POT RALLY HAS COPS FUMING

Marijuana legalization advocates openly smoked pot at the annual
Boston Freedom Rally on Boston Common yesterday, spurring arrests by
Boston police.

"It's one thing to protest the illegality of marijuana, that itself
isn't illegal," said James Kenneally, BPD spokesman. "People have the
right to free expression, but it's another thing to smoke marijuana,
which is an illegal narcotic, during the protest."

The annual Boston Freedom Rally - described by organizers as "the
largest marijuana reform gathering on the East Coast" - drew hundreds
of stoners, activists and vendors to the park. They spent the bright,
sunny afternoon touting their support for Question 2, which will
appear on the ballot in November and would replace criminal penalties
for possession of up to 1 ounce of marijuana with a fine of no more
than $100.

"It's a thing where we can unite for a cause to legalize weed, man,"
said Howlin' Jack Boone, 27, of Waltham, lead singer of the rally's
headline band, Graveyard BBQ. "This year we're hoping for
decriminalization, next year it'll be a celebration."

The Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition co-sponsored the event,
along with the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

"We're close to winning the first major battle with Question 2, and
MassCann won't stop until it's legal, regulated and taxed," said
Steven Epstein, co-founder of the coalition.

Yesterday's rally was "a combination of education and activism," said
Allen St. Pierre, NORML executive director.

Or, as guitarist "Brown Bag" Johnson of Graveyard BBQ put it, "We're
fighting against the man, burning the rope and having a good time."

The arrests ruined the mellow mood for some participants.

"It's a real fear. When they arrest you, it's quick and swift," said
pot enthusiast Rachel Elorrisa, 29, of New Hampshire who admitted to
"lighting up" before the rally. "Police are out here in street
clothes, and when they arrest, you have to sit in that holding area
all day."