Pubdate: Thu, 20 Feb 2003
Source: Union Leader (NH)
Copyright: 2003 The Union Leader Corp.
Contact:  http://www.theunionleader.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/761
Author: John DiStaso, Senior Political Reporter
Cited: Marijuana Policy Project ( www.mpp.org )
Note: This is a titled section of a longer political column.

DOGGING DEAN

Nationally, Howard Dean is viewed as being on the liberal side of the 
Democratic Presidential spectrum. But a group often seen as part of the 
liberal constituency, advocates of legalized medical marijuana, isn't happy 
with him.

Bruce Mirken, spokesman for the Medical Marijuana Project (www.mpp.org) 
blames Dean for effectively killing legislation to legalize marijuana for 
medical purposes last year.

A bill passed the Vermont House and, according to Mirken, "was stalled in 
the Senate due to the arm-twisting" by the then-Gov. Dean. A compromise 
bill set up a task force to study the issue, and according to Mirken, 
"punted the whole issue for a year."

"We acknowledge that the task force was a step forward, but because of his 
intervention, people in Vermont fighting AIDS or cancer risk going to 
jail," Mirken said.

He said that ironically, "a lot of the advocacy and lobbying for a medical 
marijuana bill comes from the gay and lesbian community, a constituency 
that Governor Dean has overtly courted because of his support for civil 
unions. We'd just like to see the issue addressed in the Presidential 
primary campaign."

The Union Leaderis calls to Dean campaign headquarters were not returned.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens