Pubdate: Thu, 05 Apr 2001 Source: Bergen Record (NJ) Copyright: 2001 Bergen Record Corp. Contact: http://www.bergen.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/44 VENTURA BACKS MEDICINAL POT ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Gov. Jesse Ventura said Wednesday that he supports legalizing marijuana for medical use. "Medical marijuana? I fully support it, absolutely. Who is government to tell someone if they have AIDS or cancer, what they should be taking?" Ventura said in response to a question from a student at the University of St. Thomas. "To me, you've got a kid here with cancer," he said. "I don't give a damn if he smokes a joint." A bill before the Minnesota Legislature this year would appropriate $100,000 to study potential medicinal uses of marijuana. California passed one of the nation's first medical marijuana laws in 1996, but it has been held up by a court fight. Hawaii passed a similar law. Voters in Arizona, Alaska, Colorado, Maine, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington have approved ballot initiatives allowing the use of medical marijuana. - --- MAP posted-by: Kirk Bauer