HOUSE MAY TIGHTEN RULES ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA

MONTPELIER - Key Democrats in the Vermont House are poised to suggest
greater restrictions on medical marijuana use than did their Senate
counterparts.

The House Health and Welfare Committee heard a full day of testimony
Wednesday from physicians and law enforcement officials. Two Democrats
on the committee said a Senate proposal - which would allow marijuana
use by people suffering from severe nausea, seizures and severe pain -
might be too broad.

They are considering narrowing the proposal to cover only medical
conditions that are terminal. They hope the restriction would widen
the bill's political appeal to House Republicans and Gov. James
Douglas, who oppose the Senate proposal.

"I am thinking of bringing this up with other Democrats," said Rep.
Val Vincent, D-Waterbury, a member of the Health and Welfare
Committee. "As a first step, it might make it a little more palatable."

Both Douglas and Public Safety Commissioner Kerry Sleeper expressed
their disdain Wednesday for establishing a medical marijuana law that
they believe could be used by some 6,000 Vermonters and introduce more
than $200 million worth of the drug into Vermont communities.

Sleeper said such a plan would likely spawn drug-related
crimes.

Recreational drug users would burglarize the homes of those growing
marijuana for medicinal purposes, he said. And organized crime gangs
like Hell's Angels might be inspired to set up shop in Vermont to
provide marijuana to medical users who do not want to grow it, he said.

This fear prompted both Vincent and Rep. William Keogh, D-Burlington,
who also sits on the House Health and Welfare Committee, to consider
stricter medical marijuana rules. They may seek to limit the drug's
legal use to no more than 200 very sick people whom doctors believe
may have less than a year to live.

Sleeper told the committee such restrictions would make him have "far
fewer concerns" regarding public safety. Jason Gibbs, Douglas' chief
spokesman, said strict limits on who could use the drug would also
make the governor at least willing to revisit the issue.

"We are prepared to have that discussion," Gibbs said. "The governor
is willing to review and consider anything the committee might
develop" that is more restrictive than the Senate's plan.

The House committee will continue taking medical marijuana testimony
today, but has set no timetable on debating its merits.

Medical marijuana is a sticky political issue for Douglas, who faces
re-election in November. The first-term Republican opposes creating
state laws that conflict with federal laws, even though a recent poll
concluded that more than 70 percent of Vermonters support medical
marijuana use for severely ill patients.

Douglas' chief opponent, Burlington's Democratic mayor, Peter
Clavelle, supports medical marijuana use. Nine states, including
Maine, have medical marijuana laws.

The Senate proposal allows physicians to authorize the use of medical
marijuana if a patient suffers a "debilitating medical condition" such
as cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis and AIDS.

The proposal also cites other undefined medical conditions that
produce "severe, persistent and intractable symptoms" such as wasting
syndrome, severe pain, severe nausea or seizures.

With physician assistance, patients would register with the state for
marijuana use and the Department of Health would determine
eligibility. Qualified patients or their designated caregivers would
be allowed to grow up to three mature marijuana plants in a locked,
indoor facility and possess up to two ounces of marijuana.

Sleeper told the committee these Senate guidelines were too lose and
predicted they could lead to widespread abuse as people would feign
nausea, pain and other medical conditions to obtain permission to use
the drug.

He also said few people would grow it themselves, instead buying from
the black market.

He predicted some 6,000 Vermonters could gain legal standing, which
would invite organized crime into the state because it would spawn
more than $200 million in annual street sales.

"Criminals love to exploit laws, and you are considering a law that
would allow significant exploitation and allow more people to come
into contact with drug dealers," Sleeper told the committee.

A slight majority of the House committee supports the concept of
legalizing medical marijuana. Those members appeared to take Sleeper's
concerns to heart and quickly began making plans to scale back the
Senate proposal.