EX-PRESIDENTS JOIN AGAINST MEDICINAL MARIJUANA PLANS

In a letter solicited by Barry McCaffrey,President Clinton,s drug
control chief,former presidents Bush,Carter and Ford said ballot
measures in several states to legalize marijuana for medical purposes
would undermine public confidence in the safety of medicines.

"These initiatives are not based on the best available science,"the
three former presidents wrote Wednesday in a "Dear fellow citizens"
letter that closely paralleled the Clinton administration's position
on the matter.

The former presidents said the ballot measures in
Alaska,Nevada,Oregon,Washington
and the District of Columbia "undercut our national commitment to
ensuring that medicines are proven to be safe and effective by the
Food and Drug Administration before being approved for use by the public."

Checked-by: Rich O'Grady