GROUP OPPOSES MEDICINAL POT

LINCOLN -- Allowing marijuana to be used as medicine will not only
make it more accessible and acceptable to youth but it also will be a
"foot in the door" to complete legalization of the drug, a
representative of an anti-drug group said Tuesday.

Paul Carter, executive director of PRIDE-Omaha Inc., said that due to
a communication mix-up, his organization was unable to testify Monday
morning when the Nebraska Board of Pharmacy heard a parade of people
speak in favor of legalizing medicinal pot.

Fourteen states, including neighboring Colorado, allow marijuana to be
dispensed for pain relief and appetite enhancement related to a
variety of maladies, from cancer to chronic pain.

But Carter said states that have legalized medical pot have seen a
bevy of problems with regulating who can buy it and regulating
physicians who have set up quick and lucrative exams to authorize who
can buy it.