Pubdate: Wed, 13 Jun 2001 Source: Grand Forks Gazette (CN BC) Copyright: 2001 Sterling Newspapers Contact: http://www.sterlingnews.com/Forks Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/525 Author: Michael Chouinard Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjparty.htm (Canadian Marijuana Party) MARIJUANA PARTY LEADERSHIP IN HAZE Brian Taylor has handed over the reins as the leader of the B.C. Marijuana Party, though at this point there's no one around to grab them. From his home in Grand Forks, he told the Gazette last week that he was not happy with the direction party president Marc Emery wants to take the group. Taylor's resignation was effective as of June 6. One of the main sticking points is Emery's wish to set up a chain of compassion clubs throughout the province using the party as a vehicle, even without the legal avenue to do so. Taylor also said Emery was running the party in an authoritarian manner, though he concedes that the president has done the majority of the legwork and provided the money to get the party off the ground. Taylor's view is that the party should work on medicinal marijuana issues within the legislative system, as opposed to the court system. He points to the support from voters as evidence of this. "They voted for a different way of doing government," he said. When asked about his own history of civil disobedience, such as his unauthorized growing of hemp, Taylor responded that this action he took simply on his own behalf, not on the behalf of a group such as a political party. As it stands, Emery plans to open up a half dozen locations handling the distribution of medicinal marijuana by the fall. By the end of 2002, he is hoping to have at least 25 established. "The party's job is to legalize marijuana in any way possible," he said Friday afternoon. "It's certainly consistent with our mandate." The party president says there are no plans to replace Taylor as leader for the meantime, as the party's time will be spent on setting up the clubs, although Emery did leave open the possibility of Taylor returning to the fold. "Brian would always be welcome back," he said. At this point Taylor appears headed in a different direction, as he and some 15 to 20 other Marijuana candidates have plans to establish a new party in the near future with a platform similar to the B.C. Marijuana Party's. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh Sutcliffe