POT PARTY HOPEFUL DOESN'T SMOKE IT

David Ferguson, a member of the Agassiz-Harrison Chamber of Commerce, is
running for provincial election under the B.C. Marijuana Party banner.

The 53-year-old health-food store owner says he doesn't smoke marijuana,
has been married to the same woman for 30 years and has two grown children
and two grandchildren.

"I'm a stable guy," he says. "I don't smoke marijuana."

"But I do eat hemp seeds every day," he adds.

Mr. Ferguson, a "practitioner of alternative medicine" says he has a Doctor
of Divinity degree from the American Institute of Holistic Theology, and is
a member of the West Coast Homeopathic Society and the Canadian Society of
Questers, who use divining rods to search for water sources.

He says hemp seeds are "the best source of protein" and that the plant,
which can now be grown legally in Canada, could be used as an inexpensive
alternative fuel to power cars and local greenhouses.

Mr. Ferguson has been in the health-food business for eight years, and has
two stores in Agassiz and Hope. He lives in Harrison Hot Springs.

"I'm a very free-enterprise person," he says. "I think I'm more of a
free-enterpriser than the Liberals."

Incumbent B.C. Liberal MLA Barry Penner, another ardent free-enterpriser,
will be Mr. Ferguson's opponent in the Chilliwack-Kent riding. The NDP
candidate in the riding is Malcolm James. In the Chilliwack-Sumas riding
there are now three announced candidates, Christine Muise for the NDP, Norm
Siefkin for the B.C. Marijuana Party and John Les for the B.C. Liberals.

Mr. Ferguson says the B.C. Marijuana Party also has policies on a broad
range of issues, and could still be viable political entity even if the
Supreme Court of Canada legalizes marijuana because its focus is getting
government out of the personal lives of citizens.

He also says he favors a school "voucher system" which would allow parents
to send their children to any school they wish, including private and
religious schools.

"We're very strong on freedom of religion," he says.