MARYLAND'S GOVERNOR SIGNS LAW FOR MEDICAL USE OF MARIJUANA

BALTIMORE -- Refusing to bend to pressure from the Bush administration,
Republican Gov. Robert Ehrlich signed a bill Thursday that reduces criminal
penalties for seriously ill people who smoke marijuana.

Ehrlich is the first GOP governor to sign a bill protecting medical
marijuana patients from jail, according to the Marijuana Policy Project.
The Bush administration had pressed him to veto the measure.

Ehrlich had indicated his support for the bill early on as a way to help
people with chronic illnesses ease their pain.

"This is a position I've had for many, many years," Ehrlich said Thursday.

"It's not without controversy across parties, across chambers, across
states, across the country."

The new law does not legalize marijuana, but reduces the penalty to a
maximum $100 fine with no jail time if defendants convince a judge they
need marijuana for medical reasons. Previously, possession or use of
marijuana brought penalties of up to a year in prison or a $1,000 fine.

Supporters of the legislation say smoking marijuana can ease the symptoms
of serious illnesses such as cancer or AIDS and help patients suffering
from nausea hold down food and medications.

Opponents, including White House drug czar John P. Walters, have objected
that marijuana is a false and illegal remedy.