Matt Mernagh

Matt is like many of us. He has his health problems, and he has found that cannabis helps him live a better life. But one fateful day changed his life, and now many lives will be permanently affected by the choices that this man has made and continues to make. Matt Mernagh is the man who almost made marijuana legal for the entire country of Canada; and now he's running for mayor of Toronto.

Matt Mernagh and Joery from Royal Queen Seeds

Serendipity and the Fickle Finger of Fate

When Matt Mernagh was in college, he discovered that cannabis helped relieve the chronic pains of his fibromyalgia. Cannabis also helped to abate seizures resulting from a rare brain tumor and back pains from scoliosis.

So, he joined a club. He was able to get his medicine, and a job; and life was great - until the club was raided and shut-down by the police. That's when Matt became an activist and started writing articles for Now and attending rallies.

One day the smoke detector alarm went off in Matt's apartment. His landlord called the police and requested that they check on him, and when they did, they discovered his crop and arrested him.

Matt's legal team mounted such a convincing defence that the lower courts agreed that the current laws, restrictions, and requirements to obtain a doctor's consent were so stringent and complicated that doctors were in fact boycotting the system. People were not able to obtain their doctor's consent and were left to needlessly suffer from their ailments, or they were forced to unlawfully obtain their medicine.

The lower courts gave the Canadian federal government 90 days to respond. When they did respond, they crushed the ruling by the lower courts, loosened the rules and requirements, and created forms that were less complicated for the physicians.

While this is seen as a great improvement, there is still work to be done to grant patients permission to grow their own medicine.

With the encouragement and support of friends and the legalize marijuana movement, Matt has now entered the race for mayor of Toronto. Matt and his supporters are optimistic that the skills he developed in creating an effective defence team combined with his acute communication skills and his ability to motivate voters who don't usually vote give him a very good chance at the polls this autumn.

It is amazing how one thing can lead to another. Best of luck, Matt! and a hearty RIGHT ON!!!