N.Y.C. RALLY URGING MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION DRAWS 200

NEW YORK - Seven years ago, Pedro Pietri was diagnosed with glaucoma.

He began using prescription medicine, but it gave him headaches and actually
made his eyes hurt more. So he tried something else: marijuana.

"It really helps," said the New York poet as he pulled off his dark shades.
"It relieves the tension, the tension in my nerves."

Hoisting a large, bright-green marijuana leaf made of cardboard, Pietri
joined more than 200 other activists in New York on Saturday for the Global
March for Cannabis Liberation, an event that coincided with about 225
similar demonstrations worldwide.

Spirits remained high Saturday as the group strolled down Broadway to City
Hall. Shoppers who stopped to watch seemed mostly amused. Many took pictures
or filmed the demonstration and others cheered them on.

"They have a right to think differently," said Peter Rybchuk of North
Arlington, as he sipped coffee and watched. "Marijuana is legal in many
countries. It's interesting to see these people."

Police said that as of Saturday evening one person was arrested for smoking
marijuana at the New York demonstration, organized by Cures Not Wars. Last
year, 148 were arrested on a variety of charges.

Though the issue of decriminalizing marijuana is gaining momentum in the
United States - voters in eight states and the legislature in a ninth have
passed medical marijuana laws - New Jersey continues to take a tough stance
on the drug. Possession is punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine
of $1,000 in the Garden State. Penalties are greater for possession of more
than 50 grams.

Legalization advocates argue marijuana can be used to make products such as
textiles and paints, and can be used medicinally. They also believe that
enforcement punishes productive members of society and wastes government
resources.

"A lot of money goes into the war on drugs that could otherwise be put into
drug treatment facilities or educational programs," said Randall Parker, a
member of Rutgers University Marijuana Supporters and rally participant. But
opponents cite the problems associated with alcohol and tobacco use and say
it would be a mistake to legalize another drug.

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, marijuana is
addictive and has short- and long-term consequences that include memory
loss, anxiety, and loss of motor skills. It also contains most of the
harmful substances found in tobacco, the DEA says.

"It's a drug. Why do we want to legalize additional drugs?" asked Mike
Mordaga, chief of detectives for the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office in a
phone interview, citing the problems associated with alcohol consumption.
"We do have people in the United States that are law-abiding and are
deterred by the fact that it is illegal."

Also, some police say the marijuana trade leads to violence. Last month,
suspected marijuana dealer Omar Marti gunned down Fair Lawn Police Officer
Mary Ann Collura. He was eventually killed by police in Florida.

Reports show that in 2001, the most recent year for which data are
available, police in New Jersey made 22,449 arrests for marijuana, the vast
majority of which were for possession.

"A lot of times the arrest can lead you to the bigger fish," said Teaneck
Detective John Faggello in a telephone interview. But some say arresting
recreational users makes no more sense than the prohibition against alcohol
in the last century. And critics of enforcement say the criminal penalties
can do more damage than the drug.

"A lot of cases are for a small amount of marijuana. ... And sometimes it
can cost [those arrested] their job," said Nathan Kittner, a Hackensack
defense attorney. "I recently had a case of someone caught with a small
amount of marijuana who had a federal college loan, a student loan, and that
was in jeopardy."

On Saturday, many demonstrators waved signs reading "Medical Marijuana Saves
Lives" and "Stop the Drug War" and encouraged onlookers to join the movement
as they carried their message to the steps of City Hall.

Others taking part Saturday said they believe marijuana use is a basic human
right.

"It's my body. I pay my taxes," said a father from Manhattan who declined to
give his name but said he attends PTA meetings and has a full-time job as an
electrician. "I'm a regular family man. I'm not a criminal."