MEDICAL MARIJUANA GETS FIVE MORE VOTES

Since the day President Clinton took office his administration has been
haunted by his "I smoked but didnt inhale"comment. Afraid of appearing like
'60s potheads, administration officials have refused to take a balanced
view of the medicinal use of marijuana, going so far as to threaten the
licenses of physicians who prescribe it.

The administration seems to have little choice now but to get into the
'90s: Voters made it clear Tuesday that a distinction can and must be made
between recreational use of chemicals and the therapeutic

use of this herb. Voters in five states - every state that had a referendum
on the issue - approved the medicinal use of marijuana, following
California's lead. The clean sweep assures the issue will appear on ballots
in other states in the future.

We support the strictly controlled use of marijuana for medicinal purposes,
which is what all five referendums proposed. Research shows its benefits in
controlling nausea in cancer patients and promoting appetite in people with
AIDS and other illnesses. A critical benefit is that it reduces the
debilitating eye pressure that glaucoma patients suffer.

Though marijuana's medical value is still debated, the New Englad journal
of medicine last year said that there is clear evidence marijuana can
provide "striking relief" for many patients.

The Clinton administration remains opposed, ridiculing relevant studies and
insisting that medicinal marijuana will fuel the nation's drug problem. It
is an absurd argument. Every year, thousands of cancer patients end their
lives with a morphine pump dripping the powerful pain killer into their
dying bodies. Does that send a message to America's youth that the
government approves of morphine as a party drug? Of course not.

The Clinton administration cannot ignore growing public support for this
issue. It needs to develop a drug policy sophisticated enough to
distinguish between medicinal use and recreational use.

Checked-by: Richard Lake