POT ACTIVIST SEEKS NDP LEADERSHIP

Longtime pot activist Dana Larsen will announce today that he is
running for the leadership of the B.C. New Democrat Party, making him
the first former leader of the Marijuana Party to seek that job.

The former federal NDP candidate and founding editor of Cannabis
Culture Magazine, who was caught up in a pot-smoking controversy two
years ago, has a news conference planned for 10:15 a.m. to formally
announce his candidacy.

Larsen, an NDP member for seven years, told The Vancouver Sun Tuesday
that he decided to run after much serious consideration.

"I have met with a number of current and former MLAs and other people
within the party and my supporters and I think I have a good chance,"
he said.

Larsen wants to make reforming the ballot initiative system --
recently used by the Fight HST group to get a vote on the tax -- a
central part of his campaign.

"I'd like to see a system that was more amenable to getting more
direct referendums in this province. I think more democracy in the
province and in the NDP would be a good thing for all concerned."

Legalizing cannabis will also be front and centre, he said, adding
that it is NDP policy to support the debate.

"I'd like to see that become a higher issue," he said. "It's the
province's biggest industry, it's entirely underground and unregulated
and I think B.C. NDP should be pushing to tax and regulate and control
and get us to benefit from this massive industry. I think the province
has a right to challenge the federal government on this law and try to
do things differently."

Larsen does not have any formal endorsements within the party, but he
is hoping that will change after he makes his announcement. He said he
has his campaign team in place. Larsen was a founding member of both
the Marijuana Party of Canada and the BC Marijuana Party.