Pubdate: Sat, 30 Nov 2002
Source: Post-Star, The (NY)
Section: Morning Briefing
Page: A2, left two columns
Copyright: 2002 Glens Falls Newspapers Inc.
Contact:  http://www.poststar.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1068
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

REPORT: CRIME UNAFFECTED BY LEGAL POT

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Law enforcement officials in four of the states that 
allow medical use of marijuana say the laws have had minimal impact on 
crime-fighting, although they at times complicate prosecution of drug 
cases, a congressional report said Friday.

The report by the General Accounting Office said that only a small fraction 
of the people in Oregon, Hawaii and Alaska used marijuana for medical 
purposes. The results in California, the fourth state studied were limited 
to only four counties and no statewide data was available.

Some law enforcement officials said that while crime-fighting was not 
harmed, the laws allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana at times has 
complicated efforts to seize illegal marijuana or to prosecute some cases, 
according to the GAO report.

The GAO examined only four of the eight states that have allowed medical 
uses for marijuana. The other states are Nevada, Colorado, Washington and 
Maine.
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