Pubdate: Wed, 20 Oct 1999 Source: San Luis Obispo County Tribune (CA) Copyright: 1999 The Tribune Contact: P.O. Box 112, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406-0112 Fax: 805.781.7905 Website: http://www.thetribunenews.com/ BUSH SETS STANCE ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAWS WASHINGTON - Gov. George Bush said he backs a state's right to decide whether to allow medical use of marijuana, a position that puts him sharply at odds with Republicans on Capitol Hill. "I believe each state can choose that decision as they so choose," the governor said recently in Seattle in response to a reporter's question. Aides said Bush dose not support legalizing marijuana for medical use. But his position supporting state self-determination opens the door to medical marijuana use in some places. President Clinton and most Republican lawmakers, by contrast, oppose all state medical marijuana legalization laws, saying they could lead to abuse. But Clinton - in a move philosophically in tune with Bush - has said Republicans in Congress went to far in seeking to block the District of Columbia's medical marijuana ballot initiative, which won 69 percent support last year. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D