BARRY SAYS HE BACKS MEDICINAL MARIJUANA EFFORT

WASHINGTON (AP) Mayor Marion Barry says he probably will support an
initiative to legalize marijuana use in the city for medicinal purposes. He
said his previous drug use was irrelevant.

``My past history has nothing to do with that,'' Barry said during his
weekly meeting with reporters Wednesday. ``I probably will support it.''

Barry left office in disgrace in 1990 after being caught on tape smoking
crack cocaine. He later served six months for a misdemeanor drug possession
conviction.

Supporters of Initiative 57 have until Dec. 8 to get the 17,010 signatures
needed to put the medical marijuana initiative on next year's ballot. They
say they have already collected about 12,000 signatures including Barry's.

Barry's support drew immediate criticism.

``I really don't think anyone is very surprised that Marion Barry would
actually sign this petition,'' said Roderick Conrad, executive director of
Project 21, a national black leadership organization located in Washington.

``It's just par for the course in the District of Columbia with its lax
attitude on drugs,'' Conrad said. ``He needs to be cracking down on the
distribution of drugs in the District of Columbia as it is.''