Pubdate: Thu, 23 Nov 2000
Source: Nelson Daily News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2000 Nelson Daily News
Contact:  http://www.nelsondailynews.com/
Author: Bob Hall
Cited: Marijuana Party http://marijuanaparty.org/

POT PARTY LEADER VISITS HERITAGE CITY

The leader of a national party stopped into Nelson on a campaign tour
yesterday, but few noticed.

It may have lacked the fanfare of a stop by the likes of Jean
Chretien, Stockwell Day or Joe Clark, but federal Marijuana Party
leader Marc-Boris St-Maurice touched down in the Kootenays because he
felt it was important to lend support to local candidate Dan Loehndorf.

"I think it is important that I go to where our support is high," said
St-Maurice.  "I think the sensible and level-headed approach that
Dan's had in his campaign is one of the models of what the candidates
should be doing out there.  He has had a very balanced approach and I
wish all the candidates were as accurate as Dan."

St-Maurice was on a tour of the West when he heard about the
controversy surrounding the administration of L.V. Rogers High School
not allowing Loehndorf to participate in an all-candidates meeting.
To help Loehndorf get the message out while the issue was hot,
St-Maurice re-routed his tour and drove to Nelson Wednesday.

"These students who have been denied the chance to hear what Dan has
to say are just going to want to hear it twice as much," St-Maurice
said about the candidates meeting which was ultimately cancelled.  "I
think this will create more of a desire to fight for the legalization
so they have actually created future voters and and even future
candidates."

St-Maurice started the Marijuana Party in Quebec earlier this year.
The 31-year-old musician said the impetus for the creation for a
national party began 10 years ago when he was arrested for simple
possession of pot.  He became a marijuana activist and late last year
decided to take his activism to a new level.

"I realized that there were so many activists out there living in
isolation in their own towns and I wanted to unite them," he said.
"The political party formula was a natural one for which we didn't
have to re-invent the wheel."

St-Maurice ran in this past summer's by-election against Canadian
Alliance leader stockwell DAy in the Okanagan.  This time he is back
in his native Quebec and running against Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles
Duceppe.

As for the long-term viability of his party, St-Maurice said he will
continue to lobby government at the election level until the laws
regarding marijuana are changed.

"There will be a Marijuana Party until such time that the product is
legalized and once that is done we will cease to have a reason to
exist," said St-Maurice.

"Prohibition is keeping us in business, the more they arrest people
the more angry militants we have.  But, we hope to be out of business
as soon as possible."

As for Election 2000.  St-Maurice said regardless of the outcome on
Monday his fledgling party has successfully made a statement.

"I think the most important message is that marijuana advocates are
not too stoned to find their shoes.  They are actually smart, bright,
motivated, resourceful people that are angry and willing to do
something about it," said St-Maurice.  "Our very existence is doing a
lot to undo the myth that pot smoking turns you into a loser."
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