3RD MEDICAL-POT BALLOT ISSUE AIMS TO SURVIVE CHALLENGES

Marijuana backers in Arizona hope the third time will be the charm, thanks
to a November initiative that would decriminalize the possession of small
amounts of the drug and allow its use for medical purposes.

"The Legislature has been fighting this movement since Arizonans first
approved a medical marijuana initiative in 1996," said Sam Vagenas, a
spokesman for The People Have Spoken. "They (legislators) blocked that one
and the second one passed in 1998. But this one will stick because this
initiative has more meat to it."

Backed by University of Phoenix founder John Sperling, the group became the
last faction to file petition signatures for its proposition to make it
onto the November ballot.

The group spent about $300,000 to gather more than 165,000 signatures,
which were delivered yesterday to the Arizona Secretary of State's Office.
The marijuana initiative followed three Indian gaming initiatives and
various legislative measures, including a referendum extending the Arizona
Lottery and another doubling the state sales tax on tobacco products.

If approved by voters, the marijuana initiative would create a medical
registry card system authorizing the drug for those with debilitating
health problems. It would also decriminalize the possession of 2 ounces or
less of marijuana, marijuana paraphernalia or two marijuana plants, if for
personal use. But it would increase maximum sentences for violent crimes
committed by those on drugs.

Most important, the initiative would establish a state-administered system
for distribution of the drug to qualifying patients, Vagenas said.

"The marijuana, doctors and patients all must be from Arizona," he said.
"That will eliminate any issues of violating interstate law."

Vagenas said his backers have spurred passage of similar medical marijuana
initiatives in other states, including California, Oregon, Maine, Alaska
and Hawaii.