Pubdate: Fri, 11 May 2001
Source: Nelson Daily News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2001 Nelson Daily News
Contact:  http://www.nelsondailynews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/288
Author: Bob Hall
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjparty.htm (Canadian Marijuana Party)

MARIJUANA PARTY CANDIDATE SAYS POLICE OVERREACTING

Sign Incident Involved Lime Not Lye

The local B.C. Marijuana Party candidate says police were too quick 
to criticize his party and overly harsh with comments regarding 
action taken by an enthusiastic supporter Wednesday afternoon.

Just before 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nelson City Police caught up with a 
57-year-old Thrums man who had carved "Vote Marijuana" on two public 
property Nelson hillsides.  Police told the Daily News Wednesday that 
the substance used to "burn through" the grass was lye, a corrosive 
and hazardous chemical.  After further investigation - and after the 
story appeared in Thursday's NDN - it was discovered that the 
substance was actually harmless lime.

"I think that they should have tested the substance before they went 
to the press with assumptions about what the substance was," said 
Nelson-Creston B.C. Marijuana Party candidate Dan Loehndorf.  "I 
think their assumption that the substance was a corrosive and harmful 
substance is indicative of their prejudices against both marijuana 
and the Marijuana Party, I think they used the rhetoric of a harmful 
substance to both misrepresent the Marijuana Party's environmental 
policy and to unduly endorse other political parties in a public 
forum."

In Thursday's story, NCP Sgt. Henry Paivarinta told the Daily News; 
"Everybody has a right to come in and try and gain support for their 
party, but you are not going to see that type of damage or disrespect 
for the environment handed out by the Liberal Party, the NDP or the 
Green Party."

Though Paivarinta discovered that the chemical was lime early 
Thursday morning and called the newspaper with information, the paper 
had been printed.

When told of Loehndorf's concerns about police taking a political 
stance against the B.C. Marijuana Party, Paivarinta said that was 
"absolutely not" the case.  He added the fact the culprit who made 
the signs actually dug out dirt on the hillside still concerns police 
and they are continuing the investigation.

Loehndorf knew about the man's plan to make a statement on public 
property, however, did not realize he planned on digging up the dirt. 
Though he doesn't fully endorse what the supporter did, Loehndorf 
said the police are overreacting.

"I was under the impression that it would be something that would 
simply wash away in the rain," Loehndorf said.  "Lime is a harmless 
substance that is used in gardens and on soccer fields to mark lines, 
it's a far cry from the corrosive substance that the police claimed 
we used.  I'm surprised they didn't say that we put cocaine up on the 
hill."

If police continue to have concerns, Loehndorf said he will do 
everything he can to repair the damage.

"The grass will grow back.  It's not like spray paint on the side of 
a building or an act of vandalism that is lasting," he said.  "It's 
just a playful sign that will naturally erase itself from the 
landscape.  If there is concern about the sign by the police I invite 
them to call me and I will gladly re-seed those areas myself. 
Considering the environmental impact all the plastic and wood that 
goes into political signs all over the district, compared to that 
this sign is far more environmentally friendly."
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MAP posted-by: Josh Sutcliffe