COURT RULES ON RIGHT TO BLOCK VOTING

WASHINGTON - Congress had the right to block District of Columbia
residents from voting on whether to legalize marijuana for medical
use, a federal appeals court ruled Friday.

Reversing a lower court ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
District of Columbia said the Constitution gives Congress exclusive
power to define the district's legislative authority.

Also, a congressional act barring D.C. residents from putting the
legalization of marijuana on the ballot does not violate their First
Amendment right to free speech.

Voters had passed a referendum legalizing marijuana in 1998, but
Congress, which appropriates money for district elections, blocked the
effort through legislation. The Marijuana Policy Project then
challenged the constitutionality of the act by suing the District of
Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics.

The Marijuana Policy Project is leading the effort to give district
voters the opportunity to legalize marijuana for seriously ill
patients to use if their physicians recommended it.

A phone call to the group about the ruling reversal was not
immediately returned.