The U.S. Supreme Court last week heard the case of Ashcroft v. Raich, pitting an overzealous federal government against a sick woman trying to live as best she can while suffering from an inoperable brain tumor, a seizure disorder, life-threatening wasting syndrome, severe chronic pain and other documented medical conditions.

In 2002, medical-marijuana patient Angel Raich was launched into the spotlight when she and Diane Monson, both seriously ill medical marijuana patients, sued Attorney General John Ashcroft and the federal government. The goal in launching the case was to put an end to the government's cruel and illegal raids on sick people who use medical marijuana in accordance with state law. Though the Supreme Court heard the case last week, the outcome of the case will not be clear for at least a few months.

"But win or lose," as Raich wrote in a letter to Alliance supporters mailed on the day her case came before the court, "I can assure you that -- with the generous help of supporters like you -- the Alliance will be working on behalf of me and thousands of other medical cannabis patients."

"Nobody ever expected this case to get this far," says Alliance executive director Ethan Nadelmann in today's Village Voice. "If we win this, it would be a very significant step forward. If we lose, it's just a tiny step backward."

You can read the complete letter from Raich to Alliance supporters here, an overview of the Alliance's role in the Raich case here, and the Alliance's brief to the Supreme Court on Raich's behalf here.