60 Aids Patients To Get Pot

SAN MATEO, Calif. -- The federal Drug Enforcement Administration has
approved a program that will allow a northern California county to
give away government-grown marijuana to 60 AIDS patients in a study to
assess the drug's potential health benefits.

The 12-week study in San Mateo County could begin as early as January,
county supervisor Mike Nevin said. The DEA approved it Wednesday.
"What we could end up with is scientific proof that this is a medicine
that should be prescribed by doctors," Nevin said.

In 1996, Californians passed Proposition 215, which allows possession,
cultivation and use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
Implementation of the measure has proven difficult, however, as
lawmakers struggle to agree on prescription and distribution guidelines.

Dr. Dennis Israelski will oversee the study. The San Mateo County
Health Center will provide marijuana to HIV and AIDS patients who
suffer from neurological disorders.