Pubdate: Tue, 10 Apr 2012
Source: Jerusalem Post (Israel)
Copyright: 2012 The Jerusalem Post
Contact: http://info.jpost.com/C002/Services/Feedback/editors.html
Website: http://www.jpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/516
Author: Yaakov Lappin

CANNABIS ACTIVISTS CHALLENGE BAN ON 'SMOKING RALLY'

Israel Police say Marijuana Day rally where people publicly smoke 
cannabis will nor be tolerated in Tel Aviv.

Israeli cannabis activists have legally challenged a police ban on a 
Marijuana Day rally, in which people publicly smoke the substance in 
protest of its illegal status every year.

But the Israel Police notified the activists that any such rally in 
Tel Aviv would not be tolerated, and refused to authorize the event, 
saying it constitutes a blatant violation of the law.

The activists, represented by the Dor Emet (Truth Generation) 
interest group, placed a High court appeal against the decision.

The High Court has asked the police to explain its decision within 
two weeks, before coming to a final decision on the case, a Dor Emet 
statement released on Tuesday said.

The appeal, led by attorney Dekel David Ozer, is based on "freedom of 
expression," and is aimed to protect an event which presents "no 
danger to public order," the organization added.

Ozer said many works of research showed that smoking cannabis not 
only does not cause health or social harm, but that, compared to 
legal drugs like nicotine in cigarettes and alcohol, it often acts as 
a healing agent.

Ozer said the appeal is also aimed at challenging the criminalization 
of "Israelis who use cannabis, or to be more accurate, the 
unrestrained pursuit of a entire public which is quiet and law abiding."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom