Pro-pot activist charged after rally in Calgary
Posted Apr 7, 2016 12:48 pm.
Last Updated Apr 7, 2016 3:09 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Calgary police have charged a marijuana activist with trafficking, following a pro-pot rally in the city.
According to police, 44-year-old Dana Larsen, head of Overgrow Canada, was handing out marijuana seeds to those attending Wednesday’s event at the Days Inn on Macleod Tr.
Officers also searched a van at the rally, and seized 119g of marijuana, which has an approximate value of $1,190. Just over 1,000g of marijuana seeds, worth around $30,000, as well as small amounts of cannabis resin and oil, were also found in the van.
He has been charged with one count of trafficking marijuana, and one count of possession for the purpose of trafficking.
Larsen was released on Thursday, and called 660 NEWS to share his side of the story.
He said, he told police they couldn’t arrest someone else at the event without arresting him as well.
“So they did. The took me downtown…They held me overnight. I’ve got $1,000 bail. I’ve got conditions that I can’t possess cannabis or cannabis seeds, except in my dispensary in Vancouver where I work selling marijuana every day to people,” Larsen said.
He will be continuing his cross-country tour in Edmonton Thursday night, but will not hand out seeds at that event. However, he told 660 NEWS, this arrest has already had an impact on the tour.
“It’s ignited it more than ever,” he said. “I’m getting far more requests for seeds than ever before. People are hearing about the tour who had never heard about it before. This is not dampening anything, it’s really just lighting a fuel underneath people who are upset about this. And actually, I’m still giving away cannabis seeds, I’m just not going to do it in person. I was originally going to give away one million seeds, well I’m doubling that now to two millions seeds.”
Another man was arrested along with Larsen for the same reason, but he was released shortly after, without being charged.
Police have been criticized for the arrests, with many people on social media shaming the force for its actions.
Insp. Mike Bossley says people are free to have a peaceful rally say when they see a crime being committed, they have to act.
“We took what we believed to be the appropriate action with a limited number of resources present initially,” Bossley said. “As things became a little more heated, we ended up bringing additional officers there to support the event.”
Larsen is expected to appear in court on May 8th.
