U.S. DRUG AGENCY OKS MARIJUANA PROGRAM

SAN MATEO, CALIFORNIA The federal Drug Enforcement Administration has
approved a program that would let a Northern California county give away
government-grown marijuana to 60 AIDS patients in a study to assess drug's
potential health benefits.

The 12-week study in San Mateo County could begin as early as January,
officials said. The DEA approved it Wednesday.

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