LOTTERY'S SURVIVAL GOOD BET, POLL SAYS

Marijuana Therapy Has Razor-Thin Edge In Poll

Arizona voters - by a razor-thin margin - appear ready to give a
second endorsement to the use of marijuana and other illegal drugs for
medical treatment.

A new Arizona Republic survey shows 43 percent support reinstating
Arizona's marijuana-for-medicine law, first approved by voters 2-1 in
1996 but later gutted by state lawmakers.

The poll found 40 percent back legislative efforts to block the law.
Seventeen percent were undecided.

The marijuana-for-medicine question will appear on Tuesday's ballot as
Proposition 300, one of this year's most confusing and controversial
measures. A "no" vote means "yes" to the medical use of such drugs as
marijuana, LSD, heroin and PCP.

Other major findings:

A solid majority, 62 percent, approve making cockfighting a
felony.

Thirty-nine percent support Gov. Jane Hull's plan to provide $20
million in state funds annually to buy or lease state trust lands for
open space but prohibit the state from requiring local governments to
adopt growth management ordinances.

Twenty-three percent oppose the measure, Proposition 303, while a
large bloc of voters, 38 percent, remains undecided.

Support for Proposition 200, which provides public financing for
campaigns, remains strong. Forty-nine percent support the campaign
finance reform plan, compared to 53 percent in a Republic poll taken
Oct. 3-6.

Voters aren't ready to cash in the Arizona Lottery and its prospector,
Windfall Willy. Fifty-nine percent support extending the Lottery's
life until July 1, 2003.

By a wide margin, 61 percent to 23 percent, Maricopa County voters
support a temporary one-fifth cent sales tax to build and operate new
jails.

The statewide poll of 805 registered voters, taken Oct. 24-27 for The
Republic by Precision Research Inc., has an error margin of plus or
minus 3.5 percentage points.

When it comes to the marijuana-for-medicine issue, the poll suggests
voters are being swayed by a massive advertising blitz financed by the
same interests behind the proposal in 1996.

In an Arizona Republic poll taken Oct. 3-6, the results were markedly
different. That poll found most voters, 51 percent, supported efforts
to block marijuana for medicine, while 30 percent wanted to reinstate
the law.

"We've always felt that people knew what they were doing" when they
approved, 2-1, marijuana for medicine two years ago, said Sam Vagenas,
campaign consultant for The People Have Spoken.

"Our public education was to make sure they understood to preserve
their vote from 1996 they need to vote "no,' " Vagenas said.

Stan Barnes, chairman of Arizonans Against Heroin, pointed out that
the latest findings are within the poll's margin for error, making the
contest a statistical dead heat.

"When one side has almost $2 million and is spending more than any
other proposition in Arizona this year and the other side has a few
measly dollars, we should be thrilled with the apparent fact that
people are getting the message," Barnes said.

Marijuana-for-medicine proponents have collected more than $1.6
million, mostly from three wealthy businessmen. Arizonans Against
Heroin has raised $44,000, according to the latest campaign finance
reports.

The Republic polls also suggests that heavy spending by the business
and corporate backers of Proposition 303 is paying off.

Congressmen and city and county officials rallied with Gov. Jane Hull
on Friday, admitting that the growth-management proposal is not
perfect. They called it a good first step off the path to becoming
another Los Angeles.

Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox, a former Phoenix
councilwoman, said Proposition 303 would provide a missing tool for
local governments.

"We have tried our darnedest at both the city and county levels to
regulate growth," she said. "The most important piece was preserving
open spaces. We need Proposition 303. If we don't get it, open spaces
are going to be gone."

Arlan Colton, preservation coordinator for the state Land Department,
noted that the referendum is part of a "Growing Smarter" package
passed by the Legislature in May. It aims to reduce competition among
cities for development, which can turn pristine desert to a sea of
red-tile roofs.

Sandy Bahr, conservation coordinator of the Grand Canyon Chapter of
the Sierra Club, said the poll results offer a glimmer of hope for
Proposition 303 opponents.

"They've (pro-Proposition 303 forces) put almost $1 million into the
campaign already, and they're still only at 39 percent," she said. "I
think that shows people are evaluating whether or not this is a good
deal, despite all the "greenwashing' to make it sound like a real
conservation measure."

(Republic reporter Mike McCloy contributed to this article.)

Checked-by: Patrick Henry