MEDICAL MARIJUANA GETS SUPPORT

Poll's Findings Come After Committee OKs Initial Proposal on Drug

PEORIA - Sixty-eight percent of registered Illinois voters favor
legalizing marijuana for medical use by seriously and terminally ill
patients, according to a recent survey funded by a group that
promotes the drug's legalization.

The survey, conducted last month by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research
Inc. but paid for by the Washington, D.C.,-based Marijuana Police
Project, polled 625 registered voters across the state. Findings,
however, were released Monday by the advocacy group on the heels of
an Illinois Senate committee approving a bill legalizing medical marijuana.

When asked how strongly they support "allowing seriously and
terminally ill patients to use and grow medical marijuana for
personal use if their doctors recommend it," 42 percent of
respondents statewide said they strongly supported it, 26 percent
somewhat supported it, 12 percent somewhat opposed it and 15 percent
strongly opposed. Five percent of respondents had no opinion.

In a similar survey of the Peoria area - which interviewed 400 voters
in Peoria, Knox, Stark, Marshall, Woodford, Tazewell, Mason and
Fulton counties - 31 percent of interviewed voters said they strongly
supported it, 28 percent somewhat supported it, 13 percent somewhat
opposed it, 21 percent strongly opposed it and 7 percent had no opinion.

"I think the poll results aren't surprising at all," said Dan
Bernath, a spokesman for the Marijuana Police Project. "This is
becoming less and less a political issue but more and more a public
health issue."

The group cites a 1999 report by the National Academy of Sciences'
Institute of Medicine as evidence the drug is rarely addictive and
doesn't necessarily lead to harder narcotics. Advocates claim the
plant can be used to treat pain, sleep, nausea, appetite and tremors
without serious physical or psychological harm.

Some officials, however, aren't buying the results, saying the
framing of the poll's questions skewed answers.

"When you couch it in terms of should sick people use marijuana when
they are sick and dying, of course people would say yes," said
Laimutis Nargelenas, deputy director of the Illinois Association of
Chiefs of Police. "I think it's pretty poor that they have to hide
behind sick people."

The Illinois State Police also opposes the proposal and believes its
wording would create a loophole to allow motorists to drive under the
influence of marijuana.

Nargelenas said law enforcement has no philosophical objection to
medicinal marijuana but sees the current bill as nothing more than
the precursor to fully legalizing the drug for all - ill or not. The
measure also sends a mixed message to children on how to deal with
drug use, he added.

Currently, 12 states and six cities have laws legalizing marijuana
use for medical reasons, but buying, selling or possessing the plant
is still a federal crime.

According to Illinois' proposed legislation, sponsored by state Sen.
John Cullerton, D-Chicago, patients with chronic or debilitating
disease could receive prescriptions for medical marijuana as well as
"no more than 8 plants and two and one-half ounces of usable marijuana."

Similar legislation passed the Senate Public Health Committee last
year but was voted down by the full Senate.