MEDICINAL POT MEASURE MAKES NOVEMBER BALLOT

OLYMPIA - As expected, an initiative to legalize medicinal use of marijuana
was certified yesterday for the November general-election ballot.

Initiative 692 would allow people who are dying or suffering from
debilitating illness to grow and smoke marijuana if it is prescribed by a
doctor. The initiative, the only one this year to rely on paid signature
gatherers, is the last of four to qualify for the ballot.

The initiative, certified by Secretary of State Ralph Munro as having the
required 179,248 of registered voters, will ask: "Shall medicinal use of
marijuana for certain terminal or debilitating conditions be permitted, and
physicians authorized to advise patients about medical use of marijuana?"

The initiative was pushed by Dr. Rob Killian of Tacoma after last year's
defeat of Initiative 685, a far broader drug-legalization measure that was
soundly rejected at the polls.

Also facing voters Nov. 3 will be Initiative 694, outlawing certain surgical
abortion procedures that foes call "partial birth" abortions; Initiative
688, which would raise the state minimum wage to $6.50 by 2000; and
Initiative 200, to abolish affirmative-action programs in state and local
government.

Checked-by: Melodi Cornett