BACKERS OF MEDICINAL MARIJUANA TRY, TRY AGAIN IN HOUSE VOTE

WASHINGTON - Advocates of legalizing marijuana for medical purposes face a
daunting task in Congress - which probably will vote again on the issue
next week - but gain a little more hope year by year.

A bill advocating medicinal marijuana received 94 votes in the House in
1998. In 2003, legislation to block the Justice Department from using
federal funds to crack down on the use of medicinal marijuana got 152
votes. Last year that total edged down to 148. This year advocates say
they can count on 160 solid votes in the House when the same bill comes up
for a vote, probably next Tuesday or Wednesday.

"It's our objective to get a few more votes this year," said Rep. Maurice
Hinchey, D-N.Y., co-sponsor with Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., of the
legislation that blocks federal enforcement against medicinal-marijuana
patients in states that allow its use. "There's a good chance we will get
more support." The vote will come on the heels of Monday's U.S. Supreme
Court ruling that dealt a setback to the 10 states, including California,
that have decided to allow patients to use marijuana with a doctor's
recommendation. The court's majority opinion, authored by Justice John Paul
Stevens, said any changes in the federal law will have to come from Congress.

"I was disappointed in the decision. It was wrong," Hinchey said. "But I
was glad to see that wording about Congress in his decision. The Congress
has to deal with this issue."

Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project in
Washington, said his group counts 160 votes this year for the
Hinchey-Rohrabacher proposal, which will be offered as an amendment to the
annual appropriations bill that covers the Justice Department. He said the
court ruling means "the light is shining brightly on Congress" and will
increase pressure on potential swing votes in the House.

Angel Raich of Oakland, Calif., the lead plaintiff in the case decided by
the Supreme Court, plans to fly to Washington to lobby before the vote.
Kampia wouldn't predict victory in the House. "We'll have an
all-time-record vote, " he said.

But a majority remains far off. Rep. Mark Souder, R-Ind., chairman of the
House drug-policy subcommittee, hailed the Supreme Court decision. "We
cannot allow the state initiative process to undermine" national health and
safety standards "on the basis of political - not scientific - arguments,"
Souder said in a statement.

He has said that if medicinal-pot advocates want to change the federal law
that makes marijuana an illegal drug, they should get Congress and the
president to make such a change. He'll help lead the opposition to
Rohrabacher and Hinchey next week.

Edward Epstein writes for the San Francisco Chronicle