CLINTON'S AID REQUESTED AT MARIJUANA 'SUMMIT'

State legislators urge the president to stop the effort to halt medical use
of the drug by the seriously ill

SACRAMENTO -- 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 criticized that situation as
"disappointing and pompous and arrogant."

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

Prop. 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 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 people, 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 Prop. 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 Hallinan told 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.

"It (marijuana) does offer medical relief for those who are suffering,"
Hallinan said.

Checked-by: "Rolf Ernst"