POT ADVOCATE FOR MP?

Former Marijuana Party Member Visits Squamish As NDP Candidate

A former Marijuana Party member and vocal pot advocate visited
Squamish Tuesday (April 17) in his new role as the riding's federal
NDP candidate.

Dana Larsen spoke to the West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky
Country NDP constituency group and members of the public as the only
New Democratic Party member gunning to represent his party in the
riding. "I'm here representing our party partly because I want to
win, partly because I want to put ideas forward and put them into the
public consciousness of the values we hold in common and the views we
share," said Larsen, who raised concerns that the country is being
run by an elite core. "There are a lot of different areas and public
policies that need to change and do better, but one of the things we
have a nexus at is the struggle between our democratic institutions
and the corporate control that is increasing in our society and our country."

Voicing opinions on everything from marijuana laws, the Olympics, and
the corporate elite, it doesn't look like Larsen will have a problem
getting the okay that he needs to run locally.

Larsen waxed philosophical when queried about how some of the more
right-wing constituents of the riding will feel about his past
connection to the Marijuana Party and his pro-hemp activism.

"The vast majority of people in British Columbia are in support of
changing our marijuana laws, and I think that goes for people in all
classes and all strata of society," he said. "I think if you're the
kind of person that thinks people that smoke marijuana should go to
jail, then probably you weren't going to vote NDP anyway."

When questioned about how he would tackle environmental preservation
and a reduction in greenhouse gases, Larsen opined that a total
overhaul of the current system was needed to decrease human impact on
ecosystems.

"Something I want to talk about in our campaign is our need to use
plants and to turn back to plants as our sources of fuel, sources of
fibre, and sources of food," he said. "Something else we can do is
use plant materials for building, hemp especially is good for this
and the hemp industry in our country should be loosened up so people
can use it more frequently."

Larsen and his supporters hope to secure campaign offices in every
main municipality in the riding. While he won't be surprised if an
election was called in the very near future, Larsen said he has his
fingers crossed for a fall election, which would give him time to
make inroads throughout the region.

"I want the time to do some pre-election work and make some growth in
this riding," he said, adding that he plans to take an aggressive
approach in the more difficult area of West Vancouver, traditionally
a conservative and liberal stronghold. "I think we need to be brave
and bold and go into West Vancouver in a serious way and try and have
an impact there, there is no point of us being afraid of going in and
having an impact there."

When asked point blank if he supported the Olympics, Larsen answered
with a simple "no."

"If it had been up to me, I would say 'no', but I think we have to
make the best of it, there is no turning back," he said. "I think
it's going to cost a lot of money and benefit a minority of people
and not the majority of residents in the province.

With no competition, it is expected that Larsen will win his party's
nod by acclimation this Saturday (April 21), at the nomination
meeting in Roberts Creek.