'GURU OF GANJA' IS SPARED PRISON TIME

Ed Rosenthal, the self-described "Guru of Ganja," will get no prison
time despite a conviction for growing and distributing hundreds of
marijuana plants, a federal judge ruled Friday.

A jury convicted Rosenthal, 63, in May of three cultivation and
conspiracy charges after U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer
prohibited Rosenthal's lawyers from telling the jury that he was
working for a pot club sanctioned by the city of Oakland.

On Friday, Breyer said a one-day prison sentence was punishment
enough for Rosenthal, who once wrote the "Ask Ed" column for High
Times magazine and has written books with titles including "The Big
Book of Buds" and "Ask Ed: Marijuana Law. Don't Get Busted."

Nonetheless, Rosenthal said he planned to appeal his conviction. "I
should not remain a felon," he said.

Rosenthal was previously convicted of the same charges four years ago.
Breyer sentenced him to one day in prison because Rosenthal reasonably
believed he was immune from prosecution because he was acting on
behalf of Oakland city officials.