British Columbia Marijuana Party

British Columbia Marijuana Party
Leader Marc Emery
President Marc Emery
Founded 2000 (2000)
Headquarters 307 - Hastings St W.
Vancouver, British Columbia
V6B 1H6
Ideology Legalization of marijuana
Official colours tan, green
Seats in Legislature
0 / 85
Website
www.bcmarijuanaparty.com
Politics of British Columbia
Political parties
Elections

The British Columbia Marijuana Party (BCMP) is a minor political party in the Canadian province of British Columbia that advocates the legalisation of cannabis.

The BCMP was formed following the 2000 federal election. Marc Emery, the founder and current president of the party, formed the party the day after the 2000 vote. The BCMP made provincial history during the 2001 provincial election that came six months later, by being the only party to ever field candidates in all of the province's ridings during their first election campaign.[1]

Brian Taylor served as the party's first leader during the 2001 provincial election. Taylor had been a prominent cannabis activist and was the former mayor of Grand Forks. [2]

The Marijuana Party was excluded from the televised leaders' debate, even though they were running more candidates than either the Green Party or the Unity Party, both of which were included. BC Marijuana Party members protested during the televised debate.[3]

In 2001, the party won 51,206 votes, 3.22% of the popular vote. Teresa Taylor, daughter of leader Brian Taylor, captured the party's highest popular vote total with 1,136 and polled 5.6% in the conservative Okanagan-Westside district.

After the election, Dana Larsen became leader,[4] followed by Marc Emery when Larsen switched to the New Democratic Party in 2003.[5][6]

Emery also remains as president and chief organizer, despite currently facing extradition to the United States for selling marijuana seeds from Canada by mail-order.[7]

In the 2005 election, the party fielded 44 candidates, who won a total of 11,519 votes, or 0.64% of the province-wide total.

Before the 2009 election the party announced it would endorse Green Party candidates in every riding across the province, although it would run two candidates to continue its party status, those candidates would also openly endorse the Green candidate in that particular constituency.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Marijuana Party makes BC History". http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/2069.html. 
  2. ^ "Marijuana Party Readies For BC Election". http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1940/a06.html. 
  3. ^ "Smoking Mad". http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n800/a02.html. 
  4. ^ "Pot activists gear up for BC election | Cannabis Culture Magazine". Cannabisculture.com. 2005-02-04. http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/4099.html. Retrieved 2011-04-20. 
  5. ^ "Canada: Ex-Marijuana Party Leader To Run For NDP In Federal Election". Mapinc.org. 2003-12-11. http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n1907/a10.html. Retrieved 2011-04-20. 
  6. ^ "CN BC: Ex-Marijuana Party Leader Goes To NDP". Mapinc.org. 2003-12-12. http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n1914/a09.html. Retrieved 2011-04-20. 
  7. ^ "No Extradition for the BC3!". http://cannabisculture.com/noextradition. 
  8. ^ "B.C. Marijuana Party endorses Green candidates for 2009 Provincial Election". http://www.straight.com/article-200892/bc-marijuana-party-endorsing-green-party-provincial-election. 

External links

Legislative Assembly
Other parties recognized by Elections BC,
active in the 2009 election or the 2011 by-election
Other parties recognized by Elections BC,
inactive in the 2009 election