KUCINICH ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA

It would be a surprise if it were otherwise: Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich
(D-Ohio) said yesterday, that if elected president, he would issue an
executive order legalizing the use of medical marijuana "as an act of
compassion and expression of humanity."

"If a doctor makes that determination, or the patient asks for it, I think
it ought to be permitted," Kucinich, who is campaigning in California, told
the Associated Press in an interview. "I've talked to too many people who
have had family members suffering from terminal illness who feel it would
provide them the most relief from pain and suffering."

The liberal Kucinich is the only Democratic candidate to state his support
for legalizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes, which is legal in
California and seven other states; federal law prohibits the use of
marijuana for any purpose.

At an appearance in San Francisco on Wednesday, one of Kucinich's rivals,
Sen. John Edwards (N.C.), said that as president he would not change the
existing law but would set up a commission to study the medical effects of
the drug.