clinics in other states: empty Commerce Clause 
justification.

steve