POT ACTIVISTS PLAN MARCH ON LEGISLATURE

It's the largest club at the University of Victoria and its 400
members are taking action against proposed legislation to toughen up on drugs.

The goal of Hempology 101 Society is legalization of cannabis through
education, said club leader Kristen Mann.

"It's a safer recreational choice (than alcohol) for the kids to be
using," she said. "It's an excellent raw material for everything from
food to fiber."

On Sept. 9, the society celebrates its 14th anniversary with a march
to the legislature to protest bill C-15.

The bill aims to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act by
introducing minimum penalties for serious drug offences and
increasing maximum penalties for cannabis production. It was
introduced in, and died with, the last legislative sitting.

On June 8 the bill received its second reading; 195 members of
Parliament voted in favour (including Saanich MP Gary Lunn) and 54
voted against the bill (including Victoria MP Denise Savoie). Mann, a
self-described marijuana user, objects to the heavier penalties
prescribed in the bill.

"All that does is take (it) out of the hands of the judicial system
and put it into the political system," Mann said. "(Marijuana) is not
harmful to someone's health."

The group is hoping that local members of Parliament will speak at
the rally. It will meet at 7 p.m. Sept. 9 at Victoria City Hall and
end up the legislature by 7:30 p.m. For more information, e-mail
kristen@hempology.ca.