The rally was small, attracting about 25 people, but it had a multi-pronged cause.
Elisia Millns says Saturday’s rally in front of the Kamloops law courts had three objectives: to criticize the Canadian government for turning marijuana activist Marc Emery over to be jailed in the U.S.; to promote opposition to Bill C-15 calling for mandatory jail sentences for anyone caught with marijuana; and to raise awareness about the need for medical marijuana.
Millns said despite the low turnout, she was encouraged by the response she got from those walking or driving by.
“I think unfortunately, a lot of people couldn’t make it to the rally. But I was happy with the public response; honking cars, waves, thumbs up. The support on the street was amazing,” she said Sunday.
“I didn’t expect it from a lot of older people, but a lot of them were honking.”
The local rally was timed Saturday afternoon to coincide with other events being held around the world to oppose Emery’s deportation to the U.S., where he faces five years in jail for selling marijuana seeds, she said.
“It’s about the Canadian government handing over a Canadian to the Americans to do hard time,” said Millns.
“Our Canadian government does not seem to be standing up for the Canadian people.”
Bill C-15 involves mandatory jail sentences for anyone caught with marijuana or growing it, she said.
Herself a medical marijuana user, Millns said she wants to open a compassion club here.
“I am recognized as a medical marijuana smoker by my doctor.”
She lives with chronic pain from an accident, along with sleep disorders, bowel disease and a morphine addiction. Marijuana helps her with all of those, she said.
“A couple of weeks ago, I took a bad turn for the worse. It took me five hours to get to Vancouver to get some medicine into my system,” said Millns, a card holder with the Compassion Club of B.C.
“There’s nothing here.”
She would like to see marijuana legalized for medical use, and she doesn’t like the criminal element attached to the drug.
She plans on holding another rally to protest Emery being handed over to the U.S. on Sept. 28, as well as a rally on Oct. 24 to protest Bill C-15. Both events will be held at the Kamloops Law Courts.
