POT CRUSADER SEES HEADWAY

Tim Felger's campaign to legalize pot adds more signs to Bradner residence

He attacks the subject with all the fervour of a southern Baptist preacher
chasing the demons out of his flock.

Only in Timothy Felger's case, he's ripping apart the government and
politicians for their "misplaced priorities" in going after cannabis
consumers -- or "potheads" like himself.

Felger's been engaged in a running battle with authorities in recent years,
since he moved from the American south to the bucolic country estates of
Bradner, a rural community in Abbotsford that used to be better known for
growing daffodils than marijuana. He's been arrested 41 times by Abbotsford
Police on a plethora of charges, most of them related to growing and
possessing pot.

Most of his neighbours frown upon his billboards, which stand along the
front of his acreage. The homemade sign proclaiming "Legalize marijuana now"
- -- a double-sided sheet of plywood -- has been supplemented by an even
larger one, which goes on a tirade against Abbotsford Mayor Mary Reeves and
the "war on pot".

"I've been arrested 41 times, and in 38 of those cases the courts found me
not guilty, that the police violated my rights. The other three are still
undecided, they're pending my court dates later this year," said Felger
Monday afternoon. "I'll get off, I'm confident that I'll beat those charges
too."

Felger's court dates this coming November are for counts of cultivation,
trafficking and possession dating back to January of 2002, and a subsequent
raid this past May yielded another charge. This also resulted in invoices
from the city and police department, respectively, for $500 to have his
property re-inspected by building inspectors under the "controlled substance
bylaw", and $1,563.90, plus $109.47 in GST, for recovery of police costs
pursuant to the city bylaw.

Felger doesn't take long to warm to that subject: ""The police gave me a
bill for taking my stuff? They took my computer, video camera, carpet
cleaner, my vacuum cleaner and my tractor -- what's that got to do with pot?
I'm gonna strike down that bylaw and give the city a legal lesson."

Felger has hired Abbotsford lawyer John Conroy, Q.C., to represent him.
Conroy represents a number of clients who are challenging the
constitutionality of the nation's marijuana laws.

Felger is also eyeing the political arena and vows to run for the Marijuana
Party of Canada in elections: "I hope to run against Randy White
(Langley-Abbotsford Alliance Party MP) next. If I lose I'll run against Mary
Reeves or (Abbotsford-Mt. Lehman Liberal Party MLA and Forests Minister)
Mike de Jong. Sooner or later I'll get in a position where I can do
something," he said confidently.

He's also launched his own website (britishcolumbiacannabis.com) and has
tried unsuccessfully to register the brand name British Columbia Marijuana,
all in his campaign of what he calls "moral courage."

The billboards present his argument that the community at large is
complaining that the police are not providing public protection from crimes
such as car thefts, robberies and assaults, yet millions of dollars are
spent in chasing down marijuana.

"They need to re-prioritize and go after the real crimes," said Felger. "I
see stories all the time about how my neighbours complain that they don't
get protection from crooks."

However, when pressed for what his neighbours think of his campaign, Felger
wrily admits: "My neighbours don't talk to me that much."