COTTLEVILLE OFFICIALS SUPPORT MARIJUANA FOR MEDICAL USE

Cottleville -- Officials in Cottleville want Missouri to join the
growing number of U.S. states that have legalized marijuana for medicinal use.

Mayor Don Yarber said Monday the city's Board of Aldermen unanimously
approved a resolution last week urging state legislators to legalize
medical marijuana for Missourians who have a doctor's approval.

"I'm only proposing this for medical use," Yarber said. "I'm not part
of a movement or anything else to get marijuana legalized."

Yarber said he believes marijuana can provide relief to some
terminally ill people or to cancer patients going through
chemotherapy. He said his wife suffered from breast cancer 13 years
ago and used marijuana to restore her appetite and ease her nausea
from chemotherapy.

At least 13 states have legalized medical marijuana, most recently
Michigan, New Mexico and Rhode Island.

A Missouri House bill died in this year's session without a committee
hearing. In Illinois, a similar bill passed in the Senate but was not
voted on in the House before the end of the spring session.

One supporter of Cottleville's stance on the issue is Kenneth R.
Wells, 54, of St. Charles County, who is awaiting trial on drug
charges. Investigators found marijuana plants in Wells' basement
after a fire broke out at his St. Charles County home in January 2008.

Wells spoke at last week's board meeting in Cottleville, saying
marijuana has helped relieve side effects from medications he takes
for chronic epilepsy.

In an interview this week, Wells said he was surprised that such a
resolution was approved in a Republican county. "This is one of the
reddest counties in the country," he said. "To get a resolution like
that in Cottleville is just unheard of."

When the fire broke out at his house, Wells said, he had seven to
eight healthy marijuana plants and about 20 or so seedlings in a
6-foot by 8-foot basement closet.

"My family didn't even know about it," he said.

Wells said he is concerned about other chronically ill patients who
are "treated like criminals" because they use marijuana for medicinal purposes.

Court documents say the plants at Wells' house amounted to 1.4 pounds
of marijuana. His trial is set for Sept. 1. If convicted, he could be
sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.

"My health can't get any worse, so what the hell, let's have a trial," he said.