Pubdate: Tue, 15 Apr 2003
Source: Washington Post (DC)
Copyright: 2003 The Washington Post Company
Contact:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/491
Author: Lori Montgomery, and Jo Becker, Washington Post Staff Writers
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)
Note: Non-drug policy content snipped

WINNERS BEAT THE ODDS IN AN ODD ASSEMBLY SESSION

The 2003 session of the General Assembly was one of the strangest in 
memory, as a new Republican governor battled the House over a bill to 
legalize slot machines and the House, in turn, battled the Senate over bond 
bills and a host of other issues.

The slots debate produced plenty of clear-cut winners and losers but so 
dominated the session that standouts on other issues tended to get lost. 
Herewith, an effort to correct that.

Winners

(snip)

Former delegate Don Murphy. For years, Murphy pushed a bill to legalize 
marijuana use by the desperately ill. This year, a weaker version of the 
bill finally passed, and Ehrlich has indicated that he will sign it despite 
pressure from the White House drug policy chief. Although the Baltimore 
County Republican lost his reelection bid last fall, he deserves credit for 
the state's recognition of the value of medical marijuana.

(snip)
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart