MARIJUANA CHARGE HITS PROP. 215 CO-AUTHOR

SAN FRANCISCO -- A man who helped draft California's Proposition 215, which
allows certain patients to posses marijuana, was arrested by police last
week in Cedar City, Utah, for smoking a joint in his motel room.

Dennis Peron is facing a felony charge of possessing marijuana for
distribution.

Peron said he and fellow Bay Area marijuana activist John Entwistle had
been heading for Zion National Park with a friend Nov. 14 and decided to
sample the marijuana they brought along.

A maid picked up the scent in the hall, and the motel owner called police.
Officers searched the room and found nearly a pound of marijuana and
concluded the three were dealers.

Peron said it was only a few ounces, to be used for medical purposes as
allowed by Prop. 215. He and Entwistle both have doctors' recommendations
to take marijuana as part of their therapy for alcoholism, he said.

Police impounded the cars and all their cash. The cars were returned, but
prosecutor Scott Burns said the money would be held as evidence until the
end of the case.