Tommy Chong lights up B.C. NDP campaign

Other contenders for B.C.'s NDP leadership race might be making campaign promises and rolling out platforms, but longshot candidate and pot activist Dana Larsen is bringing out actor and comedian Tommy Chong.

The celebrity pothead — one half of the former movie duo Cheech and Chong — has publicly endorsed Larsen for the leadership and is hosting a fundraiser Monday evening in Vancouver at $42 a ticket.

Chong, who spent nine months in a U.S. prison for selling bongs over the Internet, said having a candidate such as Larsen in the race will ensure voters are having a conversation about what he describes as the failed war on drugs.

The Canadian-born comic said it doesn't matter whether Larsen wins or loses as long as he has a voice, although Chong still suggests Larsen isn't as long a shot as many people believe.

Chong happily admitted his endorsement is about using his celebrity to lure in reporters — and there's little doubt it's working, earning Larsen high-profile media coverage whenever Chong makes an appearance.

The other candidates for the NDP's April 17 leadership vote are Adrian Dix, Mike Farnworth, John Horgan and Nicholas Simons.