SMITH PULLING PLUG ON POLITICS

I am retiring from public life. I promised my wife before the election
started that this was my last time going public as a political candidate.

The mayor's job would have meant a big pay cut compared to my X-ray
tech income anyway. With that said, I will definitely exercise my
right to respond if some clown takes a stab at me in the media.

What I saw this time around confirmed everything I already knew about
the corporate controlled mainstream media. At every campaign stop I
pointed out my discovery of a public document that revealed
Chilliwack's pristine underground water supply is reaching its "limit
for water withdrawal" and we "will have to seek out new sources of
water for the future." I asked, "Why are we encouraging growth when we
are facing a water crisis?" But the mainstream tabloids, er, um,
newspapers never mentioned it.

Why waste time on something like that when they could have fun
distorting my platform and pretending my whole life story is about
marijuana advocacy. Apparently 30 years (and counting) in health care,
six years of army service, and my former career as a professional
skydiver, freefalling into hundreds of stadiums, is not worthy of a
"voters guide."

The lowest point in the campaign was when I read a "news story" that
falsely claimed I was advocating the seizure of homes where marijuana
plants are found. I never had said or written that. It was a gross
distortion, or a careless mix-up, of my platform to seize homes where
kiddie porn is found, and my platform that people who destroy rental
homes by converting them into grow-ops or meth labs should have to pay
the rebuilding costs.

My views I expressed back in my Marijuana Party days have not changed
whatsoever. I still support the rights of Canadians who prefer
marijuana instead of legal alcohol and tobacco, and I strongly support
growing your own as long as you don't destroy a rental home in the
process. Street pot can be laced with who knows what.

My two main goals as a Marijuana Party founder were 100 per cent
accomplished and then I moved on to the Green Party to advocate for
the environment. Goal one was full legalization of medical marijuana.
My Health Canada licence to possess marijuana is proof of success.
Goal two was that mainstream parties like the NDP and the federal
Liberals "steal our platform." They did.

Nobody at the Marijuana Party ever had any illusions about winning an
election, but we successfully used the political process as a venue to
educate the public and bring change. To be honest, most marijuana
users are cowardly closet cases who don't have the stones to go public
for what they believe in.

To anyone who thinks this is sour grapes from someone who did not win
an election, I am sorry to disappoint you. Best wishes to all my
supporters and critics alike.

Norm Smith

Chilliwack