|
>> Grim Skunk's Boris St. Maurice gets serious about changing the marijuana laws by ROBBIE DILLON Marc "Boris" St. Maurice knows all about the bizarre side effects of long-term marijuana use. Recently, the 28-year-old musician and pot activist has experienced symptoms that include increased political awareness and a desire to participate in weird election-night rituals. In 1998, he's counting on this strange form of reefer madness to carry him all the way to the National Assembly.
"I'm sick of politicians dodging the issue every time they're asked about marijuana," he says. "Demonstrations bring attention to the cause but they don't give you any leverage. What I want is public support so I can get this issue in the door." In order to receive official status from Quebec's chief electoral officer, a political party must submit the names of 1,000 supporters and a list of at least 10 candidates who will run in any upcoming election. There are no financial or ideological restrictions. At press time, the Bloc Pot had accumulated 850 names and was preparing its political strategy. "Right now, we have about six or seven people who are interested in being candidates," says Boris, bassist for Grim Skunk and a founder of Indica Records. "Once we receive official party status, we'll have a meeting to choose the candidates and select the ridings where we think we have the best chance of winning." Although the current government's mandate runs until 1999, an election is widely expected to be called before the end of this year. Boris believes the Bloc will play an important role in the campaign.
Recent developments suggest that politicians can no longer afford to ignore the issue. In December, an Ontario judge declared some of Canada's marijuana laws unconstitutional and last October, a CTV-Angus Reid poll found that 51 per cent of Canadians support decriminalization. As Boris points out, with that percentage of the popular vote, he'd be prime minister. For the moment, his objectives are a little more practical. "We're not looking to change the law that's on the books," he says. "We can't anyways, because Canada has signed various international treaties agreeing to enforce repressive drug laws. What we're looking for is more of a Dutch or European system where the law exists on paper, but people wouldn't be arrested for things like simple possession. Eventually, the social climate would change and marijuana could be sold in designated areas." Who knows? Maybe someday packs of legal marijuana cigarettes will be sold in corner stores. If they are, they may have to carry government warnings--Attention: Health and Welfare Canada advises that the risk of being elected increases with amount smoked. In the meantime, Boris says the current anti-drug laws cause more harm than good. "When you buy drugs on the street, it's the law of the jungle. You could be getting products that are impure or have been tampered with. Organized crime is the major supplier of drugs and they have no scruples at all--they'll sell to kids who are under 18; they really don't care. I think that by taking it out of their hands and putting it into more responsible hands, we'll be able to better protect citizens." In the event that members of the Bloc Pot are elected, Boris says they'll find a way to make marijuana a part of every National Assembly debate. "Whatever issues would come up, whether they're health or finance or education issues, they could be turned into marijuana issues. For instance, education. Right now there's a lot of disinformation, there are a lot of lies. Kids are being taught that marijuana is as bad as heroin. If we tell them the truth, that the problem with marijuana is that maybe it isn't the best thing when you're trying to do your homework, they can make the distinction between that and heroin, which is a very bad drug that can kill you." Whether or not you support the legalization of marijuana, the Bloc's platform raises interesting questions about freedom of choice and the government's right to protect people from themselves. Besides, it could be refreshing to see politicians debate something that people actually care about. "I think a lot of people are sick of governments quibbling amongst themselves instead of actually doing something for the population," says Boris. "I'm offering a way for people's votes to be directly reflected in their daily life. It's time to make a move and kick this issue in the butt."
|
Pot party
Sometime this year, St. Maurice will ask Quebec's chief electoral officer to grant official status to the Bloc Pot, a political party he created to promote the decriminalization of marijuana. For Boris, who also organizes annual marijuana "smoke-ins" at Parc Émilie-Gamelin (Berri Square), the Bloc Pot expresses his frustration with political foot-dragging.
"Even if we get a small percentage of votes, it's going to have an impact. A lot of ridings are won by very small margins, so a couple of percentage points here and there can make a big difference. The more votes we get, the more important an issue this becomes. If the mainstream parties feel a threat, they're going to have to say something about it."