MARIJUANA PARTY OFFERS GROW-OP KITS TO HURTING FARMERS

Crop Will Make Up For Mad Cow Losses, B.C. Advocate Says

CALGARY - He's an unlikely ally for Alberta beef producers whose businesses
have gone to pot, but Marc Emery wants ranchers to know they have plenty of
"buds" from B.C.

Mr. Emery, president of the B.C. Marijuana Party -- and a staunch
vegetarian -- is offering free grow-op starter kits to anyone who has
cattle on their property and wants to make a little extra green as the mad
cow crisis continues.

"If you've got a ranch or farm and you're not making any money, we'll give
you the equipment to get started," said Mr. Emery. "This will be much more
profitable than what they've done previously."

The total retail value of the kit, which includes a 1,000-watt light bulb,
soil, nutrients, seeds and a grow manual, is about $600-$800, but Mr. Emery
says a single pound of marijuana can earn its grower a minimum of $2,000
with a harvest once every two months.

The twice mayoral candidate in Canada's cannabis capital will even make
house calls to install the equipment and promises to help on the marketing end.

"If you've got good pot, you can sell it fast," said Mr. Emery.

Alberta ranchers laughed when they heard about the strange offer.

"It sounds like a joke, but we need a few things to laugh about right now,"
said Brian Edge, a veterinarian who also operates a ranch near Cochrane, Alta.

Dr. Edge says he isn't looking to get into a new racket.

"Most farmers are still honest and hard working and don't think that way,"
he said.

With the exception of a Manitoba farmer who has shown some interest, Mr.
Emery said nobody has asked for a rush delivery on the kit. Mr. Emery
admits there is risk associated with running a home-based grow-op, but says
it's no more than the financial risk ranchers are already facing.

"The risk is much lower than the obvious 100-per-cent risk of going under,"
he said.

Indeed, Forbes, a U.S. business magazine, recently examined Canada's
marijuana industry, saying it "has emerged as Canada's most valuable
agricultural product -- bigger than wheat, cattle, or timber."

Mad cow disease has cost Canada's beef industry an estimated $1.9 billion
in lost exports since last May when the U.S. and international markets
banned Canadian beef.