HOUSE SAYS VERY SICK CAN USE MARIJUANA

Montpelier, Vt. -- The House gave preliminary approval Thursday to a
bill that would allow people with certain life-threatening illnesses
to use marijuana to relieve pain and nausea without fear of arrest and
prosecution.

"This bill does not legalize marijuana," said Rep. Thomas Koch,
R-Barre Town and chairman of the House Health and Welfare Committee.
"What it does do is say that for a limited number of people with
debilitating and intractable diseases who have registered with the
Department of Public Safety, that we will not arrest and prosecute
them, even though what they are doing is technically illegal."

The House bill is more restrictive than a version passed by the Senate
last year. It narrows the list of people eligible to use marijuana,
and it allows possession of three plants instead of seven. It also
requires registration of users, not with the Department of Health, as
called for in the Senate bill, but with the Department of Public
Safety, which includes the state police.

The 79-48 vote came after more about four hours of
debate.

The Senate now must decide whether to accept the House version or
fight for its own.

Gov. James Douglas has said he is opposed to the legislation, but he
has called the House changes a move in the right direction from the
Senate-passed bill.

"The governor is pleased that the House amendment is much more narrow
and allows for more controls than the Senate proposal," said Douglas'
spokesman, Jason Gibbs. "He remains very concerned, however, that any
measure would still violate federal law and send an inappropriate
message about the availability"

In the House debate Thursday, some lawmakers appealed to the medical
science and to data about what effects passage of medical marijuana
laws has had in the eight other laws that have done so.

Rep. David Brown, R-Walden, who recently lost a close friend to
cancer, said his friend had urged him "not to vote on emotion but to
listen to the debate and make up my mind." He said that when he heard
another House member say, in Brown's words, "this is perhaps the only
chance we have to help our friends ... suffering from that pain,
that's the data I needed.

"I hope this bill passes as written, and I hope so for our sick
friends," Brown said, struggling to keep his composure. "My friend
will be buried at 10 on Saturday. Please support this bill."

Critics of the legislation said it would send the wrong message to
Vermont's young people.

"What message are we sending to our young people regarding illegal
drugs and respect for law?" asked Rep. Virginia Duffy, R-Rutland.
"Never has it been more important to just say no."