MARIJUANA PARTY HEAD JOINS LIBERALS

The head of the Marijuana Canada party has resigned to join the Liberals.

Marc-Boris St-Maurice, who led the party from its inception in 2000 until
December of 2004, said he will make a formal announcement on Tuesday.

The party's main aim of legalizing marijuana will have more success if he
joins the Liberals, Mr. St-Maurice said in a statement released Monday.

"I believe that if any party will ever legalize marijuana in Canada, it is
the Liberals."

Mr. St-Maurice said he will bring his ideas about marijuana reform to the
party's convention, which begins Thursday in Ottawa.

"I hope to bring my knowledge and expertise on this issue to help the
Liberal party develop new policies, programs and legislation which address
the marijuana situation.

"I think there is wide support for marijuana reform within the Liberal
party and I am confident that a large proportion of these silent supporters
will come forward once the issue is pressed, and I look forward to working
with them to bring about this positive change."

On Saturday, Mr. St-Maurice will be helping to rally support for a
resolution calling for the legalization of marijuana that is to be debated
at 11 a.m. EST.

He hopes to see his dream come true by being a member of the Liberal party.
The government last year introduced bill C-17, which would decriminalize
simple possession of small amounts of marijuana. The Tories are opposed to
the government's proposed limit 15 grams, asking that it be lowered to one
or two grams; the NDP want possession of 30 grams decriminalized.

Mr. St-Maurice ran against Prime Minister Paul Martin in his Quebec riding
of LaSalle-Imard in last June's federal election but received only 0.8 per
cent of the vote