Gov. Lincoln Chafee has joined Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire in filing a petition with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration seeking to reclassify marijuana as a medication that can be prescribed by doctors for the treatment of patients suffering from cancer and other conditions.

They are hoping the government will list marijuana as a Schedule 2 drug, which would make it legal for medical use. Its current designation as a Schedule 1 drug means it’s not accepted for medical treatment and can’t be prescribed, administered or dispensed.

Which puts Rhode Island, Washington and the 14 other states and the District of Columbia in an odd position since they all have laws allowing the medical use of marijuana. More importantly, however, the conflict between state and federal laws puts patients in the middle of a bureaucratic Catch- 22 while they are left to suffer. Or it forces them to seek an illegal drug through illegal means just so they can get some bit of relief.

This isn’t the way a civilized society should treat its people.

Marijuana has been proven to quell some of the side effects of the cancer treatment process, primarily those associated with chemotherapy in some patients. Anyone who has experienced or witnessed these side effects understands the need for relief and likely would agree that to have relief available and not attainable is unconscionable.

Shouldn’t a civilized society treat its patients in as humane a manner as possible?

We understand there have been problems here with some who have been approved as medical marijuana growers and dispensers, but the few who have stooped so low as to use this avenue for illegal means should not prohibit the relief and comfort that medical marijuana can bring.

As the petition in support of the reclassification on behalf of those states with medical marijuana laws states, “ Each of these jurisdictions is struggling with managing safe access to medical cannabis for patients with serious medical conditions.” In other words, patients are forced to choose between breaking the law to get some relief or live with the pain.

And Chafee went further, describing the situation as causing “ chaos and conflict between what the states are doing and what the Justice Department is threatening to do.”

“It is time to show compassion and time to show common sense,” Gov. Gregoire said about the initiative.

We agree.