Pubdate: 17 Sept 97 Source: The Saint Paul Pioneer Press Contact: Fax: 6122285564 Civics lesson at Capitol: Marijuana still illegal ROBERT F. MOORE STAFF WRITER Fifteen people who told police they thought it was legal to smoke marijuana for a day were among 21 arrested in front of the Capitol during a weekend rally promoting legalization of the drug, the State Patrol said. State Patrol Capt. Patrick Chase was not persuaded by their story, however. ``It was shocking that some of them actually believed that,'' Chase said. ``It's an insult to the community right where we make the laws.'' Chris Wright, a member of the board of directors of the Grassroots Party, which sponsored the rally on Saturday afternoon, called those who thought they could legally smoke marijuana there ``misinformed.'' ``We've never advocated breaking the law,'' Wright said. ``We've told people that if they choose to engage in civil disobedience by smoking marijuana they could be arrested.'' All of those cited at the rally were taken away from the scene by officers. Not all were detained in jail, however. Citations issued at the rally included 15 for possession of marijuana and 11 for possession of narcotic paraphernalia. Thirty total offenses were spread among the 21 people arrested, including five juveniles arrested for underage drinking, according to the patrol. It was the largest number of arrests in the history of the event. Most arrests occurred between noon and 5 p.m. Chase said the patrol tried to block the issuance of a permit for the rally last year but backed off after organizers filed a lawsuit claiming a ban would be unconstitutional. Since then, officials have heard complaints from parents and teachers about alleged nudity, lewd behavior and public use of marijuana at the rally. Chase said the patrol didn't release details to the public until Tuesday because no one in the agency's communications office was available over the weekend and the matter was overlooked on Monday. The Grassroots Party, formed in 1986, has three candidates on the ballot in the Minneapolis general election, running for positions on the school board, park board and library board. Michael Samuelson, who said his curiosity drew him to the rally at around 3 p.m., said the event seemed relatively quiet. ``I heard a band and just wanted to see what was going on,'' he said. ``I saw the troopers, but didn't observe anyone smoking pot. But, if anyone was dumb enough to smoke in front of the Capitol, they probably got what they deserved.''