THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Monday, January 6, 1997               TAG: 9701060073
SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B5   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS 
DATELINE: RICHMOND                          LENGTH:   21 lines

OBSCURE VIRGINIA LAW OK'D POT AS MEDICINE

Initiatives in California and Arizona to allow the medical use of marijuana have set off a storm of protest - but Virginia passed a similar law in 1979.

But the law is so little-known and little-used that many law enforcement officials were unaware of its existence, as were some of the legislators who sponsored the bill.

The medicinal use of marijuana was approved by the Virginia General Assembly as part of a general loosening of the state's laws against possession and distribution of small amounts of the drug.

The exception has apparently had little, if any, legal impact.

And state health officials had no idea whether Virginia doctors have prescribed marijuana since the law was approved.