COMICS SERIOUS ABOUT BENEFITS OF MARIJUANA

Many comedians like Giulian Jones, are quick to point out the positive
effects legalizing marijuana would have on society. "How many times
have you heard about a guy who got drunk and killed someone?" Jones
asked in a phone interview from his home in Hollywood.

"Often. How many times have you heard about a guy who smoked a joint
and went out and killed somebody? "Maybe he got high, thought about
killing somebody, ate a bag of Cheetos and forgot about it."

Jones and a huge lineup of famous entertainers, including Bill Maher,
Woody Harrelson and Dennis Miller, will be performing in "High Hopes"
Sept. 2 at the Improv Comedy Club in Hollywood. The show is being
produced to raise money as well as awareness for the legalization of
medicinal marijuana.

According to Howard Dover, the show's creator and one of its
performers, 75 percent of the show's proceeds will be given to
Californians for Compassionate Use, an organization that advocates the
use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.

The other 25 percent will be given to an organization called
Compassionate Moms, which helps coordinate visits between prisoners
and their families and also takes home-ridden patients on outside excursions.

Noting the multitude of comedic benefit shows, Dover explained that he
created "High Hopes" because marijuana helped his cousin through his
pain while living with AIDS.

Since this realization nearly three years ago, Dover has produced nine
similar benefits in the past three years in Montreal.

"Marijuana stimulated his appetite, it helped him keep down the drugs
he was taking, it reduced nausea, and helped him get back to as good a
health as possible," Dover said. "It really helped save him. It just
got me thinking, 'Why isn't that more readily available?'"

Other performers on the show's lineup also question why marijuana is
not legal.

"I'm thoroughly convinced over the last decade that we have legalized
the wrong drugs," comedian Mike McDonald said from his home in Glendale.

Besides alleviating the pain that patients suffer, some activists
point out that marijuana is more naturally produced than drugs that
are already legal.

"Marijuana is grown free," Jones said. "You don't grow beer, you don't
grow Pepsi Cola, and you don't grow cigarettes. So it's odd that this
is illegal."

While these activists question why marijuana continues to be illegal,
many share McDonald's frustration over the harsh laws regarding sale
of the drug.

"It kills me how there's some kid in Michigan who's doing 18 years for
buying a joint off of an undercover cop at a Kiss concert, and I can
go up there and kill somebody in my car and get out in three years,"
McDonald said. "It should be a no brainer, but here we are having to
have a benefit for this."

With the benefit show created to help raise awareness about medicinal
marijuana, one performer, Cecily Knobler, feels that the college
audience is exactly the type of crowd that should attend the show.

"I think college, not that it's the first time that you explore new
ideas, is a time when you can go against things you were taught,"
Knobler said, "I can't think of a better audience than the college
crowd."

Not only are college students exploring new ideas. In a recent poll by
USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup, 34 percent of adults favored legalizing
marijuana -- the highest amount in more than 30 years.

Though not everyone's opinion of marijuana will change after seeing
"High Hopes," Jones will still try to change the minds of his opponents.

"You will never hold up a liquor store after smoking two joints,"
Jones said. "You will never beat up your girlfriend after a bowl of
some chronic. I guaran-damn-tee it. You might think about it, but then
you're going to take another hit and fall asleep in a puddle of your
own piss."

FUNDRAISER: Event to raise awareness about medicinal use of
drug.

COMEDY: "High Hopes" will be held at the Improv, at 8162 Melrose Ave.
in Hollywood. The cover charge is $15 plus a two drink minimum. For
reservations, contact the Improv at (323) 651-2583.

Howard Dover, the creator of "High Hopes," will be performing at the
benefit as well.