ONE-DAY SENTENCE FOR GURU OF GANJA

SAN FRANCISCO -(AP)- Ed Rosenthal, self-proclaimed "Guru of Ganja," walked
free yesterday after a federal judge sentenced him to one day in prison for
growing marijuana that Rosenthal said was for medical purposes.

He could have received 60 years.

Rosenthal's case represented the latest clash between state and federal
authorities over the medical use of marijuana. The federal government does
not recognize medical marijuana laws in the nine states that have them.

In February, a jury concluded Rosenthal was growing more than 100 plants,
conspired to cultivate marijuana and maintained an Oakland warehouse for a
growing operation.

Rosenthal, 58, had said he was acting as an agent for Oakland's medical
marijuana program, an outgrowth of a 1996 medical marijuana initiative
approved by California's voters. Jurors were not allowed to hear those
arguments, and several later said they would have acquitted Rosenthal had
they known.

Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer sentenced Rosenthal to one day
in prison on each count, to run concurrently, then set him free declaring
Rosenthal already served that time.

He was also fined $1,000 US and will be on supervised release for three
years.

"I take responsibility for my actions ... I took these actions because my
conscience led me to help people who are suffering," Rosenthal said outside
court. "These laws are doomed."