Peg, Dean's opinion on the marijuana issue is largely colored by his being a doctor. He does not want the medical use of marijuana to become legal without a clear understanding of what it is good for medically. This would not be an issue if marijuana were not pre-politicized; no one would argue that a new drug invented by Merck should become legal without its being well tested first. Since MJ is illegal to begin with in the US (simply to own it or to grow it), testing it is very difficult.

I think that to have a politician say, "it should be tested" is a positive step, and for a doctor it's the only right step. One of my family members, who is a doctor and also believes that drugs should be legalized, still does not want marijuana to be used medically (recommended and prescribed by MDs) until the proper tests and regulations are in place; Dean's position on medical marijuana is thus identical to his, and I think many doctors would agree regardless of where they fall on the drug issue more generally.