KAISER APPROVES MEDICINAL MARIJUANA

DENVER -- In another step toward legitimizing the medical use of marijuana
in Colorado, Kaiser Permanente has tentatively given its doctors permission
to endorse the use of marijuana for patients who qualify under a new state law.

It's unclear how patients would get the marijuana.

"It is our preliminary decision that physicians should be afforded the
responsibility as to whether to endorse medical marijuana," said Dr. Kim
Adcock, assistant medical director for Kaiser in Colorado.

Adcock stressed that the decision will not become company policy until a
Kaiser executive who has the authority to make it official returns from
vacation.

A state registry that opened in June gives people suffering from certain
medical conditions the ability to apply for a license to use marijuana. So
far, 34 applications have been received, 28 have been approved and six are
under consideration.

It remains illegal under state law to buy or sell marijuana.

It's expected that medical-marijuana users will grow their own.