PUTTING MEDICAL MARIJUANA TO A VOTE

NOTE: The IHT article is an abbreviated version of the Oct 20
Washington Post article titled "Wealthy Benefactors Stoke Campaigns
For Medical Marijuana"

PHOENIX--A war against the "war on drugs," fueled by millionaires, not
pot-smoking hippies, is taking place in six states and the District of
Columbia this month.

Voters in Alaska, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and the
District will find initiatives on their Nov. 3 ballots allowing
physicians, under defined conditions, to obtain and dispense marijuana
as a palliative to their patients. Here in Arizona, the medical
marijuana question is before the voters as part of a broader
referendum on decriminalizing a wide category of drugs.

Sponsors say they think they will win in every state and opponents in
the law enforcement community, Congress and the Clinton administration
fear they may be right.

One reason for the optimism among proponents is the money that has
come in from three men: New York financier George Soros, Cleveland
insurance executive Peter B. Lewis and Phoenix entrepreneur John
Sperling, who are staunch critics of the anti-drug policies pursued by
successive Republican and Democratic administrations.

The three are financing most of the $2 million campaign being run by
the Los Angeles-based Americans for Medical Rights, which is
coordinating the ballot drives everywhere but Arizona. Sperling is the
principal backer of the Arizona referendum, which has raised $1.4
million so far.

Dave Fratello, spokesman for the national organization, said, "The
goal is to change national policy, but we know we will have to win
more battles in 1999 and 2000 before that happens." California voters
approved a medical marijuana initiative in 1996, but state and federal
authorities have made a persistent effort to prevent people from
selling marijuana to individuals who obtain a doctor's prescription.
Nonetheless, some "cannabis clubs" are operating in the state.

Proponents of the initiatives, such as Portland, Ore., physician
Richard Bayer, claim there are many cancer and AIDS patients for whom
marijuana is the most effective drug in relieving nausea and other
debilitating side effects. The Oregon campaign is using a multiple
sclerosis patient as a spokeswoman for the initiative. A poll this
month showed the proposal with a 64 percent to 30 percent lead, but
sponsors said they expect it to narrow.

On the other side, the White House Office of National Drug Control
Policy is distributing talking points to community anti-drug
coalitions and urging newspapers in the initiative states to
editorialize against these propositions. Its position papers contend
that other drugs can meet the medical needs of cancer and AIDS
patients and urge that marijuana not be legalized at least until the
Food and Drug Administration and the Institute of Medicine complete
ongoing studies on its safety and effectiveness.

But Barry R. McCaffrey, director of that office, is doing no
campaigning in the initiative states, in part because his allies
thought there was a backlash against White House interference when he
stumped in Arizona and California in 1996.

Local law enforcement agencies have not mobilized major money or
strong grass-roots opposition to the initiatives.

Checked-by: Rich O'Grady