norml13 - Page 1

 ERIC E. STERLING _
 1899 L Street, NOW., Suffe _00, WashlngtoR., DC 20036-3804
 (202) 835-9075, FAY,, (202) 833456t
 Email: esteding@igc.org
 VIA FAX
 October 30, 1998
 FROM: ERIC E_ STERLING TEL 202-835-9075 FAX 202_33-8561
 4 PAGES (including cover sheet)
 RE: MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAWSUIT
 DEAR FRIENDS:
 Last week U.S. Judge Marvin Katz (Eastern District of Pennsylvania)
 proposed that a lawsuit brought by Lawrence Elfiott Hirsch of the Hirsch & Caplan
 Public _nterest Law Firm on beh_ff of some 160-named plaintiffs seeking medical
 marijuana be settled by providing the marijuana to the; plaintiffs.
 Attached is a copy of a filing by the U.S, Department of justice regarding the
 proposed settlement asking for time to fully and carefully consider the proposal.
 AIso attached is a reprint of an article in today's The Legal Intetliqencer
 (Philadelphia, PA), about this proposed settlement
 This should be of interest to concerned Americans. It is "news" that a
 Federal judge found the facts pleaded in this case so compelling that at the first
 pre-trial conference on the matter he suggested as a _ettlement that the plaintiffs
 get medical marijuana.
 At the conference the judge appeared to be very sympathetic to the plaintiffs'
 core arguments. Explicit in the judge's proposal is his recognition of two key facts
 and a profound legal conclusion: marijuana has critical medical value for the
 treatment of very serious conditions and diseases, theft the government recognizes
 this medical value because it provides marijuana to eight very' ill persons, and
 denial by the government to seriously ill persons of the use of marijuana medically
 rises to the level of an unconstitutional violation of their rights.
 For more information on the case contact Larry Hirsch at 215--496--9530.