Pubdate: Sat, 23 Apr 2005 Source: Houston Chronicle (TX) Copyright: 2005 Houston Chronicle Publishing Company Division, Hearst Newspaper Contact: http://www.chron.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/198 Author: Allan Turner Cited: Houston NORML http://www.houstonnorml.org/ Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/Ed+Rosenthal Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal) ROSENTHAL TO BE GUEST SPEAKER AT NORML FESTIVAL Ed Rosenthal, the high priest of California's medical marijuana movement, will be the featured speaker Saturday at Houston 420 Fest, an evening of music and political advocacy sponsored by the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Rosenthal, author of more than 12 books on the use and cultivation of medical marijuana, gained national attention two years ago when he was convicted of a federal charge for growing the drug for medical use in California. His prosecution came after the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously found the state's Proposition 215, which provided for such use of the drug, unconstitutional. Rosenthal's lawyers contended that he had acted legally under a local medical marijuana law in Oakland, Calif. In June 2003, a federal judge sentenced him to one day in prison, fined him $1,000 and placed him under court supervision for three years. Saturday's event, which will begin at 4:30 p.m. at the Last Concert Cafe, 1403 Nance, also will feature performances by eight local bands, said 420 Fest spokesman Dean Becker, who hosts a weekly pro-marijuana program on KPFT-FM. Rosenthal is scheduled to speak at 6 p.m. Saturday's festival marks the closing segment of the annual three-day event. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake