GROUPS PLAN PRO-MEDICAL POT EVENTS

Bay Area activists are planning events throughout next week to raise
awareness and support for the medicinal use of marijuana.

The week begins with a picnic and planting event at noon Saturday outside
the Conservatory in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Organizers will place
the first of 215,000 marijuana seedlings they hope to plant in honor of
Proposition 215, a 1996 state ballot measure that legalized the use of
medical marijuana.

Participants are encouraged to wear gardening clothes and bring shovels and
rakes.

At 4 p.m. Saturday, activists will erect a marijuana leaf banner atop San
Francisco's Twin Peaks. At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, the Compassion and Care
Center will host a party and short film presentation at 122 10th St., San
Francisco.

Protesters will gather at noon Tuesday outside federal buildings in San
Francisco and Oakland to "evict" the Drug Enforcement Administration from
its offices.

At noon Thursday, activists will dress up as U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein,
D-Calif., and rally outside the senator's office at Montgomery and Market
streets in San Francisco. Participants are encouraged to wear red.

From 4 p.m. until dark next Friday, activists will meet on the steps of San
Francisco City Hall before positioning themselves along Van Ness Avenue with
"Burma Shave-style" signs spelling out a pro-medical marijuana message.

From 7 to 10 p.m. that night, the Hemp Center at 4811 Geary St. will host an
open house with music and food.

The Dennis Peron Medical Marijuana March will be staged at noon Saturday in
the Castro District, with a Dennis Peron-lookalike contest and other events.
Peron helped author Prop. 215.

From noon to 5 p.m. that day, the Love Shack at 502 14th St., San Francisco,
will host a barbecue and medical marijuana workshops. And at 8 p.m., the 350
Divisadero Club will host a party with music and food.

For more information on all these events, go to www.safeaccessnow.org