Canada - Marijuana party leader joins Liberals, says it's best chance for legalizatio

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Ottawa - The former leader of the Marijuana party says he's joining the Liberal party where he'll have a chance to further the cause of legalizing marijuana.

Marc-Boris St-Maurice, who ran in Prime Minister Paul Martin's riding in 2004 and won only several hundred votes, says he's now a member in good standing of Martin's party.

He said in a news release on Monday he will attend the Liberal policy convention this weekend to help rally support for a resolution calling for the legalization of marijuana.

"I think there is wide support for marijuana reform within the Liberal party," the release said.

"There's actually quite an open mind out there in regards to this issue in the Liberal party," he said in an interview in Montreal.

He also noted he lives in Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe's Montreal riding and could help the Liberals build their support there.

Federal Transport Minister Jean Lapierre greeted the news that St-Maurice has joined the Liberals with an open mind.

"Well, welcome," said Lapierre, who gave a speech to the Montreal Board of Trade. "This is a big tent," he said of the Liberal party.

St-Maurice also said he thinks silent supporters of legalization will speak out on the issue when pressed.

If any party is going to move toward legalization of marijuana it's the Liberal party, he says, and he wants to help develop policies and programs to address the issue.

St-Maurice led the Marijuana party from its inception in 2000 until 2004.



Source: Yahoo! News, Canada
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