3 More Issues Qualify for Nov. 5 Ballot

Three new initiatives dealing with HMOs, injured criminals and drunk drivers, and the medical use of marijuana have qualified for the increasingly crowded November ballot.

The initiatives certified this week by the secretary of state bring the number on the ballot to nine. Election officials are counting signatures for five more measures not yet qualified for the ballot.

These are the latest that will go before voters Nov. 5:

* An initiative backed by Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush that would prohibit a convicted felon from suing and collecting damages for injuries suffered during the crime or subsequent flight. It also would prevent convicted drunk drivers and uninsured motorists who are injured in car crashes from collecting noneconomic damages.

* An initiative backed by Dennis Peron and Anna Boyce that would legalize cultivation and possession of marijuana for cancer and AIDS patients with a doctor’s approval. Doctors could not be punished or denied rights or privileges for recommending marijuana treatment.

* An initiative sponsored by the Service Employees International Union and medical and senior citizen groups that would regulate health maintenance organizations. It would prohibit HMOs from preventing doctors and nurses from informing patients about treatment options, from firing doctors and nurses without cause and from giving financial incentives to doctors and nurses for delaying or denying care.