Pubdate: Tue, 02 Mar 2004 Source: Washington Times (DC) Column: Inside the Beltway Copyright: 2004 News World Communications, Inc. Contact: http://www.washingtontimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/492 Author: John McCaslin Note: Related part of a longer column Cited: Marijuana Policy Project http://www.mpp.org Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal) SHARING THE POT The first federal political action committee that focused on the medicinal-marijuana issue has made its first-ever campaign contributions to a bipartisan bunch battling it out in closely contested races. "This is the next step in the evolution of medical marijuana as a political issue," says Steve Fox, director of government relations for the new Marijuana Policy Project Medical Marijuana PAC in Washington, whose mission is to support candidates who work to ensure that physician-approved patients have legal access to medicinal marijuana - -- and to oppose officeholders who work against such protections. Recipients of contributions are Republican Reps. Bob Beauprez of Colorado and Jon Porter of Nevada, and Democratic Reps. Michael H. Michaud of Maine, Timothy H. Bishop of New York, and Rick Larsen of Washington. In addition, pot money is going to Democrat Paul Babbitt of Arizona, who is running against Republican Rep. Rick Renzi. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake