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Marchers advocate legalizing pot
05-07-07|The Star Phoenix

The smell of hot dogs and cannabis lingered in the air outside of City Hall on Saturday, as more than 50 marijuana legalization advocates gathered on the building's front lawn to celebrate the Global Marijuana March.

The local march began at Vimy Memorial and culminated with a barbecue at City Hall, which was sponsored by the Saskatchewan Marijuana Party.

The mood at the late afternoon gathering was mellow, but there was no mistaking the politicized nature of the event.

"People do not realize how much money the government actually spends throwing people in jail and prosecuting people through the court system (on marijuana-related charges)," said Marijuana party Leader Nathan Holowaty. "All the lost revenues could be used toward health care."

He said there's no reason marijuana should be illegal.

"It has been used for thousands of years for medicinal purposes. . . . It is harmless compared to a lot of legal drugs like alcohol," he said. "If we are supposedly a free society, why would someone be thrown in jail for growing a plant?"

Michael Kereiff, party deputy leader, said he hoped the success of the day would encourage other legalization supporters to participate in future events.

"This is one of our best events," said Kereiff.

The party gained official party status in June 2006 and is set to run candidates in the next provincial election.

The local march and barbecue were part of a worldwide celebration of cannabis culture. This year, more than 200 cities, from Tokyo to Mexico City, took part in the Global Marijuana March.