HIGH ON LEGALIZATION

Gubernatorial Candidate John Sophocleus Supports Full Legalization Of
Marijuana, While Sen. Ted Little, D-Auburn Is Opposed To Any Legalization
Of The Drug

Alabama state law allows for medical marijuana research programs. However,
no program has been operational yet.

State bill 559 was passed on July 30, 1979. It allows the State Board of
Medical Examiners to create a review committee to administer marijuana
therapeutic research programs.

Laws require that the programs must study the medical value of marijuana
for patients with glaucoma and for patients undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.

No program has been developed, according to the Marijuana Policy Project
report issued in July 2001.

The National Academy of Sciences issued a report in 1999 on the potential
medical uses of marijuana.

"The profile of cannabinoid drug effects suggests that they are promising
in treating wasting syndrome in AIDS patients," the report stated.

"Nausea, appetite loss, pain and anxiety are all afflictions of wasting,
and all can be mitigated by marijuana. Although some medications are more
effective than marijuana for these problems, they are not equally effective
in all patients," the report said.

The debate about the legalization of marijuana mainly concerns its medical
uses. Many clinical studies have reached conflicting decisions about the
effectiveness of marijuana.

Since 1986, nine states have adopted laws allowing patients to possess and
grow marijuana for medical purposes with a doctor's approval. These states
are Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon
and Washington.

Although marijuana is legalized only for medical purposes in these states,
many people believe the recreational use of the drug will increase.

John Sophocleus, the Libertarian gubernatorial candidate for Alabama, said
he disagrees.

"If history is a guide, use will decrease," said Sophocleus, a staunch
supporter of full legalization of marijuana.

Sophocleus said that as high as 38 percent of young people use marijuana
where the drug is illegal. However, only 20 percent use the drug where it
is legally available.

The National Institute of Health currently funds initiatives to develop a
smoke-free form of marijuana specifically for medical purposes.

The pill form, Dronabinol (Marinol), would avoid some opposition from the
federal government. The government wants to prevent any positive
presentation of smoking to young people.

The National Academy of Sciences report reviewed the effect on young
people's perceived view of marijuana in California, one of the states now
allowing marijuana to be used for medical purposes.

"The perceived risk of marijuana use did not change among California youth
between 1996 and 1997," the report states.

"In summary, there is no evidence that the medical marijuana debate has
altered adolescents' perceptions of the risks associated with marijuana use."

Federal law prohibits marijuana use for any purpose in the United States.

The Marijuana Tax Act first prohibited marijuana in 1937. In 1970, the
Controlled Substances Abuse Act defined illicit drugs by schedules based on
their potential for abuse.

Marijuana is a Schedule I drug, meaning it has a high potential for abuse
and no currently accepted medicinal uses in the United States.

However, the federal government cannot force states to have laws identical
to federal law, and state and local police do not have to enforce federal laws.

But even if doctors legally write prescriptions for marijuana, no pharmacy
can legally supply the drug. In Oregon, confiscated marijuana is used to
fill these written prescriptions.

Alabama prosecutes marijuana possession as a misdemeanor or a felony. No
differentiation exists for medical use.

Sen. Ted Little, D-Auburn is opposed to any change in the law that would
allow marijuana to be used legally.

"Marijuana laws at present do not appear to be unreasonable," Little said.
Statewide, 9,928 arrests were made for marijuana possession in 1997.

In that year, Lee County ranked 49th in the number of marijuana arrests per
county. As of Sept. 1, 481 people were in prison in Alabama for marijuana
possession.

James Major of the Opelika Police Department said the number of marijuana
arrests has dropped.

"Marijuana is not as bad as it used to be," Major said.

In fact, Lee County marijuana arrests decreased by 9.61 percent between
1995 and 1997.

The year to date shows 11 felony charges in Auburn. The offenders range in
age from 18 to 39, although most were under 25.

The number of misdemeanor charges is greater: 122 arrests this year. The
youngest person charged was 14 and the oldest was 39. Most people arrested
were between 18 and 22.

The last major arrest was in May. An Auburn employee was caught growing
about 115 plants in his backyard.

Sophocleus said he seriously doubts the potential for the state Legislature
to tackle the issue of marijuana legalization. The next legislative session
begins on March 4.

He said his opinion is that Alabama has no courage to give people back
their rights.

U.S. reps. Bryant Melton, D-Tuscaloosa, Thomas Jackson D-Thomasville and
Mike Rogers, D-Birmingham, signed a letter sent to the Bush administration
asking that seriously ill people be able to apply for exception to harsh
marijuana laws.

Little said he is open to making exceptions for marijuana use directly
related to pain, medicine and the final stages of cancer.

If research develops that directly relates marijuana use to these medical
purposes, he said the government would want to allow the drug's use under
controlled circumstances.

"Any reasonable legislature would want to be confronted with that
information," Little said.