Pubdate: Fri, 29 Dec 2000
Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)
Copyright: 2000, The Globe and Mail Company
Contact:  http://www.globeandmail.ca/
Forum: http://forums.theglobeandmail.com/
Author: Caroline Alphonso

MARIJUANA PARTY READIES FOR B.C. ELECTION

Vancouver - Riding high from its surprising success in the recent federal
election, the Marijuana Party will announce its B.C. leader in January, and
discuss its platform for entering provincial politics.

"We need a provincial government on our side," said Brian Taylor, who will
be the leader for the election, which must be held by spring. Mr. Taylor was
mayor of Grand Forks, B.C., from 1997 to 1999. The party's platform calls
for, among other things, the legalization of marijuana, prescription of
heroin for addicts, increased Charter protections and restrictions on police
power.

The party polled 65,000 votes in November's federal election.

Running for the first time in a B.C. election, the party is expecting to
field candidates in each of the provinces 79 ridings. It has about 30
candidates so far.

Mr. Taylor, who runs the Cannabis Research Institute in Grand Forks, said
that while many Canadians support the use of marijuana for therapeutic
purposes, both the provincial and federal governments are dragging their
feet on legalizing the drug.

David Malmo-Levine, who lost in the federal election and is now planning to
run provincially in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside riding, said the Marijuana
Party is looking to educate people on the benefits of using the "herb" and,
at the same time, of legalizing a drug that can be used for medicinal
purposes.

Earlier this month, the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench gave a Calgary man,
suffering from a chronic nervous-system disease, the right to grow marijuana
for his own use.

"We just want the same rights and freedoms as caffeine users," Mr.
Malmo-Levine, 29, said.

While the marijuana missionaries ran on a single issue in the federal
election, this time they plan to tackle all provincial topics, from health
care to education.

This will be the first time candidates for the Marijuana Party, under its
new name, will run in a provincial election.

Marc-Boris St-Maurice's provincial party, Bloc Pot, had a platform similar
to that of the Marijuana Party when it garnered 10,000 votes in Quebec's
provincial election two years ago. Mr. St-Maurice was subsequently arrested
for selling marijuana at Montreal's Compassion Club, where the drug is sold
to those who bring a note from a doctor. His case will be heard next month.

Mr. St-Maurice, the federal leader of the Marijuana Party, said "offshoots"
of the national party help get the issue of decriminalizing cannabis to the
forefront. (Marijuana parties are beginning to spring up in other provinces,
such as Alberta and Saskatchewan.)

"There might be a faster way of acceptance than going through the federal
government," said Mr. St-Maurice, who placed fourth in his downtown Montreal
constituency.

B.C. could be an ideal setting for the Marijuana Party because there is more
tolerance and visibility of cannabis in the province, he said. "We may be
surprised at the polls."
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