MARIJUANA PARTY SELECTS LOCAL CANDIDATE

David Ferguson was confirmed as the B.C. Marijuana Party's Chilliwack-Kent
riding candidate in the upcoming provincial election March 15.

Ferguson, who owns Black Sea Organics in Agassiz, said he supports the
party's marijuana de-criminalization platform, but his main interest is to
ensure alternative medicines remain un-regulated.

"It's the only party that believes in freedom of medicine and getting the
government off the back of herbalists," he said. "We believe a terrible
assault is going to happen in the next two years on freedom of medicine."

He added while the party supports the legalization of marijuana, they do
not believe it should be uncontrolled.

"We're not saying open the doors wide open. We're into managing things the
way alcohol is. We know it would save taxpayers billions of dollars a year
because of the phony war on drugs being waged at this time."

He added hemp and marijuana could become B.C.'s number one crop, bringing
in tax revenue and giving people in poor rural areas good jobs growing it
on marginal farm land.

"We can save our economy and our environment with the hemp plant."