MEDICAL MARIJUANA PATIENT TO SPEAK ABOUT DRUG POLICIES

George McMahon, legal medical marijuana patient, will speak tonight at 7 in
room 330 Strong Hall. The program is part of a week of events sponsored by
Students for Sensible Drug Policy.

Controversy rose as to whether McMahon would be able to legally smoke his
medication on his visit. Originally, law enforcement officials said McMahon
would not be able to transport marijuana into the state.

Christopher Largen, McMahon's co-author of the upcoming book Prescription
Pot: One Man's Personal Mission and Public Crusade to Legalize Medical
Marijuana, said they received a verbal agreement from Lt. Schuyler Bailey
of the KU Public Safety Office that McMahon would not be bothered if he
could produce proper documentation. Largen said they had not heard from the
state district attorney's office.

Largen said McMahon had not run into this problem before.

"Usually officials are good about doing their homework," Largen said.

McMahon smokes marijuana in order to treat the pain and nausea associated
with Nail Patella Syndrome. The syndrome is a hereditary condition that
causes abnormalities in the arms and legs, kidney disease and glaucoma. He
was granted this right through the Food and Drug Administration's
Compassionate Investigational New Drug Program, which studies the long term
use of medicinal marijuana.