MARIJUANA ADVOCATES RALLY

BOSTON -- About 40,000 people packed the Boston Common Saturday for the
10th annual rally in support of the legalization of marijuana.

Activists with the Committee to Reform Marijuana Laws used this year's
gathering to collect signatures for a proposed November 2000 ballot
question that would decriminalize the possession of marijuana.

The organizers need to collect more than 57,100 voter signatures in the fall.

If they collect those signatures and the Legislature does not act on their
proposal, they must collect additional signatures in the spring before the
proposal can go on the ballot.

Under the proposed law, it would still be a criminal violation to provide
marijuana to a person under 18.

Police said they arrested more than 60 people on drug possession charges.