PROTESTERS EVICT 'DEA' TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA USE

A group of 15 supporters of the medical use of marijuana filed an eviction
notice for the Drug Enforcement Administration and then held a protest
outside the JFK Federal Building yesterday.

The protest was held to reject the current DEA, which refuses to legalize
medical marijuana and to support Proposition 215, the referendum that
legalized medical marijuana in California in 1996. The protest was one of
many going on across the country this week, which activists are designating
as the week of direct action for legalizing medical marijuana.

The majority of protesters were students from the University of Rhode
Island and part of a group called Americans for Safe Access, a one-year-old
grass-roots association. Participants held banners with slogans like "Stop
arresting patients now!"; and "Feds choose, states lose!" while parading up
and down the sidewalk of the federal building and informing passersby of
their beliefs.

"We';re going to keep escalating our tactics till they listen," said Tom
Angell, a URI student who participated in the protest.

According to Angell these tactics could include everything from peaceful
talks with politicians to forms of civil disobedience. However, yesterday's
two-hour protest remained peaceful.

The decision of whether or not to allow the medical use of marijuana has
sparked a large debate between states that have voted for legalizing
medical marijuana and the federal government, which states marijuana is
illegal under any circumstance.

So far eight states: Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada,
Oregon and California, have had voter referendums and legalized the use of
marijuana in some way for medical conditions such as cancer, AIDS, multiple
sclerosis, epilepsy and even chronic pain. Despite these referendums the
states still face opposition from the federal government on specific cases.

"My mom has multiple sclerosis and when I look at her and see how marijuana
could ease her symptoms, it makes me upset that it isn't legal," Angell
said. "I really hope the DEA and the federal government feel good arresting
cancer patients and putting valuable resources into that effort."

Angell, like many of yesterday's protesters, said he would not stop until
all states got the right to choose whether or not to legalize marijuana for
medical use.

"States should be able to decide whether or not to legalize marijuana
instead of the federal government making the decision for them," Angell said.

Aside from states' rights, other protesters spoke out against arrests of
patients who have used or grown marijuana.

"The federal government should not be able to arrest people who use medical
marijuana especially in states where it is legal," said Chris Pezza, a
senior at Ponaganset High School in Rhode Island.

Heather Kinlin, a URI sophomore and member of Americans for Safe Access,
said she came out to protest because she also believes marijuana should be
legal for patients.

"People are suffering," Kinlin said. "And the DEA is arresting patients
instead of helping them."

Boston resident Jeanne Black-Ferguson, one of the older protesters, said
that in addition to protesting, she has started a peaceful organization
called "Grandmas for Ganja" to support the legalization of medical marijuana.

"Grandmas for Ganja is a coalition of women united to speak out as one and
repeal prohibition," Black-Ferguson said.

"Marijuana is environmentally sound," she said. "For the government to put
so much energy just to prohibit a plant is preposterous."