KETTERER SAYS IMPACT OF MARIJUANA VOTE 'OVERRATED'

The passage by Maine voters of a referendum legalizing marijuana for
certain medical use will not have much impact on law enforcement
operations, according to state Attorney General Andrew Ketterer.

Ketterer said Wednesday that he believes the potential impact of the
law is ''overrated.'' He added that he would not support any immediate
effort to overturn the law. ''From a law enforcement point of view,
because I believe it's going to have a negligible impact, it's not
something I'm going to be pursuing,'' he said. ''I can live with that
statute the way it's written.''

The citizen initiative allows possession of marijuana when patients
are advised by a doctor that they might benefit by the drug.

The list of qualifying ailments includes persistent nausea, vomiting,
loss of appetite from AIDS or cancer treatments, glaucoma, and
seizures or muscle spasms from chronic diseases, such as epilepsy or
multiple sclerosis.

Election officials have up to 20 days to tabulate the results and pass
them on to Gov. Angus King, who would have up to 10 days to proclaim
the results. The legislation would take effect 30 days thereafter.

King is considering asking Ketterer to set up a task force to work out
the details of the new law, according to spokesman Dennis Bailey.

A task force would address such questions as physician liability, as
the use of marijuana for any reason is still illegal under federal
law, and questions about practical application of the law.

''I don't think anybody has a clear understanding of how this thing is
going to work,'' Bailey said.