Niagara Falls Touted As Pot Capital
Sat, 16 Apr 2005 © Toronto Sun (CN ON)

Activists Urge Legalized Farming

IT'S NO pipe dream for Matt Mernagh -- the pot enthusiast envisions a thriving and legal Niagara marijuana industry to rival the region's wineries. "This is a farming community, so let's make our farmers some money," Mernagh said.

"You can't make too much money off cucumbers, but you can make a lot off marijuana."

Mernagh, 31, will stress that point during today's Hwy. 420 Cannabis Conference in Niagara Falls.

The activist expects at least 500 people to show up for the rally, which will see the marchers descend on tourist mecca Clifton Hill this afternoon.

Today's event -- billed as A Day of Education, A Day of Fun and A Day of Action -- is intended to "roll back the recent hysteria" surrounding drug laws in both Canada and the U.S.

Noted marijuana advocates, including U.S. Marijuana Party president Loretta Nall and Vancouver-based activist David Malmo-Levine, will speak at a morning conference at the Niagara Falls Public Library before gathering for the march at 3:15 at Victoria Ave. and Hwy. 420.

The aptly named Hwy. 420 -- the main highway into the Falls -- also refers to weed in stoner parlance, much to the delight of Niagara-based tokers.

Mernagh, who lives in St. Catharines, hopes to one day see a regulated marijuana market, with pot controlled by an LCBO-like body called the CCBO ( Cannabis Control Board of Ontario ), he said.

"We do great work down here. This is the perfect soil," said Mernagh, who suffers from osteoarthritis and smokes pot to ease the pain. He says a legalized marijuana trade would drive out gangsters.

"Let's get the grow-ops out of the suburbs and bring them into Niagara's greenhouses," Mernagh said, adding the grow house operators "don't represent the marijuana community.

"Al Capone went out of business when prohibition fell."

HempPharm.com comment; "Legalize it! (see LegaliseIt.com)"