MAKE GETTING MEDICAL POT EASIER

We already know that Oregonians overwhelmingly support the right of
seriously ill people to use marijuana for medical purposes, but a recent
poll shows that support has grown since Oregon's medical marijuana
initiative passed in 1998.

According to the poll, administered to more than 1,000 adults by the Lucas
Organization, 76.5 percent of Oregon voters "strongly support" or "somewhat
support" the state law allowing "seriously ill patients to use and grow
their own medical marijuana with the approval of their physicians."

This is a big jump over the 55 percent of voters who supported the
initiative in 1998.

The poll results also indicate that Oregon voters would favor expanding the
law to allow medical marijuana distribution by nonprofit medical clinics
(69.1 percent) or the state government (64.4 percent).

An initiative to enhance the distribution of medical marijuana to the
seriously ill could be on the ballot in 2004.