THOUSANDS RALLY IN BOSTON IN SUPPORT OF MARIJUANA

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

Police said they arrested 72 people at the rally, most on drug
possession charges.

``I've been coming here since I was 14,'' said Faith Pinkos, 19, of
Providence, R.I. ``I don't smoke myself, but I don't find anything
wrong with it. It's not as dangerous as alcohol. It's not hurting anybody.''

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 doesn't act on
their proposal, they must collect additional signatures in the spring
before their 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.