WOLFE DECLINES TO TESTIFY IN POT TRIAL

WASHINGTON - Closing arguments were set for today in Renee Emry Wolfe's
trial on marijuana possession.

Wolfe, an Ann Arbor resident who is an advocate for medicinal marijuana use,
declined to testify in Monday. If convicted, she faces up to six months in
jail.

Wolfe, 39, is charged with lighting up a marijuana cigarette in September
1998 in the office of U.S. Rep. William McCollum, an opponent of medicinal
marijuana use. Wolfe claims she used the marijuana to ease muscle spasms
related to her multiple sclerosis, a chronic disease of the nervous system.

Jeffrey Orchard, Wolfe's attorney, said he felt that the medical evidence he
presented on Monday was enough to clear his client. He said it wasn't
necessary for Wolfe to tell her side of the story.

Dr. Denis Petro, Wolfe's medical expert, testified Monday that MS patients,
such as Wolfe, see their tremors disappear after inhaling the chemical
substance, cannabinoid, which is found in smoked marijuana.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Bourelly said Wolfe's decision to not take the
stand doesn't change the government's strategy, which is to prove that Wolfe
possessed marijuana in McCollum's office.