MARIJUANA FANCIERS PUFF FOR LEGALITY

Hundreds of pro-marijuana Manitobans -- mostly teens and young adults
- -- converged yesterday on the legislature's front lawn for an annual
show of force to push for a complete legalization of pot possession and use.

Amid pro-pot signs, the sound of bongo drums and a smoking and
sniffing of marijuana and other fumes from various contraptions, the
party was well under way by noon.

And it grew bigger quickly, with warm and clear conditions helping to
draw an estimated 700 people by about 2 p.m.

Scott, a 25-year-old who refused to give his last name, drove more
than six hours from his home near The Pas with a few friends to
attend the protest.

He said the message delivered by the crowd on what the province
should push to law-makers in Ottawa couldn't be louder -- marijuana
must become as legal as alcoholic beverages.

'4-20' EVENT

"It should definitely be an issue. Look at the people here -- all
these supporters," Scott said.

"No one is here visiting any government officials. We're just here to
protest for what we believe in."

One of Scott's pals, a man who wouldn't give his name, described the
so-called "4-20" event as a celebration with purpose.

"I came to support something I do every day," he said of pot use. "I
do it whenever I can."

The visitors from The Pas brought signs, one of them stating,
"Legalize, Regulate, Medicate, Educate."

Not all demonstrators were as forceful. Two young women who no longer
smoke pot nevertheless were there to support a pro-freedom message.

"I just quit," Sara, 19, said of marijuana use that ended two months
ago. "But I don't understand why alcohol can be legal, whereas bud can't."