(USA) Marijuana Could Be a Gusher of Cash If We Treated
It Like a Crop, Not a Crime
One 2006 study called cannabis the
top cash crop in the nation, worth more than corn and wheat combined.
It was the leading crop in 12 states, outstripping grapes in
California and tobacco in North Carolina, and one of the top three in
18 others, coming in just behind apples in Washington and cotton in
Georgia. So with states facing massive deficits, could reefer revenues
help?
(UK) Cannabis and the experience of
getting high. The cannabis
"marijuana" or hash high is different for each person, depending on
the particular details of conditions, setting, timing, state of mind,
and the variety of cannabis used. Although cannabis is generally
pretty benign, nothing is always safe and fun for everyone in every
situation. This includes cannabis. Comfortable surroundings and good
judgement are advised. Smoked or vaporized cannabis is felt within
seconds of being inhaled.
(UK) Marijuana Myth & Fact.
Fact: In 1972, after reviewing the
scientific evidence, the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug
Abuse concluded that while marijuana was not entirely safe, its
dangers had been grossly overstated. Since then, researchers have
conducted thousands of studies of humans, animals, and cell cultures.
None reveal any findings dramatically different from those described
by the National Commission in 1972. In 1995, based on thirty years of
scientific research editors of the British medical journal Lancet
concluded that "the smoking of cannabis, even long term, is not
harmful to health."
Canada Green Party leader sorry for
not smoking pot OTTAWA (AFP)
— Canada's Green Party leader Elizabeth May apologized on Wednesday
for never having smoked marijuana, as she unveiled her election plank,
which touts legalizing and taxing pot. "I am not a fan of marijuana
use," May told reporters at a campaign stop in Halifax, televised
nationally. "I've never used marijuana. I apologize." The Green Party
in its policy document said decades-old marijuana prohibition "has
utterly failed and has not led to reduced drug use in Canada." Rather,
prohibition has led to costly policing to combat its distribution,
"criminalizing youth and fostering organized crime," it argues. Going
further than former Liberal prime minister Jean Chretien's 2002 pledge
to decriminalize marijuana that was twice foiled by US protests, the
Green Party says it supports cannabis sales to adults through licensed
distributors. As well, the party would like to see "small, independent
growers" thrive, and the government taxing the weed at the same rate
as tobacco, generating an estimated one billion dollars Canadian (931
million US) annually.
Dutch Supreme Court allows MS
patient to grow cannabis
The Dutch Supreme Court has ruled that a man who suffers from multiple
sclerosis (MS) may grow his own cannabis for medical purposes. He
wants to grow his own because the type of medical cannabis sold in
pharmacies does not help his symptoms. Four years ago the police came
to Wim Moorlag's home and seized 43 home-grown plants. His lawyer Wim
Anker says "It is really a disgrace how the law has treated this man.
It is beyond comprehension that he has spent four years in the legal
pipeline."
I'm voting Republican.... for us in
Canada replace that with Conservatives (no longer Progressive)
New Cannabis-like Drugs Could Block
Pain Without Affecting Brain, Says Study A
new type of drug could alleviate pain in a similar way to cannabis
without affecting the brain, according to a new study. The research
demonstrates for the first time that cannabinoid receptors called CB2,
which can be activated by cannabis use, are present in human sensory
nerves in the peripheral nervous system, but are not present in a
normal human brain. Drugs which activate the CB2 receptors are able to
block pain by stopping pain signals being transmitted in human sensory
nerves, according to the study, led by researchers from Imperial
College London. Previous studies have mainly focused on the other
receptor activated by cannabis use, known as CB1, which was believed
to be the primary receptor involved in pain relief. However, as CB1
receptors are found in the brain, taking drugs which activate these
receptors can lead to side-effects, such as drowsiness, dependence and
psychosis, and also recreational abuse.
(USA) Sting gone bad: Deputies lose
75 pounds of pot CASA GRANDE,
Ariz. (AP) - The Pinal County Sheriff's Office says a suspect made off
with a police vehicle and 75 pounds of marijuana they had used for
bait in a drug sting. Deputies from the county's drug task force set
up the deal to close out a monthslong investigation in Casa Grande.
Court records show undercover deputies agreed to trade a Hummer
vehicle for the marijuana they possessed from a prior drug seizure.
But the deal went sour on Wednesday at a mall parking lot off
Interstate 10 when five men showed up in the Hummer and a pickup. One
got into a sedan with the pot and drove away before a SWAT team could
close in. The other four were arrested. Pinal County chief deputy Jeff
Kirkham says such failed stings are rare and played down the effect of
losing the marijuana.
(USA) New Drug Survey Demolishes
Drug Czar's Claims. Well, now
we know why federal officials chose to release the 2007 National
Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) on a day when the Republican
convention's climax and a string of hurricanes is likely to keep it
out of the headlines. The survey pretty much dynamites Office of
National Drug Control Policy chief John Walters' claims of success in
reducing marijuana and drug use during his tenure, which he'd like us
to attribute to his aggressive policies, and particularly ONDCP's
near-obsession with demonizing marijuana. First, some raw numbers: The
total number of Americans who have used illicit drugs is up from 108
million in 2002, the first full year of Walters' tenure, to 114
million in 2007. And the number of Americans who've used marijuana has
passed the 100 million mark for the first time -- up from 95 million
in 2002.
Take Care and Peace Marco Renda Federal
Exemptee Publisher & Editor in Chief Treating Yourself The Alternative
Medicine Journal
ARRESTED: Mernajuana, Compster,
Buzzworthy..
Earlier this evening I was at
Vapor Central hangin out with Matt and the staff at VC. Matt and I
left the Vapor Lounge together around 10pm and went our separate ways.
About 20 minutes later I got an urgent call from Matt telling me to,
"Call Eric!" (Compster on the CC forums) "Tell him don't go home! 50's
at the door!!!" I immediatly called Ereic and relayed the message.
Around 11pm I called Matt, he and Eric were together in the lobby of
their building. This was the last conversation I had with Matt. Since
Matt's on bail already he was going to send Eric to talk to the cops
who at this point were still waiting at their front door. I told Matt
tto be safe and call me back in a few miniutes as soon as they were in
the apartment or if something happened. I waited and waited for their
call and nothing so I called Matt's cell phone, no answer right to the
machine, then called Eric's cell same thing. No answer on their house
phone either! I called all 3 again soon later and all 3 were turned
off by police, all 3 strait to message box. So vwe know what this
means. I placed a call to Toronto Police 51 Division to ask about the
where abouts of my friend and they confirmed at that point that Matt
Mernagh was in custody. Soon after hanging up with police I got a call
from Tracy (bud babes). She had just gotten the call from Toronto
Police telling her Matt was in jail. Together we peiced together the
information we knew to this point and were concern regarding the where
abouts of Compster. We had no idea at this point if the cops got him
or not. I called back 51 Division this time asking regarding my friend
Eric Compton. Again they confirmed that my friend was in custody. They
also told me tthat he will appear at Old City Hall toromrrow Sunday
Aug 17th at 10am. At 2:30 am I got a call from Puff Mama apparently
Eric Wood (known on the CC forums as Buzz Worthy) at the Buzz Worthy
Cafe and several Bucketeers were also arrested in a seperate inncident.
This is indeed a bad night for the Cannabis Community in Toronto!
Bloody full moon! It's got those narco-facist cops thirsty for
blood!!! I want to send all my best wishes to Eric Compton, Matt
Mernagh, Eric Wood and all the other potheads who were arrested last
night. I won't be gettin any sleep tonight. I'll see you all in court
tomorrow. Hoping for all your safety and well being. Davin Toronto
Seed Bank
Freedomtour in Nelson- the
emotional side of activism
Today I'm having a very hard time doing the job, I'm not >completely
sure why. I find myself very emotional. I'm here >at the Holy Smoke
and a short while ago I was speaking to a >gentleman from Spain and
the conversation got around to how >the drug prohibitions hurt
families and especcialy our >children who live in poverty and are so
easily lured into >the drug trade and into gangs. Gangs who exist
mainly to >distribute drugs that people demand and the gov'ts refuse
>to allow to be regulated. > >Well I could'nt stop the tears as I
tried to speak and >after a few more attempts I excused myself and now
i'm at >the computer writing about it. I've never written about how
>activism effects me emotionally but I constantly walk the >edge of
emotions and have to hold back and use comedy and >other strategies to
stay strong and not "lose it" most of >the time. > >These issues that
we are addressing on the Freedomtour are >of great importance because
they are very "bad" and for >sure very sad. The ruining of our world
environmentally to >support corporate interests like petro-chemical
companies, >the cotton and forrestry industries to name just a few.
The >unsustainable cost of the war on drugs that threatens our >worlds
economy for the masses while making obscene fortunes >for the criminal
black market as well as for the greed >riddled corporate elite. The
criminalization of non >criminal plant users that has ruined untold
millions of >lives worldwide, not to mention that the suppression of
>hemp has starved to death millions of people and so many >children. >
>I guess it's not too surprising that I'm upset and >emotional however
today it's quite ramped up. I did tell >DML just before I left that I
still never wake up less >pissed-off than the day before in over 4
years now since I >learned the truth about what's wrong in our world
and opened >the "Herb School" with David and my son. > >I think maybe
Shambhalla might have something to do with it >as well. Spending 6
days in a love based and free >environment has made me more aware than
ever about the harms >being imposed on us in this fear based and
sometimes cruel >world. After being "up" like that for those 6 days
made it >hard to leave and return to the reality of every day >talking
about and hearing about the price we are paying for >not being free
and respected. > >To be fair I also earlier today said so-long to my
son and >Dove who are now heading west after we were together for >the
last 10 days. I really love my son and really value my >time with him
so I know I'm not happy to part ways with >him. I also for sure miss
my family, my girl and so many >dear friends that are back home and
there's still nearly a >hundred days left to be on the road. > >I'm
sorry to whine like this I felt maybe it was important >to write about
this side of what it's like for me. I'm >probably going to go and have
a good cry now and then I >will re-focus, I know I will be strong
enough to speak at >the upcoming rallies in Alberta with out being a
blubbering >fool but I would like anyone who can send me strength and
>positive vibes to please do so. > >Thanks, >Neil Magnuson, >
www.freedomtour.ca
20 June - 08
August 2008
Austria allows cannabis for medical
purposes Austria's
parliament has adopted a new bill allowing the cultivation of cannabis
for medical and scientific purposes, under the Health Ministry's
control. The bill, approved by parliament during a late-night session
Wednesday, will give the health and food safety agency AGES the
exclusive right in Austria to grow the plant, which is otherwise
categorised as a drug. Michael Bach, president of the Austrian pain
studies association OeSG, welcomed the new legislation, saying: "Any
initiative that makes it possible to develop and provide new drugs for
pain therapy is welcome." "Substances drawn from cannabis have been
used for medical purposes more and more in the last few years," he
added. Possession of or dealing in cannabis incurs a 6-month prison
sentence in Austria.
The ideological, illogical war against cannabis
I’ve introduced a bill which would allow
fines to be waived for the personal cultivation and use of marijuana
for people suffering designated medical conditions. This would be on
the proviso that a medical practitioner has signed a palliative
cannabis certificate, saying that the person is suffering from a
specified illness or disease, the symptoms of which might be palliated
by the smoking or consumption of cannabis or cannabis resin.
The Killing of Rachel Hoffman and the
Tragedy That Is Pot Prohibition
Under prohibition, Rachel faced up to five years in a Florida prison
for possessing a small amount of marijuana. (Under state law,
violators face up to a $5,000 fine and five years in prison for
possession of more than 20 grams of pot.) Under prohibition, the
police in Rachel's community viewed the 23-year-old recent college
graduate as nothing more than a criminal and threatened her with jail
time unless she cooperated with them as an untrained, unsupervised
confidential informant. Her assignment: Meet with two men she'd never
met and purchase a large quantity of cocaine, ecstasy and a handgun.
Rachel rendezvoused with the two men; they shot and killed her.
Ont. restaurateur may take medical marijuana feud to court
TORONTO - A Burlington Ont. restaurant
owner facing a human rights complaint for refusing to allow a patron
with a medical marijuana licence to smoke outside his establishment
said he plans to take the dispute to court. Ted Kindos, owner of Gator
Ted's Tap and Grill, said he will seek a declaration from the Ontario
Superior Court that the provincial laws - prohibiting marijuana
possession or consumption in licensed establishments - trump former
patron Steve Gibson's right to light up.
Dr. Kush How medical marijuana is transforming the pot industry.
The Tibetan prayer flags suspended on a
string over the sleeping body of Captain Blue rose and fell in
fluttering counterpoint to the wheezy rhythm of his breath. Lifted by
a gentle breeze off the Pacific Ocean, each swatch of red, white,
yellow, or green cotton bore a paragraph of Asian script. Every time a
flag flaps in the breeze, it is thought, a prayer flies off to Heaven.
Blue’s mother says that when her son was an infant he used to sleep
until noon, which is still the time that he wakes up most days, on his
platform bed in a one-bedroom apartment overlooking Venice Beach, a
neighborhood of Los Angeles. It was now three o’clock in the
afternoon, and Captain Blue was dozing after a copious inhalation of
purified marijuana vapor. (His nickname is an homage to his favorite
variety of bud.)
Marijuana Eases Nerve Pain Due to
HIV Study Shows Smoking Pot Provides Pain Relief From HIV-Related
Neuropathy Smoking the pot
provided much greater pain relief than smoking the placebo. Forty-six
percent of participants had clinically meaningful pain relief with pot
compared to 18% with placebo. Pain relief varied from "strong" to
"mild to moderate." The researchers say that medical marijuana
significantly reduces HIV-related neuropathic pain when added to the
patient's already-prescribed pain management regimen and may be an
"effective option for pain relief" in those whose pain is not
controlled with current medications. The findings, which appear online
in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, add to a growing body of
evidence that shows that medical marijuana can be a potent painkiller
for patients with neuropathy. However, the substance can have a
negative impact on certain mental skills.
Cannabis hope for cancer patients
GIVING cancer patients cannabis
could cause their tumours to shrink, scientists have claimed. In tests
on mice, researchers at Texas University found sensors on cells which
detect cannabinoids - the active ingredient that causes a "high" - can
control the spread of the disease. In mice with cancer the sensors
were switched off, but when fed a cannabinoid mix the sensors were
activated and tumour growth slowed, then shrank. Experts hope
cannabis-based drugs could be used to treat cancer. Raymond DuBois,
who led the research team, called it "an exciting prospect".
Judge: Prison worker shouldn't lose
job over pot LINCOLN, Neb. (AP)
- A Nebraska judge has ruled that a prison secretary shouldn't have
lost his job for smoking pot while he wasn't at work. John Ahmann was
secretary to the deputy warden at the Lincoln Correctional Center. He
submitted a urine sample for drug testing in May 2006, and tested
positive for marijuana. Ahmann admitted he smoked marijuana off duty,
and agreed to quit using the drug. Lancaster County Judge Jodi Nelson
says he was fired the next month, despite an otherwise spotless
employment record and above-average evaluations. She says there was no
evidence his marijuana use affected his job performance or jeopardized
the security of the institution. So she reversed the State Personnel
Board's decision.
When It Comes To Medical Pot, Rats
Are Smarter Than Our Politicians
You can learn a lot from a rat --
especially if the subject is medical cannabis. According to a
just-published study from the University of Milan -- you didn't
actually think medicinal marijuana research took place in this
country, did you? -- the administration of whole-plant cannabis
extracts provides superior pain relief compared to the administration
of the plant's isolated components (such as THC) in an animal model of
neuropathic pain.
‘Pot 2.0’: Where Can I Get Some?
So let’s review, shall we? Our
federal government wants Americans to get off the pot. So they spend
billions of dollars outlawing the plant and driving its producers
underground where breeders clandestinely develop stronger and more
sophisticated herbal strains than ever existed prior to prohibition.
The Feds then go out and inadvertently give America’s pot farmers
billions of dollars in free advertising by telling the world that
their weed is more potent than anything Allen Ginsberg, Tommy Chong or
Jerry Garcia ever smoked in their heyday. In response, tens of
millions of Americans head immediately to their nearest street-corner
in search of a dealer (or college student) willing to sell them a
dimebag of the new, super-potent pot they’ve been hearing about on TV.
And politicians wonder why we’re not "winning" the drug war?
Medicinal Marijuana Effective For
Neuropathic Pain In HIV, Study Finds
In a double-blind, placebo-controlled
clinical trial to assess the impact of smoked medical cannabis, or
marijuana, on the neuropathic pain associated with HIV, researchers at
the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine found that
reported pain relief was greater with cannabis than with a placebo.
Govt. Milks Stoner Stereotypes in
Anti-Pot Propaganda Film
(..).In this case, cannabis consumers are portrayed, quite literally,
as less than human. Rather, they are mockingly characterized as wild
game -- to be hunted, tagged, and bagged by the film's 'Crocodile
Hunter' inspired narrator. Once captured, the so-called 'stoners' are
subjected to a myriad of mental, physical, and psychological tasks --
such a navigating a simple obstacle course and catching various
objects thrown to them at close range. Naturally, the film's 'stoner'
subjects fail to perform even the most rudimentary tasks competently
-- including remembering one another's names ("In his current
condition the stoner exhibits an inability to communicate
effectively," the hosts informs us.) or bathing ("In fact, we have
learned through our intensive research that both male and female
stoners tend to lack the motivation to maintain proper hygiene.") The
mockumentary's slanderous message: marijuana smoking turns human
beings into animals -- a denigrating theme the film's host gloats
about repeatedly.
Outlaw compassion
TORONTO - On the day before opening its
new location in the Church-Wellesley village, the staff of the Toronto
Compassion
Centre (TCC) take a break from last-minute renovation work. The air
smells like paint and pot as project coordinator Tracy Curley rolls a
joint for membership coordinator Chad Cooke. It seems, to this
reporter, a little early in the day to spark up a blunt but, "We're
medicating," explains manager Willow Bauer. TCC's mission is to help
people struggling with illness to access medical marijuana. The
staffers here are members themselves. "We're sick people helping sick
people," says Bauer, a small slim woman with short dark hair and funky
glasses. For Curley, whose red hair matches her name, weed helps her
live with diabetic neuropathy. "Sometimes I can't feel my feet," she
says. But by using pot, "I function better now in my 30s than I ever
did when I was younger." Dominic Cramer is the entrepreneur behind TCC.
The staff treat him with reverence. Dubbed "the mayor of Yongesterdam,"
he is the founder and owner of the Toronto Hemp Company on Yonge St.
Since his start in 1994 Cramer has spun his hemp business off into a
small network of shops and cafes with TCC, he says, rising out of an
obvious need. "I had old ladies call up, saying pot saved their sons.
He's got leukemia, AIDS, whatever, and they've seen these incredible
benefits. 'Where do
I get some?'" He calls TCC's move to the gay village "a homecoming."
"The Toronto Hemp Company has been a sponsor of Dirty Bingo for 16
years," says host Shirley, whose dirty bingo has been a village staple
for years. "They donate a bong every week." TCC also had a float in
the Pride parade with its own spin on the rainbow flag. "Green was
legalization, red was regulation, yellow was education, orange was
medication, purple was pride and blue was compassion," says Curley.
"That's what we strive for." But is it just savvy public relations by
a smart businessman? Is it merely fancy window dressing for a drug
den? Cooke says 42 percent of TCC members are people living with
HIV/AIDS. Curley estimates that as many as a third of the members are
gay men. "From a quality of life point of view anything that will help
people with HIV manage their medications better and lead quality lives
is a very good thing and it's something that ACT has always
supported," says John Maxwell, director of special projects at the
AIDS Committee of Toronto. But the government doesn't see it quite
that way.
Nominate Emery for Order of Canada?
A letter to the editor
published in the Ottawa Citizen a week ago suggested that Marc Emery
should be nominated to the Order of Canada "because of his stand
against dumb laws prohibiting the free use of marijuana." The letter
was in response to the controversy over the long overdue appointment
of Henry Morgentaler to the OC. The writer went further, and
recommended that there should be a law against making dumb laws, which
I thought was kind of funny. However, the impression I get from
Question Period is that they take themselves pretty seriously.
BBC - Canada's spreading cannabis crop
In the first of two pieces on organised
crime accompanying his Radio 4 series How crime took on the world,
Misha Glenny visits British Columbia
in Canada where homegrown marijuana has become big business. As we
walk into John's basement, the smell is so overwhelming it almost
knocks me off my feet. Man addresses rally in 2004 calling for
cannabis to be legalised in Canada Calls for cannabis to be legalised
have long divided opinion in Canada In front of me stand 120 marijuana
plants whose thick bushy leaves cover the strong stems. John explains
quite nonchalantly that this is just a small growing operation, or
grow-ops as they are known throughout Canada. But he pays loving
attention to the crop - adjusting temperature, light and nutrient
supply - to ensure that it enjoys the best possible environment. Every
two to three months, John harvests some 8lbs (3.6kg) of his crop,
worth about $20,000. So even if he didn't work at other jobs, that
nets him a tidy salary (untaxed of course) of about $80,000 a year.
20 June 2008
Synthetic Pot as a Military Weapon?
Meet the Man Who Ran the Secret Program
"EA 1476" -- otherwise known as "Red Oil"
-- on dogs and monkeys at the behest of the U.S. Army. Made through a
process of chemical extraction and distillation, Red Oil, akin to hash
oil, packed a mightier punch than the natural plant. Army scientists
found that this concentrated cannabis derivative produced effects
unlike anything they had previously seen. "The dog gets a peculiar
reaction. He crawls under the table, stays away from the dark, leaps
out at imaginary objects and, as far as one can interpret, may be
having hallucinations," one report stated. "It would appear even to
the untrained observer that this dog is not normal. He suddenly jumps
out, even without any stimulus, and barks, and then crawls back under
the table."
08 June 2008
(US) Medical marijuana is needed by
seriously ill patients The
federal government is waging war on some of our most vulnerable
citizens, who Washington voters have acted to protect. Soon, our
congressional representatives will have the chance to stand up for
those people -- seriously ill patients who need medical marijuana.
This is an issue we both know personally. One of us is a physician and
researcher specializing in rehabilitation medicine and neuromuscular
diseases such as ALS ("Lou Gehrig's disease"). The other is a cancer
survivor who got through the nausea and vomiting caused by
chemotherapy with the help of marijuana, and who has again found
relief with marijuana from the chronic pain caused by injuries in a
car accident.
HIGH TIMES Bud Prices for USA for
June 2008 In June, Kush resumed
its customary spot as the most submitted strain of the month; however,
its average price dropped nearly $50 from May. Additionally, all
individual indices (Kind, Mids and Schwag) came in below their
year-to-date averages. Despite the drop off, the overall index (US
Price) finished slightly above its YTD average, indicating a trend
toward more expensive strains and fewer submissions of cheaper pot.
The top 5 submitted strains (with average price) were: Kush ($428),
Skunk ($400), Train Wreck ($348), Diesel ($442) and White Rhino
($363).
US pot crusader Steve Kubby out of
jail, has fond memories of Canada
VANCOUVER — An American medical marijuana
advocate who tried to claim refugee status in Canada is out of jail in
California and says he wants to come back here - at least for a visit.
Steve Kubby served a total of 40 days of a 120-day sentence for
possessing drugs found in a police raid almost a decade ago. Last
week, California Superior Court essentially erased the conviction
under legislation that allows the move when defendants have fulfilled
the terms of their probation. "This was such a tempest in a teapot,"
Kubby, a 61-year-old former ski magazine publisher and pot activist,
said in an interview from his home in Mendocino, Calif. "This whole
thing was so absurd. It's finally gotten straightened out." Kubby
suffers from a rare form of adrenal cancer that he says can only be
kept in check by using marijuana. Without it, he says his body
over-produces adrenaline, which can spike blood pressure, causing
heart attacks and strokes.
Human cannabis could improve skin
care New research into the
skincare role of cannabis-like substances suggests the belief that
marijuana cleans the body and mind may be more than just a pipe dream.
Taking a leaf out of the Rastafarian book, scientists have suggested
that cannabis-like substances may hold the key to healthy skin.
Researchers from Hungry, Germany and the UK say the human body
produces compounds that resemble the active ingredient in marijuana,
THC. Body produces cannabinoids for protection Not only are they
similar but they also play an important role in the maintenance of
good looking skin.
Dutch Cannabis Strength Stabilises
at High Level Dutch cannabis
remains among the strongest in the world. But the content of the
active ingredient THC has not increased further since 2004, according
to the Trimbos Institute. Working for the Health Ministry, Trimbos has
been studying the strength of cannabis sold in tolerated Dutch drugs
bars ('coffee shops') since 1999. Up to 2004, there was a strong
increase in the THC content, the psyco-active ingredient. "Since then,
there has been a stabilisation around an average THC content of 16 to
17 percent." The cannabis sold in Dutch coffee shops in 2008 had a THC
content of 16.4 percent. This was 0.4 percentage point more than in
2007, and nearly twice that of cannabis of foreign origin (8.5
percent). Hashish made from Dutch cannabis is much stronger again;
this contained as much as 27.6 percent THC on average in 2008. Hashish
from abroad averages 16.2 percent of THC.
Medical Cannabis The Natural Way
The change of law also makes no allowances
for the tens of thousands of people who use cannabis in the treatment
of one or more medical conditions ranging from depression, to terminal
cancer, and on behalf of the many medical cannabis users I know in the
United Kingdom, I would like to ask "Why"?
(US) Center in Olympia to educate
on medicinal marijuana law Advocate aims to clarify system for legal
users Jeremy Miller, 36, said
he wants to help people navigate through the state's medical marijuana
law that remains complex despite an effort last week by the state
Department of Health to bring more clarity. The opening of the
resource center was "semi-inspired" by the agency's action and
resulting need to educate people. "It's a legitimate law just like any
law that should be functional and, right now, it's not as functional
as it should be," Miller said. "There's several things we can do, but
I think it's going to take independent counties throughout the state
and possibly independent organizations to take it upon themselves to
keep patients out of harm's way."
Police Discover World's Most
Expensive Marijuana This is
really an incredible discovery and I'm surprised it hasn’t generated
more attention. At $4.7 million for 104 pounds, we're talking about an
ounce that's worth $2824.51! That just blows away everything listed at
High Times's market quotes section, where ounces of high-grade
marijuana in Ohio last month were listed at $400. It also overwhelms
the STRIDE data collected by drug enforcement officers showing that
U.S. marijuana prices averaged around $200 per ounce as of 2003.
01-03 June
2008
The World Health Organization Documents Failure of U.S. Drug Policies
The United States has some of the world's
most punitive drug policies and has led the cheering section for tough
"war on drugs" policies worldwide, but a new international study
suggests that those policies have been a crashing failure. A World
Health Organization survey of 17 countries, conducted by some of the
world's leading substance abuse researchers, found that we have the
highest rates of marijuana and cocaine use. The numbers are startling.
In the United States, 42.4 percent admitted having used marijuana. The
only other nation that came close was New Zealand, another bastion of
get-tough policies, at 41.9 percent. No one else was even close. The
results for cocaine use were similar, with the United States leading
the world by a large margin. This study is important because it's the
first time a respected international group has surveyed drug use
around the world, using the same questions and procedure everywhere.
While many countries have their own drug use surveys, the questions
and methodology vary, and comparisons between countries are difficult.
This new study eliminates that problem. Some of the most striking
numbers are from the Netherlands, where adults are permitted to
possess a small of marijuana and purchase it from regulated
businesses. Some U.S. officials have claimed that these Dutch policies
have created some sort of decadent cesspool of drug abuse, but the new
study demolishes such assertions: In the Netherlands, only 19.8
percent have used marijuana, less than half the U.S. figure.
Toronto police arrest two officers
during crackdown on marijuana grow-ops
TORONTO — Two Toronto police officers and
three correctional officers were among almost two dozen people
arrested Thursday after 63 search warrants were executed in a
crackdown on marijuana grow-ops. Toronto police Chief Bill Blair said
he was very disappointed to learn that two of his officers were
allegedly involved in a drug trafficking operation that involved
marijuana, ecstasy and steroids and money laundering. It's alleged the
"elaborate" operation had been ongoing for at least two years. The
police investigation lasted several months before the raids were
launched, netting 23 suspects. Police seized three houses, five
vehicles, $60,000 and almost eight kilograms of marijuana. The
officers' alleged involvement is more than just a breach of their oath
of duty, it's also a betrayal of their colleagues who strive to
maintain the public's trust, said Blair. "All of us need to maintain
the trust of the people we serve," Blair said. "The conduct alleged by
these two individual officers, and quite frankly also by those
corrections officers that are accused in today's investigation,
(means) that trust is challenged and we are very disappointed," he
said. The two officers - Kevin Bourne with nine years of police
service and Patrick Lee with eight years on the force - are in
custody. If granted bail, they will be suspended with pay. The accused
were scheduled to appear in a Newmarket court Friday. Police said the
investigation is continuing.
9-15 May 2008
How Pot Became Demonized: the Fine Line Between Good Medicine and
'Dangerous Drugs' For many
modern critics, the concept of "medical marijuana" is a contradiction
in terms. Medicine is standardized, synthetic, and pure; marijuana
involves the unrefined and promiscuous coupling of more than four
hundred components rooted in the dirt. Medicine -- in its most
powerful and privileged forms -- rests in the hands of men, while the
most potent form of marijuana is found in the female flowering plant.
Medicine engages in heroic battles against death. Marijuana claims
only to enhance the quality of life. Medicine presents itself as an
objective science safeguarded by the ritual of the double-blind,
randomized clinical trial. The therapeutic value of marijuana relies
largely on the "soft science" of subjective experience and anecdotal
evidence. From the perspective of its critics, then, cannabis is an
effeminate interloper in the masculine world of real medicine, a
dangerous drug pushed on a credulous public by illegitimate quacks.
But this story is too simple. The line separating regular doctors from
snake oil salesmen, good drugs from bad, is as much the product of
politics as it is of science. The dominance of politics in determining
the value of marijuana as a medicine was first demonstrated in the
1930s when the federal government began to restrict the medical use of
marijuana, against the recommendations of the American Medical
Association (AMA).
Job security for cops part of cannabis laws
MP Larry Miller (Society Wants To Keep
Drugs Out Of Schools, May 6, 2008), like many law enforcement people
along with their unions, are quick to break Canada's constitution for
their own gain. Society wants to keep drugs out of schools but not at
the cost of ignoring the constitution. Miller's numerous "fears" are
unwarranted and suspicion isn't enough reason to search citizens.
Further, drug sniffing dogs' list of accomplishments mostly involve
locating cannabis (marijuana) which is arguably not even a drug but
rather a relatively safe God-given plant that should be re-legalized
for responsible adults.
Marijuana popular among educated,
middle-class Canadians: study
A variety of educated,
middle-class Canadians are "making a conscious but careful choice to
use marijuana" to relax or focus on leisure activities, say
researchers behind a new study spotlighting pot smoking behind the
nation's picket fences. These people might drive minivans to their
full-time jobs or run a household, but come time to unwind, it's not
Dr. Phil who's calming their nerves. "It's an illegal activity, so
it's still something people do in secret, usually in the privacy of
their own home," says Geraint Osborne, whose study is published in the
spring edition of the journal Substance Use and Misuse. "They're a
little reluctant to come forward and talk about it, using the phrase
that they're still 'in the closet.'"
CANNABIS PILL HELPED ME TO WALK
AGAIN A Multiple sclerosis
sufferer says he was able to step out of his wheelchair for the first
time in seven years when he took part in a trial of a tablet
containing cannabis. Tony Withers, 64, believes the tablet could be a
breakthrough in helping the 85,000 Britons with the condition. The
former RAF navigator, of Petersham Drive, Alvaston, who has used a
wheelchair since 2000, took part in a 12-week trial of the tablets. He
said his symptoms, which include pain, spasms, sleeplessness and
having no control over his lower body, showed such an improvement that
he was able to stand and give a speech to medical students for 10
minutes. Mr Withers said it was at his final assessment with doctors
that the effect was most obvious. "The professor had three students
with him and he asked me to talk to them about MS.
It wasn't like this in my day
PERHAPS they are too stoned to
notice, but cannabis users do not seem to pay much attention to
changes in the law regarding their beloved weed. When the government
last tinkered with the law in 2003, downgrading dope's seriousness,
many feared an increase in consumption. Instead, the prevalence of
occasional smoking among young people has since fallen, from 25% to
21%. Following that apparent success, the government has now decided
to reverse the decision. On May 7th Jacqui Smith, the home secretary,
announced that cannabis would be upgraded from a class C drug—the
mildest type—to class B, putting it in the same company as
amphetamines. Earlier that day the Advisory Council on the Misuse of
Drugs (ACMD), an official body of academics, social workers, policemen
and other drugs experts, had recommended she leave it alone. Ms Smith
said the public supported her in taking a tough line and claimed that
strong new strains of cannabis presented a risk to mental health.
Middle Class Relaxing With
Marijuana A variety of
middle-class people are making a conscious but careful choice to use
marijuana to enhance their leisure activities, a University of Alberta
study shows. A qualitative study of 41 Canadians surveyed in 2005-06
by U of A researchers showed that there is no such thing as a
'typical' marijuana user, but that people of all ages are selectively
lighting up the drug as a way to enhance activities ranging from
watching television and playing sports to having sex, painting or
writing. "For some of the participants, marijuana enhanced their
ability to relax by taking their minds off daily stresses and
pressures. Others found it helpful in focusing on the activity at
hand," said Geraint Osborne, a professor of sociology at the
University of Alberta's Augustana Campus in Camrose, and one of the
study's authors.
As fighting flares up, Lebanese
cannabis growers expect a bumper crop
For the cannabis-growing residents of
eastern Lebanon, recent internecine fighting in the country has been a
blessing, albeit one covered in hash resin and dollar signs. To these
villagers, gunshots and warfare are good for business, and the last
three years have been far too quiet for their taste, leaving the
authorities more than enough time and resources to come for their
crops. Peace and quiet frees the Lebanese Army to help local law
enforcement combat the drug trade, especially in the summer, when
soldiers and police are deployed to cannabis fields to rip and cut the
flowering stalks of marijuana set for processing and export to Israel,
Europe and beyond. Advertisement The army has signaled that it could
step up its involvement to bring an end to fighting that broke out
last week - the country's worst internal clashes since the end of the
civil war in 1990, which has left at least 54 people dead and scores
more wounded. The last time the cannabis farmers of Lebanon had such a
bumper crop was during the Second Lebanon War in 2006, when the
security situation in the country brought anti-drug law enforcement to
a halt. With fighting flaring up again in Lebanon, the farmers can
expect another marijuana windfall, especially if the army is deployed
in force throughout the country's cities to quell the recent
bloodshed.
Should cannabis be reclassified?
The Home Secretary omitted
to mention that in the same survey, when asked what penalties should
apply for cannabis possession, 68% of those polled said offenders
should serve either 2 years’ imprisonment (the maximum sentence for
class C) - or that there should be no penalty at all. These
contradictions suggest a level of misunderstanding about the drug
classification system as a whole. " One of the clear 'messages' sent
out by this decision is that drug policy can be informed as much by
media headlines and politics as by an objective approach to the
evidence. There is no doubt that the cannabis market in the UK has
changed over the last decade. The availability of cannabis resin has
fallen, while that of more potent forms of herbal cannabis such as
“skunk” has increased. Yet despite alarmist claims that cannabis is 20
to 30 times stronger “than it used to be”, the evidence shows that the
potency of herbal “skunk” cannabis has increased by 2 to 3 times since
1995. While this does represent a clear and worrying rise in potency,
it is not of the order suggested by some. Further research is needed
to understand what impact this increase in potency has on the user.
New Federal Report on Marijuana Use
is Misleading, Groups Say A new
federal government report on the ill effects of marijuana on teens may
be a last ditch effort to demonize the medical weed before it sees its
own day of emancipation. As it stands, even the most hardcore
marijuana legalization advocates do not support children using
anything that causes intoxication. This new report uses scare tactics
and seems to regard medical facts as a meaningless burden, and they
are enlisting the help of celebrities with big money and big media
ties to drive their message home.
3-9 May 2008
Cannabis Referendum Required.
If this law change is meant to
send a message to our young people I think its succeeded with aplomb,
except the message which its delivered has done little to convince
sometimes "long-term" cannabis users to stop, and the publicity has
actually had the opposite effect, by hi-lighting the greater cannabis
debate, introducing it into the lives of people who were not
necessarily involved in it previously.
The NYPD's Secret Crusade Against
Marijuana Furthers a Racist Agenda
Since most of these people arrested had
the pot hidden in a pocket, backpack, or purse, how did these
stop-and-frisks turn into an arrest for "burning" marijuana" or having
it "open to public view"? As "Marijuana Arrest Crusade" demonstrates,
this is done "by tricking and intimidating" suspects to take out the
concealed marijuana, so that police officers can then claim they saw
it "open to public view." In fact, a longtime Legal Aid supervisor
quoted in the study says that this process happens "all the time." And
such routine deception by the police to set someone up for arrest on a
criminal-misdemeanor charge is perfectly legal. There is much more
detailed information in the report on the impact of these arrests,
which—as described in last week's column— greatly and
disproportionately affect black and Latino youths. Part 7, "Head Start
for Unemployment and Prison," notes that these arrests "can limit the
opportunity for young people to obtain employment and access to some
schools, and for student aid." The report also notes something that
I've pointed out in this space before: "Mayor Bloomberg and other
prominent politicians [and the FBI] have urged collecting DNA from
everyone arrested for anything whatsoever, including, therefore,
marijuana possession." My main motivation as a reporter has never been
to get "exclusives," but to get vital information out by all possible
means. I hope this revelation of the NYPD's continuing disgrace will
be read carefully by other reporters, legislators, and everyone else
concerned with ending this racist crusade.
Money not well spent: Fraser
In another example, the auditors
discovered Health Canada is probably undercharging Canadians who are
allowed to buy marijuana for medical purposes. Health Canada charges
$5 for a gram of dried marijuana or $20 for a packet of 30 marijuana
seeds. Some "compassion" clubs, which try to assist those who need
marijuana to ease chronic pain, charge twice as much for similar
amounts. Health Canada plans to recalculate its charge.
3 May 2008
TODAY was the Toronto Freedom March
- I made a video of the march early on so there was few people... but
here is the video anyways... Mark
Government policy on medical cannabis 'divorced from scientific
reality' The results of a
clinical trial conducted by University of California have just been
published online and the findings are sure to curry favour with the UK
pro-cannabis reform movement, but not with the government. According
to online publication "Journal of Pain", the report demonstrates
significant relief of neuropathic pain (pain caused by damage to
nerves) stemming from a variety of conditions. This is the second
study in just over a year, to prove that marijuana relieves
neuropathic pain, which is notoriously resistant to treatment with
conventional pain drugs, including opioid narcotics.
25,000 UNITE FOR FREEDOM! 2nd Annual Toronto Freedom Festival -
Saturday, May 3rd 2008The much
anticipated 2nd Annual Toronto Freedom Festival returns
Saturday, May 3rd to Queen’s Park North.
Downtown Toronto The city’s largest one-day outdoor spring
festival, will once again present multiple stages featuring musicians,
vendors, artists, exhibitors and speakers coming together to celebrate
our cherished freedoms.
Marijuana church shut down
HAMILTON - Two men who operated a church where marijuana was sold as a
sacrament here, were sentenced to prison Friday. Michael
Baldasaro was sentenced to two years in jail while
Walter Tucker will spend one year behind bars in connection
with selling marijuana at the Church of the Universe. In handing down
his ruling, the judge called the operation "a marijuana convenience
store that operates for profit like a prohibition-era speakeasy, but
disguised as a church." In 2004, police officers purchased marijuana
from the church in an undercover operation. Baldasaro and Tucker
maintain that God tells them to smoke marijuana and pass joints to
their Church of the Universe parishioners. The case of the two men,
who also lived in the church, made history in Hamilton because it's
the first time a residence has been seized under the drug law. "This
will send the message that if you're going to carry on trafficking in
drugs, growing drugs, on your premise or residence, it can be
forfeited as offence-related property," added Hamilton Police officer
Bob MacDonald.
Pot smokers getting older: survey
Marijuana finds its way 'into an adult lifestyle'
More adults in Ontario are smoking
marijuana than a decade ago, and the average age of cannabis users is
increasing, Jurgen Rehm, senior scientist at the Centre for Addiction
and Mental Health, said yesterday. According to the CAHM annual survey
of adult substance use, the number of adults in Ontario who reported
cannabis use over a one-year period is up from eight per cent in 1977
to 14 per cent in 2005. More telling, said Rehm, is the aging of the
cannabis user, who now is on average 31 years old, compared with 26 in
1977. "For a long time, marijuana smoking was confined to a
transitional phenomenon," Rehm said. "But it now finds its way into an
adult lifestyle."
Will Pot Ever Be Legal in This
Schizoid Country? Marijuana
occupies a bizarrely paradoxical place in American culture. Its use is
widespread, commonplace among the young and ubiquitous in popular
culture. Yet it remains highly illegal, and talk of legalization is
usually deemed political suicide. Here are five signs that pot should
be legal soon -- and five reasons why it probably won't.
Cannabis users not “Deadbeats”
Victoria medical cannabis and HIV-AIDS
activist Jason Wilcox says the Calgary Sun newspaper owes him and
other therapeutic pot puffers an apology following an article
published this week headlined “Deadbeat dopers owe big time.” The
article focuses on documents obtained by Canadians for Safe Access
director Philippe Lucas that show 434 Health Canada Medical Marihuana
Access Division patients are in arrears to the tune of $554,225 for
the government’s pre-packaged pot. “Who else has to face this kind of
depredation of character?” says Wilcox. “What about all the other
people in the country who are behind in paying for their
prescriptions?” Wilcox is particularly upset by the article—a rewrite
of a Canadian Press piece that ran on the newswire the previous day in
which he was quoted several times—because he has repeatedly told news
outlets he refuses to pay for Health Canada’s sub-par weed until the
federal department can justify the 1,500 percent markup passed on to
patients. Medical cannabis is not covered under any provincial health
plan. “I wonder if we had more money whether they would be so quick to
call us deadbeats,” says Wilcox, citing the fact many medical
marijuana users live below the poverty line. Wilcox was not the only
one to feel slighted by the Alberta tabloid’s slanted headline
writing. Shortly after the paper hit newstands, the Canadian AIDS
Society weighed in on the issue. “Maybe one day the name calling will
cease and people who suffer from serious and chronic conditions and
who benefit from the use of marijuana will have their peace. Until
then, comments like this just feed the stigma,” wrote CAS executive
director Monique Doolittle-Romas. In other medical marijuana news,
Health Canada announced Monday it is taking bids for a new supplier of
government-approved medical cannabis. Clients have long complained
current provider Prairie Plant System’s gamma-radiated product is
sub-standard. Wilcox, however, says any new supplier won’t make much
difference unless the government can ensure clients are offered an
organic product in multiple strains suited to treating different
conditions.
Drug Consumption Decriminalized In
Argentina A federal court
in Argentina has decriminalized the consumption of marihuana.
According to the article, the issue still has to be taken to the
Argentinean Supreme Court. Still, this sets an important precedent.
Indeed, the Minister of Justice and Security has recently called the
war on drug consumers an "absolute failure." The federal court has
ruled in favor of two people who had been detained for possessing
marihuana and ecstasy.
04-14 April 2008
Health Canada looking for firm to
grow its medical marijuana
OTTAWA — Health Canada is looking for someone to grow its weed. The
department served notice Monday it will soon allow firms to bid on a
contract to cultivate and distribute medical marijuana. The winning
firm will be expected to deliver a steady stream of
government-approved dope to certified medical users starting in the
fall. Health Canada posted a notice on a government tenders website
saying it would put out a formal request for proposals "in the spring
of 2008." It doesn't specify a date. A spokeswoman for the Public
Works Department was to provide particulars of the request for
proposals on Monday afternoon. Ottawa has been a reluctant supplier of
pot since a series of court rulings forced it into the medical
marijuana business. Health Canada's contentious medical marijuana
program licenses certified medical users to grow their own pot, have
someone grow it for them or buy it straight from Health Canada.
Medical marijuana users more than
$500,000 in arrears with Health Canada
OTTAWA — Medical marijuana users are on
the hook for more than $500,000 in unpaid bills for
government-certified weed, raising questions about the effectiveness
of Health Canada's troubled dope program. Newly disclosed statistics
show that Health Canada has sent final notices - and sometimes
dispatched a collection agency as well - to 462 registered users since
government marijuana first became available in 2003. "Most of the 462
individuals who have received a letter regarding their accounts in
arrears have had their shipment ceased," department spokesman Paul
Duchesne said in an e-mail. The unpaid bills, totalling $554,255 as of
Dec. 31, have tripled in value in the last two years and have resulted
in some seriously ill citizens returning to the black market for their
medication. The marijuana distribution service was specifically
designed to give patients a legal alternative to street dope.
Officials have handed 29 overdue accounts to collection agencies who
so far have been able to recoup just $2,000. The statistics, acquired
through the Access to Information Act and questions to Health Canada,
suggest a deeply flawed program as the number of users in arrears has
soared to about two-thirds of all 739 patients licensed to buy
government dope.
04 April 2008
UN's Drug Czar Lashes Out on
Reformers: "You’re All On Drugs!"
UN Drug Czar Antonio Maria Costa made a
rare appearance before the drug law reform community last November
when he gave the keynote address at the Drug Policy Alliance’s
bi-annual conference in New Orleans. It appears that we made quite an
impression. Speaking in Vienna this week, Costa commented on his brief
appearance with this ad hominem attack: “I attended the meeting of the
Drug Alliance [DPA] in New Orleans last December, 1200 participants,
1000 lunatics, 200 good people to talk to. The other ones obviously on
drugs.”
25,000 UNITE FOR FREEDOM! 2nd Annual Toronto Freedom Festival -
Saturday, May 3rd 2008The much
anticipated 2nd Annual Toronto Freedom Festival returns
Saturday, May 3rd to Queen’s Park North.
Downtown Toronto The city’s largest one-day outdoor spring
festival, will once again present multiple stages featuring musicians,
vendors, artists, exhibitors and speakers coming together to celebrate
our cherished freedoms.
Brown's Cannabis Outrage
"This sort of Tyranny was precisely why
Human rights legislation was passed - we have a Right to a Private
Life, to our individual beliefs and practices and to the protection of
the law." The law that sends police into private homes looking to bust
people for no reason other than the law itself - is in fact illegal.
"It is time that somebody seriously looked into the question of the
legality of cannabis prohibition itself".
Calling B.S. on the Idea of
'Marijuana Addiction' The
U.S. government believes that America is going to pot -- literally.
Earlier this month, the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse
announced plans to spend $4 million to establish the nation's
first-ever "Center on Cannabis Addiction," which will be based in La
Jolla, Calif. The goal of the center, according to NIDA's press
release, is to "develop novel approaches to the prevention, diagnosis
and treatment of marijuana addiction." Not familiar with the notion of
"marijuana addiction"? You're not alone. In fact, aside from the
handful of researchers who have discovered that there are gobs of
federal grant money to be had hunting for the government's latest pot
boogeyman, there's little consensus that such a syndrome is clinically
relevant -- if it even exists at all. But don't try telling that to
the mainstream press -- which recently published headlines worldwide
alleging, "Marijuana withdrawal rivals that of nicotine." The alleged
"study" behind the headlines involved all of 12 participants, each of
whom were longtime users of pot and tobacco, and assessed the
self-reported moods of folks after they were randomly chosen to
abstain from both substances. Big surprise: they weren't happy.
MDs boost dosages of prescribed pot
OTTAWA -- Canadian doctors
have been increasing daily dosages of marijuana for patients using
cannabis for medical purposes, Health Canada reports. The increase in
prescribed dosages is noted in a recent report on the views of
physicians regarding the use of marijuana, adding that this
information "surprised" most doctors when they were told during
interviews. It said the doctors identified seven "logical"
explanations for the trend, including the perception that Health
Canada marijuana is "not as potent" as that produced and grown by
patients or their suppliers.
'Cannabis' could help smokers quit
Smokers trying to quit could do
so in the future with the help of cannabis-based medicines, a
university has said. Scientists at the University of Nottingham are
also looking to see whether such medicines could be used to treat
obesity, diabetes and depression. The research has focused on
cannabis-like compounds which naturally exist within the human body
called endocannabinoids. Scientists believe they could have a crucial
link to addictive behaviour. Dr Steve Alexander, associate professor
at the university's School of Biomedical Sciences, said: "In terms of
getting better medicines the endocannabinoid system has a lot to
offer. "The range of cannabis-related medicines is currently limited,
but by increasing our knowledge in this area we can increase our
stock." Professor David Kendall, a cellular pharmacologist at the
university, said: "The brain is full of cannabinoid receptors. "And
so, not surprisingly with diseases like depression and anxiety,
there's a great deal of interest in exploiting these receptors and in
doing so, developing anti-depressant compounds. "We know that the
endocannabinoid system is intimately involved in reward pathways and
drug-seeking behaviour. "So this tends to indicate that if the link
involving endocannabinoids and the reward pathway, using inhibitors,
can be interrupted, it could turn down the drive to seek addictive
agents like nicotine. Cannabinoids have also been shown to bring down
blood pressure and it is hoped that related compounds can be used in
patients with conditions like hypertension.
25,000 UNITE FOR FREEDOM! 2nd Annual Toronto Freedom Festival -
Saturday, May 3rd 2008The much
anticipated 2nd Annual Toronto Freedom Festival returns
Saturday, May 3rd to Queen’s Park North.
Downtown Toronto The city’s largest one-day outdoor spring
festival, will once again present multiple stages featuring musicians,
vendors, artists, exhibitors and speakers coming together to celebrate
our cherished freedoms.
Centre (TCC) take a break from last-minute renovation work. The air
smells like paint and pot as project coordinator Tracy Curley rolls a
joint for membership coordinator Chad Cooke. It seems, to this
reporter, a little early in the day to spark up a blunt but, "We're
medicating," explains manager Willow Bauer. TCC's mission is to help
people struggling with illness to access medical marijuana. The
staffers here are members themselves. "We're sick people helping sick
people," says Bauer, a small slim woman with short dark hair and funky
glasses. For Curley, whose red hair matches her name, weed helps her
live with diabetic neuropathy. "Sometimes I can't feel my feet," she
says. But by using pot, "I function better now in my 30s than I ever
did when I was younger." Dominic Cramer is the entrepreneur behind TCC.
The staff treat him with reverence. Dubbed "the mayor of Yongesterdam,"
he is the founder and owner of the Toronto Hemp Company on Yonge St.
Since his start in 1994 Cramer has spun his hemp business off into a
small network of shops and cafes with TCC, he says, rising out of an
obvious need. "I had old ladies call up, saying pot saved their sons.
He's got leukemia, AIDS, whatever, and they've seen these incredible
benefits. 'Where do
I get some?'" He calls TCC's move to the gay village "a homecoming."
"The Toronto Hemp Company has been a sponsor of Dirty Bingo for 16
years," says host Shirley, whose dirty bingo has been a village staple
for years. "They donate a bong every week." TCC also had a float in
the Pride parade with its own spin on the rainbow flag. "Green was
legalization, red was regulation, yellow was education, orange was
medication, purple was pride and blue was compassion," says Curley.
"That's what we strive for." But is it just savvy public relations by
a smart businessman? Is it merely fancy window dressing for a drug
den? Cooke says 42 percent of TCC members are people living with
HIV/AIDS. Curley estimates that as many as a third of the members are
gay men. "From a quality of life point of view anything that will help
people with HIV manage their medications better and lead quality lives
is a very good thing and it's something that ACT has always
supported," says John Maxwell, director of special projects at the
AIDS Committee of Toronto. But the government doesn't see it quite
that way.
in Canada where homegrown marijuana has become big business. As we
walk into John's basement, the smell is so overwhelming it almost
knocks me off my feet. Man addresses rally in 2004 calling for
cannabis to be legalised in Canada Calls for cannabis to be legalised
have long divided opinion in Canada In front of me stand 120 marijuana
plants whose thick bushy leaves cover the strong stems. John explains
quite nonchalantly that this is just a small growing operation, or
grow-ops as they are known throughout Canada. But he pays loving
attention to the crop - adjusting temperature, light and nutrient
supply - to ensure that it enjoys the best possible environment. Every
two to three months, John harvests some 8lbs (3.6kg) of his crop,
worth about $20,000. So even if he didn't work at other jobs, that
nets him a tidy salary (untaxed of course) of about $80,000 a year.