MARIJUANA PARTY ORGANIZED IN ADVANCE OF CANADIAN ELECTIONS

VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Talk of politics is going to pot -- organizers of
the newly formed Marijuana party say they will run 15 candidates in
British Columbia and at least 50 overall in Canada's next election.

The party's single goal is to legalize marijuana, spokesman Marc St.
Maurice said Thursday during a news conference in a vacant building
that housed the Cannibis Cafe, which was shut down by
authorities.

Backers say the Bloc Pot received 10,000 votes in Quebec during the
last Canadian elections. If all pot smokers vote for the party, it
will have a good chance at winning seats in Parliament, St. Maurice
said.

"Look out Ottawa, here we come," he said. "We need people to step
forward, and the first ones that will are the most courageous and they
do it with a straight face and a lot of hard work and that sets the
tone, that sets the example and brings the right people on side."

Party organizers say too many people are branded as criminals for
smoking marijuana, too many police resources are wasted chasing them
and too many economic opportunities are lost by banning marijuana.

Marc Emory, a longtime marijuana activist, said pot is one of the
province's largest cash crops.

"If the police campaign were successful in eradicating all that
marijuana, how could this province possibly cope with a drop of $4 to
$5 billion (Canadian) in revenue that's largely brought in from
outside the province?" Emory said. "That would be the most
catastrophic economic thing to ever happen to this province."

During the past year, police have boosted enforcement efforts, and
arrests of people accused of growing marijuana are in the news almost
daily.

St. Maurice also touted the economic opportunities from production of
hemp products and medical marijuana.

"If we can remove the stigma, people will be able to get in business
for hemp and keep the cost low and compete. Then, let the better
product prevail," he said.

As for restrictions, the party's campaign literature says "proper age
limits should be set to protect our youth from abusive consumption"
and no one should be allowed to drive under the influence of marijuana.