POT VIDEOS PUT NDP CAMPAIGN IN HAZE

Marijuana Advocates Steaming Over Resignations Of Two B.C. Candidates

EDMONTON -- New Democratic Party Leader Jack Layton distanced himself
from the B.C. Marijuana party yesterday in the wake of the emergence
of embarrassing videos of drug use by two NDP candidates in B.C. who
have resigned over the past few days.

The resignation of the two candidates, Dana Larsen and Kirk Tousaw,
has angered several advocates of decriminalizing marijuana who have
accused Layton of abandoning them to gain middle-class votes.

"I'm furious," said Marge Groenendyk, an Edmonton resident who was
among a crowd of more than 200 people at an NDP rally at which Layton
promised to get tough on street gangs and violent crime. "You have
two honest candidates that have been studying this matter for many,
many years, and it's time for education."

Groenendyk, who described herself as a marijuana advocate who uses
the drug for medicinal purposes, noted that Layton once made an
appeal to marijuana users on the POT TV website in 2003, promising to
fight for decriminalization in an interview. At the time, Layton
encouraged people to "join the party" and support the NDP because he
believed they should be allowed to smoke marijuana in the comfort of
their own homes or in cafes without being considered criminals.

"He has sat with these people more than once," said Groenendyk.

Yesterday, Layton denied the existence of such an arrangement.

"There never was any kind of a deal," he told reporters. "There was
no commitment, no relationship," Layton said.

He also refused to discuss the two candidates' resignations, saying
only: "They've resigned. They're no longer our candidates anymore. So
we're moving on to the issues that Canadians want us to take action on."

While Groenendyk said she would be shifting her vote toward the Green
party, Layton also said his party's position has not changed.

"We favour decriminalization of marijuana," Layton said. "We have for
a long time. That's no surprise to anybody. I was asked these same
questions in 2004 and 2006."

But in an interview with BCTV, Marijuana party activist Marc Emery
said he expected at least a dozen more candidates would resign
because of marijuana use before the Oct. 14 vote.

"Every party has members of Parliament, cabinet ministers and former
prime ministers who've smoked marijuana," Emery said. "Why someone
who has used marijuana in the past, or is not repentant about it, is
bumped as a candidate from the NDP, I still can't understand."

The controversy followed a fiery speech to supporters in which Layton
announced a new multimillion-dollar plan to prevent crime and fight
street gangs, while attacking the policies of the Harper government
and broken promises from the Liberal party.

Layton told the crowd of NDP supporters that, if elected, his
government would spend $100 million a year to put 2,500 new police
officers on the streets. His plan also includes $50 million a year
for prevention programs to help at-risk youth, and $25 million over
four years to strengthen witness protection.

"New Democrats are committed to stopping the spread of gangs and to
stopping the epidemic of gun violence threatening your families in
our cities," Layton said.