POT ADVOCATE READY TO ROLL NEXT ELECTION

Norm Siefken works as a medical radiation technologist but for his own
ailments he resorts to less traditional healing methods to control
pain.

He is a medicinal marijuana user and will again be running for the
Marijuana Party in the next federal election, whenever it is called.
Siefken started using marijuana medicinally after an accident in 1995.
He was struck while in a crosswalk and thrown about ten meters. He
does not remember the incident but ended up with four broken
vertebrae-and severe pain.

At first he was taking a half dozen pills four times a day for his
condition. However, the prescriptions 'zonked' him out to the point
where he could barely get off the couch.

With the support of his doctor, he turned to medicinal marijuana. "The
bottom line is marijuana works," he said. While his motivation may be,
in part, personal, he also takes a political view toward marijuana.
Siefken says most Canadians now see the continuing efforts to keep
marijuana illegal as a thing of the past and a waste of money, time
and effort. "The majority of Canadians want the laws changed," he
said.

He compares the status quo to the days when alcohol was prohibited and
organized crime ran the rackets. When it was legalized, that criminal
element was replaced by legal businesses, ones that now generate
millions in revenue and employ many people.

Some still seem to want the status quo though. Siefken is not
impressed by local MP Chuck Strahl and the new Conservative Party,
which he says does not put the wishes of Canadians first when they
deal with our neighbors to the south on an issue like marijuana.

This is not the first time Siefken has run for the party. In the last
federal election, he ended up fifth out of nine candidates. He also
ran against John Les in the last provincial election and attracted at
least 1,000 votes.