MEDICINAL POT SYSTEM NEEDED, LAWMAKERS SAY: LETTER TO CLINTON REQUESTS
FEDERAL ACTION

Nearly two dozen Democratic state legislators on Tuesday asked President
Clinton to call an immediate halt to federal efforts to shut down medical
marijuana clubs in California and, instead, work with the state to develop
an officially sanctioned distribution system.

"Mr. President, we can't ignore this issue. It won't go away, so long as
human beings believe they have the right to attend to their own illness, as
their doctor recommends, rather than as government dictates," said a
strongly worded letter signed by state Sen. John Vasconcellos of Santa
Clara, Senate President Pro Tem John Burton of San Francisco and 21 other
senators and Assembly members.

The letter noted that California voters passed a medical marijuana
initiative in 1996 and, at the same time, voted to return Democrat Clinton
to office.

"It's ironic you question our people's judgment about Proposition 215 while
not questioning the wisdom of our returning you to office," the letter
added.

The letter was made public as the Senate Public Safety Committee, chaired
by Vasconcellos, held an afternoon-long "medical marijuana distribution
summit" aimed at developing a proposal for a statewide,
government-sanctioned or government-controlled system of providing medical
marijuana to the seriously ill. Vasconcellos said the federal government
had refused to send a representative to the hearing and he blasted that
situation as "disappointing and pompous and arrogant."

There was no immediate response from the White House or the U.S. Department
of Justice.

Proposition 215, which passed with 56 percent of the vote, changed state
law to let marijuana be used for medical purposes when approved by a
physician. But federal laws continue to outlaw the drug.

Vasconcellos told participants at the "summit" that he wants to see if
California can design a safe and efficient distribution system for medical
marijuana. Many witnesses agreed with that goal. Ill persons, caregivers,
doctors and local government officials said that marijuana has legitimate
and crucial medical uses for easing nausea from chemotherapy and for other
purposes.

But some witnesses said development of a statewide distribution system, or
even formal local government distribution programs, will be difficult or
impossible unless the federal government sanctions a pilot project or
allows marijuana to be formally prescribed by physicians.

Sacramento County Sheriff Glen Craig told the committee that law
enforcement officials faced a "real dilemma."

"Sooner or later we are going to have to confront the federal issue and get
it resolved," Craig said.

State Attorney General Dan Lungren, who strongly opposes Proposition 215,
has called medical marijuana clubs illegal. But a state Department of
Justice representative agreed with Craig that the issue "is essentially a
federal question."

San Francisco District Attorney Terence Hallinantold the committee that the
Legislature should consider a new law to allow individual city health
clinics or local health departments to provide marijuana for those with a
doctor's recommendation.

Copyright 1998 The Sacramento Bee

Checked-by: jwjohnson@netmagic.net (Joel W. Johnson)