THOUSANDS RALLY IN SUPPORT OF MARIJUANA

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

But it would make possession of marijuana a civil offense, punishable by
fines of up of to $200. It would also allow for the personal use of
marijuana for health reasons.

But still, many at the rally felt there should be no legal limitations on
marijuana.

''There's absolutely nothing wrong with the responsible use of marijuana,''
said Keith Stroup, executive director of National Organization for the
Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). ''This is not only about marijuana, it's
really about personal freedom.''

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

Boston police spokesman Kevin Jones said the rally was generally peaceful,
although police did have to subdue one man who pulled out a gun while being
booked on the drug charges.