LAWMAKERS REJECTED, HEAD FOR HIGH COURT

State lawmakers were headed for the Supreme Court on Friday after a judge
tossed out their official analysis of a Nov. 3 referendum to legalize drugs
in Arizona.

State law requires the explanation in a publicity pamphlet to be printed
Tuesday by the Secretary of State's Office.

The description drafted by the Legislative Council says marijuana, heroin,
LSD and the hallucinogen PCP could be prescribed as medicine unless
Proposition 300 is approved.

The referendum by the Legislature guts a medical-marijuana initiative
approved by the voters in 1996.

The group called The People Have Spoken, which supports medical marijuana
and opposes the referendum, sued over the mention of the other street
drugs.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Joseph Howe ruled Friday that the
official description appears to be an "advocacy document" because it lists
the names of drugs associated with serious abuse.

Either include the names of all 116 Schedule 1 drugs involved in the
referendum or drop the official description, Howe ordered.

"It's beyond outrageous," House Speaker Jeff Groscost, R-Mesa, said as he
requested review by the Supreme Court on Monday.

"We need to get this before a panel that has a clue."

Checked-by: (Joel W. Johnson)