Pubdate: Tue, 04 Apr 2017
Source: Metro (Winnipeg, CN MB)
Copyright: 2017 Free Daily News Group Inc.
Contact:  http://www.metronews.ca/winnipeg
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5322
Author: Jessica Botelho-Urbanski
Page: 3

ACTIVIST IN TOWN TO TALK POT

Dana Larsen and his group on tour giving out seeds

The man who's helped ship millions of cannabis seeds across the
country for the last couple years is visiting Winnipeg Monday to drop
off tens of thousands more.

B.C.-based cannabis advocate Dana Larsen, 45, is touring cross-country
with his group Overgrow Canada, which aims to hand out five million
cannabis seeds this year.

In 2016, they spread 2.5 million seeds, encouraging Canadians to plant
cannabis in public places like parks to "normalize the cultivation" of
the plant, Larsen said in an interview Monday.

On Overgrow Canada's Facebook page, hundreds of photos submitted show
pot plants growing in public spaces, such as parks or boulevards, and
in peoples' private homes.

"That to me is real legalization. It doesn't really matter what
Trudeau does after that. If cannabis is growing openly from coast to
coast and nobody is enforcing that law, then we've won," he said.

In Winnipeg, Larsen will speak at the Gwen Secter Creative Living
Centre (1588 Main St.) at 7 p.m. Monday about "the hidden history of
cannabis in Canada," how to open dispensaries and what's coming down
the pipe for marijuana legalization.

"I don't believe legalization is coming next year at all… I think it's
going to be coming eventually, probably after the next election or
longer," he said.

Larsen believes public pressure it's what's spurring the federal
government into legalizing pot and "the dispensary movement is winning
by and large across the country."

"Politicians aren't promising to legalize because they believe
prohibition is wrong or they believe cannabis is good, or any of those
kinds of ideas. They're trying to call for legalization because
they've lost control over cannabis prohibition," Larsen said.

Every person who attends Larsen's talks can take home at least 100
cannabis seeds, he said. So come next spring, Winnipeg could look much
more green.

"If you see pot plants growing around Winnipeg or anywhere else, the
odds are I had something to do with it," Larsen said.
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