And Maine's U.S. attorney, Jay McCloskey, says federal drug agents in Maine will continue to focus on major cases.

Ketterer said Wednesday that he believes the potential impact of the law is ''overrated.'' He added that he would not support any immediate effort to overturn the law.

''From a law enforcement point of view, because I believe it's going to have a negligible impact, it's not something I'm going to be pursuing,'' he said. ''I can live with that statute the way it's written.''

The citizen initiative allows possession of marijuana when patients are advised by a doctor that they might benefit by the drug.

The list of qualifying ailments includes persistent nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite from AIDS or cancer treatments, glaucoma, and seizures or muscle spasms from chronic diseases, such as epilepsy or multiple sclerosis.

''The federal government has limited resources in Maine,'' McCloskey said. ''We target large-scale criminal organizations who deal with dangerous drugs.''

Election officials have up to 20 days to tabulate the results and pass them on to Gov. Angus King, who would have up to 10 days to proclaim the results. The legislation would take effect 30 days thereafter.

King is considering asking Ketterer to set up a task force to work out the details of the new law, according to spokesman Dennis Bailey.

A task force would address such questions as physician liability, as the use of marijuana for any reason is still illegal under federal law, and questions about practical application of the law.

''I don't think anybody has a clear understanding of how this thing is going to work,'' Bailey said.