Pubdate: Wed, 09 May 2001
Source: Morning Star, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2001 The Morning Star
Contact:  http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1352
Author: Tim Fitzgerald

PARTY PUSHES FOR ACCEPTANCE

Touring the province in a bus once used by U.S. president Ronald Reagan and 
wrestling legend and Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura, the B.C. Marijuana 
Party hopes some of its good luck will rub off.

Party leader Brian Taylor and a small entourage made a pit stop in Vernon 
Saturday before they made their way to Kamloops for the Million Marijuana 
March.

"It seems ironic that we are on a bus used by Ronald Reagan, since the 
whole darn war on drugs seem to escalate with him about 20 years ago," said 
Taylor, the former mayor of Grand Forks from 1997 to 1999.

"Now here we are 20 years later trying to correct his mistake."

The party's platform is to take marijuana off the criminal record books and 
turn it into a industry in the province.

Taylor said while the party has been making ground at a grass-roots level 
he feels they have been unfairly treated during the election. Taylor said 
he is upset with some comments made in public by a Vancouver RCMP officer 
who said it was "irresponsible" to run under the Marijuana banner.

The party leader is also upset that they were left out of the leaders 
debate and the fact that they are not mentioned when polls are conducted on 
voters preference.

"Being excluded was a major blow. We felt we've moved to the mainstream."

Taylor points to the jump in the polls by the Green party after the last 
leaders debate.

"That's the type of exposure we need, and deserve."

Taylor said he assumes they are excluded by the mainstream because of a 
fear of the "sky is falling" scenario if they were given more exposure.

"Everyone fears a collapse of society if pot were decriminalized. But 
everywhere it's happened, youth consumption rates have dropped substantially."

While the party tries to move to gain legitimacy with the public, Taylor 
said there is the distinct possibility his party could win a couple of seats.

He said tight races in the Sunshine Coast and the Kootenays, where the vote 
could be split, could open the door for the party to come up the middle.

"If everyone who ever tried marijuana voted for us, we'd get 40 per cent of 
the vote. We're just trying to reduce hypocrisy by 40 per cent in B.C."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom