POLL RESULTS HELPS CAMPAIGN -- October 26, 2001

Fayetteville - Poll results released October 26 showed that a solid two-thirds of Arkansas people support the legalization of marijuana for medical use. Conducted statewide by the University of Arkansas, the third annual Arkansas Poll showed a significant level of support for this reform.

"Results I found particularly surprising was the level of support for the initiative to allow physicians to prescribe marijuana," stated
William Schreckhise, one of a team of UAF political science faculty who designed the poll.

"We expect that one result will be greater support for our proposed law, which would allow medical use of marijuana in Arkansas," stated Denele Campbell, Executive Director of the Alliance for Reform of Drug Policy in Arkansas, Inc., an Arkansas-based drug policy reform organization which has worked since 1999 to place their measure before the state's
voters. "We knew that national surveys had shown this level of support, but it's different when you have current polling done in the state. We're very pleased."

The proposed law promoted by the Alliance is modeled after a law passed by Oregon voters in 1998 and similar to laws now effective in nine states. The law provides for a program to be administered through the Arkansas Department of Health, where patients would bring a note from their doctor or a copy of their pertinent medical records to their local health department in applying for registration in the program. Approved applicants and caregivers where applicable would receive identification
cards protecting them from arrest for possession and/or cultivation of specified amounts of marijuana.

Strict limitations in the law prohibit distribution of marijuana by the patient or caregiver, even to other cardholders. Patients would not be allowed to use marijuana in public or to drive while intoxicated.  Employers would not be required to allow marijuana use in the workplace.

"The state would be a big winner with this law," Ms. Campbell stated. "Law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and courts would be relieved of costly entanglement with sick and dying marijuana users. Administrative costs of the program would be offset by the application fee. Tax dollars would be saved not only in reduced law enforcement costs, but also in significant savings in government-subsidized prescription drug costs for patients who could grow a few marijuana plants and avoid more dangerous
and expensive prescription drugs."

"But we're not going to put all our eggs into one basket with this. With this mandate from the Arkansas people as reflected in the poll, we'll be urging people to contact their elected representatives and asking them to sponsor legislation for a medical marijuana law in the next session.

"One way or the other, we believe that we'll have a compassionate use law on the books in Arkansas in the near future. This is a long-overdue protection for people who are suffering unnecessary anxiety for the use of a natural herbal substance that helps them feel better.

"For a few patients, use of marijuana means staying alive," concluded Ms. Campbell.  "We have recently heard from one patient in Central Arkansas who cannot eat without marijuana. His doctors at the Veterans Administration have tried every drug and every test to find alternatives, but nothing else works as well as marijuana. This man had wasted down to a fraction of his normal weight before he finally tried marijuana. He believes it is keeping him alive and his doctors don't dispute the fact. But they cannot provide him marijuana. Our last letter from him expressed his despair that he might have to move away from his family and hometown to another state where he would have legal access to marijuana. Hopefully now he won't have to leave Arkansas to get the help
he needs."

The Alliance will conduct a public meeting 2 pm Saturday Nov. 3 at the Springdale Public Library, featuring a video presentation by Dr. Ethan Russo discussing marijuana's historical medical use, especially in the treatment of migraine. The meeting is free and open to the public. For more information, interested persons may call 479-839-2475.

For more information on the patient described above, see the John Markes story.