JUDGE'S RULING LIKELY TO CLOSE AREA POT CLUBS

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Medical marijuana clubs cannot fight off a
federal shutdown by claiming the drug is necessary to relieve
patients' pain or save their lives, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.

The ruling by U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer was reported by
representatives of marijuana clubs in Oakland and Marin County,
targets of a Clinton administration lawsuit seeking to close them for
violations of federal laws against marijuana distribution.

Breyer's order allows federal marshals to close the 2,000-member
Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative on Friday, said Rachel Swain, a
spokeswoman.

William Panzer, lawyer for the Marin Alliance for Medical Marijuana in
Fairfax, said the judge did not order Marin's club closed, but
rejected the defenses that would allow the club to operate, including
the claim that enforcing the ban on marijuana violates patients'
``constitutional right to relieve excruciating pain.''

Panzer said he planned to appeal.

Checked-by: Patrick Henry