Pubdate: Sat, 20 May 2000 Source: MetroWest Daily News (MA) Copyright: 1999, Community Newspaper Company Address: 33 New York Avenue, Framingham, MA 01701 Fax: (508) 626-3885 Feedback: http://www.townonline.com/metrowest/misc/forms/metrolet.html Website: http://www.townonline.com/metrowest/ Author: Kim Hanna Cited: NORML: http://www.norml.org/ DEFENDING MARIJUANA RALLY I object to Tony Siciliano's letter of May 17, "Pathetic pro-marijuana rally," and his deriding the National Organization for the Reform of the Marijuana Laws (www.norml.org). Our own state has adopted policies regarding marijuana that were proposed by NORML. The state medical marijuana research program was signed into law years ago by Governor Weld, at the behest of local NORML members. About 30 other states have adopted NORML polices on medical marijuana and last fall over 60 percent of Maine voters went for a new law allowing marijuana as medicine, on a doctor's advice. Maine also allows growing marijuana to get the herbal remedy on a doctor's advice. Six other states have similar laws to Maine's and Hawaii's legislature just passed a law close to Maine's. Mr. Siciliano may be surprised to learn that the Boston chapter of NORML gets 50,000 people to attend their fall marijuana rally on the Boston Common. A low turnout at a marijuana rally may reflect the citizens' fear of the government, since almost 700,000 people were arrested for marijuana last year. People are afraid their families will be attacked by the police or people like Mr. Siciliano. Kim Hanna, Framingham - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake