VENTURA SUPPORTS MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Gov. Jesse Ventura Said Wednesday That He Supports Legalizing Marijuana For
Medical Use.

``Medical marijuana? I fully support it, absolutely. Who is government to
tell someone if they have AIDS or cancer, what they should be taking?''
Ventura said in response to a question from a student at University of St.
Thomas during a talk to a political science class.

Ventura cited the experience of his mother, who was given a mix of
narcotics to help the pain caused by a respiratory disease. She died in 1995.

If marijuana provides the same sort of relief to others who are suffering,
the Independence Party governor said, he's all for it.

``To me, you've got a kid here with cancer,'' Ventura said. ``I don't give
a damn if he smokes a joint.''

Ventura plans to attend a forum on the issue Friday, sponsored jointly by
the Department of Health and the Department of Public Safety. Organizers
say the state hopes to encourage more research.

A bill before the Legislature this year would appropriate $100,000 to study
potential medicinal uses of marijuana.

The study is not part of Ventura's budget proposal, but Public Safety
Commissioner Charlie Weaver said the department would be happy to
administer it if lawmakers agree.

Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm wrote earlier in a letter that the forum is
designed to encourage research that will ``advance the acceptance of
marijuana as an important medical tool and ultimately address the legal
constraints at the national level.''

Ventura made the marijuana statements during a question-and-answer period
with students following a presentation on campaign finance laws. At one
point, he quoted singer Willie Nelson as describing marijuana as an herb,
not a drug.

One student questioned whether legalizing marijuana for medicine wouldn't
lead to a ``slippery slope'' regarding legalization of other drugs. Ventura
said no, noting that morphine, a relative of heroine, is used medicinally.

Another student shared with Ventura the story of the student's own mother,
who he said used marijuana provided illegally by a doctor to help ease her
pain in a fatal battle with lupus. Ventura responded: ``How sad. How
pathetic,'' that she had to seek the medicine illegally.

``The government stands out there and says you're dying of a hopeless
disease but, no, you can't have the medicine of your choice.''