High Count.

• Author: Sager, Ryan H.
• Position: Voters support legalizing drugs for medicinal purposes - Brief Article

Almost a year after the fact, a federal judge ruled this fall that Congress cannot suppress the results of Washington, D.C.'s Proposition 59, a 1998 ballot initiative to legalize medical marijuana in the District. Last November, exit polls showed the initiative winning with two-thirds of the vote. That potential outcome irked Congress and the president so much that they passed legislation preventing the vote from being counted and certified. But now the vote has been properly tallied. The polls were right: Prop. 59 passed with a whopping 69 percent of the vote.

That's not to say Congress and the president will be bowing to the electorate's wishes any time soon. Because of the District's charter, the federal government retains the ability to overturn ballot initiatives and is expected to do so in this case. In fact, as of press time, the House of Representatives had already passed a bill to that effect.

Such an action would highlight the national government's...