US MOVES ON POT

WASHINGTON - Republicans in the House of Representatives are pressing for
legislation that would strip Federal anti-drug money from local police in
States that have passed medical marijuana laws.

The overall legislation, which would keep the White House drug policy
office in business for another five years, also would allow the office to
run advertisements opposing medicinal marijuana initiatives.

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy said both provisions
were initiated in Congress. But they clearly reflected President George
Bush's administration's strong desire to strictly enforce marijuana
laws. Federal law does not permit legalisation for medical use, though
eight States allow it.

Tom Riley, spokesman for White House drug policy director John Walters,
said: "One of the duties of the drug tsar is to oppose efforts to legalise
drugs.

"There's a concern in Congress that marijuana is more harmful than most
people perceive.

"They want to make sure this agency keeps a focus on that."

The House government reform committee was expected to approve the
legislation today, with an amendment prohibiting advertisements expressly
advocating support or defeat of a candidate or ballot question.

Groups opposed to strict criminal enforcement of marijuana laws said more
than $16.73 million could be eliminated from State and local police budgets
in high-intensity drug trafficking areas.

The money would go to Federal law enforcement officers on the grounds that
local police would not be able to enforce marijuana laws.

The States with medical marijuana laws are Hawaii, Alaska, Washington,
Oregon, California, Colorado, Nevada and Maine.