MARIJUANA PARTY RIPE FOR ELECTION

The provincial Marijuana party is confident it will be able to field a full
crop of candidates for the coming provincial election, according to leader
Brian Taylor of Grand Forks.

The 55 candidates who've signed up so far spent the weekend shoring up on
strategy for the campaign, and Taylor says the group represents an
interesting cross-section. The team includes everyone from a right-wing
fundamentalist to a non-smoking computer guy to a hunter from Prince George
to various civil libertarians.

"We can't be afraid to ask anybody," says Taylor.

Several more candidates were lined up over the weekend and Taylor thinks
they should be able to put out a full slate of 79.

"There's very few areas of the province not covered," he adds.

As far as the campaigning itself goes, Taylor says the members talked about
things such as avoiding chances to lighting up for the news cameras. As
leader, he is also planning to tour the province with a new personal grow
unit he and others are developing.

The device is about the size of a closet and would allow anyone to produce
their own crops. It can be used to grow many things such as herbs or
tomatoes. Right now, Taylor and his colleagues are waiting for a ruling
about the item's legality.