MAINE SPEAKS ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA MEASURE

After a lopsided campaign in which proponents raised and spent hundreds of
thousands of dollars and opponents made their case mainly by word of mouth,
Maine voters Tuesday considered a proposal to legalize marijuana for
certain medicinal uses.

Voter approval would mean that the proposed legislation could take effect
within 60 days. The citizen initiative asked voters: ''Do you want to allow
patients with specific illnesses to grow and use small amounts of marijuana
for treatment, as long as such use is approved by a doctor?''

Question 2, similar to legislation enacted in several other states, was
designed to authorize possession of marijuana for specific medical
conditions when patients are advised by a doctor they might benefit from
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.

The proposed law defines a usable amount as up to 1.25 ounces of harvested
marijuana and up to six marijuana plants, no more than three of which may
be mature, flowering plants.

Mainers for Medical Rights, virtually unchallenged by organized opposition
as it promoted passage of the marijuana proposal, reported receipts of
about $650,000 through Oct. 21 to finance its drive.

Critics of the initiative challenged the medicinal value and reliability of
privately obtained marijuana.

Also at issue were at least some of the claims by proponents that it would
be beneficial in the cases outlined in the proposal.

The ballot initiative drew opposition from the Maine Medical Association
and some law enforcement officials.

In the first three weeks of October, Mainers for Medical Rights reported
receiving $170,670 in cash and $41,724.65 in in-kind contributions from
Americans for Medical Rights of Santa Monica, Calif.

The same California-based group, said Craig Brown of the Maine campaign,
supplied ''90 percent plus'' of the funding for Mainers for Medical Rights
over a two-year period.

Brown said a trio of prominent contributors who have been active nationally
in the same cause included George Soros, the internationally known investor.

Since 1996, five states California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Arizona
have passed medical marijuana initiatives. Voters in the District of
Columbia also registered approval.

In March, a panel of medical experts concluded in a report to the federal
government that marijuana has medical benefits for people suffering from
cancer and AIDS and should undergo scientific trials to see how it works best.

Gov. Angus King came out against enactment, noting a conflict between the
proposal and federal law and suggesting that for some proponents, the
initiative would be ''a first step toward the ultimate legalization of
marijuana.''

Elections officials have up to 20 days to tabulate the results and pass
them on to King, who would have up to 10 days to proclaim the results.

The legislation, if approved, would take effect 30 days thereafter.