Pubdate: Fri, 10 Sep 2004
Source: North Shore Sunday (Beverly, MA)
Copyright: 2004 Community Newspapers Inc.
Contact:  http://www.northshoresunday.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3465
Author: Joel  Beck
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/steve+epstein

RALLY FORTH

Steve Epstein  doesn't expect any major hang-ups between now and next
weekend's annual Freedom  Rally. By now, Epstein is confident that his
mass meeting to generate support  for the legalization of marijuana
can pretty much run on automatic pilot.

Even under the influence of marijuana.

"After 15 years, it sort of runs itself,"  says Epstein, a Georgetown
lawyer who is a longtime advocate for the reformation  of marijuana
reform laws. "There are some young folks who have become pretty
active over the past five or six years. This old man isn't doing too
much heavy  lifting anymore."

Which may be true, but Epstein says he still  has plenty of work
ahead of him in trying to convince local lawmakers to rethink  the
state's current marijuana policies.

This November, voters in the 2nd Essex Senate  District and the 3rd
Essex and Middlesex Senate District will have their chance  to chime
in on a non-binding question that will appear on the ballot, asking
whether their legislators should introduce legislation to
decriminalize  marijuana possession, making it like a traffic ticket
("Waiting to inhale,"  Sunday, Aug. 15).

Similar ballot initiatives were passed in  Massachusetts districts in
2000 and 2002, but as of yet, few legislators have  stepped up to
support it. When asked if marijuana reform could ever be a reality  if
lawmakers have generally already made up their minds that pot-smoking
is  dangerous, Epstein says he remains hopeful.

"I don't know that that's the case," he says.  "I expect there will
be some positive feedback from it."

In the meantime, Epstein will carry on with  his Freedom Rally, which
will take place on the Boston Common on Saturday, Sept.  18.

Epstein says this year's theme - "Roll the  Vote: Please Tax Us" - pleads
with lawmakers to decriminalize marijuana and tax  it, thus creating a new
and
significant revenue stream in the state.

"The theme isn't extremely different from  previous years," says
Epstein. "It's the same message that this is pretty much  fiscal
insanity. It's not just at all."
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin