ACLU FILES SUIT ON D.C. MEDICAL MARIJUANA INITIATIVE

WASHINGTON -- A medical marijuana initiative for the nation's capital has
wound up in federal court before voters get the chance to weigh in on the
measure.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a suit Friday in U.S. District
Court here contending that a law blocking the referendum violates First
Amendment rights.

The measure prohibiting the use of any local or federal government funds to
conduct the initiative in the District of Columbia was included in a $520
billion spending bill passed by Congress and signed by President Clinton
last week.

``They can't do that in the other states but they're trying to do that in
D.C.,''' said Graham Boyd, the ACLU's special counsel.

As the nation's capital, Congress has the final say on the city's budget.
But ballots including the initiative were printed before Congress took
final action on the federal budget bill.

Ken McGhie, counsel for the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics, said
district employees will make no efforts to avoid tabulating the results.
``Counting the ballots on the district's medical marijuana issue will take
about 30 seconds of computer time,'' he said.

Five states -- Alaska, Arizona, Nevada, Washington and Oregon -- also have
medical marijuana initiatives on Tuesday's ballots.