WORLD'S POT SMOKERS CELEBRATE MARIJUANA

AMSTERDAM -- Cannabis connoisseurs in their thousands have descended on the
Dutch capital of Amsterdam this week to sample and select the winners of the
20th annual Cannabis Cup competition.

"There's a lot of good competition this year," said 'Herbal Santa' a
longtime marijuana smoker from Orange County, Calif., who only
provided his name as Jim when asked.

Organizers said they expected about 3,500 participants.

The week-long Cannabis Cup is spread out at various coffee shops
throughout Amsterdam, although the main events are held in a club on
the outskirts of the city, tucked behind a McDonald's fast-food
restaurant and a do-it-yourself store. The event coincides with the
annual U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, allowing participants from across
the Atlantic to spend a week's holiday in Amsterdam.

The event was started in 1987 by Steven Hager, the editor of New
York-based magazine High Times that advocates the legalization of
cannabis, and has become a key annual event among cannabis-oriented
business and for many pot smokers.

Judges pay a fee of up to $200 to participate in selecting the winners
with their task to examine the potency, taste, smell, curing and
overall experience of various herbs.

Marijuana is technically illegal but has been decriminalized and is
tolerated in the Netherlands, where it is sold in small quantities in
"coffee shops."

"People should come to peace together and smoke," said Arjan Roskam,
owner of the Green House Seed Co., whose marijuana strains have won 31
Cannabis Cup prizes over the years. His coffee house is a frequent
destination for visiting celebrities.