CROATIANS, CZECHS TOKE FOR LEGALIZING MARIJUANA

ZAGREB (AP) Hundreds of Croatian marchers lit marijuana joints in Zagreb's
main square Saturday as they joined a parade advocating the legalization of
pot. A similar demonstration took place in Prague, the capital of the Czech
Republic.

"We regret having to break the law," said Mario Kovac, an independent
artist who organised the march to urge the government to repeal, or at
least relax, statutes governing so-called soft drugs.

"But we are prepared to bear the consequences if we have to in order to get
our message across," he added, puffing smoke into a television camera.

Earlier in the day hundreds of young people gathered in central Prague to
support legalization of marijuana.

Smoking marijuana and hashish, the crowd of about 400 protesters called for
putting soft drugs on a par with alcohol and tobacco.

"When consumed in little amounts, marijuana is far less dangerous than
alcohol, tobacco or hard drugs," said Michael Polak, the organizer of the
rally. "Despite tough jail terms for possession of marijuana, people still
smoke it, and that's good."

Polak urged smokers of marijuana to grow the plant rather than buying on
the black market. "It's less dangerous to grow it yourself," he said.

Unlike many Western countries, Croatia's penal code does not distinguish
between hard and soft drugs. The penalty stipulated for marijuana is up to
one year, the same as potentially lethal heroin or cocaine.

In the Czech Republic, possession and sale of marijuana are punishable by
jail term of up to three years. According to an opinion poll published
Friday by private Sofres Factum Agency, 80 percent of citizens are against
legalization of marijuana.