INTERVIEW WITH MARC-BORIS ST. MAURICE

Boris St. Maurice is a man of many hempen hats. The Montreal-based
uber-activist and founder of Bloc Pot is currently the Editor-in-Chief of
Heads Magazine, leader of the federal Canadian Marijuana Party, founder of
a new cannabis reform french-language internet list known as PAMF, and
generally nice, well-informed guy.

DSW Hemp & Cannabis Issues Editor Philippe Lucas tracked him down between
projects to find out what's new in the Canadian, U.S., and International
drug reform:

Boris: Let 'er rip.

DSW: Good to hear from you, my friend; let's start with the basics: Age?

Boris: Age: 33

DSW: where are you from originally?

Boris: Born in Toronto, only because my dad was working there for 2
years. Grew up in Montreal from the age of 1 till now. Ma famille vient
tout du Quebec... quebecois de souche.

DSW: Tell me about your involvement with marijuana? Were you always a
pot smoker?

Boris: I don't really like discussing my own personal habits, but I have
been known to use pot; first tried it back in 1984. I got involved in the
movement because of a bust 10 years ago. I spent 24 hours in a jail cell,
and vowed to do everything in my power to change the law. Ironically,
within 6 hours of being in jail, as I was the only one there with rolling
paper (for my tobacco) I hooked up with two guys that had some hash oil in
jail, and in exchange for some papers, was treated to their goods... lying
there, stoned, yet in jail for pot, I smiled to myself as I realized how
insane prohibition is.

DSW: What can you tell me about the origins of Bloc Pot?

Boris: The Bloc Pot was started in 1997. We announced it at our
September smoke in. At that time, we were still collecting the 1000
signatures to create the party. The idea came from my defense lawyer, who
gave me a bum deal by the way. When I pressed him for info about
demonstrations (back in 1993) he blew me off by saying "you want to change
the law, get elected and change it". The idea kicked around my mind for
several years before I called a friend, asked about the forms to start a
party, and he happened to have a complete set at his place... so off we went.

DSW: And what changes have you seen in Quebec since the founding of Bloc Pot?

Boris: It's hard to tell for sure. Certainly it has gotten people talking
about prohibition. When I got started as an activist in 1992 there was
nothing concerning pot as an organization here in Quebec. The difference
now is that people who are interested in getting active have an outlet for
that desire. But I think the biggest impact came from the federal party;
that got Ottawa's attention.

DSW: How did Bloc Pot evolve into the national Marijuana Party?

Boris: Actually, a good friend of mine alerted me to the upcoming changes
in the federal elections act. A court case was coming to a close that
would result in the elimination of the minimum vote requirements to get the
1000$ deposit refunded. Once that was confirmed, the idea of getting at
least 50 candidates became more feasible, but quite a challenge. The first
announcement introducing the newly formed party took place in February 2000
in le Journal de Montreal.

DSW: And what kind of impact did the party have on the last elections?

Boris: I toured Canada most pf 2000 back and forth to muster support for
the party and we succeeded in running 73 people in the elections. I think
the federal party forced people in Ottawa to get familiar with the idea of
marijuana.

DSW: Where did you have the greatest successes?

Boris: Quebec is where we have the greatest support, followed by
Ontario. With the medical marijuana issue getting to the point it had,
and my arrest at the Montreal Compassion Club 6 months before the (Terry)
Parker ruling from the Ontario Court of Appeals... as Allan Young put it,
my timing was "bang on".

DSW: You recently had a fairly competitive leadership race; what were
some of the core issues at stake?

Boris: The leadership was not a race, and the only contender (Turmel) was
such a joker that he only served to waste time and disrupt our
convention. We did get a lot of good work done about the issues. The whole
convention voted on questions like what models are best for legal
marijuana. We actually voted against decriminalization, because it is too
vague a term, and therefore for all practical purposes meaningless. So
instead of a leadership thing, which can be useful when needed, we chose to
discuss marijuana policy.

DSW: I had a chance to attend the Million Marijuana March rally in
Montreal last year and was amazed by the police cooperation, as well as the
strong public support. Why are Quebecers so relaxed about pot?

Boris: We have a longer history of its use in our short term past. I also
think the Latin culture is generally more fond of it's vices and little
pleasures. I'm really not sure why, but it is a very laid back scene
here; we just don't toot our own horn about it all the time.

DSW: Yet High Times just named Vancouver the world's best pot
destination; are they overlooking Montreal?

Boris: Sometimes getting the kind of status you mention can mean the kiss
of death... we prefer to stay one of those "best kept secrets". The irony
in Quebec is that the seed sellers don't get hassled but the compassion
club gets busted... in Vancouver it is exactly the opposite

DSW: Actually, it's not that simple. Marc Emery (North America's
biggest seed distributor) never gets hassled, but Friday I go back to court
(for a bust as Director of the Vancouver Island Compassion Society).

Boris: Point taken.

DSW: How is your court case going right now? (Boris and Alex Neron we're
busted while volunteering at the Montreal Compassion Society in 2000)

Boris: We have finished all the arguments and the evidence is all
in. We are now waiting on the decision; it is scheduled to be announced
on Aug. 29th. Not sure what to expect but I'm fairly confident we will
get, at worst, a partial victory.

DSW: I understand that you had a chance to share a few words with John
Walters during his recent visit to Quebec; do we have anything to fear from
the U.S.?

Boris: according to Dale Geringer (Director of California NORML), he
tells me that Walters is not the big problem or threat. He is like a PR
guy; he has no real power in Washington... but he does drive the US
prohibitionist line with a passion. I think Canadians will see through
it. He did deny any knowledge that there were refugees in Canada fleeing
the harsh US drug laws (such as Renee Boje or Steve Tuck).

DSW: What can we do to shield ourselves from U.S. involvement in domestic
drug policy? Are we powerless?

Boris: The secret is to remain active, and focused on the issue at hand,
and nothing else. Keeping it up is the best thing we can do. We should
also show solidarity with all the American citizens because many of them
agree with us. As far as the US is concerned in all this, Canada should
stand firm and tell them to take care of their own mess at home.

DSW: How about the Canadian government; can we expect anything to come
from the recent Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs? Their final
report is due out in September.

Boris: Not much, other than some good news we have heard before (this
will not be the first time the Senate recommends loosening the drug
law). In my humble opinion, we should look to the Supreme Court cases
coming later this year (Malmo-Levine, Cain and Clay, due to appear before
the Supreme Court in the fall).

DSW: The Supreme Court Challenge is exciting, but many still see it as
doomed by public policy. What do you think?

Boris: What do you mean: "doomed by public policy?"

DSW: I mean that many people believe that the Liberals aren't going to
significantly change anything because they don't have to. In other words,
the current political climate suggests that the Supreme Court may not feel
it wise to exercise legal discretion in this matter.

Boris: Some day they will have to change their views. Be it the Liberals
or Conservatives, or whatever party in power, we will push them towards
change. The reason the Supreme Court is so interesting is that a decent
ruling could be a great starting point for future debates and
regulations. If the Supreme Court of Canada rules that prohibition of
possession is unconstitutional, it will just be a matter of time as future
cases further define the context, and our movement will become even more
vital to the eventual orientation of these new public policies.

DSW: We seem to currently be experiencing a backlash of cannabis support
in the press and government lately: Health Canada's Medical Access program
is at a standstill, IDEAS came and went to Vancouver without much uproar,
Ontario is acting like every Asian immigrant is an imminent cultivator; do
you see a connection?

Boris: It is a strange time here. Almost half of Canadians support
legalization (and of the other half, how many said "they don't care"?) yet
the police are still continuing to enforce these laws. The anti-Asian
thing is a blast back to the origins of prohibition -
racism. Traditionally, it did not offend public sentiments as much when
immigrants or minorities have been persecuted or busted. This mirrors the
racial discrepancies in US prisons with the black and Hispanic
over-representation. Finally, the IDEAS conference (International Drug
Education and Awareness Seminar, sponsored in part by The Drug Free America
Foundation) does not generate much support for prohibition, it just makes
them look sillier.

DSW: How is your recent contact with Health Minister McLellan? Do you see
any progress in Canada's much-vaunted Marijuana Access Program?

Boris: As for Anne McLellan, she is reportedly an expert dodge-ball
player, and that is scary. But the Health Minister's own inaction will
ultimately be the downfall of her own program. It's a win-win situation
really; either they do something about it, or they don't and they justify
our own actions and civil disobedience.

DSW: How do you mean? What do you think is the future of the Health
Canada program?

Boris: What I mean is that, the program is failed and I don't see how
they can fix it. If they do supply marijuana to sick people, they will
have to do it correctly, and there is no reason to believe the government
will actually do that. Personally, I believe that as far as the federal
government is concerned, medical marijuana is a smoke screen for the bigger
issue--recreational use. The government is using the medical marijuana
issue as a screen for the larger issue of legalization. It is easier for
them to dance around this whole medical issue for as long as they can, then
when medical marijuana is settled, they will be able to take some steam out
of the movement by saying "we already legalized it as a medicine... what
else do you want?"

DSW: Who ever thought that we'd miss Alan Rock. Have you heard anything
from PPS lately?

Boris: As far as Rock is concerned, word on the street is that he was
courting the potheads for support at his leadership bid (just a juicy
rumour so far). PPS have been keeping pretty quiet these days... they got
their money (to grow Canada's first legal supply of medicinal cannabis,
which has yet to be distributed to a single legal user) so what do they care?

DSW: You are the current editor of Heads Magazine. How long have you been
involved with them?

Boris: I have been working at heads now for 18 months. I have been editor
in chief since Jan 2002, and was managing editor before that for a few
months. It has been a great learning experience.

DSW: What makes Heads different than the other two biggies in the
industry: High Times and Cannabis Culture?

Boris: I would say that heads has a wider audience potential because it
covers other subjects that are not directly pot related but that pot heads
can relate to... cool stuff like skateboarding, outdoor sports, music,
travel, food, politics... Cannabis culture is for the west coast activist
scene and is quite narrow in it's focus. High times in the fast food of
pot magazines... a little low on substance. But high times has been
improving lately; I think that they're feeling the pressure.

DSW: I saw that although the magazine started with a different
advertising base than High Times, an ad in the recent issue reads "Free
Nitrous". Will Heads be following High Times in the promotion of
questionable products like fake weed and "herbal ecstacy"?

Boris: Advertising is any magazines survival requirements. We are not
in a financial position to refuse many advertisers. The problem with ads
is that most so called "legit" business that might benefit from exposure to
our audience get cold feet when they see the photos in our gallery of
glorious pot plants in full bloom. Although we did have some of those ads
in the past, but we decided not to run them anymore.

DSW: It's a good magazine and a nice addition to the current cannabis
literature and culture. What's coming in upcoming issues?

Boris: More of Ed Rosenthal's writing, and the next issue is a Bob Marley
cover story, and a summer travel issue. There are a lot of great ideas
around here for stories, but we are not advertising our intentions... you
will have to read the magazine to find out.

DSW: And finally, any hopes or predictions for the next year regarding
drug policy? What will happen in the U.S. and in Canada? And how about
them Brits?

Boris: I think Canada will become the key player internationally. The
Supreme Court has to come through for us, or else it will be a crushing
blow and the movement may not stay as civilised as it has been so
far. Europe is also on the move in this area, but we have to be careful
not to be lulled by the political promises that are rarely kept... we want
action.

DSW: And in the U.S., do you think that we can expect to see more clubs
get busted in California?

Boris: The U.S. is in a sorry state. I think the repression will continue
for a little while, but that Bush can't possibly win another election and
that future leaders of the US might have a chance at it... it's an ebb and
flow and this last wave was a big one, but the tide will eventually
recede. Before we go, I also wanted to mention PAMF, a new French news
clipping service inspired by MAPinc and CMAP. You can sign up at
www.blocpot.qc.ca or at the MAPinc (http://www.mapinc.org/pamf/) site.

DSW: Excellent, what's the goal for PAMF?

Boris: PAMF hopes to get people here aware of how the French media treats
the drug/marijuana issue so they can better react and be aware of the
issues. By the way, the Bloc Pot is releasing a compilation album (95% in
French) to help get the word out and finance the party. It even contains a
version of Brian Taylor's (Former mayor of Grand Forks, Alberta) song
"Marijuana", sung by yours truly.

DSW: I look forward to hearing it. I know that you're a busy man, Boris;
thank you very much for your time. Keep up the good work.

Boris: Thanks Phil; I'll talk to you soon.