Pubdate: 21 Oct 1998 Source: International Herald-Tribune Contact: http://www.iht.com/ Copyright: International Herald Tribune 1998 Author: David S. Broder PUTTING MEDICAL MARIJUANA TO A VOTE NOTE: The IHT article is an abbreviated version of the Oct 20 Washington Post article titled "Wealthy Benefactors Stoke Campaigns For Medical Marijuana" PHOENIX--A war against the "war on drugs," fueled by millionaires, not pot-smoking hippies, is taking place in six states and the District of Columbia this month. Voters in Alaska, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and the District will find initiatives on their Nov. 3 ballots allowing physicians, under defined conditions, to obtain and dispense marijuana as a palliative to their patients. Here in Arizona, the medical marijuana question is before the voters as part of a broader referendum on decriminalizing a wide category of drugs. Sponsors say they think they will win in every state and opponents in the law enforcement community, Congress and the Clinton administration fear they may be right. One reason for the optimism among proponents is the money that has come in from three men: New York financier George Soros, Cleveland insurance executive Peter B. Lewis and Phoenix entrepreneur John Sperling, who are staunch critics of the anti-drug policies pursued by successive Republican and Democratic administrations. The three are financing most of the $2 million campaign being run by the Los Angeles-based Americans for Medical Rights, which is coordinating the ballot drives everywhere but Arizona. Sperling is the principal backer of the Arizona referendum, which has raised $1.4 million so far. Dave Fratello, spokesman for the national organization, said, "The goal is to change national policy, but we know we will have to win more battles in 1999 and 2000 before that happens." California voters approved a medical marijuana initiative in 1996, but state and federal authorities have made a persistent effort to prevent people from selling marijuana to individuals who obtain a doctor's prescription. Nonetheless, some "cannabis clubs" are operating in the state. Proponents of the initiatives, such as Portland, Ore., physician Richard Bayer, claim there are many cancer and AIDS patients for whom marijuana is the most effective drug in relieving nausea and other debilitating side effects. The Oregon campaign is using a multiple sclerosis patient as a spokeswoman for the initiative. A poll this month showed the proposal with a 64 percent to 30 percent lead, but sponsors said they expect it to narrow. On the other side, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy is distributing talking points to community anti-drug coalitions and urging newspapers in the initiative states to editorialize against these propositions. Its position papers contend that other drugs can meet the medical needs of cancer and AIDS patients and urge that marijuana not be legalized at least until the Food and Drug Administration and the Institute of Medicine complete ongoing studies on its safety and effectiveness. But Barry R. McCaffrey, director of that office, is doing no campaigning in the initiative states, in part because his allies thought there was a backlash against White House interference when he stumped in Arizona and California in 1996. Local law enforcement agencies have not mobilized major money or strong grass-roots opposition to the initiatives. - --- Checked-by: Rich O'Grady