From the Santa Cruz Sentinel

Thank you, WAMM

The 2002 federal raid on the headquarters of the Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana in Santa Cruz has faded into the background, but it won't stay there for long, if HOWARD DOVER has any say in the matter.

Dover, a native Canadian who is now a Los Angeles standup comic, will perform in Santa Cruz for the second time in a benefit show for WAMM. Dover has invited a number of other comics to appear with him, including ROB BRACKENRIDGE and ROBERT HAWKINS , as well as folksinger DIANE PATTERSON , all to raise awareness and funds for WAMM's ongoing legal defense.

Curiously, Dover had no connections to WAMM, or Santa Cruz, other than overt admiration for the group's mission. "I read a story about it in the paper and I've been following it closely ever since."

Dover — who calls himself a "medical-marijuana comic activist" and calls WAMM's VALERIE CORRAL "as close to a living angel as I know" — put together the first event last March.

He's been organizing medical-marijuana benefit events in L.A., events that have attracted big-name celebrities like BILL MAHER and DOUG STANHOPE .

But his own material, he says, only touches on medical marijuana. He also delves into other more prosaic comic subjects, which serves him well when he performs in front of crowds a bit less sympathetic to the medical-marijuana issue than Santa Cruz, such as military bases and security industry conventions.

Howard Dover's show, called "High Hopes," takes place on Sunday, Oscar night, and he is hoping that people will get tired of the Oscars' length and make it out to the show at 8 p.m at Moe's Alley in Santa Cruz. Tickets are $10.