Pot activist Larsen says he was ousted from NDP convention
By: Kelly McManus, North Shore Outlook (CN BC), 08-13-09

Dana Larsen, the pot activist and former federal NDP candidate, says he has been suspended from the federal NDP convention in Halifax under allegations of vote-buying.

Larsen said in an interview with The Outlook this morning that he was ousted from the federal convention over the issue of forum posts on the "Federal Convention 2009" Facebook events page and a website called endprohibition.ca.

The NDP Facebook thread has been deleted, however one post attributed to a user named Dana Larsen on a rabble.ca forum reads: "If there's any Babblers who want to go (to the convention) but perhaps cannot afford it, please contact me. I am organizing transport and lodging for groups of delegates. All that I ask in return is your vote on an anti-prohibition resolution and perhaps one or two other issues, otherwise you can vote and do as you please."

A user identified as Dana Larsen also offered to arrange transportation across the country for delegates in a post made on a Cannabis Culture forum.

Larsen said a representative for both party leader Jack Layton and NDP national director Brad Lavigne spoke to him this morning when tried to enter the convention as an observer. He said he was notified two days ago by Lavigne that he had been de-registered as a delegate.

"I do understand," said Larsen. "Some of the posts I've made might not be as clear as others. There was never any intention to try to get anyone to change their vote or try to convert somebody's ideas with money or something like that."

A user named Dana Larsen announced on website rabble.ca last month that they hoped to "introduce some sort of 'end the drug war' type of resolution" at the conference.

Larsen stepped down during the federal election last September as the NDP candidate for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky country after videos for POT-TV showed him driving a car after appearing to smoke pot. Also in question was Larsen's involvement with the Vancouver Seed Bank, which he launched in 2006, and the potential sale of coca seedlings.

"Maybe I'm being punished because of what happened in the last election. But I don't think that's appropriate. I stepped down. I did what I could. I always spoke well of the party, tried to be a team player," said Larsen.

A representative for the NDP was unable to respond by Outlook press time.

Larsen says he will spend the remainder of the convention, which runs until Sunday at the Halifax Convention Centre "with a sign that says I was banned from the NDP convention."

Larsen said he will continue to support the NDP but added "I wouldn't be surprised if there was further reprisals or if there was an attempt to move me right out of the party."

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