ACQUITTAL IN MARIJUANA CASE

BRONSON, Fla., May 29 (UPI) - A letter from a doctor apparently
persuaded Levy County jurors to acquit a Bronson man of marijuana
possession charges.

Forty-nine-year-old Michael Stauff was arrested in January for
possession of two-tenths of one gram of the illegal weed.

He has a 1997 letter from a University of Florida doctor indicating
daily marijuana smoking relieved his back pain so he could take fewer
opiod pain relievers.

Every potential juror indicated they felt more research should be done
to determine the value of marijuana in medicine.

It took the six jurors selected only minutes to find Stauff not guilty
Thursday.

Stauff remains jailed because he was arrested for allegedly selling
prescription pain killing drugs Wednesday.