PARADING FOR POT: PROTESTERS HOLD RALLY SUPPORTING MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION

LittleTree Strongbow has three children. She also has bipolar and
post-traumatic stress disorders.

And while the Omaha woman said using heavy pharmaceuticals like
Valium to treat those illnesses doesn't allow her to be an effective
mother, she believes marijuana does.

So Strongbow showed up in downtown Lincoln on Saturday decked out in
a marijuana-themed bandanna and a belt made of artificial cannabis
leaves. With a bullhorn in hand, she and about three dozen other
proponents paraded around the Capitol and along O Street advocating
for legalized marijuana in agriculture and medicine.

Prohibiting it has proved ineffective, she said. When asked how long
it would take for someone to find and purchase illegal marijuana in
Lincoln, Strongbow estimated about 20 minutes.

Strongbow believes the government is dismissing protesters' arguments
because large companies are threatened by the prospect of
domestically grown hemp, or agricultural cannabis, entering the
marketplace. But she said hemp as a crop could be a boon to Nebraska's economy.

March organizer Diana Wulf agrees. Wulf, who said she also has
post-traumatic stress disorder, had a prescription for medical
marijuana when she lived in Colorado. Medical marijuana is now legal
in 15 states and Washington, D.C., but not in Nebraska.

Wulf, who lives in Staplehurst, said she leaned on marijuana when she
stopped using methamphetamine several years ago. She said pot helps
her stay away from harder drugs and alcohol.

A former hog farmer, Wulf also sees potential for hemp in
agriculture. If legalized in Nebraska, she said, agriculturally
produced hemp could help farmers recovering from recent shifts in
food production. Hemp can be used to help make clothing, bricks and
myriad other items, but it cannot be grown commercially in the United
States. Wulf said practical uses of cannabis are often overlooked by
its opponents.

"It's not about getting high," she said. "It's about industry. It's
about medicine."

Others contend marijuana is a dangerous drug, and say claims of
medical benefits are fabricated or exaggerated. The Controlled
Substances Act classifies the drug as an unsafe and potentially
addictive substance, and the Drug Enforcement Administration says
medical marijuana is "a fallacy."

Rumi Miller disagrees. Miller, 20, has been using marijuana since her
14th birthday. She joined the march Saturday because she hoped to
spread awareness and dispel what she sees as common misconceptions
about the drug. Miller said she has bipolar disorder, and marijuana
helps her cope with the disease's symptoms.

"It helps me stay focused and calm," she said. "Today I haven't
smoked at all and I feel all jittery."