Those famously straight-laced Okies may not have smoked marijuana in Muskogee back in 1969 (although perhaps ol' Merle just didn't sniff around enough). But even the editors of the local paper there certainly understand in 2008 that it's high time the squares in the federal government quit having a ball busting docs, raiding dispensaries, persecuting sick people and extinguishing the democratic will of citizens in states where cannabis prohibition is being relaxed.

Under the headline, "Feds should butt out of pot laws," the Muskogee Daily Phoenix today endorsed legislation co-sponsored by Massachusetts Sen. Barney Frank, Texas Rep. Ron Paul and others that would, in the paper's words,"end the federal prosecution of marijuana possession in states where it is legal." Declare the editors:

While not explicitly supporting the legalization of marijuana, we have to agree with Frank that the decision on whether to legalize is within the jurisdiction of the states.

We are not convinced that the "slippery slope" argument declaring marijuana a "gateway drug" leading to harder drugs doesn't have at least some merit.

That said, doctors prescribe hard drugs every day to their patients, from the addictive oxycontin to morphine.

We trust doctors to make those decisions in the best interest of their patients based upon their own study, best trade practices and years of experience.

We don't think the federal government should be prosecuting people who are taking oxycontin under the care of a doctor, nor should those taking marijuana under the care of a doctor if their state has declared such prescriptions legal.

Colorado's Independence Institute has published a number of articles exploring the deep-rooted Bill of Rights issues at stake in the federal government's refusal to allow the states to regulate marijuana as they see fit.