MAYORS ASK CLINTON TO ALLOW POT CLUBS TO STAY OPEN

They argue that it will be safer if parents do not have to seek the drug on
the street for medicinal use.

San Francisco- Four California mayors say the streets will be safer if
President Clinton drops a federal lawsuit to close clubs that dispense
medical marijuana.

Mayors of San Francisco, Oakland, Santa Cruz and West Hollywood, in letters
dated March 12 to March 17, said closing the clubs would hurt those
suffering from AIDS and cancer who use the drug o ease their pain and
nausea.

"If the centers are shut down, many of these individuals will be compelled
to search back alleys and street corners for their medicine," the mayors
wrote in letters to the president.

The mayors also asked the president to drop an injunction against the
operation of the clubs and to "implement a moratorium on enforcement of
federal drug laws that interfere with the daily operation of the
dispensaries."

The club operators say a voter-approved initiative allows their operations,
but state courts have disagreed.

A White House spokesman, after checking with the office of drug policy,
said there is nothing planned on medical marijuana in California.

Outside San Francisco's Cannabis Cultivators' Club, Joel Whalen smoked a
joint while waiting for the club to open. He is HIV positive and supports
the mayors' efforts.

"With the mayors backing us, I think it's a lot better," said Whalen, who
uses marijuana to boost his appetite. "I quit all intravenous drugs, and
now that I've been smoking marijuana I feel healthier. I could actually run
a whole block, and sleep at night and eat."

"I was really, really sick. I lost my appetite. I lost my will to live. And
a lot of people here have given me the will to live."

A 27-year-old man, who identified himself only as Jaguar, said he was
diagnosed with HIV when he was 15. He sat with dog, Bear, at the club's
front door. Jaguar moved to San Francisco from Florida five years ago and
has been homeless ever since.

"Pot's like a major upper for me. It helps me eat. The more pot you smoke,
the more openminded you get ... your mind is going, and it keeps you
going."

Kevin Zeese, president of Common Sense for Drug Policy, lauded the mayors'
efforts and said closing the clubs would increase street crime.

"I think the mayors realize that closing these clubs would force 10,000
people into criminality." Zeese said. "It would be chaotic."

"If Washington is smart, they'll realize they're in a lose-lose situation.
They can lose in the courts or lose in the streets."

Whalen agreed the streets would be safer if the clubs remain open.

"They're not out there looking, they're not out there sneaking, they're not
out there doing (anything) illegal," Whalen said.