MAINE VOCALS AIM FOR TWO BALLOT QUESTIONS WITH PETITION DRIVE

SKOWHEGAN (AP) - The Maine Vocals are planning to start petition drives
aimed at revamping Maine's medical marijuana law and legalizing the
cultivation of industrial-grade hemp.

Donald Christen, president of the marijuana-legalization group, said they
will try to collect 42,000 signatures for each of the petitions to get the
issues on the November 2002 ballot.

The Secretary of State's office has already approved the wording of the
petition on the medical marijuana law, he said.

He criticized Maine's current medical marijuana law as unworkable, saying
it doesn't allow patients to grow or possess enough marijuana.

The Legislature, meanwhile, has been unable to come up with a way to assure
patients an adequate supply, Christen said. The law allows patients to grow
six plants at a time, but his group wants to let voters decide whether
patients should be able to grow up to 99 plants, Christen said.

Hemp is the non-halluciogenic relative of marijuana whose fibers can be
used for clothing, food and other products. It was widely grown in the
United States until the late 1930s.

Some states have taken steps toward legalizing its cultivation, such as
approving research into the crop.

Christen said he expects approval on the wording of the hemp petition this
week.