LEGISLATION OUT OF JOINT

Pot Festival Protests Changes To Law

Ryan Vander Hoek hopes lighting a joint will fire up Edmonton's
cannabis community.

The 22-year-old and his so-called Sunshine and Grass crew were at
Louise McKinney Park yesterday, getting high and having fun.

The eight-hour cannabis festival, which was expected to draw up to 150
pot smokers, featured live music, free munchies and pot-related
competitions - such as creative bong-making and fastest
joint-smoking.

But of course, there was a purpose to the festivities.

"It's to raise awareness to the changes to Canadian legislation as we
speak, which are completely against the wishes of the Canadian
population," said Vander Hoek. "So we're trying to stir up awareness,
but we also want to have fun in the sun."

The federal government is considering mandatory sentences of one to
two years aimed at mid- and high-level drug dealers. The new
legislation would also automatically jail those in possession of a
single marijuana plant.

"There's a crackdown coming despite the fact that even government
studies show it's the wrong way to be going," he said.

On a lesser political note, the Edmonton native wants to unite this
city's pot smokers.

"There's way too many of us hiding in basements and hanging out in
back alleys. We should be in sunny parks every day of the week," said
the self-described Joint Commander. "We're not causing trouble and we
do what we do because we love life, not because we're depressed,
broken or insane."

Although marijuana possession is illegal across the nation, Vander
Hoek was not too worried about any law enforcement.

"We have done everything in our power to work with the city. They know
we are here and we've spoken to some residents in the neighbourhood
and they know what's going on," he said.

Any concern would have been short-lived because police said yesterday
they were too busy.

"At this point I don't believe we've been down at the event," said
acting EPS Staff Sgt. Mark Hilton. "We're so tied up with other things
I don't think we can get down there."