The Saskatchewan Marijuana Party was a provincial political party based in

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. The party contested the

2007 Saskatchewan general election The 2007 Saskatchewan general election was held on November 7, 2007 to determine the composition of the 26th Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan. The Saskatchewan New Democratic Party government of Premier Lorne Calvert was defeated by the S ...

and failed to win any seats, securing less than one percent of the vote.

History

The seeds of the Saskatchewan Marijuana Party were planted by

Marc Emery Marc Scott Emery (born February 13, 1958) is a Canadian cannabis rights Legality of cannabis, activist, entrepreneur and politician. Often described as the "Prince of Pot", Emery has been a notable advocate of international Cannabis (drug), cann ...

, a founding member of the Canadian federal Marijuana Party and former leader of the

British Columbia Marijuana Party The British Columbia Marijuana Party (abbreviated BCMP) was a minor political party in the Canadian province of British Columbia that advocated the legalisation of cannabis. The BCMP was formed following the 2000 federal election. Marc Emery, ...

. In March 2004, Emery was arrested in

Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...

for trafficking after passing a

joint A joint or articulation (or articular surface) is the connection made between bones, ossicles, or other hard structures in the body which link an animal's skeletal system into a functional whole.Saladin, Ken. Anatomy & Physiology. 7th ed. McGraw- ...

to another person while attending a pro-

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae that is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from the continent of Asia. However, the number of species is disputed, with as many as three species be ...

rally at the

University of Saskatchewan The University of Saskatchewan (U of S, or USask) is a Universities in Canada, Canadian public university, public research university, founded on March 19, 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatch ...

(U of S). Emery was sentenced to three months in jail. While he served his sentence, two protestors staged a vigil outside the Provincial Courthouse in response. Emery was released after serving two months of his sentence, and immediately vowed to establish a Marijuana Party in the province and to run a full slate of candidates in the next election, which was slated for 2007. In June 2006, the Saskatchewan Marijuana Party (SKMP) was officially registered with

Elections Saskatchewan Elections Saskatchewan is the non-partisan organization which oversees general elections and by-elections for the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan. References External links * Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territori ...

. Nathan Holowaty, a former president of the U of S

New Democratic Party The New Democratic Party (NDP; , ) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic: * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Editors of ''Encyclopædia Britann ...

campus club, was named party leader, and Ethan Erkiletian was named party president. The same month, the party held a fundraiser barbecue for the Saskatoon Food Bank, with Holowaty stating that the party was "a community-minded organization"; while the party's platform consisted principally of cannabis legalization, Holowaty emphasized that the party was focused on social issues and advocating for "a healthy society". Holowaty became the first SKMP candidate in contesting a March 2007 by-election in the district of Martensville. Holowaty received 38 votes and finished sixth out of seven candidates. In the fall 2007 provincial election, the party fielded five candidates—all in Saskatoon and Regina and far short of the full slate it had envisioned. The party received 517 votes; its best finish was in Regina Coronation Park, where candidate Tom Shapiro's 121 votes resulted in a fourth-place finish. The party de-registered in 2011 and did not run in the 2011 Saskatchewan general election. When the Canadian government announced in 2017 that it would be

legalizing marijuana The legality of cannabis for medical and recreational use varies by country, in terms of its possession, distribution, and cultivation, and (in regards to medical) how it can be consumed and what medical conditions it can be used for. The ...

across the country, former SKMP member Ken Sailor publicly applauded the decision, stating that it was "about time that marijuana was legalized".

Electoral results

References

External links

Party website
{{Cannabis in Canada Provincial political parties in Saskatchewan Cannabis political parties of Canada Political parties established in 2006 2006 establishments in Saskatchewan Political parties disestablished in 2010 Defunct political parties in Canada 2006 in cannabis Cannabis in Saskatchewan 2010 disestablishments in Saskatchewan

History

Electoral results

See also

References

External links