BOYLE BILL SEEKS MEDICAL PERMIT FOR MARIJUANA

Rep. Frank Boyle, D-Town of Summit, and Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, will
sponsor a bill to allow the medical use of marijuana.

Pocan's office said the bill is being drafted and will be ready for
introduction later this month or in early May.

Boyle cosponsored a similar bill in 1997.

Supporters of legalizing marijuana for medical use say the drug can help
relieve pain, control nausea in people undergoing chemotherapy and
stimulate appetite in people suffering from wasting diseases such as AIDS.

According to the pro-legalization group Marijuana Policy Project, eight
states -- Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon and
Washington -- have enacted laws to allow patients to use medical marijuana
since 1986, despite federal law.

Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court heard a California case that could lead
to a ruling creating an exception to the federal ban on marijuana sales and
use.

At issue is whether the court should accept the argument that people
distributing or using marijuana for medical purposes should be excused from
complying with federal drug laws. A ruling is expected this summer.