MARIJUANA RALLY HAS A GOAL THIS YEAR

Thousands were expected to gather on the Boston Common Saturday for a rally
to protest the ''war on marijuana.'' It will be the 10th year the rally has
been staged, but this year there will be more in the air than just clouds
of odd-smelling smoke.

Activists with the Committee to Reform Marijuana Laws said they would use
the event to collect petition signatures for a proposal they are trying to
get on November 2000 ballot 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 more than 9,517 additional signatures in the
spring before their proposal can go on the ballot.

The proposed law would make it a criminal violation to provide marijuana to
a person under 18. On the other hand, it would allow people charged with
marijuana crimes to defend themselves by saying they were using it for
their health.