Pubdate: Thu, 22 Jan 2004
Source: Echo Weekly (CN ON)
Copyright: (c) 2004 Echo Weekly
Contact  9 King Street E, Kitchener, Ontario N2G 2K4
Fax: (519) 743-7491
Feedback: http://www.echoweekly.com/feedback.php
Author: Matt Mernagh
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/Marc+Emery

NEW GROWTH FOR NDP

Jack Layton Cultivates Support From The Stoners

Canada's cannabis prince has fallen in love.

The Prince of Pot, Marc Emery, marijuana philanthropist, publisher of
Cannabis Culture, producer of Pot-TV and owner of Marc Emery Seeds
Direct, is smitten with NDP leader Jack Layton. In an effort to pick
up left wing fringe groups Layton appeared on internet network's
Pot-TV and agreed to Emery's, the Marijuana Party's and the cannabis
community's peace terms in the War on Drugs.

Layton went further than just joking about inhaling or eating pot
brownies, he outright appealed to the stoner community by promising
cafes, personal grow-ops, no jail time and no fines or harassment by
The Man if he is elected Prime Minister. Layton spoke about
legalization of marijuana; this is the furthest any reputable
candidate in Canada has ever dared to go.

Compare this to the Liberal's so-called decrim bill that heavily fines
possessors, slams growers and dealers with double the current
sentencing terms, along with forcing judges to hand-out mandatory
minimums. The Liberal's are truly wagging the dog with this piece of
cooked up in Washington legislation (anyone who thinks otherwise
should contact me about this pound of Mexican schwag I'm looking to
sell at BC Bud prices).

"I grew up in the '60s," Layton confessed during the 18 minute video
that is making old school NDPers a little nervous. Their leader
lovingly referred to the herb as "this wonderful substance," during
the segment. The party hasn't dealt completely with their leader's
views on grass and currently they don't have the platform he outlined
in their election plank, though Layton's personal election material
does highlight his progressive view on marijuana.

Emery admits, "Jack Layton's comments took them all by surprise. He's
a smart leader. He has dared the party to contradict him in public,
which they won't do. They know that statement is the future. That's
where the votes are. They know the young disenfranchised...are the
people that they need to bring in to add strength to their other
issues. The NDP is pretty entrenched and they don't like change too
quickly. Layton just dragged them all along."

There's no way the NDP or Layton can back down at a later point from
their legal weed stance. Layton not only openly and intelligently
discussed ganja on the program, but after his appearance he also did
Pot-TV station I.D.'s: "You're watching Pot-TV, I'm Jack Layton leader
of the New Democratic Party..." which have been running randomly on all
their programs. The only way Paul Martin is going to cut into the
stoner vote is if he introduces a Cypress Hill video on MuchMusic at
4:20.

There's also a banner ad on Pot-TV encouraging everyone to join the
party. A new site, NDPot.ca, has sprung up promoting the message of
peace: "We must support a party that talks the talk and can get MPs
elected to parliament, and we must involve ourselves at the convention
level to introduce motions to further entrench anti-prohibition policy
in this party."

This website is mostly made up of former Marijuana Party members who
have opted to pool their resources to assist NDP candidates in getting
elected. Their size has given them quick and impressive clout in the
NDP West Coast ranks. Emery, the sugar daddy of the Marijuana Party,
has opted to fold the party in English Canada, telling its members to
change their green hemp wardrobe for NDP orange.

The Marijuana Party will most likely run candidates in Quebec, where
the NDP doesn't have any base whatsoever.

The old time NDPers are still suffering from the shock and awe of the
enthusiastic Marijuana Party members signing up to join their ranks in
droves. "Over 1,000 people have given them $10 in the first several
weeks of our campaign," states Emery.

With an election looming, Layton can use the grassroots support of
stoners and, specifically, their Prince of Pot, who is actively
encouraging all his readers and viewers to get the vote out.

Emery gives props to Layton for going after the disenfranchised three-
million-strong pot toking vote. "He made a smart move and he's
building a national base. We have a huge number of people who are used
to showing up to rallies and we were looking for someone to vote for.
I think this has been very effective in English Canada. We'll be
working with the NDP now. We're pretty united on that front."

Emery concedes the only problem is that one in ten people under the
age of 25 vote, compared to eight in ten among seniors. There is a
serious need, not just in the marijuana community, but among all young
people, to get the vote out.

He tells me, "The important thing though, is that young people are
surprisingly -- let's not use the word ignorant -- but uninformed about
the political apparatus. I meet people all the time who ask me about
the NDP, who don't understand the structure of our government. In all
likelihood, people under 25 or even 30 have never voted before. They
have no idea how to do it. And what happens when they do do it? The
thing is for them to be excited about voting. I'm saying get involved.
We're going to try and influence the 2004 election. We have a
candidate that has expressed the full legalization [of marijuana]. We
would never support a compromise candidate. We're very excited."

Cannabis Leafs and MPs

The Prince of Pot is almost giddy with the prospect of Cannabis
Culture editor Dana Larsen carrying the NDP flag in the West
Vancouver-Sunshine Coast riding. Larsen commanded a decent three per
cent of the vote when he ran as a Marijuana Party candidate in this
riding where grass is a major issue.

"Dana Larsen is a very credible candidate," Emery says. "It'll be a
tight race between the Conservatives and Liberals, and Dana might win
as a consequence. Before it was a lock for the Liberals in a lot of
ridings, but now it's not certain anymore. [Paul] Martin makes people
nervous."

Closer to home, med-pot activist Alison Myrden is seeking the NDP
nomination in her Burlington riding. A long time closet NDP supporter,
Myrden is not only expected to hammer home the medical marijuana issue
that she has been so passionately involved in, but also plans on
highlighting traditional NDP issues such as a healthy environment and
affordable housing. Myrden has a wonderful demeanor and claims,
singing, "I'm Wonder Woman."

The NDP has been very supportive of this outspoken, intelligent and
determined woman. They've assisted her in getting her nomination
paperwork together and she intends to submit it within weeks.

"I'm en route and they know well that I'm coming," she told ECHO
recently. "They're helping me through this because I've never done
this before. This is totally new for me." Eloquently expressing her
point of view is nothing foreign to her. Myrden is a media darling who
believes that she would be an excellent representative.

"I can do anything that I put my little heart to," she insists. "Just
ask anyone that knows me.

In a nutshell, marijuana is not my sole issue. Marijuana is my biggest
issue right now because I have a really bad pain in my face 24-7 that
is called Tic Douloureux. I have issues with the environment and about
using non-toxic products in your homes. I haven't had a raise on
disability in over ten years. That's a crying shame. My point is that
people on disability don't get raises and that is an issue for me.
Because I'm single I want a home that is affordable for me. I can't
pay outlandish prices because I am disabled and I am single. There
have to be houses made available to us. That's the bottom line."

Financing for Myrden's and Larsen's campaign is expected to come from
Emery, who is not only publicly professing his love for Layton, but
trying to back his words up with cold hard cash. "Marc pays for a lot
of things for me," Myrden says about the Emery cash. "He finances all
my lawsuits. He is a very dear friend. He even gave me money to attend
a medical marijuana conference outside of Montreal. He has footed the
bill for a lot of things."

The Prince of Pot has wanted to give the NDP oodles of cash to
continue to promote the pro-marijuana message. The only problem is
that the NDP have turned down his offers. "They are the only person or
group that has turned down my money," he says. "The NDP head office
wouldn't take my money. I offered them $5,000 with more to come, but
they wouldn't take it. They didn't think it would look right."

Unlike the Liberals, who may or may not have used illicit drug money
to finance a huge increase in their British Columbia membership,
Emery's cash is completely legit.

"I pay shockingly high income tax [about $12,000 a month]. I can give
to political organizations. I told them, 'You know I pay more in taxes
than anyone who has given you money this year. I assure you. This
money is totally clean. I pay taxes on every dime I give you.' But
they wouldn't take the money. It must be nice. I've never met a
political organization that has turned down money. We must still make
them nervous."

The marriage of the stoner community with the NDP couldn't have come
at a better time. Both need each other. Layton could use the momentum
that youth bring to an election to prop up the aging party just before
the election. And with the litigation strategy handed a 6-3 loss at
the Supreme Court the only way Mary Jane is going to be as legal as
alcohol is by electing the NDP. Emery says: "We went to the courts and
they're pretty much done. So now we're re-doubling our efforts in the
political realm. In the long-term it might prove to be more fruitful
to have political allies. Now that we've been told by the courts that
politics is our only avenue, then politics it is."
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MAP posted-by: Derek