RULING STREAMLINES MEDICAL POT ACCESS

Access to medical marijuana will be easier under a ruling by a Denver judge.

Denver District Judge Larry Naves last week overturned a state health
department policy that restricted providers of medical marijuana to
five patients.

Damien LaGoy, who uses marijuana to control nausea from AIDS
wasting-syndrome and hepatitis C, sued the health department after
his caregiver request was denied by the health department in May
based on the five patient rule.

The policy was adopted by the health department in a closed meeting in 2004.

Naves overturned the policy, saying it violated the Colorado open
meetings act and the administrative procedures act.

"I feel safer already," LaGoy said. "Now I can get my medicine from a
safe and responsible caregiver instead of taking my chances on the streets.