MEDICAL MARIJUANA BILL GOES TO FULL HOUSE

SANTA FE - A proposal to allow the medical use of marijuana by New Mexicans
with debilitating illnesses is heading to the House for debate.

The measure cleared the House Judiciary Committee on a 9-1 vote Monday.

The legislation would make marijuana possession and use legal under state
law for patients seriously ill with cancer, glaucoma, epilepsy, multiple
sclerosis, HIV or AIDS and certain spinal cord injuries.

Those patients, or their caregivers, would be protected from prosecution
under state law.

However, opponents warned that they could be subject to federal drug charges.

"If smoking raw marijuana is a medicine, Dr. Kevorkian wrote the
prescription," said Rep. Ron Godbey, R-Cedar Crest, who opposed the bill.
He was referring to American euthanasia advocate Dr. Jack Kevorkian.

District attorneys and law enforcement groups testified against the
legislation.

Among those supporting the bill was a Las Cruces man, Fred MacDonald, who
suffers from MS and a spinal cord injury.

He lives half the year in Seattle, Wash., and participates in that state's
medical marijuana program.