MARIJUANA LEGISLATION RAISES FREE-SPEECH CONCERNS

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- Legislation that would restrict Internet
information about marijuana drew complaints Wednesday from both an
anti-crime group and advocates of legalizing marijuana.

The legislation makes it a misdemeanor to use the Internet to transmit
information about marijuana or other controlled substances ``knowing that
the information will be used in furtherance of illegal activity.''

But the private anti-crime group Illinois State Crime Commission fears the
bill could be used to interfere with legitimate efforts to provide
information about drug problems.

``I don't like gray areas when it comes to the First Amendment because I
don't want to be the first test case,'' said Jerry Elsner, the commission's
executive director.

The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws -- or NORML --
also criticized the idea.

``There's no need for this bill,'' said Paul Armentano, the group's director
of publications. ``It seems blatantly unconstitutional. It seems impossible
to enforce.''

The Illinois House passed the measure 114-0, sending it to the state Senate.

The Senate sponsor, Republican Duane Noland of Blue Mound, said the measure
is meant to apply only to people transmitting information they know will be
used for criminal purposes.

But he acknowledged concerns about ``the vagueness of some issues.''

``I need to do a little work on my bill -- which might be a polite way to
say I'm not certain about the future of it,'' Noland said.

Elsner said the measure, as written, could interfere with legitimate
discussions of drugs.

What if an ill person were considering smoking marijuana to relieve pain,
they asked -- would a group break the law by providing information about the
drug's potential medical benefits?

Or what if a drug-awareness group listed the latest trends in drug use as a
service to parents and police? Would the group be prosecuted if a teen-ager
got the idea to experiment?

``We think the intentions are very well-meaning, but we don't think it was
thought out very well,'' Elsner said.