WAMMFEST A HIT AMONG MEDICAL-POT USERS

SANTA CRUZ -- Hundreds of people drifted in and out of San Lorenzo
Park on Sunday to help the Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana
commemorate the two year anniversary of a federal raid on the group's
medicinal marijuana garden in Davenport.

"At around noon on this day two years ago, we were already in jail in
a federal facility in San Jose," said Michael Corral, who co-founded
WAMM with his wife, Valerie.

But on Sunday, he and his wife were celebrating the regrowth of their
garden, the support of the Santa Cruz community and the fight to get
the feds to recognize marijuana's medical benefits and stop arresting
medicinal marijuana patients at the Santa Cruz WAMMFEST 2004.

County resident Jay Sosa, who is HIV positive, has been a member of
WAMM since 1989. He said marijuana helps lessen the adverse side
affects from medications he takes for his illness.

"Some of the medications I take really get to my stomach," he said.
"The medicinal marijuana makes me eat."

There was plenty to eat and do at Sunday's family-friendly event.
About 20 booths offered various products, ranging from hemp clothing
to snacks to literature.

One booth was quite popular. It featured a dunk tank that offered
passers-by the chance to dunk their least favorite politician.

One dollar earned interested parties three baseballs to pitch at
people wearing masks of famous faces such as President Bush and
Condoleezza Rice, his national security adviser.