From Fox News -- Teenagers in California are actually "putting the 'high' in high school," openly smoking pot in class. They are getting the pot from school officials with medical marijuana cards. Doctors in the area are prescribing marijuana for minor health problems like sleeplessness and stress. Minors must be accompanied by parents to get the card, and the state allows for minors to use marijuana for medical use provided the parents allow it. Many parents are supportive of the medical use of marijuana because they do not want their kids on all of the chemicals that can be found in other medications.

From Granitestarters.com -- This quick segment shows President Barack Obama in August of 2007, saying he "would not have the justice department prosecute for medical marijuana. That is not a good use of our resources."

From C-Span -- William Hubbard, a Coalition for a Stronger FDA senior adviser, takes calls from people who question his policies on drugs. One caller questions why many other drugs that are advertised with dozens of side effects are legal, while marijuana is not legal for medical use. There are no side effects of marijuana and nobody has ever died from it. Hubbard addresses the advertising aspect of the query, telling the caller that consumers and physicians worry about drug companies' ability to advertise directly on television. This is a problem because it causes the consumer to rush out and ask its doctor for a drug that he doesn't really need. But the First Amendment prohibits the FDA from banning advertising entirely.

From Unknown Source -- This entertaining video offers a comprehensive history of marijuana, starting with the odd fact that marijuana was once very useful, and one of the largest agricultural crops in the world, including the United States.

From Unknown Source -- Hillary Clinton addresses the issue of medical marijuana at a campaign function, saying that the federal government has been very intent upon preventing it as an option for people in pain. And she thinks that we should do more medical research to find the elements that claim to be existing in marijuana that might help people from suffering from cancer. Clinton does not think we should criminalize marijuana, but should instead do more research on any medical benefits it has.

From MPP-TV -- This video features excerpts from Michael Pollan’s “The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s Eye View of the World.” The narrator describes how if the approximately 20 million Americans who use marijuana were removed, a drug epidemic involving roughly 2 million cocaine and heroin users would remain. This is viewed as a health problem, as the “demonizing of a plant” is at the center of the drug war in the United States.

From MPP-TV -- In 2004, President Obama referred to the War on Drugs as a failure, saying that he believed "we need to rethink how we're operating in the drug war." Regarding medical marijuana, Obama is on record as saying that if science and doctors suggest that the best way to relieve pain and suffering is through medical marijuana, then that is something he'd be open to because there is no difference between marijuana and morphine. But he is quick to add that there would be strict guidelines to legalizing medical marijuana. Obama supports the rights of states and local governments to make this choice, though he believes medical marijuana should be subject to regulation like other drugs.

From Book TV -- Christopher Hitchens discusses his opinions on why he thinks marijuana should be legalized. It's well known to help people through chemotherapy and glaucoma. Also, he thinks that it is beyond the competence of the state to decide a question like this. Smoking is a victimless crime and it's horrific that room has been made in prison cells for people who are caught with marijuana.

From Unknown Source -- Allen St. Pierre, from NORML, speaks about marijuana decriminalization at a press conference. He makes the point that with alcohol, there is an acknowledged distinction between use and abuse, and a focus on law enforcement involvement to stop use and abuse. Responsible alcohol drinkers are not arrested, and this should be the policy with marijuana as well.