FED REVIEW OF MARIJUANA LAW BAFFLES OREGON OFFICIAL

PORTLAND - For unknown reasons, the General Accounting Office, the
investigative arm of Congress, is looking into the medical-marijuana
programs in Oregon and three other states.

"It's a little baffling, and it's an uncomfortable kind of bafflement,"
said Mary Leverette, acting manager of Oregon's 3-year- old program that
allows sick people to grow and smoke marijuana with a doctor's permission.

In light of Attorney General John Ashcroft's battle with Oregon over the
state's assisted-suicide law, backers of the marijuana program say this is
another case of the federal government interfering with states' rights.

When Leverette met with GAO staff last month, she raised that issue - but
didn't get an answer.

GAO investigators interviewed Leverette, state public-health officer Dr.
Grant Higginson and Multnomah County Sheriff Dan Noelle, as well as
district attorneys and federal Drug Enforcement Administration agents in
Portland.

Leverette said she was told the nature of the inquiry was confidential.
Reviewers disclosed only that they were looking at medical-marijuana
programs in four states - Oregon, California, Colorado and Hawaii - to see
how they prevented abuse. Nine states have medical-marijuana laws.

The GAO report was requested by U.S. Rep. Mark Souder, R-Ind., chairman of
the House subcommittee on criminal justice, drug policy and human resources.

In mid-February, two GAO reviewers and an auditor interviewed state
officials about the medical-marijuana law, its rules, the application
process and the numbers of patients and doctors involved.

The state released the number of applicants for medical-marijuana cards but
did not disclose the names of applicants, cardholders and authorizing
physicians, Leverette said.

As of Feb. 19, the day Leverette was questioned, there were 1,691
medical-marijuana cardholders in Oregon. Those applications collectively
were endorsed by 434 doctors - about 5 percent of the state's licensed
physicians.