Pubdate: Sun, 08 Jan 2006
Source: Kelowna Capital News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006, West Partners Publishing Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.kelownacapnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1294
Author: Fred Mallach
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hr.htm (Harm Reduction)

AWAY FROM THE 'PLAYBOOK'

To the editor:

Most politicians want to get through to Jan. 23 without having to 
comment on anything controversial. Anything outside the playbook of 
Paul Martin's B.C. Team or Jack Layton's B.C. Team is to be avoided.

Why has our election process become so unpalatable? It's something I 
call "cookie cutter candidates." If you use the same old recipe, and 
the same old ingredients, you get the same old results.

Canadians are looking for a change. That is why I am running for the 
Marijuana Party in Victoria. One of my goals is to bring the issue of 
legalization of marijuana into the debates. In B.C. the marijuana 
business is $7 billion a year. I want to legalize marijuana, regulate 
it, tax it and use the money to support housing, education, detox 
facilities, safe-consumption sites and other harm reduction programs.

By running for the Marijuana Party and not the other parties that 
have talked about it I will be able to focus attention on this issue 
without having to follow a playbook. If I were to follow one it would 
be the recently released Health Officers Council of British 
Columbia's discussion paper that was published this fall. It calls 
for the legalization of marijuana.

By moving substance use from a criminal paradigm to a medical 
paradigm we will all benefit.

Fred Mallach, Marijuana Party candidate

Victoria 
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman