ALASKA VOTERS TO CONSIDER MEDICAL MARIJUANA USE

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, (Reuters) - Alaska voters in November will be asked to
legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes. A question on the
subject will be placed on the November general election ballot, the result
of a petition drive that collected 25,090 verified signatures of registered
voters, a spokesman for Lt. Gov. Fran Ulmer said Thursday.

James Kentch, one of the sponsors of the petition drive, said Thursday he
believes the initiative has a good chance of passing in November. The
ballot initiative would allow patients with debilitating medical conditions
to use marijana if a doctor determines that the drug will be of help. The
initiatve also provides for a confidential registry of patients who use
marijuana for medical purposes.

Kentch said he knows of no organized opposition to the ballot initiative.

Voters will also consider initiatives to outlaw billboards, ban the use of
neckhold snares for trapping wolves, establish English as the state's
official language and have candidates for the U.S. House, Senate or state
legislature who make term-limits pledges have that commitment printed by
their names on future ballots.

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