[420 Girl]

Ian Layfield, a Victoria entrepreneur of mail-order marijuana, is in Toronto this week to pitch his product to the sharp-toothed judges on the CBC's Dragon's Den.

He hopes the show's panel of successful business people will like his idea of distributing medicinal marijuana via the mail, and want to invest in it.

Layfield, who said he uses the locally grown marijuana daily to treat arthritis, will pitch his idea Friday.

"I think we have a very viable company and we would benefit from having at least one of the Dragon's partners with us to make sure this company becomes the success we all want it to be,'' he said.

Layfield launched the company, Canada's Medicinal Marihuana Store, last November to distribute products to people registered with Health Canada to legally use the substance.

He admits he never planned to be on the TV show. He said he went to an audition in April at the University of Victoria to help a friend, but while he was there, he read over the forms and decided his idea might have potential.

He had his work cut out for him.

"The person doing the interview kind of laughed and said there wasn't much of a chance of me being able to get on (because) the Dragons just don't go for marijuana,'' he said.

But he added he hopes to change that. Unlike past pot-related pitches on Dragon's Den, Layfield said he's been working with Health Canada to ensure that his company remains on the right side of the law.

"Our mandate is to make sure we are following the law. With the other people, it was basically they found a recipe and they thought it was a great way of getting stoned,'' he said.

Still, Layfield said one Dragon in particular may be harder to please than the others. Jim Treliving was an RCMP officer in B.C. and Alberta before he went into business as the owner of a Boston Pizza franchise. Treliving now owns the company.

"He's the gentleman I have to win over the most,'' Layfield said. "He is going to have this idea that this is illegal.''

Molly Duignan, a Dragon's Den producer, said Layfield is the first contestant on the show to bring marijuana into the den. Past pitches include a medicinal marijuana macaroon and a line of hemp clothing.

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