JUDGE OVERTURNS BAN ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA VOTE

Washington -- A federal judge's decision could pave the way for
supporters of legalizing marijuana in the nation's capital for medical
purposes to place the matter before city voters this fall. U.S.
District Judge Emmet Sullivan on Thursday overturned a federal law
that had effectively blocked District of Columbia residents from
putting the issue on the ballot. The law was first enacted by Congress
1998, after district residents voted to legalize marijuana for medical
use. Known as the Barr Amendment for its sponsor, Rep. Bob Barr,
R-Ga., the law has since been added yearly to legislation governing
federal spending in the district. The ballot initiative, which
supporters want to again place on the November ballot, would make it
legal for seriously ill patients to get and use marijuana.