MAYORAL HOPEFUL BUSTED ON DRUG CHARGES

A former Wood Buffalo mayoral candidate was arrested Thursday and charged
with possession and trafficking in marijuana.

"I feel people have the right to know that they're (the RCMP) are still
cracking down on weed," Reginald David Normore told Today upon his release
from police custody.

A member of the national Marijuana Party, Normore, 33, was one of three
people arrested by police yesterday morning.

Police seized about 413 grams of cannabis, a small quantity of marijuana
oil, $6,730 in cash and other drug-related paraphernalia. The street value
of the pot is estimated at about $5,900.

Normore said he's never hidden the fact that he's a proponent of the
healing effects of marijuana and was "surprised it took them (the RCMP) so
long" to search his residence.

In the fall of 2000, Normore ran in the federal election on the Marijuana
Party's ticket for the MP's job in the Athabasca riding. He finished last.
In October 2001, he tossed his hat into the political ring once again,
running as a mayoral candidate in the municipal election. Normore garnered
one per cent of the votes cast.

During both elections he said he was vocal about his opinion on legalizing
the drug for medicinal purposes and sported a pot leaf on his campaign posters.

Claiming to suffer from chronic pain due to torn tendons, he said marijuana
eases much of his pain. "It doesn't kill the pain, but it makes it so it's
not a big deal."

Normore said his family and friends are supportive of him but are upset at
the thought he might be sent to jail for standing up for his convictions.
He is charged with possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of
trafficking and possession of the proceeds of crime.

Elizabeth Sarah Bainbridge, 22, and Genevieve Cecillia Hiscock, 20, both of
Fort McMurray, are each charged with possession of a controlled substance.
The three people are scheduled to appear in provincial court on March 6 .
Normore said he plans to represent himself and won't be hiring a lawyer to
defend him.

"To me, the judge will have a choice. He can either allow me to open up a
store to sell this to people and get them off the street ... or he can
sentence me to jail for most of my life because I will sell to people."