PROFESSOR TAKES PART IN SMOKEOUT

A 65-year-old Penn State professor said he smoked his first marijuana joint
Thursday -- right on College Avenue and in front of Penn State police
officers.

Julian Heicklen, a chemistry professor, attracted a crowd of about 50
students and Centre County residents holding "Marijuana Smokeout" signs as
he reclined in a lounge chair in front of the university gates at College
Avenue and South Allen Street.

"I'm not doing it for the marijuana, I'm doing it because we have a right
to make free choices," said Heicklen, a member of Centre County's
Libertarian Party.

Although Heicklen was prepared to be arrested -- he said he had $1,500 with
him just in case -- he was not.

Police responded to an anonymous call at 12:17 p.m., but said they had no
probable cause to arrest him.

Stewart Neff, a campus police officer, said Heicklen was not arrested
because police didn't believe he was really smoking marijuana.

"There was no evidence that it was a marijuana cigarette," Neff said.
"Marijuana gives off a distinct odor, and we did not detect that odor."

Heicklen refused to answer any police questions about his hour-long protest.

"The real cause I believe in is freedom. I think we're putting too many
people in jail for using drugs," he said. "The dumbest thing in the world
is to arrest people for using a vegetable."

Heicklen said he would return to College Avenue at the same time in two
weeks to demonstrate again.