DUDE, WHERE'S MY WAR?

Canadian Works For Israeli Pro-Pot Peace Party

Canadian Adam Mann sees himself as an envoy for peace in the Middle East.

But that may simply be a pipe dream.

The 22-year-old University of Calgary political science student has
recently been recruited by one of Israel's most unusual political
parties to help gather Canadian support and know-how. This includes
lobbying expertise in the last word in calming an unstable region -- pot.

He has begun work as a representative of the Green Leaf Party of
Israel, whose platform is largely built on the legalization of
marijuana. The anti-drug law fights, and other issues, are very
similar in both countries, party members say.

"It's shocking to (Canadians)," Mann says of their reaction when he
explains he's working on behalf of an Israeli pro-pot party. "They
see Israel as the conflict. When they find out (there's) marijuana
and there are gay people, they are surprised."

His work for the group includes linking them up with Canadian
experts, on everything from environmental issues -- the main reason
he signed onboard -- to decriminalization lobby efforts.

Last October, the party organized the First Israeli-Arab "Joint"
Conference at Jerusalem's Hebrew University. Among the sponsors was
Canada's self-described "Prince of Pot" and B.C.'s controversial
Marijuana Party leader, Marc Emery, who appeared via video link to
deliver a message of shared brotherhood.

But words and drugs weren't enough to bridge huge gaps at the event,
when organizers couldn't convince three scheduled Arab-Israeli
speakers to actually light up.

While the West dwells on the hardline political front-runners during
Israeli elections, the landscape is littered with unusual candidates
- -- from fishmongers to an angry puppeteer. But it's the Green Leaf
Party, and its rebel vote among young voters, which makes headlines overseas.

A recent report by the Israel Anti-Drug Authority found about 10% of
Israelis, aged 12-17, use drugs. It's renewed a national push for
urine tests in schools -- something that more than 80% of Israeli
adults apparently favour. The study found secular youth in the
country count on cannabis, while religious teens most often use harder drugs.

The head of the Green Leaf Party believes that instead of cracking
down, the country should be lighting up -- hoping Canadian activists
might give them better ideas on how to finally make gains.

"Sure, the region would be more peaceful," Green Leaf's 27-year-old
leader, Ohad Shem-Tov, says of life in Israel if pot was decriminalized.

His party preaches that the war on drugs is actually helping to
secure a market that benefits terrorism.

"Instead of drinking wine and cocktails, (world leaders) should
light up," he reasons.