DC MUST COUNT MARIJUANA VOTES, U.S. JUDGE SAYS

Washington - A federal judge ruled Friday that the board of elections and
ethics for the District of Columbia may count and announce the results of a
referendum on the use of marijuana for medical purposes that was on the
ballot in Novermber.

District of Columbia residents voted last November on Initiative 59, a
measure to allow chronically ill people like those suffering from AIDS,
cancer and glaucoma, to use marijuana without facing prosecution.

But just before the vote, Congress approved an amendment to the District
appropriations bill that prohibited the city from using money to conduct a
ballot initiative that "seeks to legalize or otherwise reduce penalties" for
drug possession, use or distribution.