REPORT COMMISSIONED BY THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION INDICATES SMOKING
MARIJUANA HAS MEDICAL BENEFITS FOR CANCER AND AIDS PATIENTS

Aired March 17, 1999 - 5:00 p.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY
BE UPDATED.

JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: The medical marijuana issue may heat up again.
Will a new scientific study change the politics of pot?

Also ahead...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRUCE MORTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What does a presidential candidate do on
St. Patrick's Day. Politic, of course, and wear green.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERNARD SHAW, CNN ANCHOR: Our Bruce Morton on the holiday stomping in New
Hampshire.

WOODRUFF: And we'll ask New York Governor George Pataki if he's heading to
New Hampshire with the White House on his mind.

ANNOUNCER: From Washington this is INSIDE POLITICS with Judy Woodruff and
Bernard Shaw.

SHAW: Thanks for joining us.

We begin with new fuel for the political debate over legalizing marijuana
for medical use. A scientific report commissioned by the Clinton
administration shows the active ingredients in marijuana can help ease the
pain and nausea of some cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and some
people with AIDS. Advocates of medical marijuana believe the findings can
only help their cause.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHUCK THOMAS, MARIJUANA POLICY PROJECT: We are very pleased with this
Institute of Medicine report. This report clearly shows that there is
scientific evidence verifying that marijuana has bona fide therapeutic
effects for some patients.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHAW: The question of legalizing marijuana for medical use will appear on
the ballot in Maine in November. And medical marijuana advocates are
pushing for similar measures in Florida and Michigan in 2000.

Since 1996, the legalization of marijuana for medical use has been approved
by voters in seven states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada,
Oregon and Washington State -- though, in a few of those states the
measures are not yet law. Some voters may have been swayed by the dramatic
ad campaigns launched by medical marijuana advocates, including this spot
that ran in Oregon last year.

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STORM RAY: I have a debilitating disease; the pain is constant. The only
medicine that can relieve the pain is marijuana, but it's illegal. That's
why I've become the chief petitioner for Measure 67. If it passes, dying
and suffering patients can register with the state and use small amounts of
marijuana. Non-medical use remains illegal. Please join me and vote yes on
67.

God forbid, one day you may need it too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHAW: Medical marijuana advocates say further state ballot measures may not
be necessary, if the federal government takes the new report seriously, and
if it takes action.

Well for White House reaction to this study and more on the politics
surrounding it we go now to John King at the White House -- John.

JOHN KING, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bernie, the administration
quickly promised to study the report, which, of course, it commissioned.
But don't look for the White House anytime soon to embrace the medical use
of marijuana. First, the president's drug czar, General Barry McCaffrey,
then the White House Press Secretary Joe Lockhart made clear that while
this new report says marijuana may have some medical applications they drew
a quick distinction, saying perhaps the ingredients in marijuana might have
some valid medical uses, but that the report was quick to note that smoking
is a health hazard.

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JOE LOCKHART, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: What we found out is that there
may be some chemical compounds in marijuana that are useful in pain relief
or anti-nausea, but that smoking marijuana is a crude delivery system and
is not an effective delivery system.

So I think what this calls for, as he said, is further research and further
research that's like any other research we do in developing drugs through
the FDA process to try to find an effective way to take advantage of the
chemical compounds that can be used to fight nausea or pain.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: The White House press secretary was reminded that voters in seven
states have endorsed the medical use of marijuana and of the president's
frequent comments that the people in Washington, the politicians in
Washington should respect the will of the American people. But Mr. Lockhart
said there are some cases when democracy must take a backseat to science.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LOCKHART: I think we obviously -- and as you've often pointed out --
respect the will of the people. But I think this is a scientific issue. I'd
hate to see there be a referendum on the latest technology in air traffic
control. And I'd hate to see there be a referendum on FDA review process.
These are complicated scientific issues and they ought to be debated on a
scientific basis.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: The U.S. Congress also firmly on record against the medical use of
marijuana. The House voted 310 to 93 last year on a resolution that
declared marijuana an addictive drug and made very clear the house opposes
legalizing it even for medicinal purposes -- Bernie.

SHAW: John, I have to ask you, was the president and other White House
officials -- were they blindsided by this report, especially given the
president's candidate remark, "I didn't inhale."

KING: Well, certainly that remark from 1992 during the New York primary, in
which the president said he had once tried marijuana in college but didn't
inhale, that always has shadowed this president. There is some irony that
the administration we know is on record firmly opposing legalizing marijuana.

It commissioned this study, and the study suggests there may be some legal
uses for it. We're also told the president had planned to make a joke about
this Saturday night in the speech he will deliver at big Washington annual
event, the Gridiron dinner, about, well, I might go on the record and tell
you that I did inhale. That joke has been scrapped however because
reporters like me know about it and the White House likes to keep the
president's jokes secret.

SHAW: John King at the White House.

Judy.

WOODRUFF: Ah, the things that determine the fate of history.

[The rest of the show moved on to other topics]