CHIEF OPPOSES MEDICAL MARIJUANA INITIATIVE

Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey yesterday announced his opposition to a
Nov. 3 ballot initiative to legalize the cultivation and use of
marijuana in Washington for medicinal purposes.

"Decisions about medicine in our country should be based on science,
not popular votes," Ramsey said in a statement. He said that
Initiative 59 "circumvents the rigorous research, testing and approval
process that the Food and Drug Administration has established to
ensure the health and safety of the American public."

Ramsey said, "Legalized marijuana under the guise of medicine is a
sure-fire prescription for more marijuana on the streets of D.C., more
trafficking and abuse, and more drug-related crime and violence in our
neighborhoods."

Checked-by: Patrick Henry