Dana Larsen
Encyclopedia
Dana Albert Larsen is a Canadian
author, politician and cannabis
legalization activist.
Larsen was the editor of Cannabis Culture magazine from its creation in 1994 until 2005, producing 54 issues with publisher Marc Emery
, who now also serves as editor.
Larsen was a founding member of both the Marijuana Party of Canada
and the BC Marijuana Party. In the 2000 Canadian federal election
, Larsen ran as the Marijuana Party candidate for the riding of West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast, receiving 3% of the vote. In the 2001 British Columbia provincial election
, Larsen ran as a BC Marijuana Party candidate in the Powell River-Sunshine Coast
riding, receiving 3.5% of the vote.
After the 2001 election, Larsen became the Leader of the BC Marijuana Party. In 2003, Larsen resigned from both Marijuana parties and joined the New Democratic Party.
In 2005, Larsen founded a group called "End Prohibition, NDP Against the Drug War." Larsen has since claimed that End Prohibition has been instrumental in passing drug-policy resolutions
through the provincial NDP in British Columbia
, Saskatchewan
and Ontario
.
In 2006, Larsen co-founded the Vancouver Seed Bank, a business which sells many seed varieties from their storefront and also across Canada by mail-order, including those for banned and controversial psychoactive plants such as marijuana, poppies, peyote
and coca
.
In 2007, Larsen released a book called Hairy Pothead and the Marijuana Stone, a pot-laden Harry Potter parody published and distributed across North America by Cannabis Culture Magazine.
He is also the author of the Pot Puzzle Fun Book, released in 2000, the editor of Grow Like a Pro, a marijuana growing guide released in 2004, and the creator of The Tokers Bowl Board Game.
In 2008, he was the federal New Democratic Party
candidate for the riding of West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country
for the 2008 election, however, he resigned on September 17, after videos he had filmed for Pot-TV in 1999 were released to the media, which showed him taking LSD and smoking marijuana.
In November 2008, Larsen announced the opening of the Vancouver Medicinal Cannabis Dispensary, located almost next door to the Vancouver Seed Bank. The Dispensary is operated by a non-profit society of which Larsen is a Director. In July 2010, the Dispensary opened a second location, located in Vancouver's West End.
Larsen also serves as a Director of The Always Growing Green Society, which in May 2010 opened the TAGGS Medicinal Cannabis Dispensary in Maple Ridge, BC.
On August 11, 2009, Federal NDP Director Brad Lavigne
revoked Dana Larsen's delegate credentials to the 2009 NDP convention in Halifax, under accusation of "vote buying" because Dana had allegedly made posts on the Internet months before, offering to help cover travel and lodging expenses for delegates who would support a resolution on cannabis and drug policy. Dana stood outside the convention for three days with a sign which read, "I was banned from the NDP Convention. Ask me why." He received significant media coverage, including the Canadian Press.
On December 29, 2010, Larsen announced his candidacy for the leadership
of the British Columbia NDP.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
author, politician and cannabis
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
legalization activist.
Larsen was the editor of Cannabis Culture magazine from its creation in 1994 until 2005, producing 54 issues with publisher Marc Emery
Marc Emery
Marc Scott Emery is a Canadian cannabis policy reform advocate, as well as a former cannabis seed seller. He is currently serving a five year sentence in a United States federal prison for selling cannabis seeds....
, who now also serves as editor.
Larsen was a founding member of both the Marijuana Party of Canada
Marijuana Party of Canada
The Marijuana Party is a Canadian federal political party. Its agenda consists of ending prohibition of cannabis. With the exception of this one issue, the party does not have "official policy" in any other area...
and the BC Marijuana Party. In the 2000 Canadian federal election
Canadian federal election, 2000
The 2000 Canadian federal election was held on November 27, 2000, to elect 301 Members of Parliament of the Canadian House of Commons of the 37th Parliament of Canada....
, Larsen ran as the Marijuana Party candidate for the riding of West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast, receiving 3% of the vote. In the 2001 British Columbia provincial election
British Columbia general election, 2001
The British Columbia general election of 2001 was the 37th provincial election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 18, 2001, and held on May 16, 2001...
, Larsen ran as a BC Marijuana Party candidate in the Powell River-Sunshine Coast
Powell River-Sunshine Coast
Powell River-Sunshine Coast is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada.- Demographics :- Member of Legislative Assembly :...
riding, receiving 3.5% of the vote.
After the 2001 election, Larsen became the Leader of the BC Marijuana Party. In 2003, Larsen resigned from both Marijuana parties and joined the New Democratic Party.
In 2005, Larsen founded a group called "End Prohibition, NDP Against the Drug War." Larsen has since claimed that End Prohibition has been instrumental in passing drug-policy resolutions
Resolution (law)
A resolution is a written motion adopted by a deliberative body. The substance of the resolution can be anything that can normally be proposed as a motion. For long or important motions, though, it is often better to have them written out so that discussion is easier or so that it can be...
through the provincial NDP in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
and Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.
In 2006, Larsen co-founded the Vancouver Seed Bank, a business which sells many seed varieties from their storefront and also across Canada by mail-order, including those for banned and controversial psychoactive plants such as marijuana, poppies, peyote
Peyote
Lophophora williamsii , better known by its common name Peyote , is a small, spineless cactus with psychoactive alkaloids, particularly mescaline.It is native to southwestern Texas and Mexico...
and coca
Coca
Coca, Erythroxylum coca, is a plant in the family Erythroxylaceae, native to western South America. The plant plays a significant role in many traditional Andean cultures...
.
In 2007, Larsen released a book called Hairy Pothead and the Marijuana Stone, a pot-laden Harry Potter parody published and distributed across North America by Cannabis Culture Magazine.
He is also the author of the Pot Puzzle Fun Book, released in 2000, the editor of Grow Like a Pro, a marijuana growing guide released in 2004, and the creator of The Tokers Bowl Board Game.
In 2008, he was the federal New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
candidate for the riding of West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country
West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country
West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997.-Geography:...
for the 2008 election, however, he resigned on September 17, after videos he had filmed for Pot-TV in 1999 were released to the media, which showed him taking LSD and smoking marijuana.
In November 2008, Larsen announced the opening of the Vancouver Medicinal Cannabis Dispensary, located almost next door to the Vancouver Seed Bank. The Dispensary is operated by a non-profit society of which Larsen is a Director. In July 2010, the Dispensary opened a second location, located in Vancouver's West End.
Larsen also serves as a Director of The Always Growing Green Society, which in May 2010 opened the TAGGS Medicinal Cannabis Dispensary in Maple Ridge, BC.
On August 11, 2009, Federal NDP Director Brad Lavigne
Brad Lavigne
Brad Lavigne is the national director of the New Democratic Party of Canada.Prior to this appointment in March 2009, Lavigne served as the party's director of communications following Jack Layton’s leadership victory in 2003....
revoked Dana Larsen's delegate credentials to the 2009 NDP convention in Halifax, under accusation of "vote buying" because Dana had allegedly made posts on the Internet months before, offering to help cover travel and lodging expenses for delegates who would support a resolution on cannabis and drug policy. Dana stood outside the convention for three days with a sign which read, "I was banned from the NDP Convention. Ask me why." He received significant media coverage, including the Canadian Press.
On December 29, 2010, Larsen announced his candidacy for the leadership
British Columbia New Democratic Party leadership election, 2011
The British Columbia New Democratic Party leadership convention of 2011 was prompted by Carole James's announcement on December 6, 2010 that she would be resigning as leader of the party...
of the British Columbia NDP.