A new group to promote marijuana legalization has launched this week, called “Canadian Conservatives For Legal Marijuana.” They are currently running two new billboards in Ottawa, in advance of Monday’s nationwide “4/20″ cannabis celebrations.

The billboards, running at the intersections of King Edward and York St., and Laurier Ave and Elgin St., contain slogans like “Lower Taxes, Safer Communities, Protecting our Children, Legalization and Regulation of Marijuana.”

“Real Conservatives support legal marijuana,” says CCFLM spokesperson Inky Mark, a former Reform/Conservative MP who served 17 years in Parliament. “Legal marijuana means lower taxes, smaller government and more focus on personal responsibility, all hallmarks of the conservative philosophy. Stephen Harper has lost his way with his big government campaign against marijuana users.”

The group’s website at CCFLM.ca hosts dozens of photos and quotes supporting legalization from prominent Canadian conservative intellectuals and politicians, including a few sitting Conservative MPs such as Scott Reid, Gerald Keddy and Patrick Brown, who is currently leading the race to become leader of the Ontario PC’s.

“We want to remind Harper’s government what real conservatives stand for,” said Mark. “His personal crusade against marijuana users is just another expensive, big government intervention, wasting tax dollars and treating Canadians like children. We believe that marijuana prohibition has failed and that it’s time for a new approach that’s more in line with real conservative values.”

“Our group’s membership isn’t public,” said Mark. “Many prominent Conservatives privately support us, but they don’t want to get in trouble for defying Harper.”

Inky Mark: inky@mymts.net