THOUSAND GATHER TO SUPPORT LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA

PRAGUE, Czech Republic - About 1,000 people gathered Saturday in a central
Prague park to support the legalization of marijuana.

Michal Polak, spokesman for the rally's organizers, said they sought a
change in Czech legislation that would put marijuana on a par with alcohol
and tobacco. Now, illegal possession and distribution of narcotics is
punishable by up to 15 years in jail.

Polak said the rally participants did not want to encourage people to
consume or distribute drugs, but were expressing criticism of the Czech
penal code, which does not distinguish between hard and so-called "soft" drugs.

"To grow the plant should not be prohibited by law," Polak said.

In 2000, an estimated 25 tons of cannabis was consumed in the Czech
Republic, according to an estimate by the national Statistical Institute.

Similar gatherings took place in two other Czech cities, Plzen and Brno,
Polak said.