MEDICAL MARIJUANA TO APPEAR ON NEVADA BALLOT

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) -- Nevada's secretary of state on Monday qualified a
medical marijuana proposal -- seemingly up in smoke for the lack of just 43
signatures -- for the November ballot. Secretary of State Dean Heller said
his office found a mathematical error by Nye County in counting names, and
improper rejection of some signatures there and in Lyon County.

When the signatures were added back in, Heller said the proposal had enough
signatures in the rural counties, rather than falling seven voters shy in
Lyon County and 36 names short in Nye County. Advocates submitted 74,466
signatures on their petition, seemingly far above the minimum requirement
of 46,764. But Nevada law requires the total to include 10 percent of the
registered voters in 13 of Nevada's 17 counties. Signatures were gathered
only in 13 counties, leaving no room for error. Supporters appealed
Heller's earlier rejection.

The initiative -- which would need voter approval again in 2000 -- would
let adults, on the advice of physicians, use marijuana for curing or
relieving pain in a number of illnesses such as cancer and AIDS. Washington
state will hold a similar ballot issue this year on whether to legalize
marijuana for medical use. In 1996, voters in California and Arizona
approved such initiatives, but Arizona's lawmakers blocked it.

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski