(snip)

Sparking Interest In Medicinal Marijuana

While many Maryland delegates used their final day in Philadelphia to
see the sights and catch up on their shopping, Del. Donald E. Murphy
(Baltimore County) continued his quiet campaign to garner support for
the medical use of marijuana.

Murphy, who hit up an unresponsive Texas Gov. George W. Bush during a
recent Maryland campaign swing, buttonholed delegates and debriefed
Hawaiian representatives. That state's medical marijuana law was
enacted in June. "They don't want anything that controversial out in
the open here," he said of his proposal. During this year's General
Assembly session, Murphy proposed a Maryland bill that never got out
of committee.

"You want compassionate conservatism? I think you should embrace the
idea," he said. And he promised a vigorous debate during the Maryland
GOP convention in December.

But Murphy has a lot of persuading to do, starting right in his own
delegation. "This convention is focusing on major issues like
educating our children," said Bush's Maryland campaign chairman, Ellen
R. Sauerbrey. "Medical marijuana is hardly an issue that Americans are
ready to unite behind."

Staff writer Robert Thomson contributed to this report.