U.S. Sen. Barney Frank introduced a bill last week to end the federal prosecution of marijuana possession in states where it is legal.

This is not only a good idea, it’s a moral one.

Several states in the U.S. have medical marijuana laws that make it legal for patients with prescriptions to partake.

Those patients following their doctors’ orders have sometimes found themselves on the wrong end of federal prosecution, even though they’re obeying both their state laws and their doctors’ orders.

Frank’s bill would still allow for prosecution of drug dealers and those in possession of enormous amounts of pot, but it would allow those declared legal by their states to stop fearing federal prosecution.

Frank, in defending his bill last week, said the decision of whether to legalize marijuana or keep it illegal belongs to the states, not the federal government.

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.

Ultimately the issue is one of states’ rights.

We fall on the side of the states, while leaving the discussion of legalization of marijuana for another day.