WILL CANADA GO TO POT?

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, who launched the campaign surrounded by marijuana
paraphernalia, including leaves, bags of seeds and posters emblazoned with
the party's "Let's Roll" slogan, later said he believes it is inappropriate
to ask people if they've 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."

Legislation aimed at decriminalizing possession of small amounts of
marijuana died in the Commons this spring.

St-Maurice, who finished fourth when he ran against Bloc Quebecois Leader
Gilles Duceppe in another Montreal riding in the 2000 election, wants voters
to know he and his fellow candidates aren't taking the election lightly.

"We want to change the law, and government is where laws are enacted."

The 35-year-old, whose party garnered more than 66,000 votes in 2000 and is
aiming for more than 100,000 on June 28, admits the Marijuana party is
focused on one topic, but says it's high time it got more attention.

"We are a single-issue party but that issue covers finances, social climate,
justice, international relations and agriculture.

"There's hardly any ministry that isn't affected. In fact, I think there
should be a ministry of marijuana at some point."