  The molecular components of three giant HII regions (NGC 5461, NGC 5462, NGC
5471) in the galaxy M101 are investigated with new observations from the James
Clerk Maxwell Telescope, the NRAO 12-meter, and the Owens Valley millimeter
array. Of the three HII regions, only NGC 5461 had previously been detected in
CO emission.
  We calculate preliminary values for the molecular mass of the GMCs in NGC
5461 by assuming a CO-to-H_2 factor (X factor) and then compare these values
with the virial masses. We conclude that the data in this paper demonstrate for
the first time that the value of X may decrease in regions with intense star
formation.
  The molecular mass for the association of clouds in NGC 5461 is approximately
3x10^7 Mo and is accompanied by 1-2 times as much atomic mass. The observed CO
emission in NGC 5461 is an order of magnitude stronger than in NGC 5462, while
it was not possible to detect molecular gas toward NGC 5471 with the JCMT. An
even larger ratio of atomic to molecular gas in NGC 5471 was observed, which
might be attributed to efficient conversion of molecular to atomic gas.
  The masses of the individual clouds in NGC 5461, which are gravitationally
bound, cover a range of (2-8) x 10^5 Mo, comparable with the masses of Galactic
giant molecular clouds (GMCs). Higher star forming efficiencies, and not
massive clouds, appear to be the prerequisite for the formation of the large
number of stars whose radiation is required to produce the giant HII regions in
M101.
