[MEDPOT] MedPot foundation scores important victory

[ichudov@algebra.com (Igor Chudov @ home)]

http://www.cnn.com/US/9611/06/medical.marijuana/index.html

Marijuana proponents relish victory

               California attorney
               general predicts
               legal anarchy

               November 6, 1996
               Web posted at: 6:00 p.m. EST 

               From Correspondent Rusty
               Dornin 

               SAN FRANCISCO (CNN)
               -- Medical marijuana proponents celebrated their
               victory in Tuesday's elections with a ceremonial
               smoke. 

               "It's the will of the people," said Dennis Peron, an
               advocate for medical marijuana. "It is a mandate. It's
               about love and compassion about doing something
               that's concrete to help people who are sick and dying."

                                With the passage of the
                                proposition, people who are
                                sick and dying in California
                                and Arizona can smoke pot
                                legally if recommended by a
                                physician. While the two
                                states may say it's legal,
                                federal law still says 'no way'. 

               California's attorney general predicted the law change
               will lead to legal anarchy. "This thing is disastrous,"
               said Dan Lungren. "We're going to have an
               unprecedented mess." 

               Anyone suffering from AIDS and cancer to chronic
               pain and migraine headaches would be free to smoke
               pot under the new laws. 

               No written prescriptions are required. The passage of
               the proposition also means it's legal to grow pot for
               medicinal use. 

               That's exactly what worries
               Lungren. "We're going to have
               a hell of a time limiting
               marijuana use among young
               people in California at the very
               time that marijuana use is
               skyrocketing around the
               country," he said. 

               Medical pot proponents are setting their sights on the
               rest of the country, launching a national campaign,
               "Americans for medical rights," to focus on marijuana
               legislation in other states and on the federal level. 

               The news laws are expected to face court challenges in
               California. In any event, top nation drug enforcers said
               they will continue to enforce federal drug laws,
               including federal marijuana statutes. 

	- Igor.