WE STAND FOR MORE THAN DRUGS

Can voters take seriously a political party that has as its main election
symbol a big, green marijuanaleaf?

If you believe in personal freedom and tolerance, you should, say the
Richmond candidates for the B.C. Marijuana Party.

"People have to get past the marijuana symbol," said Gordon Mathias,
running in Richmond-Steveston.

Running on a campaign theme of "choices, options, tolerance," this year's
crop of marijuana party candidates is hoping to open up discussion on
important issues they say more traditional governments aren't willing to
discuss.

"It's an education issue. We have no fantasies that we are going to win
here," said John Shavluk, candidate for Richmond East.

Not surprisingly, decriminalizing pot is at the top of the agenda.

"I strongly believe marijuana should be legalized," said Richmond Centre
candidate Alice Kan-Halford.

Smoking marijuana is a personal choice, the would-be politicians said -
government should not have a say in what you put in your body.

Criminalizing pot smokers is a waste of police time and taxpayers' money,
they said.

"We aren't criminals," said Mathias.

Besides, said Shavluk, the laws don't work: much like Prohibition failed in
the 1920s as people continued to drink alcohol, more and more people today
are turning to pot even though government says no.

Making pot illegal also denies sick people the right to use the drug as a
legitimate medicine, he said.

"We're persecuted for using alternative forms of medication," Shavluk said.

In general, the party tackles a wide-range of topics on its platform,
mainly as they relate to its stated purpose of "reversing the trend of
government control over our lives."

Kan-Halford said the public reaction to her party's platform has been
mixed. In pre-election campaigning, she said, "Some people were horrified
and appalled (by the party message). Some people were nice."

Of those who express interest, she said, there is no one type of person:
supporters vary in age, economic status and ethnicity.

"It was a wide-range of people," she said.