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The Santa Cruz Sentinel wrote:Santa Cruz council candidate Craig Canada seeks to improve services for homeless, medical marijuana patients

The Santa Cruz Sentinel
Genevieve Bookwalter - Sentinel staff writer
Posted: 10/04/2008 01:33:19 AM PDT

SANTA CRUZ -- J. Craig Canada said he is running for the Santa Cruz City Council because, while living on the streets for three years, he had difficulty finding help and shelter as a medical marijuana patient.

With firsthand knowledge of two of the city's most visible issues, Canada, 53, said he can bring experience and insight the council currently lacks.

Canada is one of 10 people running for four seats on the Santa Cruz City Council on Nov. 4.

"I use cannabis for a mood disorder and I would have qualified for the mental-health housing," Canada said, "except they consider cannabis an illegal drug and they wouldn't have it there."

According to county elections records, Canada is a registered Democrat but has never voted in a Santa Cruz County election. He lives downtown and is running in his first election.

Canada said he has not voted because he thinks many races are a choice between evils. In addition, he said, he does not trust electronic voting machines.

Santa Cruz Superior Court records show Canada has been cited for possessing marijuana on Pacific Avenue, and is the defendant in an ongoing trial after he allegedly spit in the face of someone who he said was knocking on the door of a restroom he occupied in a downtown restaurant. After that, Canada allegedly lay on the floor and yelled that he was being assaulted.

Canada said he did those things because he thought he was being assaulted, and the person whose face he tried to spit on had made a derogatory comment as he came out of the restroom. Canada also said that person knocked him to the floor.

"It was the most terrifying experience I've ever had. I think I'm very lucky that I came out of it unscathed," he said.

Canada said he hopes these experiences will help him if he is elected to create better city policies regarding homelessness and medical marijuana.

"I really feel there's something wrong here, and it isn't me," he said.

Contact G. Bookwalter at 706-3286 or gbookwalter@santacruzsentinel.com.

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