MARIJUANA PARTY NOT BLOWING SMOKE

CP

MONTREAL -- The Marijuana Party rolled out its election platform yesterday,
hoping its 100 or so candidates can convince voters that it's more than
just a token party. The grassroots organization aims to field candidates in
every region of Canada except Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and the
Northwest Territories.

One of the most intriguing contests will pit party leader Marc-Boris
St-Maurice against Prime Minister Paul Martin in the Montreal riding of
LaSalle-Emard.

"We're going to try to find out a little bit more about Sheila's brownies,"
St-Maurice joked, referring to the prime minister's comment at the end of
last year that his wife once made strange-tasting brownies.

But St-Maurice thinks it's inappropriate to ask people if they have used dope.

"To be honest, I don't really care whether Paul Martin smoked marijuana or
not. I really care if he's going to legalize it."