MEDICINAL MARIJUANA USE UNDECIDED IN D.C.

Prescribing Marijuana For Medicinal Purposes Made A Resurgence For Voters
Across The Nation

Controversial initiatives, which seek to legalize marijuana, were put
before voters in Tuesday's election and were approved by several states.
Voters in Alaska, Arizona, Nevada and Washington approved various
initiatives that would allow or move toward allowing the use of marijuana
for medical purposes.

Initiative 59, which seeks to legalize marijuana for medical purposes, was
voted on in Washington, D.C. which is controlled by the Federal government.

Congress is opposed to legalization so the initiative had its funding cut
and it was ignored, Krawitz said at this point the government considers any
association with marijuana illegal. Information on the exact vote on the
initiative have not been released.

NORML traveled to D.C. Tuesday to hand out literature to voters at the
polls. The sought to educate voters about initiative 59 and its benefits.

Initiative 59 protects seriously and terminally ill patients, such as
persons with cancer and AIDS, if their doctors instruct them to use medical
marijuana to ease their symptoms, including severe nausea, vomiting and
AIDS wasting syndrome. The initiative prohibits non-medical use requiring
the supervision and care of a physician. It defends the patients, not
abusers, so that law enforcement can target drug dealers and violent
criminals.

The initiative preserves the confidentiality of a doctor-patient
relationship by permitting physicians to discuss all options that may ease
a patient's suffering. It also restricts that only small amounts can be
used exclusively for the medical use of the sick and dying when other
medications fail.

Krawitz joined President Clinton in June at the United Nations General
Assembly Special Session on Drugs in New York City. While there, he gave a
presentation on the medical use of marijuana. The organization also put up
displays in the General Assembly room.

It was a great opportunity for the organization to meet up with people in
politics and have their message be heard, Krawitz said.

"Our purpose is to educate the people on the proper use of marijuana,
including how not to abuse the drug," said Krawitz.

He said NORML hands out information on the proper use of the drug and
Krawitz said that if initiative 59 is approved, then by law residents of
Washington, D.C. will have the authority to possess marijuana for medical
reasons. However, a legitimate doctor who feels that it is vital to the
patients care and that all other alternatives have failed must write a
recommendation for the use of marijuana.

There is still a lot of work to be done, but Krawitz said that he and the
other members of NORML are prepared for any future challenges that arise.

The support for the approval of this initiative seems to be high here in
Virginia. According to a September 1998 quality of life study conducted at
Tech, 72 percent of Virginians polled think that marijuana should be made
available to patients for medical use.

Krawitz said most people feel this way, but they can't agree on ways to
implement medicinal marijuana.

According to Krawitz, the mission of the organization is two-fold. The
first is to educate the people of the industrial, food, fiber and medical
applications of the Cannabis Hemp plant and secondly, to actively seek
participation in the political process to reform the laws as necessary to
see that the plant is used properly and not abused.

Krawitz feels that prohibition, of marijuana in particular, is now causing
far more harm to society than the drug abuse it is intended to discourage.
He said that prohibition only equals zero regulation.

"We at NORML have adequate evidence to state with confidence that proper
regulation of marijuana would reduce underage drug use and prison
populations while making the substance available to those who have a
legitimate right to access," Krawitz said.

"I don't see any reason why they shouldn't have access to it under a
physician's supervision," said Meredith Malone, a senior majoring in
fisheries and wildlife.

Malone said she heard a man speak who had glaucoma. He said he smoked two
marijuana joints a day, which kept the pressure in his eyes down, keeping
him from going blind.

Malone said that the synthetic drug, Marinol, isn't effective because the
compound in it may not be what helps patients. According to Malone, if the
government allowed studies on marijuana they might be able to isolate the
compound that is beneficial to patients.

The Drug Use Prevention Act of 1997 was introduced by Sen. Jesse Helms,
R-N.C., Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., Sen. Lauch Faircloth, R-N.C., Sen. Kay
Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas. The bill stated that physicians shall have their
registration revoked upon finding that they had administered, dispensed, or
recommended the use of marijuana to an individual in violation of Federal
or state law.

Former presidents George Bush, Jimmy Carter, and Gerald Ford are urging
Americans to not vote for the marijuana referendums.

The Justice Department has indicated that it will oppose implementing laws
that allow marijuana for medical use.

The student chapter of NORML here at Tech dates back to 1972 and is one of
the oldest chapters in the country. NORML meets every Thursday at 7 p.m. in
Squires Student Center and offers three different types of memberships. The
first is a budget membership which is $5 a year and includes weekly news
from National NORML, action alerts and updates all via e-mail and a card
with useful marijuana information on it.

The standard membership is $10 a year and offers all of the aspects of the
budget membership plus a trial year membership in National NORML. The
premium membership is $25 a year and includes standard membership benefits
plus a discount card good for a discount at participating area merchants
and either an official NORML at VPI & SU T-shirt or a marijuana Myths/Facts
book.

For more information on NORML contact 268-1162 or visit the NORML website at
http://www.vt.edu:10021/org/NORML/

Checked-by: Richard Lake