PRO-POT ADS ROLLING INTO CITY

Pro-pot ads banned in Boston and put up in Washington only after threats by
First Amendment lawyers may be coming to a subway or bus stop near you --
assuming Mayor Giuliani doesn't snuff them out.

The marijuana advocacy group Change the Climate launched its controversial
ad campaign last week in the nation's capital.

The ads don't encourage people to smoke and its use as a medicine.

One ad features a picture of a well-dressed businesswoman quoted saying,
"I've got three great kids. I love them more than anything. I don't want
them to smoke pot. But I know jail is a lot more dangerous than smoking pot."

Just how high the Giuliani administration will be on the ads remains to be
seen. City Hall had no immediate response.

"I'm not sure what to expect," said Joseph White of Change the Climate,
which plans to buy ad space here. "From what little I know of the mayor's
reputation, it wouldn't surprise me if he opposed our public information
campaign."

Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman Tom Kelly said any pro-pot
ad would need to be reviewed by attorneys.

"There are all different forms of measuring sticks, depending on the ad,"
he said. "But we do not promote illegal activities."

Massachusetts Gov. Paul Cellucci rejected the ads for Boston, saying they
promote drug use. The matter is now in the courts.

Washington's Metro subway line accepted the ads only after the American
Civil Liberties Union threatened a lawsuit.