PATIENT CLEARED IN MARIJUANA CASE

SANTA ROSA (AP) -- A man who grew nearly 100 marijuana plants he said were
necessary to alleviate pain from his thyroid cancer was found not guilty
yesterday of growing marijuana in excess of his medicinal needs.

The nine-woman, three-man jury found 47-year-old Alan MacFarlane not guilty
of two counts of cultivation of marijuana and one count of possession of
psychedelic mushrooms.

MacFarlane was arrested during two raids on his Santa Rosa home. In May
1999, sheriff's deputies discovered 72 marijuana plants at his home. During
another visit in August 1999 they found 36 more and promptly uprooted them.

Sonoma County District Attorney Mike Mullins blamed Proposition 215 for
failing to specify exactly how much marijuana patients can use and where
they should obtain it.

MacFarlane's attorney had argued that people who qualify for medical
marijuana have no idea what limits exist on their crop cultivation. In
fact, no limits have been defined.

Californians passed Proposition 215 in 1996. The law allows possession,
cultivation and use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Implementation of
the measure has proven difficult, however, as lawmakers struggle to agree
on guidelines for prescribing and distributing the drug.