Longtime Marijuana Activist Dana Beal Arrested In California's Emerald Triangle

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - A long-time marijuana activist whose activities date to the 1960s counter-culture has been arrested in California toting what authorities say was 22 pounds of illegal marijuana.

Trinity County prosecutors said Wednesday that 70-year-old Irvin Dana Beal of New York and 51-year-old James Statzer of Michigan were arrested Saturday after their rental car was spotted weaving and driving well below the speed limit.

A dog smelled marijuana and the pair was busted along a well-traveled highway in California's famed Emerald Triangle area, known for its high-grade pot.

Recreational sales of marijuana become legal in California on Jan. 1, but it's still illegal to transport large quantities of the drug.

Both men are pleading not guilty. Their attorney, Tom Ballanco, says Beal has been promoting marijuana's medical benefits for decades.