Ontario General Election 2007 John
Tory One Toke Over the Line? Humourous New Video Slams Tory's
Hypocrisy on Marijuana January
2, 2007, Toronto - Freedom Party of Ontario today released a 9 minute
video that jabs John Tory for his hypocritical attempt to appear tough
on marijuana; an attempt that quickly backfired on Tory just a few
weeks ago. The fun starts after an initial 2.5 minute explanation of
Freedom Party's position on the marijuana issue. "With election 2007
fast approaching, it is important that the public has a permanent
record and clear understanding of John Tory's modus operandus", says
Freedom Party leader, Paul McKeever, who narrates the video. "Lacking
any stand on the big issues facing Ontario - health care, electricity,
property taxes etc. - Tory is attempting to fill a policy void with
hypocritical posturing, playing Mr. Law-and-Order.
Link to YouTube video
of "Marijuana and Tory Hypocrisy"
Political parties are often
asked for their stand on marijuana (even though laws prohibiting
marijuana are federal, not provincial). In this episode of FPTV, FP
leader Paul McKeever outlines Freedom Party of Ontario's position on
marijuana. The balance of the episode is about the hilarious hypocrisy
of Progressive Conservative party leader John Tory. Tory's recent
attempt to appear tough on drugs exploded in his face when it was
discovered he had written an article in which he admitted carrying a
half-pound of marijuana, getting so high that he went temporarily
mute, and driving while his depth perception was extremely impaired
from (he says) marijuana use.
27 December
2006
What We've Learned (and Failed to Learn) From the Drug
War People learn from experience, but the
process can be very slow. In 1973, New York enacted what were known as
the Rockefeller drug laws, which imposed some of the harshest
sentences in the country. In 2004, Gov. George Pataki signed a bill
retreating from that draconian approach. It only took 31 years,
billions of dollars, and thousands of lives that were wrecked because
of youthful mistakes and very bad luck. Under the Rockefeller laws,
low-level drug possession could get you life in prison, even if it was
your first offense. If you were lucky, you might get off with the
minimum sentence -- 15 years. Yet this approach made for a poor
deterrent: According to federal data, illicit drug use is just as
common in New York as it is in the rest of the country.
1492 hold an Authorization to Possess dried marihuana under the
Marihuana Medical Access Regulations (MMAR) Cultivation/Production of
Marihuana
1061 persons are currently allowed to cultivate/produce marihuana
for medical purposes
940 hold a Personal-Use Production Licence under the Marihuana
Medical Access Regulations (MMAR)
121 hold a Designated-Person Production Licence under the Marihuana
Medical Access Regulations (MMAR)
Distribution of Dried Marihuana and Marihuana Seeds:
301 persons are currently accessing dried marihuana for medical
purposes under the Policy on Supply of Marihuana Seeds and Dried
Marihuana for Medical Purposes
231 persons have received marihuana seeds
for medical purposes under the Policy on Supply of Marihuana
Seeds and Dried Marihuana for Medical
Purposes
95 persons are receiving dried marihuana (for up to four (4)
months) and have received marihuana seeds for medical purposes under
the Policy on Supply of Marihuana Seeds and Dried Marihuana for
Medical Purposes.
Medicinal 'weed' helps the ill:
doctor Stop confusing the
therapeutic use of cannabis with recreational use. One day, when he
was in a Jamaican hospital doing graduate research on chronic pain,
Dr. Mark Ware noticed that some of his patients were coping with their
pain much more easily than others. Intrigued, he asked an old
Rastafarian his secret. “It’s the herb, Doc,” replied the man. That’s
when the doctor found his vocation. Ware is now a leading authority on
the medical uses of cannabis and works at the McGill University Health
Centre Pain Clinic. But in order for his medical research to continue,
he says the public and the media need to stop confusing the
therapeutic use of cannabis with recreational use. During a public
lecture at the Montreal General Hospital last Wednesday, Ware pointed
to a photograph that recently accompanied an article in the press
about medicinal cannabis. The picture showed an elderly man wearing
sunglasses emblazoned with bright green marihuana leaves. “The
patients who come to my office don’t look like this,” said Ware.
“They’re ill people who are trying to live happier lives.” “Marijuana
engenders powerful emotions in people, but I urge them to take a step
back and consider what the possibilities are for pain treatment”
Cannabis shows promise as a medication for a range of symptoms
associated with chronic diseases such as HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis,
and chronic nerve injury pain, he said. “Every month, new research is
published from around the world suggesting that cannabinoids [chemical
compounds, such as THC, found in marijuana] play a role in
physiological processes like pain, appetite, inflammation and
movement,” Ware said. “We now know there is a system of
cannabinoids in our bodies working all the time to control these
processes, and this system may be an appropriate target for new
therapies," he continued. While cannabis is by no means a full-proof
cure for pain, Ware says it can make small improvements on a patients’
condition. “Pain is hard to live with and hard to treat, and studies
show cannabinoids have some effect,” he said. “It’s just another
option we have, it’s just another piece of equipment in our toolbox.”
As with most drugs, however, cannabis will not work in the same way
for everyone and the careful monitoring by a physician is required.
Cannabis is also not without danger. While it does not cause madness,
as popular lore once claimed, it is linked to higher incidence of
psychosis and schizophrenia in early users and individuals with a
prior history of psychotic disorders. More research is still needed to
determine whether there is truly a cause and effect relationship. A
recent study on patients who had never smoked cigarettes has also
proved that there is no link between cannabis and cancer, said Ware.
In fact, a study on animals has showed that there might even be
anti-cancer agents in THC. After the talk, a long line of people
who either live with severe pain, or have relatives who do, shared
their stories with Ware and showed visible interest in his research,
giving evidence that pain treatment is a daily concern for many
Quebecers.
Finnish man given permission to use
cannabis against pain
Finnish man given permission to use cannabis against pain print this
Finland’s National Agency for Medicines has granted a Finnish man
special permission to use cannabis for the relief of pain. According
to a story in Tuesday’s edition of the Turku-based newspaper Turun
Sanomat, the cannabis prescription is valid for a year, after which
the agency does not plan to renew the special permission to sue the
drug. Terhi Hermanson, head physician at the Ministry of Social
Affairs and Health, says that the case is the first one in which a
patient has applied for permission to use cannabis for medicinal
purposes in Finland. She adds that the ministry must now examine the
legislative factors linked with this isolated case.
RCMP takes heat over Insite
Force's research criticizes the lauded
safe-injection site and asserts that the program increases drug use
The RCMP is under heavy fire for its criticism of Vancouver's
pioneering supervised injection site for heroin users, a project that
has won positive reviews from more than a dozen rigorous research
studies. In a critical, three-page report on the site, Staff-Sergeant
Chuck Doucette questioned findings of the numerous peer-reviewed
studies, while pointing to "considerable evidence" that making drug
use safer increases the number of users. Staff-Sgt. Doucette is
Pacific regional co-ordinator for the RCMP's drug and organized crime
awareness division. His report, submitted this summer, was made public
through a Freedom of Information request. Yesterday, the head of
addiction medicine for the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority charged
that the RCMP report is full of "falsehoods and prejudice." At the
same time, a leading investigator of North America's first
safe-injection site for illegal drug users accused Staff-Sgt. Ducette
of taking a "frightening" approach and playing politics with issues of
life and death.....
New advancements in medical marijuana
80 per cent of Canadians believe adults
should be able to legally use marijuana for medical purposes if
recommended by a doctor, says a new survey. It's a proven treatment
for chronic pain, such as arthritis, extreme nausea, such as that
found in AIDS and chemotherapy patients, for glaucoma, Multiple
Sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, seizure disorders such as epilepsy
and terminal illnesses. It's at the centre of a burgeoning area of
scientific research, with investigation into it as a treatment for
schizophrenia, Alzheimer's and even as a tumor-shrinking agent. More
commonly, it's used by many to relieve stress, reduce anxiety and
induce sleep. “If it was discovered in some remote corner of the world
today,” said David Hill, “it would be hailed as a miracle.” But
marijuana is hardly a new find. Human beings discovered it thousands
of years ago and have used it medicinally – as well as recreationally
– ever since.....
Police bust million-dollar York
grow-op One man was arrested at
the scene. A woman, believed to be his wife, was arrested on Kimbark
Cres. in Markham’s Kennedy Rd. and 14th Ave. area. More than seven
pounds of dry, harvested marijuana and a bag with “a large quantity of
cash and valuables” were seized during the arrest. Coong Kim Tien, 52,
and Minh Du Ban, 46, both of Markham, face charges including
production of a controlled substance, posession of a controlled
substance for the purpose of trafficking and theft of
electricity. Anyone with information about this case is asked to
contact police at 1-866-876-5423 ext. 7817 or Crime Stoppers
anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 or
www.1800222tips.com......
Canada looks to USA for drug policy hints
Conservative cabinet ministers and their
aides are consulting with "keen" U.S. government officials on a new
national drug strategy for Canada, according to internal documents
obtained by The Vancouver Sun. "There have been various senior-level
meetings between U.S. officials and ministers/ministers' offices,"
states a summary of a June 16, 2006 meeting on the Tory drug
initiative, involving bureaucrats at nine federal departments and
agencies. "U.S. officials have been keen to discuss drug issues with
the current government." Prime Minister Stephen Harper's 2006 election
platform promised a new drug strategy that would include a national
youth awareness strategy. Harper also called for mandatory minimum
sentences and large fines for serious drug offenders, including
marijuana growing operators and "producers and dealers of crystal meth
and crack." The Tory government has since come under criticism for
taking a tough, U.S.-style approach to drug crime while downplaying
the so-called "harm reduction" approach that led to the 2003
establishment of the supervised injection site for Vancouver's drug
addicts.
01 November
2006
Kensington Market named national
historic site. Downtown Toronto's
popular Kensington Market has joined the ranks of national historic
sites. The famous neighbourhood was among six locations across the
country to be added to a list of federally recognized sites of
"national historic significance to Canada." Tom Mihalik, whose
clothing store Tom's Place was started by his father after he
immigrated here from Hungary almost 50 years ago, said he's glad such
a "wonderful area" has finally received some recognition. "I have
always complained that I don't think that the city takes great care of
historical sites like Kensington Market. I hope that the city realizes
it now," said Mihalik. Described in a Parks Canada news release
Thursday as a "microcosm of Canada's ethnic mosaic," the area has been
home to a number of ethnic communities since the first wave of
immigrants settled there in the mid- to late 19th century.
(Toronto420 is located inside the Kensington
Market)
Toronto420 Seed Bank and Sublime Cafe. Sorry about the quality but
there it is.
Cannabis Extract Shown Effective
for Pain, MS, Appetite. Spain/Science: A
pilot study with Sativex showed positive effects in 65 per cent of
patients with chronic diseases. On 20 October the Health Committee of
Catalonia presented results of a clinical study with the cannabis
extract Sativex in patients with different chronic diseases such as
multiple sclerosis, neuropathic pain as well as appetite and weight
loss. 65 per cent of the 123 participants experienced an improvement
of quality of life and a decrease of pain. The other 35 per cent
discontinued the treatment due to side effects, mainly dizziness, dry
mouth and fatigue. Medical Marijuana. It was a pilot study that
started in January 2006 in six hospitals in the region of Barcelona.
According to the press release of the Health Committee the study
demonstrated that cannabis could be an alternative for "patients with
severe chronic diseases of different causes that would not well
respond to standard medications and would be associated with a
decrease of quality of life."
I found this footage on YouTube.
Toronto May 2006 Marijuana March. Come to Toronto in the first week of
May and you will be able to express yourself freely on the streets.
Marijuana's Key Ingredient May Fight Alzheimer's Disease.The active
ingredient of marijuana
could be considerably better at suppressing the abnormal clumping of
malformed proteins that is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease than any
currently approved prescription drugs. Scientists report the finding
in the Oct. 2 issue of the journal Molecular Pharmaceutics. About 4.5
million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease, which gradually
destroys memory. As more people survive into old age, cases of
Alzheimer’s disease are expected to triple over the next 50 years.
There is no known cure. •
Click
here to visit FOXNews.com
28 September
2006
"September
26, 2006 – Toronto – Yesterday the Conservative government announced
spending cuts scheduled over the next two years. Funding for academic
medical marijuana research – originally made available through the
Medical Marijuana Research Program (MMRP), established in 2003 – was
included in that list.
According to
Prairie Plants Systems (PPS) – the Saskatoon-based company in which
Cannasat Therapeutics is a shareholder – the spending cuts will not
impact PPS, which has been growing and distributing medical marijuana
for Health Canada since December 2000.
“Accordingly, medical marijuana will continue to be grown and
distributed by PPS to qualified patients through the Health Canada’s
Marihuana Medical Access Regulations (MMAR), including patients with
multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, cancer, severe arthritis, epilepsy and
spinal cord injury or disease,” states David Hill, Cannasat’s Chief
Executive Officer."
The
federal government embarrasses itself, again
"........The New York Times, an a rare astute
moment, observed that the announcement “directly contradicts a 1999
review by the Institute of Medicine, a part of the National Academy of
Sciences, the nation's most prestigious scientific advisory agency.
That review found marijuana to be "moderately well suited for
particular conditions, such as chemotherapy-induced nausea and
vomiting and AIDS wasting." The federal government closed its case
with the observation that cannabis use can have damaging effects. Set
aside for a moment the facts that contradict the FDA’s statement. Even
if the government’s assertions were entirely accurate, they still
place cannabis on a scientific equivalence to alcohol - can cause
harm, has little medicinal value, is enjoyed by billions of people
around the world, and has been so for centuries. So either the FDA is
laying out arguments that could be used to return to Prohibition, or
it didn’t really make a point at all. For us libertarians, they made
no point at all. Alcohol is an important analogy because its
consumption is an example of the type of freedom Western cultures
boast: a benign practice should be allowed by default, even if it has
no intrinsic value in the eyes of a government or a majority. Alcohol
is legal so that people can have a good time - not because alcohol has
sound scientific studies supporting its medical use. Yet another
problem with the announcement is that the government kindly bans
research to actually discover the true nature of the herb....." from
http://prometheusinstitute.net/magazine/issue5.pdf
23-24 August
2006
HOLY SMOKE OWNERS TO APPEAR IN
COURT TODAY Controversial
businessmen are trying to have restrictive conditions lifted so that
they can carry out more normal life; prepared to argue freedom of
religion. Holy Smoke owners Paul DeFelice and Alan Middlemiss are
expected, to make their first appearance in Nelson court Tuesday.
DeFelice, arrested July 15, and Middlemiss, arrested August 16,
originally had court dates in the fall. Both men were charged with two
counts of trafficking in a controlled substance dating back to June 2
and July 13 respectively. The co-owners of the Holy Smoke Culture Shop
were each given a separate set of conditions that they hope to have
varied in court Tuesday.
Renee Boje
Finally Free in Canada by Chris Bennett
Years of worrying finally come to an end with plea
bargain Reefer refugee Renee Boje is finally free. In 1998, Boje faced
a 10 year mandatory minimum to life sentence in a US Federal Prison
for her minor involvement in a well known medical marijuana and
research garden owned by cancer patient and marijuana activist Todd
McCormick and best selling author and Aids patient Peter McWilliams.
In 1998, fearing persecution over medical marijuana charges, Boje fled
from the US to Canada on the advice of her lawyer. In 2001 Boje
Married Canadian marijuana activist and author Chris Bennett and in
2002 she gave birth to their Canadian son, Shiva Sun Bennett.
Tune your head with Listen420
Listen420 was made for music lovers who enjoy listening to good head
music. Listen420 allows all styles of music that was made to Tune Your
Head. Find Pictures, Music, Videos, Blogs and online stores from all
your favorite bands/artists. ABOUT THE STRESS: THE STRESS is an
outstanding industrial band, that brings together multiple genres of
music, starting with heavy dance and ending with neoclassical. THE
STRESS emerged in 2001 as a creativity-outlet of Sergey Yeah-Not
artist, performer, producer, composer, songwriter, sound mixer. THE
STRESS actively cooperates with Western musicians from Switzerland, it
unites Russian and Western mentalities which results in a versatile
view on music. The MUSIC of THE STRESS is by no means ordinary, as it
is a mixture of different styles: Industrial, hardcore, rock, gothic,
punk, techno, trance and classic.
08 August
2006
Pot perspectives
Fortunately, Canadians have moved the level of
debate on marijuana past the
sophistry put forward by UN bureaucrat Antonia Maria Costa. His entire
argument is farcical. Many Canadians have tried this "dangerous" drug
at one time or another and the vast majority of them have found it to
be pretty much innocuous. Most people just outgrow it. Those that
don't, don't die from it and don't kill for it. There are a lot of
very pressing issues in the world right now. Pot isn't one of them.
The Drug War has Gone to Pot.
While the jackbooted thugs at the DOJ
would have us believe that the front lines in the drug war are the
blood-stained streets of America’s inner cities, the most important
battle in years is being quietly waged in the desert. In some ways
Nevada is the last bastion of American freedom. Though a far cry from
the laissez-faire of my dreams, in portions of Nevada people are
permitted to freely engage in peaceful, non-aggressive activities the
rest of the states would gleefully jail them for. So it seems rather
fitting that an upcoming vote in the Silver State may well mark the
beginning of the end of the nonsensical Drug War.
31 July 2006
Little Brother Gets Busted.
Comical story of a young lego lad and his
encounter with the law. Well made and hilarious while still being very
informative.
THE MARIJUANA-LOGUES
is a "hit" unlike anything you have ever seen.
Catch the buzz as writers and performers Arj Barker, Doug Benson and
Tony Camin riff on the rites and rituals of pot and regale the crowd
with the highs and lows of marijuana. 420 Told from all points of view
from hazy to highbrow, THE MARIJUANA-LOGUES never loses the pot...er
point, demonstrating that the stories surrounding the bud are as
varied as those who indulge. THE MARIJUANA-LOGUES sets herb
centerstage, delving into fact and fiction, myths and misnomers alike.
Not since the 60s has there been such an exploration of this oft-taboo
but totally titillating topic.
RCMP to go beyond 'just the facts'.
Stranger-on-stranger crime is rare, Mr. Corrado said, yet those
incidents are usually highlighted by news media, instead of the causes
of "social disorganization" in certain neighbourhoods, that results in
higher crime rates in such areas.
28 July 2006
Hamilton Police Raids & Arrests
Finally Close Up In Smoke Cafe. As such,
we regretfully announce that it's certainly the end of Up In Smoke
Cafe in Hamilton, Ontario, after nearly two glorious years of
confrontational activism. Hamilton Police have been fanatical Nazi
goons ever since the Cafe opened on the run-down main street in
Hamilton, arresting and charging over 50 people in the Cafe for
marijuana possession and marijuana distribution in under two years.
Police have descended on the store over 200 occasions in 23 months to
harass the "never-surrender" activists. On April 20th 2006, the
Hamilton Hash Mob -the nickname of the activists who worked or
volunteered at the Up In Smoke Cafe- distributed over one pound of
marijuana for free in front of Hamilton City Hall to celebrate the
international marijuana holiday 4/20. Hamilton police, who did not
interfere with the distribution, filmed this act.
This Saturday (July 29th)
there is a magic bus leaving Toronto at noon for
the Niagara escarpment where we will be heading along Hwy 420 for an
on bus protest and then off to the Niagara River where we will enjoy a
light picnic and friendship before heading back to Toronto for 8pm.
The cost of this trip is sixty dollars which gets you a seat on the
bus, a beautiful Laplaya Glass pipe to keep afterwards, your food,
munchies and smokables and a great day to boot. There are still
eighteen seats left and I hope that I can convince you to fill one of
them. If you are interested please contact me to get directions to the
bus loading area.
beworthy@rogers.com
Marijuana growing - cultivation
articles, pictures and FAQs. Roll It Up fights for the legalization of
marijuana
by teaching people to grow.
Cannabis high 'eases joint pains'
David Blake, professor of bone and
joint medicine The authors now want to conduct a larger trial to back
up their findings A study by scientists in Bath shows cannabis can
significantly ease the pain of rheumatoid arthritis. Taken in medicine
form, the class C drug was shown to improve the pain of movement, pain
at rest, quality of sleep and ease inflammation.
Body's own pain relief 'is best'.
However, doctors stress previous studies in animals and humans have
shown that multiple sclerosis patients can benefit from cannabinoid
medicines. Professor David Baker, of the Institute of Neurology at
University College London, who attended the meeting, said: "There is a
benefit of moving from agents from illegal plant based medicines to
looking at how we use pharmaceutical medications to target the
benefits of cannabinoids, but reduce the well known adverse effects."
Doctors 'recommend cannabis use'
Cannabis Young men are most likely to use cannabis for pain relief One
in six people who take cannabis for pain relief say their doctor
advised them to use it, a survey suggests. The UK survey, published in
the International Journal of Clinical Practice, asked just under 1,000
people about their use of the drug. Almost 70% said cannabis
significantly relieved their symptoms - 45% said it worked better than
prescribed drugs.
Synthetic cannabis chemical reduces
pain. SAN ANTONIO, TX, United States
(UPI) -- Texas researchers say a synthetic version of the chemical
that gives marijuana smokers their high can also act as a pain
reliever. Scientists at the University of Texas Health Science Center
found that certain synthetic cannabinoid chemicals can block a
heat-related nerve channel in the body,
making
it a potential new pain reliever for surgical incisions and chronic
inflammation disorders such as arthritis, the San Antonio Express
reported. The study will appear this week on the online site of the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. Lead author Kenneth M.
Hargreaves, chairman of endodontics in the university's dental school,
said that by altering the cannabinoid and using it in tiny doses,
scientists appear to be able to avoid the neurological effects of
marijuana, the newspaper reported. Copyright 2006 by United Press
International
The Freedom to Use Medical
Marijuana Proponents of medical
marijuana prohibition argue that the medical use of marijuana is too
dangerous to allow because it is addictive. Putting aside the fact
that doctors safely recommend much more dangerous substances than
medical marijuana, like cocaine and morphine, consider for the sake of
argument that prohibitionists are correct in their assertion that
medical marijuana is addictive. So what? Consider how a free country
generally handles addictions. Coffee is addictive. Every morning, all
across America, there are people (many of them idling in their cars at
a drive-thru) getting java. What happens when these people do not get
their coffee on time and as anticipated? Other than a little
irritability, not much happens. People seem trustable enough to drink
coffee, even though that behavior often results in a life-long
addiction. Tobacco is addictive. Every moment of every day and night,
all across America, there are people smoking tobacco. What happens
when these “smokers” do not get to light up their cigarettes on time
and as anticipated? Other than a lot of irritability, not much
happens. Despite the enormous number of tobacco-related deaths each
year, adults are nevertheless trusted to moderate their private use of
tobacco.
War on drugs needs to end.
LEAP is an organization of serving and retired
law enforcement personnel, who believe that not only are present drug
policies ineffective, but they lead to extensive criminal activities
by addicts to support their addictions. These policies also make
criminal gangs very rich and powerful, and have led to easy
availability of drugs to even primary school students. Today it is
much easier for children to obtain drugs than to obtain alcohol.
Access to marijuana a right for PWAs
HEALTH / Report calls for overhaul in regulations Jefferson Mendoza /
Capital Xtra / Thursday, June 29, 2006 A new report released Jun 14 by
the Canadian AIDS Society (CAS) identifies barriers that hinder people
living with HIV/AIDS from access to marijuana for medicinal use. The
18-month project report is entitled Cannabis As Therapy For People
Living With HIV/AIDS: Our Right, Our Choice. The report is divided in
two parts: the first part, Our Right, outlines the political barriers
that revolve around the medical use of marijuana. Barriers include
lack of awareness of the existing government program for access to
medical marijuana, the mistrust of the government, and the medical
establishment's unwillingness to support the benefits of marijuana for
people with HIV/AIDS. The other part, Our Choice, proposes allowing
authorized marijuana users to expand their options when choosing the
type of marijuana they want to be treated with.
(PDF) Cannabis and HIV/AIDS: 5. Where to Find Cannabis for Medicinal
Purposes. ...In order to legally
possess cannabis for medicinal purposes, you must first obtain an
Authorization to Possess from Health Canada. Please refer to the fact
sheet on “How to Apply to Use Medicinal Cannabis Legally”. When you
apply for your authorization, you have 3 legal options from which you
can obtain cannabis:
New Radio Ad Calls Out Politicians Who Have Used Marijuana Marijuana
Policy Project Spot to Air on 141 Radio Stations Nationwide WASHINGTON D.C. -- A potentially
controversial new ad campaign from the Marijuana Policy Project names
prominent public officials, including President George W. Bush,
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Vice President Al
Gore, and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as having admitted to
using marijuana. The ad then asks, "Is it fair to arrest three
quarters of a million people a year for doing what presidents and a
Supreme Court justice have done?"
Hamilton Cops Use Violence, Guns &
Tasers on Up In Smoke Cafe by Marc Emery
Police Angry & Abusive in Post 4/20 Raid At 5.00
p.m. today Hamilton police stormed into the Up In Smoke Cafe when it
was packed with over 30 patrons & Staff. Five uniformed cops, 3
forensic uniformed police, 7 swat police brandishing drawn tasers,
guns stormed into the #1 activist centre in Ontario, Canada. Police
ordered all people to lie on the floor. Many people had to lie on
other bodies. Police booted many patrons in the head, neck and back in
order to force compliance. A Cambodian man said he couldn't do it
because it was like when his parents had to pretend to be dead in
Cambodia during POL POT's murderous regime, or prior to when
Cambodians would be executed in mass graves. The Cambodian man was
kicked to the floor. Police came with warrants for John Anderson,
Chris Lawson, Adam Glover and Matt Mernagh. All are being charged with
trafficking for giving out joints at Hamilton's popular 4/20 rally.Two
American visitors were arrested for possession of marijuana. Activists
gave out a pound of pot at City Hall yesterday to celebrate the
international cannabis celebration. Police are arresting anyone who
was videotaped giving out marijuana at yesterdays event, which was
infiltrated by undercover cops who got some of the free joints. Police
watched yesterdays events. Chris Lawson, one of the 4/20 organizers,
yesterday commented on how civilized the police were yesterday. Today
the cops were angry, vindictive savages. Witness Mike Truman said the
police were angry and abusive immediately. Guns were drawn and
pointed. Police announced they would taser any resistance. All people
were forced to lie down, many on top of other people. Loyal staffer
John Anderson is charged with 9 counts of trafficking for giving out 9
joints to undercover police yesterday. Mernagh, Lawson also have a
number of trafficking counts for yesterdays joint dispersal. The four
arrested will be in jail over the weekend in anticipation of a bail
hearing Monday. Matt Mernagh, one of the organizers arrested, is a
writer for Cannabis Culture Magazine, Now Magazine and many other
publications. Police by 6.00 p.m. eastern had 6 people in custody. All
other patrons were released. CC is currently watching police activity
in the store through the webcam. More details and photographs will be
available shortly.
03 April 2006
Police
crack down on marijuana users Tories reverse Liberal pot policy Police
chiefs welcome tough stance. Toronto
pot activist Mark x said he and
fellow marijuana activists are in a daze about what's going on with
enforcement of pot laws, after the federal government change.
"Everybody's confused, basically," he said. x said police seem to
be clamping down on marijuana seed operations, noting the bust of the
Heaven's Stairway company in Ottawa, which has operated openly since
1998 and is listed on Quebec's business registry. Heaven's Stairway
sold marijuana seeds over the Internet, and until recently, seed
distributors have functioned in a "cloud of legality," x said,
but that seems to be changing. On the West Coast, Marc Emery,
described as the "King of Pot" and founder of the B.C. Marijuana
Party, is battling extradition — and the threat of decades in prison —
for charges of conspiring to manufacture and distribute marijuana
seeds and to engage in money laundering.
30 March 2006
FUN
THINGS
TO
DO
AT
THE
CANNABIS
MARCH
.... I'd like to tell you about the Toronto Global Marijuana March.
Held every year in May, this event is a day-long blast ‘o massive FUN.
I smoke my face off at the Toronto Global Marijuana March every year.
Literally! And to the person who found my eyebrows in the park last
May and mailed them to me, I thank you sincerely.
24 March 2006
Dear Minister, On
behalf of Victoria City Council, I am writing you regarding the issue
of public access to cannabis for medicinal purposes. This issue most
recently came to our attention when numerous citizens expressed their
concerns to City Council. Many of these citizens currently rely on
marijuana for the purpose of pain management and expressed an
inability to access the Federal Marihuana Medical Access Regulation
(MMAR) program. The meeting highlighted the concerns of the adequacy
and effectiveness of current Health Canada regulations governing
distribution and access to this controlled substance. While the
previous Federal Government has endorsed in principle the efficacy of
the medicinal properties of cannabis, adequate production and
distribution channels do not appear to be in place. In the absence of
this infrastructure, many Canadians will continue to suffer the
debilitating effects of their illnesses without the benefit of
effective pain management techniques. Victoria City Council therefore
respectfully requests an immediate review of current policies and
regulations to determine where improvements can be made to ensure a
better quality of life for those Canadians in need of medical
assistance. Thank you. Mayor of Victoria
March 30,2006
Volunteer Nite. Location on Thursday 7-10pm Club Neutral 349 College
at Augusta (Close to the Hot Box if ya need a reference) Come on out
and be part of Canada's Premiere Pot Party!!!
April 20,2006
Volunteer Nite Location (TBD)
April 22, 2006 The Hwy
420 Project
May 3, 2006 Your Last
Chance Location (TBD) This is your last chance to volunteer at the
events.
May 3-7, 2006 Cannabis
Week
May 6, 2006 Queen’s
Park, Toronto The Global Marijuana March
Pot crusader facing life in prison,
but 'blessed'. B.C. pot activist
Marc Emery, facing a life sentence in a U.S. prison for selling
marijuana seeds, says he is blessed by his international fame. "I'm
right at the point in my career where I expected to be, if I was
successful …. That's what I want to do, I've always wanted to be the
marijuana representative for people around the world," he told CTV's
Canada AM Monday from Vancouver. "And now I've got this international
audience and this international stage to explain to people why
prohibition is wrong and why I'm the person to lead us into an
enlightened era of tax and regulated distribution of marijuana."
Emery, 48, the leader of B.C.'s Marijuana Party, doesn't deny the
charges against him. He is facing an extradition hearing later this
year. Emery says he isn't afraid of being incarcerated. "I've had a
great life and I've anticipated this all my life," he said. In fact,
he says he is "flattered" U.S. drug enforcement officers have paid so
much attention to him and called him Canada's biggest trafficking
kingpin because it further highlights his crusade. Emery feels he is
being rewarded for his life's work, and told CBS's 60 Minutes on
Sunday: "I'd rather see marijuana legalized than me being saved from a
U.S. jail." Emery, the founder of Cannabis Culture magazine and
Internet-based Pot-TV, has been arrested 21 times in the past. He has
been mostly fined, but in 2004 spent 62 days in a Saskatoon jail for
trafficking after passing a joint. He says it has all been worth it,
considering what marijuana advocates have been able to accomplish.
"Ten years ago there was no legal medical marijuana, no legal and
thriving hemp industry, no hemp stores across Canada. Even books and
magazines about marijuana ten years ago were banned in this country
and so we've come a great deal," he said. "In 10 years we've seen
Canadians embrace and support a tax and regulated medical marijuana
regime, as well as a retail and recreational marijuana regime. The
Senate found and recommended that marijuana should be legalized in
2002. We're making tremendous progress." In addition to selling
millions of marijuana seeds, Emery readily admits spending millions of
dollars from sales of the seeds on "democratic change" by supporting
marijuana parties in several U.S. states, constituting money
laundering. "I've definitely tried to thwart the DEA and the U.S.
government's war on marijuana and I like to think I've been very
successful," he said.
Cannabis boy to get compensation
A Devon boy expelled from school for selling cannabis is to receive
£1,500 in compensation from a council. The Local Government Ombudsman
ruled that Torbay Council was guilty of maladministration in its
slowness to find a new school for the Year-10 boy.
20 March 2006
April 10 –
The Trial of Mark X…In less than two
weeks, Mark X of Toronto420.com will appear in the Ontario Provincial
Court to stand trial on charges of cannabis production. Those readers
familiar to Toronto420.com may already know some of the details: Mark
X was busted April 2004 for growing cannabis plants. Even though Mark
X was growing medical marijuana plants for compassion clubs & people
with disabilities and presently has his permit to grow medical
cannabis, the courts still seek to punish him in order to maintain
Canada’s irrational marijuana laws. One of the main issues Mark will
be addressing in the court is the poor way in which the present legal
regulations address registered cannabis growers. There is very little
legal definition or support for registered growers who wish to pool
their resources into one large grow-room serving many people with
health ailments. Another big goal for Mark and everyone on the
Toronto420 team is to make rational improvements to the medical
marijuana laws that, being so poorly defined, allow police to
illegally search and seize medical cannabis crops.
No change to marijuana laws: Toews
Justice Minister Vic Toews is making it
unmistakably clear that the Conservative government has no intention
of decriminalizing the simple possession of small amounts of
marijuana, Canadian Press reported. A bill was introduced in the
previous Parliament to reduce the penalty for possession from a
criminal offence to the equivalent of parking ticket. Mike Storeshaw,
speaking for Toews, was unequivocal when responding to reporters’
questions as to whether he would consider reviving it. “It is a very
short answer and the answer is ‘No,’” he replied. “We have no plans to
bring any bill forward.” Legislation introduced in November 2004 by
then-Justice Minister Irwin Cotler aimed at “reforming” Canada’s
cannabis laws died when the government fell a year later. Among other
things, it would have imposed fines of between $100 and $400 on those
convicted of possessing less than 15 grams of marijuana.
CANNABIS AND CONSERVATISM
As a federal medical marijuana licence holder who
is also married to one, I am particularly shocked and dismayed at our
new government's attitude towards pot ["Sowing drug war seeds," March
9]. Their policies will make all of our lives a lot more dangerous.
There is a misconception in our society that anyone who advocates for
marijuana legalization must be a silly stoner who just wants to smoke
pot all day and have everyone join him. The truth of the matter is, we
just want to see prohibition end. Canadians should really blame the
U.S. for most of our marijuana grow-op "problems." It is their
insatiable appetite for drugs that fuels this underground market, and
it is their global War on Plants that is bringing in the danger. And
since we only provide about two percent of their consumption, we are
hardly a "major supplier." Prohibition is a
cancer eating away at our society. It subsidizes organized crime,
corrupts government and police, costs taxpayers a fortune, is totally
ineffective and endangers our children by making pot more accessible
than alcohol or tobacco. Prohibition is the disease, and
regulation is the cure. But with these right-wing ideologues in
Parliament standing in the way of sensible drug policy, it will likely
be a while before we are free of this cancer.
Jesus 'healed using cannabis'
Jesus w as almost certainly a cannabis user and an
early proponent of the medicinal properties of the drug, according to
a study of scriptural texts published this month. The study suggests
that Jesus and his disciples used the drug to carry out miraculous
healings. The anointing oil used by Jesus and his disciples contained
an ingredient called kaneh-bosem which has since been identified as
cannabis extract, according to an article by Chris Bennett in the
drugs magazine, High Times, entitled Was Jesus a Stoner? The incense
used by Jesus in ceremonies also contained a cannabis extract,
suggests Mr Bennett, who quotes scholars to back his claims.
"First they ignore you, then they
laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." -- Mahatma Gandhi
(1869-1948) Everybody is running scared
because the seed sellers seem to be going out of business. I felt
scared for a while until I realized that this is just a natural
evolution of human understanding of an issue. I often see the pot
movement as being 10 years behind the Gay movement. We are right now
at the point in history when the higher powers are scared that we will
win the war on drugs. They already gave in to the gay issue. I believe
that Bush/Harper crew is the last straw that will destroy the moronic
nature of law and politics in the States and thus Canada. To me it
means that in the next decade we will see new ways of solving complex
human problems like drugs....... but not before the Bush/Harper crew
destroys everything...... Unfortunately from destruction we will rise
free.......
60 Minutes Prince of Pot Transcript (CBS)
His name is Marc Emery and he is called the "Prince of Pot." He claims
to have sold more marijuana seeds than anyone in the world and, to
date, no one has disputed that claim. He lives in Vancouver, British
Columbia, where the culture is rather permissive concerning marijuana.
The Canadian government, for the most part, has left Emery and his
business alone. But to the U.S., he is one of the most wanted men in
the drug world. As 60 Minutes correspondent Bob Simon reports,
officials in the U.S. government want him extradited to the United
States. They want him in an American prison and they want him badly.
Emery believes that marijuana is a wonderful,
healing drug and that to criminalize it is just plain silly. To his
supporters, he’s a hero, the leader of the marijuana legalization
movement. He has even run for mayor of Vancouver, twice. But to
the U.S. government, Marc Emery is a drug kingpin who should be
prosecuted in the United States for selling drugs to Americans. Asked
if he has any idea how many of his customers were Americans, Emery
says, "Yes, I would think that of the say, 120,000 people I dealt
with, I’d say certainly 70,000 would have been Americans." That’s why
John McKay, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington,
wants to bring Emery south, across the border. Why are the Americans
going after Emery, who is a Canadian citizen, and not the Canadian
government? "Well, very simply, he’s a drug dealer," says McKay. "He’s
dealing drugs into the United States and violating laws of the United
States and we expect to extradite him and try him in the United
States." "Are there other Canadians who sort of are competitive with
him in terms of volume?" Simon asked.
Canada: Another Week, Another Attack on the Cannabis Industry.
The Conservative government of Prime Minister
Steven Harper has only been in office for a few weeks, but it is
already sending strong signals that cannabis and cannabis-related
businesses will be the subjects of unwanted government attention. Last
week, the Chronicle reported on Canada's first major bust of a
seed-selling concern, and one of the people we interviewed was Chris
Godwin, proprietor of the Up in Smoke cannabis café in Hamilton,
Ontario, on the lakeshore about 50 miles southwest of Toronto. On
Wednesday, Up in Smoke was raided, and
Godwin and two employees were taken to jail. Godwin is charged with
possession and trafficking in marijuana, one employee was charged with
possession and trafficking cookies containing marijuana, and the other
employee was charged with marijuana possession. The bust happened when
a plainclothes police officer entered the business as Godwin and two
others were sharing a joint. The employee actually holding the joint
was charged with possession. Police seized the
store's computer and cash register, as well as Godwin and the cannabis
cookie-selling second employee.
Watch Video of CH news at 11
-
Up In Smoke Cafe in Hamilton Raided
by Police Reports came in after
police answered telephone. The Up In Smoke Cafe in Ontario was raided
Wednesday, March 8th by police. Owner Chris Goodwin was arrested along
with three employees, and taken to Hamilton Police Headquarters. The
charge against Goodwin is possession and trafficking. Stephanie ("Bong
Pixie" on the CC Forums) is charged with possession and trafficking in
pot cookies. Davin ("Maddchronic" on the CC Forums) is charged with
possession. After the nearby Sandbar Tavern in Hamilton was seized by
police as a "crack house", a plain clothes police officer entered Up
In Smoke. Chris, Davin and a volunteer Steve were smoking a joint. The
plain clothes officer snatched the joint out of Davin's hand and said
"You're all under arrest for possession of a controlled substance."
CBS News' 60 Minutes to air Prince of Pot Story This Sunday,
March 5
CBS's most awarded journalist
Bob Simon investigates the story of Marc Emery, The Prince of Pot. On
Sunday, March 5th at 7.00 p.m. in all time zones across North America,
CBS News flagship program 60 Minutes will air the story of Marc Emery,
Canada's Prince of Pot. The segment will examine Emery's lifelong
battle against prohibition and his unique strategy to accomplish that
aim – by selling marijuana seeds around the world. The episode will be
seen by approximately twelve to fourteen million viewers across Canada
and the United States. Prestigious CBS journalist Bob Simon
interviewed Marc Emery and others, including the Drug Enforcement
Administration and Canadian police, to delve into Emery's current
predicament of facing extradition to the USA for a prison term of
possibly 30 years or more.
War on drugs a joke to ex-cop
In Norm Stamper's world, the "drug store" is a
place that is much different from what generally comes to mind. The
28-year police veteran of the San Diego police department and former
Seattle police chief wants to see all street drugs legalized, firmly
regulated and sold just like we sell alcohol today. And his "shopping
list" includes marijuana, cocaine, heroin, even crystal
methamphetamine. "The more dangerous the drug, the more addictive and
the greater the potential for health risks, the greater the
justification for regulation," he said last week in a phone interview
from his San Juan Island home. Instead of making drugs more
accessible, Stamper believes regulation would make availability far
more difficult, especially for children and teens, who can get their
hands on street drugs easier than they can on a six-pack of beer.
Regina: Tom Shapiro in court today
- 9:30 AM Wednesday, March 1 Provincial
Courthouse 1815 Smith Street Tom Shapiro is licensed under the
Canadian Medical Marijuana program, but was raided as described on the
CC main page. Charges were stayed since Health Canada finally renewed
his license, but a ruling is required to determine whether Tom gets
his seized plants back - he got his grow equipment back already. We'll
meet at 9:30 in front of the courthouse. The Regina police have given
themselves a black eye on this one. Come and make some noise with us.
28 February
2006
RCMP Take Down Seed Company tied to
Overgrow.com The members of the
Marihuana Grow Operations Enforcement Team of the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police concluded their first major operation when they
uncovered a Montreal based criminal organization involved in the
trafficking, importation and exportation of cannabis seeds, as well as
in conspiring for the purpose of cannabis cultivation via the
Internet. This operation was launched in November 2004 under the name
"Courriel" and culminated with the seizure of 200,000 cannabis seeds
and the arrest of seven persons. Project "Courriel" revealed that
Richard Hratch BAGHDADLIAN, 38, from Marsan Street in Montreal, and
six other persons operated the Heaven's Stairway company. This company
was on the web claiming to be the North American supplier for indoor
and outdoor cannabis production. The cybercompany Heaven's Stairway
used the Internet sites www.hempqc.com
, www.cannabisworld.com ,
www.overgrow.com ,
www.eurohemp.com ,
www.cannabisseeds.com , and
www.cannabisbay.com . These
sites were used to order cannabis seeds online and obtain information
on cannabis cultivation. These Internet sites also suggested ways to
outsmart the police. Richard Hratch BAGHDADLIAN was the instigator,
head and main beneficiary of the illicit company Heaven's Strairway.
The other six accused acted as couriers and performed other duties for
the company.
Webmaster:
..............."with Stock Day and Vic Toews at the helm we are
seeing the beginning of a renewed war"......"Right now it's "hard"
drugs and kids with pot (re: that NS roundup) but it could be
(medical) cannabis next"....some snippets of news I found and it
seems to be confirmed by the high harassment level by the police of
everything pot..... I hope this conservative government folds ASAP.
Legislators propose lesser
punishments for marijuana Rep. says students should be protected.
In a move that, in part, supports
college students, a statehouse committee approved a bill to
decriminalize the possession of marijuana. "I do not believe that
individuals' futures should be ruined for having a very small amount
of marijuana and the loss of student loans and scholarships," said
Rep. Ruth Balser (D-Newton), head of the Mental Health and Substance
Abuse Committee that passed the bill by a vote of 6-1.
Missouri House bill filed to
legalize medicinal marijuana. A bill
filed in the Missouri House of Representatives reopens the debate
about medical marijuana. Rep. Tom Villa, D-St. Louis, is sponsoring
the bill, filed Tuesday, that would allow doctors statewide to
prescribe marijuana for patients with serious medical conditions. It
is similar to medical marijuana proposals filed in Missouri’s General
Assembly in years past. Eleven other states have passed similar bills.
Cops find grow-op gear, OPP duds,
but no crime A bizarre incident
recently left them with the mess of lights, pumps, planting beds --
and a few tiny pieces of marijuana buds -- in their basement and OPP
uniforms in their closet. It also left them with a distrust of police.
.............Searching through piles of junk in a closet, Sue made
another discovery-- two blue shirts with the official OPP patch on the
shoulder. A neighbour told them one of the two tenants was an OPP
officer. That's when she got suspicious about police actions. OPP
spokesperson Const. Mark Foster confirmed a man with the same name as
the younger tenant had been a constable in the Western Region, but
left the force two years ago.
Much better choices than marijuana for medical uses
The ethical quandary that I have as a pharmacist is allowing lay
people to open dispensaries for profit and supply marijuana to people
without any quality control over what's dispensed or accountability to
those being dispensed this potent drug. Can we ensure that marijuana
is pure and unadulterated? In the 1960s, the active ingredient in
marijuana (THC) had a potency of about 0.5 percent. With modern
hybridization today, THC can exceed 25 percent! Who will appropriately
counsel patients on the effects of marijuana and potential dangerous
drug interactions when mixed with other drugs, including alcohol? Who
ensures that marijuana dispensed is truly for "medical needs" rather
than sold for recreational use?.......this guy
is a doctor..... perhaps he should revisit a text book or two.....
this is propaganda at its best.... I admire a piece so written that it
is not technically wrong, just simplistically and fundamentally one
sided......
Toronto420
Report from the mean streets of Toronto.
The war on drugs has finally arrived at the doors of our city.
Have no fear
TAVIS is here. "Launched in mid-January, the aggressive
TAVIS initiative is a direct response to last year's surge of gun
violence." I so not like people shooting each other however I also do
not like when police goon squads are unleashed upon our city. Does not
one person see something odd about this. Last night I received a phone
call from a friend of mine who has his own widget store. He routinely
carries large amounts of cash on him, because that is how people pay
for widgets. He was pulled over in his car for DWB .... Driving While
Black....he is not black but I really do not want to identify the guy
here...read on.... He was also in possession of 0.5 gram of weed. The
cops from the TAVIS goon squad took his money and pot, showed up in
his business the next day to check out his story ..... and kept the
money without laying charges. Now where do you think this money is
going. It took less then a month from creating this unit for news of
corrupt cops fleecing the people openly. Are we now supposed to trust
the police to be honest and transparent? They are transparent, no
doubt, just for the wrong reasons. I wonder if I should look out for
the goon squads to show up in my neighborhood. Thank all gods I got
my license to smoke my weed in peace OR my "get-out-of-jail"
card...... police robberies are just a bonus.
REEFER MADNESS Bureaucratic bungle
behind AIDS victim’s pot bust “We
were pretty stunned to learn what had happened to Shapiro,” she says.
“Many people on the program are waiting for their license renewals,
even after their old license expired. “It’s the first time we had
heard of someone getting charged under his circumstances, but he’s not
the only person waiting for their license to be approved or
re-registered.” Bobbi Shapiro has one suggestion to prevent further
licensing problems. “Have your heard anyone say, ‘I had AIDS, but now
I’m cured,’?” she asks. “We know he’s not going to get better…why
should he or people like him have to renew their licenses every year?”
Medical marijuana user clears foul-up
Shapiro said he got a letter a few days ago
informing him the Department of Justice decided to stay the charge
against him, and he received his growing equipment back from police
Thursday. He'll find out March 1 whether his drugs will be returned as
well.
The Real
Truth Behind Marijuana Prohibition.
First, cannabis is not physically addictive like the
chemically-treated stuff called “tobacco” in cigarettes. Hundreds of
different substances are added to tobacco not to improve its overall
flavour, but to hook the smoker in hundreds of different little ways.
That’s why quitting tobacco is so incredibly difficult: the
ex-smoker’s body is literally “jonesing” for its big and tiny fixes of
a myriad of artificial chemicals. But while cannabis may have a
psychological addiction for some people, it’s neither
artificially-caused nor long-term. Cannabis does have a myriad of
different chemicals in it as well, but all of them are natural, and
not specifically geared to physiologically hook a person. So, what
could be more a threat to the profit-geared tobacco companies than an
alternative, natural, non-addictive, grow-it-yourself smoke-able
product like marijuana?
$10 Billion per year for War on Drugs
I recently read your editorial on the American War
on Drugs. ( Good drugs and Bad drugs, You were comparing it to the
battle of the Kings trying to outlaw coffee shops in the 1600's. The
same comparison can be said about alcohol prohibition of the 20's,
another failed attempt to control a product they couldn't. Shortly
after reading your editorial I was able to view a documentary on the war
on marijuana called "Grass" which was narrated by actor Woody
Harrelson. At this point I decided I would do a quick research on the
War on Drug's or better known to most of us as the War on Marijuana.
In a 21 year period from 1982 to 2003 there were 11.5 million people
arrested for marijuana offences in the U.S.. Data released in1998,
revealed that U.S. state and local authorities made 695,201 marijuana
arrests in 1997. In 2003, that number rose to the largest amount of
marijuana arrests in the history of the United States, 755,186! in
total. Of these arrests, 87.2% (606,519) were for "possession." Only
12.8% (88,682 arrests) were for "sale/manufacture," which includes all
cultivation offences (even for personal use). This 80/20 ratio has
remained fairly constant for more than a decade. All this comes at a
cost. During the years of 1964 to 1977 it cost the U.S. government $85
billion. This wasn't enough as they pumped another $215 billion in the
18 years from 1980 to 1998 for a grand total of about $300 billions in
31 years. During all this time there has been many studies saying that
marijuana isn't worth the costs of prohibition that are put on it.
While costing the U.S. government all this money and incarcerating all
these people, marijuana usage increased. Meanwhile in other countries
that have more liberal laws towards marijuana have lead to lower crime
and usage rates among the youth of these countries. During this time
no cannabis only smoker has ever died from smoking cannabis. This is
a lot money and resources to stop a plant from being consumed. A plant
that has more proven medical benefits than I have fingers and toes. I
can't say that for legal drugs such as tobacco (50,000 deaths per
year) or pharmaceutical drugs. Where does all this end? Or where it
should end? It should end with the legalization of marijuana for
personal adult use. With 53% of Canadians supporting a regulated,
licensed and taxed system for its use. This would put billions of much
needed dollars into the public purse for use on education and medical
uses, instead of the way it is now, all that money going to organized
crime. D.R. Bruce Colborne
THE PLAN OF THE CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT
"...Impose mandatory minimum prison sentences of at least two years in
prison for indictable offences such as trafficking,
importing/exporting, or production of Schedule I drugs such as heroin,
cocaine, or crystal meth. The mandatory prison sentences would also
apply to the same offences involving more than 3 kilograms of
marijuana or hashish (e.g., marijuana grow operations with more than
15 plants based on RCMP estimates of 200 grams per plant).7..."
From Webmaster: My court case is confirmed for hearing on the 10 April
2006.I invite anyone interested in
meeting Valerie Lasher the Boss of Health Canada Medical Marihuana
Program, who will testify that medical growers can not and should not
grow together in groups of four or more. I disagree and I have some
interesting evidence that shows Health Canada to be an incompetent
manager of our health.... yes I know, what a surprise..... I am also
looking for people who already have their Possession License and can
not grow their own cannabis (for whatever reason). I would like them
to go to court with me and thus show to the court the sheer number of
people who smoke but do not grow. My court case in a nut shell is
about 5 of us (all med-pot patients) no being able to grow our own
weed together in one place because the current regulations do not
allow for this......
please contact me
for details.
NATIONAL NURSES GROUP BACKS MEDICAL MARIJUANA
The American Nurses Association recognizes that
patients should have safe access to therapeutic cannabis - marijuana.
The ANA passed such a resolution in 2004 at the request of its
Congress on Nursing Practice and Economics. The nursing community
supports the resolution overwhelmingly. Part of the resolution
stresses the need for the education of nurses regarding current
evidence on therapeutic use of cannabis. Patients Out of Time is
providing the education called for by not only the nursing profession,
but dozens of other health care organizations of a variety of medical
specialties. This conference will take place in Santa Barbara, Calif.,
on April 7-8 in conjunction with the California Nurses Association and
the University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine. The
conference that is providing this educational forum, accredited for
medical doctors, pharmacists, nurses and other professionals, is the
fourth in a biennial series put on by this patient advocacy
organization. Information and registration is available at
http://www.medicalcannabis.com. "The federal government says that
cannabis is not medicine and there is little science on the subject
with no medical groups in support. I'm working on the fourth forum,
all accredited by medical and nursing organizations from around the
country, and it's going to be a sellout. Clearly the political class
and the regulators are either uniformed or are being misinformed,"
said Al Byrne, planning committee member and co-founder of Patients
Out of Time. MARY LYNN MATHRE, RN President American Nurses
Association
YOUTH KNOW WHEN THEY'RE 'BEING
CONNED. Adults have lost all credibility
when it comes to all drugs, because we have lied and exaggerated the
so-called "dangers" of marijuana. We tell kids that marijuana will
cause cancer, schizophrenia, impotence, permanent stupidity and an
addiction to hard drugs. When kids find the truth on their own ( which
is just a Google search away ), they will realize they have been
systematically lied to.
08 February
2006
(CCC)
"...Police Officer came into the Section 56 Cannabis Compassion Club
the other day and were asking a lot of questions...came back today
with more Officers and raided the place last I heard..."
Meet
The New Justice Minister of Canada. The
Conservative Party Leader Stephen Harper was sworn in today as Prime
Minister, and his Cabinet choices announced. A vicious prohibitionist
was named to the Justice Ministry portfolio. Former prosecutor Vic
Toews (pronounced Taves) now holds the position of Justice Minister.
The Honorable Minister of Justice is the person whom our petitions and
-– more importantly – your individually written letters should be
addressed to. There’s no postage required within Canada when you write
to the House of Commons.
Three Stupid Things about Two (Or One) Plant(s)?
Maybe Health Canada hasn’t gone outdoors in awhile,
their basement-dwelling mole-like albino civil servants squeaking
under the stuttering fluorescent glow of their subterranean cubicles,
deciding on the number of plants us Surface Dwellers above may be
allowed to grow; hell, I don’t know.
Drug, handgun wars abound.
It’s interesting the editorial pages have been
dominated by marijuana and guns recently. So far there have been seven
pro-handgun letters and three gun-control letters. There have also
been three letters concerning marijuana. Guns and drugs have a lot in
common. Many parents don’t want either marijuana or handguns legalized
because they know their children will be much better off if they don’t
get involved with illegal guns and don’t waste their youth getting
stoned.
New Information Regarding Police
Seizures of Overgrow.com. Cannabis
Culture has developed a timeline of events we believe accurately
account for the disappearance of
www.Overgrow.com ,
www.Cannabisworld.com , Heaven's Stairway Seeds (
www.hempqc.com ), and
Eurohemp. On Monday evening, resident of Montreal Richard Calrisian,
the owner of the four websites, was contacted by his web service
providers in Vancouver where his servers were situated. They told him
that there may be a problem, regarding a police investigation. RC told
his provider to shut down the websites immediately.
Health Canada going after medical
pot users for almost $170,000 in bad debts.
Like any dope dealer, Health Canada has its share
of marijuana customers who just don't pay their bills. But unlike
street pushers, the department avoids tire irons and switchblades to
recover its bad debts in favour of stern letters and collection
agencies. As of last month, 127 people authorized to buy
government-certified marijuana for various medical problems were
officially in arrears, with bills unpaid for more than 90 days.
Medical pot advocates angry.
Medical marijuana advocates are angry over the
treatment of a Regina AIDS patient who was arrested after his pot
license expired. Tom Shapiro was handcuffed, along with his wife and
son, for four hours while police tried to determine his status in
Health Canada's medical marijuana program, said an official with the
Canadian AIDS Society.
Medical pot users treated like
crooks. Why is it still okay to treat
medical marijuana users in Canada like "terrorists?" Imagine having
some past-date prescriptions in your medicine cabinet, and suddenly
your house is full of cops sticking guns in your face. Or maybe your
driver's license is a month out of date, and suddenly you are roughed
up and handcuffed and searched at the side of the road -- right in
front of your kids. Is that sensible? No. So why is it okay to do it
to medical marijuana users? Because a "license expired" doesn't mean
they should be deprived of their medicine and treated like a criminal.
I hope Mr. Shapiro sues the police and Health Canada for damages to
his plants, equipment and the personal suffering that his family has
endured. The onerous fiasco Health Canada calls its medical marijuana
program not only does very little to help sick and dying Canadians, it
puts some of them in even more danger of home invasion and harassment
by police. Russell Barth, Ottawa., see
Police seize medical marijuana from
AIDS sufferer.
NSW Gov't introduces tough cannabis laws .
The New South Wales Government played the law and
order card today with a claim that it's bringing in the toughest
cannabis laws in the country. The effect is to make a big reduction in
the number of plants that a grower can have without being considered a
large-scale dealer. The rationale for the move is that hydroponics
cannabis is much stronger and poses a significantly higher risk of
mental illness and crime. But some regard the move as draconian and a
re-election ploy. Webmaster: Lets re-visit this
story in 6 months when (I predict), nothing will change in NSW,
although the government will probably blame that on something else.
Just bunch of stupid people voting for stupid laws.
Two tunnels found under US border
A US border patrol officer along the El Paso Sector
of the US-Mexico border Hundreds of thousands are arrested along the
border each year Two tunnels have been discovered under the US-Mexico
border this week, American immigration agents say. One was discovered
in Arizona when border patrol agents spotted two men taking marijuana
out of it. The other one was found in California after it caved in.
Officials said there was evidence it had been used recently. The
discoveries come amid diplomatic tension between Mexico and Washington
over a proposal in the US Congress to build more border security
fencing.
Stephen Harper's Drug Problem.
Stephen Harper has a drug problem. Like so many who
share the monkey on his back, he likely doesn’t realise that it’s a
problem yet, and would be unlikely to admit it if he did. Those
closest to him either share the problem or keep silent about it,
acting as enablers. Those slightly more removed recognize the problem,
but do not speak out either because they fear repercussions or because
they hope to benefit if Harper’s drug problem leads to his
destruction. They do not care about those that will be harmed as
Harper’s problem spirals out of control.
Dutch get first cannabis pharmacy.
The Dutch city of Groningen looks set to open the
Netherlands' first pharmacy totally dedicated to providing high
quality cannabis for pain relief at affordable prices, it was reported
today. Although cannabis is readily available in Dutch coffee shops,
the foundation for Medicinal Cannabis Netherlands, a support group for
patients, intends launching a pharmacy in the northern Dutch city so
people can have access to high-grade cannabis for medical use, the NRC
Handelsblad newspaper said.
Is Kubby's fight about medical
marijuana, or self promotion? Placer
County and Tahoe have had a five year reprieve, but last week the
Kubby circus rolled back into town. After being deported from Canada,
where Steve Kubby and his family were living after he was convicted on
drug charges in 2000, the medical marijuana activist and former
gubernatorial candidate is serving his 120-day sentence in the Placer
County jail in Auburn. He contends he will die if not given marijuana
to keep his adrenal cancer at bay. So he and his wife and attorney are
urging his supporters to call the Placer County Sheriff's Office and
District Attorney's office so he can get the "proper medical
treatment."
Police seize medical marijuana from
AIDS sufferer. A Regina man whose
medical marijuana was seized by the Regina police is worried he's
going to be charged with drug offences. Tom Shapiro has AIDS and takes
marijuana to relieve nausea. "I'm going to pay for this with my
health," he said. He also grows the drug in his basement, having been
first approved for a medical marijuana grow operation five years ago.
Shapiro said he was waiting for Health Canada to approve his annual
application when police showed up at his door late Tuesday afternoon
with a search warrant. He said he, his wife and 20-year-old stepson
sat on the living room sofa in handcuffs for several hours while
police checked with Health Canada. "They phoned back and said, 'He is
illegally running his grow operation because his license is expired,'"
he said. This harassment is unacceptable. Let
them know that the world is watching.. Police Administration
306-777-6500 Crown Prosecutors Office 306-787-5444. Here's who to
complain too: Valerie Lasher - Manager - Health Canada OFFICE OF
CANNABIS MEDICAL ACCESS Telephone: (613) 941-2504
Medical Marijuana Advocate to
Appear in Court.Medical marijuana advocate Steve Kubby
is scheduled to make his first appearance in court this afternoon
after returning to Placer County from Canada where he has spent
several years as a fugitive. About 20 of Kubby's supporters were
outside the Placer County Courthouse in Auburn with signs. Kubby faces
a 120-day jail sentence in Placer County for possession of the
hallucinogen mescaline and psychedelic mushroom. He was sentenced in
2001 but fled to Canada where he sought refugee status, claiming he
was persecuted for his advocacy of medical marijuana use.
Kubby jail interviews. Medi-pot
patient in danger. "......I can't move.
I have trouble speaking. I have, like, no blood pressure. On the other
hand, if I have an attack and I'm only medicated for one hundred,
sixty-six over one-oh-eight, and it goes to two-fifty over two-twenty,
which it does and which I believe it went last Friday, if it gets that
high, it blows completely through the protection of the blood-pressure
medication, and it fools my body into thinking that I'm protected
until that moment, and that's what's deadly. That's where I get
killed. That's where I get hammered with terrible, terrible attacks,
because I've been through this for fucking years [anger rising in
voice], and this - These people here gave me an informational sheet on
hypertension. I know I know more than the top medical authorities in
California, and they're giving me an information sheet. I'm really,
really disturbed by what is going on....."
Kubby asks judge to let him use
cannabis in jail. Medical marijuana
activist Steve Kubby asked a Placer County judge today to let him use
cannabis while he serves a 120-day jail sentence for a drug conviction
in 2000. The Placer sheriff's department said it is opposed to the
idea. Kubby has contended that he will die in jail if he is not
allowed to use cannabis to treat his condition. Under-sheriff Steve
D'Arcy said his department's policy is that marijuana will not be
furnished in any form to an inmate. The 59-year-old Kubby made the
request through his attorney during a hearing in Placer Superior Court
in which the lawyer also asked that his client be released from jail
to serve the sentence at his new home in Marin County. The attorney,
Bill McPike, said Kubby could wear an electronic device so that his
movements could be monitored by authorities.
Webmaster:
I am dismayed at the periodic return of often
repeated
news from our own RCMP, that grow-op cause crime and crime
destroys our neighbourhoods. Like any sane person can disagree with
that. I have a problem with all the bullshit in the media about the
grow-ops saturating our communities. They should also add this tiny
little news bit that the people want weed. I want weed, all my friends
want weed, 2 million Canadians and 20 million Americans want weed. If
you "crack down" on the grow-ops the price of weed will go up and more
people will get in the game of growing it. It is actually debatable if
anything we (as society) can do to affect the supply of weed.
Since I started smoking weed I can honestly say that nothing the
government does changes the price of pound of weed on the streets.
Weather is the only factor that changes the prices. Good summer, cheap
weed, bad summer, expensive weed. So I can honestly say that the new
Canadian Prime Minister Harper can do absolutely nothing to the supply
of weed in Canada no matter how hard he tries to wiggle his little
magic wand. Frankly I am bored with reading the same crap. We will go
through another Conservative experiment, which will fail, because
nothing THEY can do to the fact that I will seek out cannabis to smoke
it, so will 30 million people in North America, and I am sure the
weather will be great with the Global warming and all :-)
Medical marijuana crusader Steve
Kubby was arrested Thursday night at San
Francisco Airport after spending years as a fugitive in Canada. Kubby
was arrested on a no-bail warrant and booked
into San Mateo County jail, San Francisco police said. Kubby's
supporters and family were on hand as he boarded the flight escorted
by his American lawyer, who worried he could die without access to pot
in jail. "The officials in Canada might be sending him back to a death
sentence," said Bill McPike
Marihuana for Medical Purposes -
Statistics (November 4, 2005) Possession
of Dried Marihuana. 1118 persons are currently allowed to possess
marihuana for medical purposes. 1087 hold an Authorization to Possess
dried marihuana under the Marihuana Medical Access Regulations (MMAR).
31 hold an Exemption for possession under Section 56 of the Controlled
Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA)
14 December
2005
New drug acts as marijuana in the
brain. A McGill University study
suggests a new anti-depressant drug works by raising levels of
endocannabinoids -- similar to a substance found in marijuana. The
study suggests the new drug, called URB597, might represent a safer
alternative to use of marijuana for treatment of pain and depression,
and open the door to new and improved treatments for clinical
depression. In pre-clinical laboratory tests researchers found URB597
increased the production of endocannabinoids by blocking their
degradation, resulting in measurable antidepressant effects. 'This is
the first time it has been shown a drug that increases
endocannabinoids in the brain can improve your mood,' said lead
investigator Dr. Gabriella Gobbi, a researcher at Montreal and McGill
Universities. The researchers, including scientists from the
University of California-Irvine, were able to measure serotonin and
noradrenaline activity as a result of the increased endocannabinoids.
'The results were similar to the effect we might expect from the use
of commonly prescribed antidepressants, which are effective on only
around 30 percent of the population,' said Gobbi. 'Our discovery
strengthens the case for URB597 as a safer, non-addictive,
non-psychotropic alternative to cannabis for the treatment of pain and
depression.'
Marijuana brought relief to my dying father.
This is a story about a son's love for his father
and the medicinal relief supplied by marijuana. Many years ago my
father was diagnosed with cancer of the liver and pancreas. He was 79
and, other than the diagnosis, healthy and hardy. His oncologist was a
Chinese doctor in San Clemente, and one day I accompanied my father to
an appointment. My father was a strong character and accepted that his
death would come sooner or later. But the chemotherapy was causing
nausea and headaches and loss of appetite. It was for these
undesirable side effects that my father wanted to see his doctor. When
he asked what the good doctor could prescribe so that he could feel
better, the doctor, quite seriously, told my father that he would find
relief by smoking marijuana. In the early 1980s this was a revelation.
The next question, an obvious one, was could the doctor prescribe the
drug. The doctor replied yes, he could prescribe it, but it would have
to receive approval by the federal DEA and that would likely take
months. Then a surprising thing occurred. The doctor knew I was a
teacher. He looked at me and I knew exactly what he was going to say.
"You are a high school teacher and I suppose you could find some
marijuana for your father fairly quickly." This was an unexpected
assignment. I did not consider, until after the fact, the moral or
legal implications. If marijuana could help my father feel better, I
would try to find some, and I did. And the drug had some positive
effects. Of course it didn't cure my father's cancer, but his appetite
improved, his headaches and nausea disappeared and, not least, his
love of life and people returned. My parents' house, which had always
smelled clean, now occasionally smelled like the Sports Arena after a
rock concert, but that was a small price to pay. This true story has a
moral. From personal experience I think it is a terrible mistake for
the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to sue to overturn the
initiative whereby the voters approved the medicinal use of marijuana.
Instead of returning to the "Dark Ages," the board should sue the
United States government to overturn its medieval policy on the use of
medicinal marijuana. No young person will experiment or not experiment
with marijuana because of anything the board does or doesn't do. And
perhaps no son or daughter will have to risk his or her career to help
a dying parent find some relief.
Chelsea Girl in sexploitation
auction moves to South Ken. White
slavery and anti-drugs remained central themes throughout exploitation
films produced in the 1930s and 40s. Marihuana, Weed With Roots in
Hell, 1935 (estimate: £600-900) and The Burning Question AKA Tell Your
Children, 1936 (estimate: £500-700) investigates the curse of
marijuana, emphasizing the drugs lesser known side effects - its
tendency to lead innocent young women to strip down to their
underclothes.
Pot crusader allowed to campaign
during election. A B.C. Supreme Court
judge gave marijuana
crusader Marc Emery the green light Thursday to campaign during the
federal election but warned the man wanted in the United States for
drug trafficking shouldn't advocate the sale of marijuana seeds in any
speeches. "His speech has to be very careful and I think his counsel
would tell him that," said Associate Chief Justice Patrick Dohm.
Emery's lawyer, Ian Donaldson, said his client would advocate the
decriminalization of pot during the election - something he's done for
years as president of the B.C. Marijuana Party. The U.S. is working to
have Emery, 47, extradited to that country to face charges that he
sold pot seeds to Americans over the Internet. The date of his
extradition hearing will be set Feb. 13.
Emery to assist Svend's campaign
without pot. NDP Vancouver Centre
candidate Svend Robinson says he welcomes any support for his
campaign- including that of BC Marijuana Party Leader Marc Emery.
Emery was granted permission by a judge to get involved with the
federal election on one condition, that he didn't advocate the selling
of pot seed. However, Emery is clear he won't be running. Rather he'll
be throwing his support behind NDP candidate Svend Robinson. In fact,
he says, Robinson approached him for help with his campaign. Robinson
says any support is welcomed, "If Marc Emery chooses to get out there
and bang on doors and phone constituents in Vancouver Centre in
support of New Democrats and my candidacy, certainly he's free to do
that." Robinson says he'll do anything he can to prevent Emery from
being extradited to the U-S to face prison time.
Voters asked to
submit questions for first debate CTV.ca
News Staff. In a new democratic twist, average
Canadians will get a chance to ask party leaders their own questions
for the first English-language debate. In a minute-long television
advertisement set to run, debate moderator Trina McQueen asks
Canadians to submit questions for the Dec. 16 debate, to be held in
Vancouver. "Your question could get the reaction -- the answer -- that
changes the campaign," the veteran broadcast executive says. "That's
real participation; real democracy. Ask a question, change a country."
Britain plans cannabis possession
limit. People in Britain caught with
enough cannabis to make more than 500 joints will be able to claim it
is for personal use under a new plan. The government plans to set a
threshold for the amount of drugs a person can possess without being
charged for dealing, reports The Times of London. The threshold limits
will provide guidelines to police on whether to prosecute for dealing
or possession. The personal use threshold for cannabis would be 4
ounces, enough to roll more than 500 joints, the report said. A Home
Office spokesman said: "This is to clarify the point at which the
quantity of drugs in a person's possession becomes above and beyond
that reasonably held for personal use, and so help the courts to
differentiate between possession and intent to supply."
Election kills marijuana bill. Pot activist glad legislation is gone.A bill to decriminalize marijuana has
died with the fall of the Liberal government — and pot activists are
pleased to see it go. “We’re happy it died,” said B.C. Marijuana
Party (BCMP) president Marc Emery. He said that while Bill C- 17 cut
down on penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana, it
substantially increased penalties for cultivation.
The Year in Medicine. MARIJUANA Research
into the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of cannabis continued
to bolster the case for the medicinal use of marijuana, making the
"patient pot laws" that have passed in 11 states seem less like a
social movement than a legitimate medical trend. One trial--the first
controlled study of its kind--showed that a medicine containing
cannabis extracts called Sativex not only lessened the pain of
rheumatoid arthritis but actually suppressed the disease. An earlier
study published in the Journal of Neuroscience showed that synthetic
cannabinoids, the chemicals in marijuana, can reduce inflammation in
the brain and may protect it from the cognitive decline associated
with Alzheimer's disease.
County health official questions
research linking pot with schizophrenia
Mention a causal link between pot smoke and paranoid thoughts, and you
may elicit a knowing chuckle from Santa Cruz's recreational drug
users. But bring up a recent flurry of studies that link marijuana use
to schizophrenia, and the buzz wears off quickly. "There's a lot of
bamboozling going on here," says Valerie Corral, founder of the Wo/Men's
Alliance for Medical Marijuana. Corral has a decidedly non
recreational approach to both the drug and the political issues
surrounding it.
Here's one of the cannabis info handouts from the
Netherlands
Bounty hunters tried to take man
back to U.S. over $125 pot charge When
two U.S. bounty hunters poked around a small Ontario town last year,
sniffing out a wanted Canadian drifter and amateur country singer, it
was just another day of knocking on doors and nabbing fugitives. But
that day might make international legal history if a provincial
Crown attorney decides to order the bounty hunters, Bob Roberts, 62,
and Reggie Bailey, 43, to be shipped back to Canada to answer to
kidnapping charges.
PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE Monday November 28, 2005 MEDICAL MARIJUANA FILM TO PREMIERE IN
CANADA AT WHISTLER FILM FESTIVAL
Waiting to Inhale,
the first feature length documentary to examine the controversial
movement to legalize medical marijuana in the United States and
abroad, will screen at the Whistler Film Festival on Friday, December
2, 2005 at 9:30 pm. at the Maurice Young Millennium Place located in
Whistler, British Columbia. Produced and directed by award-winning
filmmaker Jed Riffe (Ishi, the Last Yahi, Who Owns the Past?),
co-produced and written by Katherine Covell (Paint Louis ’98:
Throwdown in the Show-Me State), edited by Maureen Gosling (Burden of
Dreams), lensed by Vicente Franco (Daughter from Danang), Waiting to
Inhale takes the viewer from underground pot clubs to the U.S. Supreme
Court; from Israeli science labs to government approved marijuana
gardens outside London. Waiting to Inhale features leading experts,
researchers, patients, doctors and activists from all over the world
on both sides of the controversy over the therapeutic potential of
marijuana. Filmmaker Jed Riffe will be on hand to introduce the film
and host a question and answer session with the audience following the
film. Here’s what the critics, and the medical and academic
communities are saying about Waiting to Inhale: Jed Riffe's
documentary ostensibly is about medical marijuana and the individuals
who require it to ease a variety of ailments. But it's also a
methodical and damning denunciation of this country's drug policy. -
Robert W. Butler, Entertainment writer in the Kansas City Star.
Waiting to Inhale is a sensitive, balanced exploration of an issue
which has been politicized and polarized beyond reason. The facts -
and emotions - are presented in an engaging, informative manner, and
this film should be widely seen - especially by legislators and
opinion leaders. - Steve Heilig, Education Director, San Francisco
Medical Society; Co-editor, Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics,
& Journal of Psychoactive Drugs. Waiting to Inhale is a balanced,
thoughtful and thought provoking look at the issues surrounding the
medical use of marijuana. Through interviews with patients, medical
doctors, researchers, concerned parent groups, government officials
and spokespersons and others, this documentary illuminates the
political agendas, economic interests and ideology that have subverted
scientific inquiry and shaped public policy. This is a must see! -
Susan P. Robbins, Ph.D, LCSW, LCDC, Associate Professor, University of
Houston. Is marijuana really a gateway drug? Is there scientific
evidence to support the claim that marijuana can treat the painful
symptoms of illnesses such as cancer, AIDS and multiple sclerosis? The
film sheds new light on this controversial struggle, presenting
exclusive access to the first medical studies on smoked cannabis to
take place in over thirty years. Both compassionate and balanced,
timely and socially relevant, Waiting to Inhale is one of the most
important films you will see this year. Screening Date and Time
Friday, December 2, 2005 9:30 PM Filmmaker in Attendance WHISTLER FILM
FESTIVAL MAURICE YOUNG MILLENNIUM PLACE (MY Place) 4335 Blackcomb Way,
Whistler, BC V0N 1B4 (Main Village) For ticket information call MY
Place (604) 935-8410 or the Whistler Film Festival (604) 935-8035;
website
www.whistlerfilmfestival.com . For more information on Waiting to
Inhale visit our website at
http://www.waitingtoinhale.org or contact Jed Riffe Films, LLC,
Saul Zaentz Film Complex, 2600 Tenth Street, Suite 437, Berkeley,
California 94710, Phone: 510-841-2337 Fax: 510-848- 7763.
ANGEL RAICH APPEALS FOR RIGHT TO MEDICAL MARIJUANA
An Oakland medical marijuana user returned to a
federal appeals court in San Francisco today with new arguments on why
she should be allowed to use cannabis. Angel Raich contends in a brief
filed with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that she has a
fundamental liberty right to take "the only medication that enables
her to avoid intolerable pain and death." The brief argues that
barring her from using marijuana would violate her "fundamental right
to life" under the Fifth Amendment due process guarantee of the
Constitution. Raich, 40, says she needs marijuana to combat lack of
appetite and severe pain from several illnesses. Robert Raich, who is
Angel Raich's husband and attorney, said, "This case implicates
perhaps the most fundamental right of all, the right to preserve one's
life."
Cannabis Coalition For Crohn's &
Colitis. Welcome
to the website for people who use cannabis to ease their suffering
from the gastro-intestinal disorders most commonly known as Crohn's
Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. These serious diseases are
collectively known as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Thousands of
sufferers of IBD across the world use the healing properties of
cannabis to ease their pain, stop cramps, and restore their appetite.
For those of you who are IBD sufferers using cannabis, or are
interested in learning more about the medical properties of marijuana,
please consider this website your personal resource and community.
Bud lit: Three books on the green
weed The world of the future as seen by
author Ian Mulgrew will have pot stores in your neighbourhood,
marijuana plants as high as an elephant's eye replacing the zucchini
in the garden, and a legal multi-billion-dollar industry making
significant tax contributions to health and education.
Drug use in youths declining:
Report. The number of Ontario Grade 7 to
12 students using legal and illegal drugs has significantly declined
for the first time in more than a decade, according to a survey
released by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. The 2005
Ontario Student Drug Use Survey released yesterday also found fewer
students are using alcohol, tobacco and cannabis at an early age.
Since 1999, not a single drug the survey measured has increased in
use. "This group is more conservative and traditional than their
parents and we're seeing evidence of that," said Ed Adlaf, of the CAMH.
The survey is not all good news. Youths haven't stopped binge
drinking, frequent cannabis use and risky behaviour related to alcohol
consumption and drug use .... While the use of cannabis did not
decline between 2003 and 2005, the use of drugs such as hallucinogens,
methamphetamine and heroin has decreased.
PEEL OFFICER CHARGED WITH
TRAFFICKING COCAINE A veteran Peel
Regional Police officer is facing drug charges following an
investigation by the country's national police force. The Royal
Canadian Mounted Police ( RCMP ) today charged Cst. Sheldon Cook, an
officer who works out of the force's 12 Division Criminal
Investigation Bureau, with possessing and trafficking cocaine, as well
as breach of trust, after officers executed a search warrant on a home
in Cambridge Friday night and discovered 15 kilograms of cocaine
believed to be worth more than $500,000.
penalties for the sale or supply of cannabis amid
findings that more 12- to 15-year-olds use cannabis than smoke
cigarettes. A federal government survey of 30,000 Australians found
support for a range of harsher penalties for cannabis offences,
including referrals to treatment or education programs, fines,
community service or weekend detention. The findings came as the
Victorian, NSW and Queensland premiers expressed their concern about
the links between cannabis and mental illness, warning that it should
not be viewed as a "soft drug". The Australian Institute for Health
and Welfare report found 4.3 per cent of 12- to 15-year-olds had
smoked cigarettes in 2004, but 7 per cent tried illicit drugs and 5.2
per cent had used cannabis. While it found 180,000 fewer Australians
used cannabis last year compared with the previous year, use of
illegal drugs was still common among older teens, with 20 per cent of
16- and 17-year-olds and 30 per cent of 18- and 19-year-olds trying
marijuana, speed or heroin.
The newest version of 'THE KUBBY
CHRONICLES' is now on-line for your
viewing pleasure. The entire site has been upgraded with new videos,
photos, and blog. Go take a look and see for yourself:
http://www.kubby.com
Canada: One
big grow-op There are occasions you
realize everybody in your community agrees on almost everything.
Sometimes this can be terrifying, but most times there's a certain
comfort to be taken when most everyone agrees that certain things —
say gay marriage, access to abortion and the legalization of marijuana
— are all desirables.
Meet the marijuana user next door
Surprise: the rank and file of Canada's multi-billion-dollar pot
industry look a lot like you and me. Use
of pot is widespread, and not just by slacker youth and
ageing
hippies. Last year the late Pierre Burton offered televised "toking
tips" on Rick Mercer's Monday Report. And the 48-year-old Mr. Mulgrew,
who is the legal affairs columnist for the Vancouver Sun, openly
admits, "I occasionally have a reefer. I go out with a woman who
doesn't particularly like the smell of pot. I certainly don't smoke
marijuana the way I did some days when I was off with some of these
people I was writing about, where you are a
bit of a chimney. If somebody offers me a reefer at a party, sure I'll
have a toke." He finds that pot takes the "edge off the world around
me in much the same way a really nice single-malt scotch or a nice
Cognac or glass of red wine does. And I indulge in those, too."
Georgian officials consider
legalizing marijuana. Representatives of
the Council for Drug Policy under the Georgian Ministry of Health and
Social Welfare said marijuana might be legalized in the country.
Cannabis high 'eases joint pains'
The authors now want to conduct a larger trial to
back up their findings A study by scientists in Bath shows cannabis
can significantly ease the pain of rheumatoid arthritis.
02-07 November 2005
BREAKING RANK Former Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper Takes on the
Drug WarExpose of the Dark Side of
American Policing is a startling and often shockingly raw account of
the uglier truths of policing in America. "With each new badge, each
new phase of learning," he writes, "I developed a deeper and keener
understanding of this: the most intractable problems of my
field--racism, sexism, misogyny, homophobia and other brands of
bigotry, fear, brutality, corruption, organizational ineptitude, even
individual incompetence--are rooted in the system of policing, a
system that includes the laws police are called upon to enforce."
Medical marijuana up in smoke. How
government undermines its constituents.
While in custody, Magbie, who was paralyzed in a car wreck when he was
four, saw his health rapidly deteriorate. He required a tracheotomy
tube, a pulmonary pacemaker, and a ventilator at night to breathe in
his sleep. Doctors at the Department of Corrections did not have the
equipment to sustain his health, and despite Judge Retchin’s knowledge
of this, she sentenced him and Magbie died four days later on Sept.
24, 2004.
Pass the weed, Dad. Parents are
smoking dope with their kids. What are they thinking?
"It was a little weird, seeing my parents stoned,"
Tom confesses. The Toronto high school student was describing the
first time he'd smoked marijuana -- at home last spring, just after
turning 17, when he shared a joint with his hard-working, middle-class
parents. "But I had an amazing, fantastic connection with my dad, and
it was a good experience for all of us. They showed me how to take the
seeds and stems out of the pot. Then, basically, we ate.
Pro-marijuana group says some
drivers may be safer 'stoned' A northern
NSW organization that wants marijuana legalized says long-term users
are more likely to drive more safely while under the influence than if
they are forced to go without the drug. A new study has revealed many
cannabis users often drive after using the drug, which increases the
risk of crashes. It also revealed the only deterrent to driving stoned
was police roadside testing. But Michael Balderstone from the Nimbin
Hemp Embassy says it was hard to test the responses of drivers because
cannabis affects people differently. "I don't know what to think about
it and it hasn't come near us yet," he said. "If they put saliva
testing outside Nimbin we'd all be riding horses. There are a lot of
people who smoke pot fairly regularly, now how long [does] it stay in
your blood ? How long after a joint can you drive? "All these things
are relevant and there needs to be real research and education on it,
but the big catch is people who are used to driving stoned will be
more dangerous if they're not stoned in many cases."
The evolving politics of pot
Just about every time The Banner runs a story about
a local police busting a marijuana grow operation, we receive a letter
to the editor or two from people championing the other side of the
story and urging our reporters to do the same. Most often the letters
come from Russell Barth, who identifies himself as a "federal medical
marijuana license holder" and former federal Marijuana Party
candidates, and other members of what I would call national marijuana
movement.
G13 Shop in Toronto gets busted
(CCC) "..... They sold 4 grams of mj to
an undercover police officer. They went back with a warrant and
carefully selected some of the things to take with them. A few pipes,
magazines and books, watermelons cookies and some marijuana. Peter has
been charged, but I am unsure of what the charges are. I hope somebody
else has more info on this........" G13 Shop 1905
Queen Street E. 416-690-4131 G13 Shop is a unique alternative to the
corporate mall franchise shops that seem to have taken over our world.
We are a true grassroots driven, neighborhood meeting place and earth
friendly store offering alternatives for our friends. Please come down
and see what's new.
Denver Considers Easing Marijuana
Laws. Denver voters will decide Tuesday
whether to make it legal for adults to possess up to an ounce of
marijuana. Seattle, Oakland, Calif., and a few college towns already
have laws making possession the lowest law enforcement priority.
Guide to obtain legal cannabis.
Cannabis in Canada is legal if used with knowledge
and consent of your doctor. You can receive (as example) a permit
allowing you to possess, consume and cultivate cannabis in your
residence. Typical exemptee is allowed to smoke 1 to 8 grams per day
and cultivate between 10 to 50 plants. To date in Canada there is over
890 people with permit to possess and may be 100 people with permits
to cultivate their own cannabis.
The Toronto Drug Strategy - a
comprehensive approach to alcohol and other drugs in the City of
Toronto, was released on Friday, 14 October. The report proposes a
comprehensive strategy based on four components: prevention, harm
reduction, treatment and enforcement. The recommendations are
organized by key themes identified during public consultations
involving more than 350 people in Town Halls and focus groups. Dr.
David McKeown, Toronto's Medical Officer of Health, said the Drug
Strategy provides a very strong vision for co-ordinated action. "We
need to step up our efforts, especially in prevention and harm
reduction. The report sets a direction that will contribute to
improving community safety and building stronger neighbourhoods." To
read The Toronto Drug Strategy, and the accompanying documents – The
Environmental Scan - Substance Use in Toronto: Issues, Impacts &
Interventions, 2005, and the Public Consultation Summary, 2005 –
please visit the Strategy’s website:
Click here for Press release. The Toronto Drug Strategy will be
presented to the Board of Health at its meeting of October 24, 2005.
Residents of Toronto are welcome to make deputations on that date. If
you wish to depute, please contact Francine Adamo, Board of Health
Secretary, at 416-397-7766 or by email at
boh@toronto.ca
Marijuana less cancerous than
tobacco.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 (UPI) -- Marijuana is
less carcinogenic than tobacco smoke and may even have some
anti-cancer properties, new research suggests. Robert Melamede, chair
of biology at the University of Colorado in Boulder, reviewed studies
of the illicit drug and published his findings in the Oct. 17 issue of
Harm Reduction Journal.
Harm reduction-the cannabis paradox.
Oct. 17
issue of Harm Reduction Journal. ".....Answers
to these questions are suggested by the data of human cannabis
consumption. Most people who use cannabis in their youth stop using it
as their lives progress. Most do so as a natural part of their
development. They do so without outside intervention or help. They do
so without ever having become heroin users, schizophrenic, or
motivationally compromised. These facts indicate that for the majority
of people who try marijuana, it is not addictive, does not lead to
heroin use, nor is it a trigger for the onset of psychological
problems. However, due to the complexity of cannabinoid activities, it
is likely that in a small percentage of the population, cannabis use
may foster problems. The biology presented in this paper suggests that
such individual differences should be expected. We must learn to
identify individuals who would be negatively affected by cannabis use;
they are the people that an intelligent drug policy would help to
identify and assist. In contrast, our policy criminalizes the majority
of users and further harms them, perhaps psychologically as well as
medically, through its repercussions....."
14 October 2005
Jury finds
pot activist guilty in possession case.
(Canada) Smith guilty of possession of
tetrahydrocannabinol (commonly called THC) for the purpose of
trafficking. After the verdict and outside the courtroom, the
36-year-old Smith said he believes it was his own openness,
particularly with arresting police officers, that earned him his
conviction. "I do regret having such a big mouth," said Smith. Smith
was arrested on Nov. 15, 2000. Police moved in just as he was
unloading about 40 pounds of chocolate chip cookies from a car parked
near the downtown library.
Etheridge: I Used Medicinal
Marijuana. NEW YORK Melissa
Etheridge says she smoked medicinal marijuana to help with the side
effects of chemotherapy during her treatment for breast cancer. The
44-year-old singer, who was diagnosed over a year ago, is now
cancer-free. "Instead of taking five or six of the prescriptions, I
decided to go a natural route and smoke marijuana," Etheridge says in
an interview to air Sunday on "Dateline NBC" (7 p.m. EDT). When asked
how her doctors reacted, Etheridge says, "Every single one was, `Oh,
yeah. That's the best help for the effects of chemotherapy.'" The
singer said she smoked marijuana every day for her pain and symptoms
and "the minute I didn't feel it, I stopped." The use of marijuana
with a doctor's recommendation is legal in California and nine other
states, but is against federal law. Asked if she was concerned about
federal prosecution, Etheridge replied, "No, I didn't worry. But it
was worth it."
Vet In Med Marijuana Flap Jailed
An Army veteran who fled to Canada to
avoid prosecution for growing marijuana to treat his chronic pain was
yanked from a hospital by Canadian authorities, driven to the border
with a catheter still attached, and turned over to US officials, his
lawyer says.
Marijuana ..Is it Time it Was
Legalized? I was having a cup of coffee
with an older friend of mine the other day (age 77), when she shocked
me by saying that every Tuesday she and her friends get together to
play cards and...smoke pot! I almost choked on my coffee. These
elderly ladies are the epitome of correctness and dignity and no one
would ever guess that they were partakers of an illegal drug. When I
asked her the reasons for their pot-smoking she explained that the
effects of cannabis made them feel better than any drug prescribed for
their aging bones. All of these ladies, ranging in age from
seventy-five to eighty- three, had various ailments. Arthritis, poor
appetite, deteriorating hips and spines were all symptoms that were
relieved, if only for a little while, by the smoking of marijuana.
Rye grad fights marijuana laws.
says medical pot restrictions are too strict. If it's a
joke, it's no longer funny for x. In March 2004, the Ryerson
business school graduate was charged with trafficking, distribution
and possession of marijuana. “I was scared shitless. When I was in
front of the judge, I could barely speak,” he says. His father put up
the $75,000 bail. For the next year-and-a-half,
x
lived with an 11 p.m. curfew, and was banned from entering the
hydroponics store he owns. “When the cops came, they didn't have a
warrant. I let them in. I thought what I was doing was legal. I was
under the impression we had approval from the courts,” he says. What
the cops found in x's two-bedroom condo was 1,200 marijuana
plants in various stages of growth. In their eyes, x was a
big-time drug dealer.
Marijuana may spur new brain cells
"....Marijuana appears "to be the only illicit drug whose capacity to
produce increased ... neurons is positively correlated with its
(anti-anxiety) and anti-depressant-like effects," Zhang and colleagues
wrote in the November issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
The paper was posted online Thursday...." .....
This is exactly what I always
said.
U of S Research Suggests Marijuana
Analogue Stimulates Brain Cell Growth. A
synthetic substance similar to ones found in marijuana stimulates cell
growth in regions of the brain associated with
anxiety and depression, pointing the way for new treatments for
these diseases, according to University of Saskatchewan medical
research published today in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.
(VICTORIA, BC) Police bring
THC-laced cookies to trafficking trial of pot activist.
"The cookies, 383 of them, were seized as evidence
on Nov. 15, 2000, when police arrested Smith, a B.C. Supreme Court
jury heard Tuesday. Smith, 36, is on trial facing a charge of
possession of tetrahydrocannabinol (the substance commonly known as
THC) for the purpose of trafficking. Victoria Police Const. Colin Ash
brought the cookies, which he estimated weighed 40 to 50 pounds, into
court inside several cardboard boxes. Ash donned gloves to remove one
cookie to show the 11 women and one man of the jury, and it was
covered in mould. Ash also introduced certificates of laboratory
analysis by Health Canada showing the cookies contained THC."
FILM FEST - ESCAPE TO CANADA
Ground breaking, rebellious and defiant aren't
usually Canadian descriptors. Despite this, the documentary Escape to
Canada displays Canada as a revolutionary country in conflict with the
USA. It's as if the documentary is committed to exposing Canada's
secret scheme to be different and consequently superior to America.
Pot 'Refugee' On Way To U.S. After
Hopes for Appeal Dashed. Steve Tuck
smokes pot to relieve chronic spinal pain stemming from an accident
that befell the former Army paratrooper during a military exercise. He
fled to Canada from California after receiving a tip that drug agents
were bearing down on him and his "grow-ops" in Humboldt County.
Pot 'Refugee' "...Shortly after 2PM this
afternoon, I witnessed something that will bring shame to Canada.
Steve Tuck was taken in handcuffs by Canadian Border Services
Enforcement officers out of his emergency room bed and driven to the
US border...."
Study favours pot smoking in
pregnancy. Some people might
be shocked at the idea of pregnant women smoking marijuana to deal
with the nausea that comes with pregnancy. But a UK-based medical
publication, Journal of Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice,
has taken the idea seriously and published a study conducted by the
Vancouver Island Compassion Society on the topic.
Webmaster: I was busy with
my own legal case
which was changed to January 30.2006. The crown did not have enough
time to prepare for the constitutional challenge I bring to court. At
the same time rules in Canada have changed. It is now possible to
obtain a growing and possession license with one signature from a
doctor. There is 2 categories that Health Canada accepts. In the 1st
category if you are suffering form debilitating problems (HIV, hep c,
and other end of life problems) you can get a regular MD to sign your
documents for application. If you are not suffering from end of life
issues, you fall under Category 2, which means that a specialist has
to sign your documents. I will apply as I was able to find a
psychiatrist who supports my use of cannabis as medicine. Hopefully
when Jan.30.06 comes I will be able to argue the proper argument in
court. This argument in brief is: "Do people who have permits to grow
cannabis have the right to do it together". Under Hitzig (2003), we
do, but Health Canada won't issue permits.
28 Sep.05
(CCC) Tomorrow (Thursday, 29th
Sep.05) at 9:30 am Philippe Lucas be on the Dave Rutherford Show (AM
980) discussing Health Canada's plan to initiate a pilot program on
the pharmacy-based distribution of cannabis; please tune in if you
can.
Medical pot unaffordable I have been
licensed to receive medical marijuana from the government since
February. I had applied for it two years earlier, because I found that
it helped with my chronic pain.
What's pot got to do with it?
Re: Dump pot bill: RCMP families (Maria McClintock,
Sept. 27). While I sympathize with the families of the four slain
Mounties, I fail to see how the actions of James Roszko justify
strengthening anti-marijuana laws. In fact, the Mayerthorpe incident
shows how misplaced the laws are with respect to controlling violent
criminals, in this case a person who was allowed to terrorize his
community for years with impunity. The grow op on James Roszko's
property was no more than a sidebar, and it is irresponsible to
suggest that stronger anti-pot laws would have prevented the violent
events that occurred. Robert Tessier. Winnipeg. (We'd have to agree.)
Pot accused
seeks jury trial A Maccan man who
says he was growing marijuana to help himself and 300 others with
medical conditions including cancer has asked to be tried in Nova
Scotia Supreme Court on three charges stemming from a police raid on
his property last month that netted more than 1,200 marijuana plants.
22 Sep.05
The Strange and Seedy Case of Marc
Emery, Canadian Facing life in a U.S.
prison, the ‘Prince of Pot’ sparks an extradition war that could test
the limits of the War on Drugs – and legalize pot in Canada at last
Cannabis grandmother bailed again.
A grandmother who advocates cooking with
cannabis must wait another two months to hear if she must go before
the courts again for cultivating the drug.
TV host to use
drugs on air for benefit of young. (Toronto
Star) AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) — A
television presenter on a new Dutch talk show plans to take heroin and
other illegal drugs on air in a program intended to reach young
audiences on topics that touch their lives, producers said Wednesday.
The show, scheduled to premier on late-night television Oct. 10, is
called Spuiten & Slikken, or the Shoot Up and Swallow show. Even in
the liberal Netherlands, where marijuana is sold and used openly, the
proposed action by presenter Filemon Wesselink is illegal, and the
idea was met with dismay by the governing centre-right Christian
Democrat party. "This is dangerous and it sets a bad example," party
spokesman Pieter Heerma said. "We're going to ask the justice minister
for his view on what the law says about this, and his view on the
dangers and risks involved." Justice Ministry spokesman Ivo Hommes
said it was not immediately clear whether Wesselink could be
prosecuted. Possession of any amount of heroin is illegal, but police
usually do not have resources to chase after people with less than a
half a gram of the highly addictive narcotic. "The actual taking of
drugs is a health problem, not a criminal act, though it's obviously
hard to take drugs without possessing them first," Hommes said. "In
any case it's not something we endorse, and doing it on television is
undesirable." The Shoot Up and Swallow show's main hostess will
interview guests about drug use and abuse, while Wesselink and another
presenter will carry out in-the-field experiments with sex and drugs.
Wesselink, 26, plans to smoke a heroin pill, said Ingrid Timmer, a
spokeswoman for the show's producer BNN. "It's not our intention
to create an outcry. We just want to talk about subjects that are part
of young people's lives," Timmer said. In other segments of the show,
Wesselink plans to go on a drinking binge in a series of pubs. He also
plans to take the hallucinogenic drug LSD — on his couch under the
supervision of his mother. The Netherlands is known for its marijuana
policy, where sale and use of the drug in small quantities are not
prosecuted even though technically illegal. Other drugs, including
LSD, cocaine, Ecstasy and heroin are outlawed and dealers are
prosecuted. The legal age for the consumption of alcohol and tobacco
is 16. According to information from the Netherlands' Trimbos
Institute, which monitors international drug use, the Dutch are about
average. The institute says six per cent of Dutch have used marijuana
recently, compared with eight per cent in the United States, nine per
cent in Britain and nine per cent in France. For cocaine, it was 1.1
per cent in Holland — and rising quickly — compared to 1.3 per cent in
the United States, 1.5. per cent in Britain and 0.3 per cent in
France. Comparable data for heroin use were not available.
Congress Shares Blame For D.C.
Medical Marijuana Patient's Death Suit Filed Today Highlights Prison
Neglect, But Congress Made Quadriplegic's Death Possible
"Jonathan Magbie's agonizing death was completely
unnecessary," said Aaron Houston, director of government relations for
the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C. "The jail and
hospital officials who were negligent must be held accountable, but
Congress also bears a major share of responsibility for this tragedy.
Magbie was a disabled patient whose use of marijuana for pain relief
would have been legally protected if the medical marijuana initiative
overwhelmingly approved by District voters in 1998 had been allowed to
take effect. Because Congress intervened to block the democratic
rights of District voters, Jonathan Magbie went to jail and died for
simply trying to ease his pain."
"Seeds of peace" for MEPs - EU
platform calls for an end to the war on drugs
"...The European Coalition for Just and Effective
Drug Policies (ENCOD), a platform of 120 associations of European
citizens who are directly involved in the drug issue, today handed
over a bag of cannabis/hemp seeds to all 730 Members of the European
Parliament...."
19 Sep.05
The return of reefer madness
..."The U.S. drug czar's office is
running ads implying that smoking marijuana can lead to insanity. But
pushing dubious science is no way to persuade teenagers not to do
drugs."......."Moreover, a June 2005 study by researchers at
University of Southern California, using the Center for Epidemiologic
Studies' Depression Scale, found that marijuana use was in fact
associated with lower levels of depression...."
Researchers Propose Cannabis Impairment Guidelines
Hurth, Germany: US laws prohibiting motorists from
operating a vehicle with any detectable level of cannabis or cannabis
metabolites in the driver's blood or urine improperly classify
occasional marijuana smokers as impaired, concludes a report issued
this month by an international panel of experts.
That Notice YOU Got In The Mail May
Be Part Of A DEA Sting. The pro-pot
movement may have been freaked by the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration's ( DEA ) nabbing of Canuck marijuana seed entrepreneur
Marc Emery, but inhale deeply - the worst may be yet to come. What
exactly is the DEA busy with here? The DEA denies it, but suspicious
pot activists suggest it's planning a mass roundup of Emery's buyers.
Mountie wants parents punished
for raising children in a grow-op.
The "authorities" just found out
that the Vietnamese Community grows pot .... what a surprise....BUT
NOW .... ITS ALL FOR THE CHILDREN ....... what a broken system we
have. I know some Vietnamese people and they are fine parents. If my
parents were taken away from me when I was young, because they grew
some plants, I would be seriously pissed off when I grow up.
Supreme Court considers medical
marijuana at work The
Oregon Supreme Court will review an appellate court ruling that
suggests employers make allowances for workers who use medical
marijuana. The case involves ...
I've been away
for a couple of weeks but I'm back online and a
new locations. The
News 2 &
3 are updated
automatically so you can always get fresh cannabis news:-)
TURMEL:
Three medpot
inmates @ Montreal Court of Appeal Friday
......13. The Oct 7 2003 Ontario Court of Appeal
Hitzig decision which
ruled the prohibition on marijuana in S. 4 of the CDSA to be invalid
absent a constitutionally acceptable medical exemption not only took
effect on Aug 1 2001 for the absence of the MMAR's valid exemption but
once again became absent on Dec. 03 2003 when the excised sections
were re-instated by Health Canada. .......17.
The invalid prosecutions
of hundreds of thousands of Canadians is so egregious an abuse of the
process of the court that instant reaction by the courts to such
contempt is mandated.
Toronto Star Editorial: A badge and a name.
"......In a welcome step toward more accountability,
people being arrested, stopped or questioned by
Toronto police will soon be able to attach a name, as well as a
number, to the officer with whom they are dealing. The wearing of name
tags on uniforms has been declared mandatory by the Toronto
Police Services Board. The gold-coloured, engraved metal tags will be
introduced as soon as money is found to pay for them"......(Toronto420)
As a shock I find myself with agreement with the Toronto
Police Union. TPU is not my the most favourite organization given who I
am (medical pothead.... is.....still a pothead to a cop) and what I
endured. TPU is correct to point out that name on a badge is not a
bright idea with hand guns rampant in Toronto. Already tried
strategy in other cities proving to be dangerous to the officers
families. A budge number to ID an officer is sufficient since cops
often deal with things far worst then 15 year old kids smoking pot
(not that I agree teens should smoke, rather they should be looked
over by a doctor and parents and not the local cop acting as a social
worker). In a bigger context this is a "feel" strategy by the major of
TO, Mr. Miller, to find out if we (the people) have the stomach to
take on the Police Union, a powerful force in Toronto. The question is
Who Controls The Police in Toronto, the major or the union. If
the people swing with the major, there will be reforms. Now the union
controls the police hours of individual officers . The union dictates
a steady number pf police officers on the streets, because if you want
MORE police officers on a Saturday Night you have to hire more cops
for ALL the shifts in a week, good for union, bad for budgets
planners. As oppose to increasing the number of officers at critical
hours of the week only, You can have more cops on Friday and
Saturday night for example, less cops in supposedly Off Peak crime
hours, better coverage, cheaper.. or so current logic
dictates......politics.
Canadian Pharmacies to Sell Medical
Marijuana Starting in early 2006,
Canadians who want to use marijuana for medical purposes will be able
to purchase the drug at select pharmacies, the Canadian Press reported
Sept. 14. Health Canada plans to let certified medical-marijuana
patients get their drugs from pharmacies, basing the distribution
system on that used in the Netherlands. Currently, a government
contractor grows and distributes marijuana to 237 Health Canada
patients, sending $150, 30-gram bags of marijuana by courier to
patients or their physicians. Other medical-marijuana patients are
authorized to grow the drug themselves, but Health Canada would like
to see a pharmacist act as an intermediary between the drugs and
patients. The agency is now identifying a network of urban and rural
pharmacies that can distribute marijuana. "Ideally, we'd like to run
it in more than one province," said Health Canada spokesperson
Christopher Williams. "Once we recruit the pharmacists, we'll make
sure (they) receive specialized training in dispensing the marijuana
for medical purposes." A nationwide distribution system could take up
to three years to establish, according to the agency.
Escape to Canada film chronicles pot battles, gay marriage
legalization.
(Toronto420) I am proud
to say that I am (apparently) in this movie. I was interviewed on the
pot issue. I mean apparently because I signed an agreement with the
director but I have not seen the movie. I know the director to be very
funny and open minded so I am sure the movie is positive to both
issues...pot and gay marriage :-)
SIMPLE SOLUTION TO DANGERS OF
MARIJUANA GROWING
Re: Kids from pot houses need help: social workers, Sept. 13
Here's a simple solution. Tax and regulate marijuana, produce it in
licensed locations and greenhouses, and no one will be forced to
secretly grow their cannabis in indoor gardens. We're looking at the
basement gin bathtub scenario from the liquor prohibition days. When
illegal, it has to be hidden, and no safety regulations can be
enforced. If made available in the way alcohol and tobacco are, we
will no longer see "grow-op homes" and the dangers associated with
them -- which are, ultimately, results of prohibition. Jodie Geiesz-Ramsay
Cannabis Culture magazine Vancouver
Cannabis Café owner gets bail extension. "....Fredericton
— With her infant son sleeping by her side, Lynn Wood does not fit the
stereotype of a convicted drug trafficker. Ms. Wood, owner of the
now-closed Cannabis Café in Saint John, was led into a Fredericton
courtroom in leg shackles on Tuesday as she appeared for an appeal of
her one-year conviction for trafficking in marijuana....."
Alison Myrden from L.E.A.P. -
"Hey Everyone... My latest... I just got
back from the Cannabis Liberation Event in Halifax, Nova Scotia and
that was awesome! Many many thanx and lots of love to Michael
Patriquin for his wonderful hospitality and incredible cookies... ;-D
We must have had 3-400 people come through our area and buy tickets
for our raffles etc. that day. GREAT turnout. Steady group of about
100 hung out all day... Really good to see such amazing support from
all across this beautiful Country of ours as this went on in over 40
Cities World Wide and is still in progress this next week or so... We
were interviewed by Canadian Press for Newsprint and Radio and then
the Interviews continued all afternoon from there... We even made top
news at 6 & 11 pm on CTV's Atlantic Televison (ATV)one of Canada's
leading networks - overall lots of attention from every where for
Marc's plight - a great day! Also, my Sativex Blog has been
discontinued. In my own personal Clinical Trial, I found it to be
insufficient for my excruciating pain and other associated problems
from chronic progressive Multiple Sclerosis. I reported this to my
Specialist yesterday at my Yearly appointment. Seems I am going down
hill but not as fast as I thought. Raw Marijuana, Salmon Oil, Multi
vitamins and Evening Primrose Oil are SERIOUSLY helping me... ;-)
That's about it for now...Take Care of yourselves... Love and a
Squish, Alison xx"
ANOTHER HARRASMENT OF THE
UP-IN-SMOKE-CAFE ".....Suttherly's vague
complaint about an admission that I did make was in a very lengthy
discussion about the cultural genocide that is progressing to stealing
our children from terrified parents....."
27 Aug. - 01
Sep.05
David
Malmo-Levine Herb School Vansterdam
"....I've been
reading this exciting new book called "The Medical Uses of Cannabis
and Cannabinoids" (2004) - put out by GW Pharmaceutical. It contains
many of the lies, untruths, obfuscations, ommisions and other
skankyness you might expect from a group of flower monopolists...."
NEW FEATURE
Reports from the War on Drugs
around the world and Human Rights abuses perpetuated by the USA
policies. I read a lot of news and some is downright frightening.
Reports from the War on
Drugs
Today THAILAND -
Human Rights Abuses and the War on Drugs.
Promotion of violence by government
officials and Extrajudicial Killings.
".... Thailand’s “war on drugs” began in February 2003 for the
official reason of responding to a boom in methamphetamines, locally
known as ya baa or “crazy pills.” The country had traditionally been
associated with the trade in injected heroin through the Golden
Triangle, a vast mountainous region spanning Burma, Thailand, and
Laos. Between 1993 and 2001, methamphetamine use in Thailand rose an
estimated 1,000 percent and, according to government estimates,
overtook heroin as the drug of choice in the country. Most ya baa was
produced and smuggled from neighboring Burma and, to a lesser extent,
Laos. By 2002, an estimated 2.4 percent of Thais aged twelve to
sixty-five, including 4.5 percent of males, were using
methamphetamines...."
Reports from the War on Drugs
- USA -
Punishment and Prejudice: Racial
Disparieties in the War on Drugs.
Nationwide, blacks comprise 62 percent of drug
offenders admitted to state prison. In seven states, blacks constitute
between 80 and 90 percent of all people sent to prison on drug
charges. Nationwide, black men are sent to state prison on drug
charges at 13 times the rate of white men. Two out of five blacks sent
to prison are convicted of drug offenses, compared to one in four
whites. Black men are incarcerated at 9.6 times the rate of white men.
In eleven states, they are incarcerated at rates that are 12 to 26
times greater than that of white men. Nationwide, one in every 20
black men over the age of 18 is in prison. In five states, between one
in 13 and one in 14 black men is in prison. One in every 20 black men
over the age of 18 in the United States is in state or federal prison,
compared to one in 180 white men. More people are sent to prison in
the United States for nonviolent drug offenses than for crimes of
violence.
Doctors 'recommend cannabis use'
"...Young men are most likely to use cannabis for
pain relief One in six people who take cannabis for pain relief say
their doctor advised them to use it, a survey suggests...."
Cannabis father rollerblade climb
Terry Hammond Mr. Hammond blames his son's illness on heavy use of
cannabis "...A father whose son became
schizophrenic after long-term cannabis smoking has rollerbladed up Ben
Nevis to raise awareness of the issue...." The
article itself says that the connection between cannabis and
schizophrenia is not determined, yet they still push this lie. In the
same article the father says "..."My feet hurt now and I can't
wait to have a pint of Guinness in an hour or so's time."
.....This article was found right next to the
article (above this one) where doctors suggest cannabis as pain
relieve. Being a mental illness survivor myself I know his son was
using cannabis as pain relive BECAUSE he already was sick. WHY NOT
CLIMB in support of finding cure for schizophrenia rather then against
pain relive.
Television goes up in smoke.
Marijuana is hitting an all-time high on the small screen.
"...You can get a contact high just from watching
HBO's Sunday night lineup. On "Six Feet Under," weed is as common as
an after-work cocktail. Members of the Fisher family, from frustrated
young artist Claire to conservative brother David to matriarch Ruth,
light up regularly. Next, on "Entourage," Hollywood hangers-on Turtle
and Drama are known to pass a joint while cruising through La La Land,
and the show's handsome hero, Vincent Chase, sometimes takes a puff to
prepare for stressful situations...."
Building a Movement for Reason,
Compassion and Justice
IN PAIN? CALL A COP.
"...Its about time. As Dr. David Brushwood,
professor of pharmacy at the University of Florida puts it,
"Interference in medical practice by a federal agency is intolerable.
If the agency insists on an approach to diversion prevention that
misunderstands medical practice and victimizes pain patients, it has
outlived its usefulness...." .. talking about
DEA
High Court: Disbar Pot-Sharing Ala.
Lawyer. "...A Birmingham attorney, who
was caught on videotape smoking and sharing marijuana with teenagers,
should be disbarred, according to a ruling Friday by the Alabama
Supreme Court...."
Police Chief Endorses Pot Idea.
"...The highest-ranking officials in Lawrence,
including the chief of police, support the idea of moving minor
pot-possession cases to city court. But the George Bush White House
thinks it's a bad idea. The White House Office of National Drug
Control Policy tells the Lawrence Journal-World that marijuana is a
"harmful drug'' that should be strictly regulated...."
Marijuana Pipe Dreams.
"...He was forced to switch to Marinol after a
D.E.A. investigation led to his conviction for violating federal laws
against marijuana. In 2000, several weeks before he was to be
sentenced, he was found dead in his bathroom. He had choked on his own
vomit...."
Outdoor grow ops targeted.
The annual marijuana eradication campaign has begun
on Vancouver Island, and police have already spotted a number of pot
patches in the Oceanside area Island District Drug Section
spokesperson Constable Beth Blackburn says the campaign began on
Tuesday, with a dozen RCMP officers working with members of the
Canadian military to destroy outdoor marijuana grow shows on Vancouver
Island and the Gulf Islands Drug enforcement officers are using two
RCMP and three military Griffon helicopters to locate and eradicate
pot plots She says the outdoor marijuana eradication forms an
important part of the effort to reduce the supply of marijuana on the
streets When asked if there is a particular hot spot on Vancouver
Island for pot growing, Blackburn laughs. "Vancouver Island," she
says. "The Gulf Islands. Anything with 'Island' in the name. However,
she says officers were in the air Tuesday in the Oceanside area and
their time was not wasted "We identified some plots in the Oceanside
area and we will be working in this area for sure. I was out this
morning with the guys and they were definitely hard at it when I left.
Blackburn stresses that the team will be calling on members from local
detachments for assistance during the campaign, which she says should
stretch on until at least the end of the month "It depends on how long
it takes us to run out of time we're able to work with the military,"
she says. "I don't anticipate it going into September, but it could."
The campaign, Blackburn says marijuana is harmful to health of users,
containing more than 400 chemicals. As well, she has environmental
concerns "In previous years RCMP have noted the harmful impact on the
environment by marijuana plots," she says. "Water sources such as
streams have been diverted from their natural flow, chemicals to
optimize the plants' growth are used and are bled into our soil and
watershed, and garbage left behind after the crop is harvested is a
concern to our environment."
JUDGE ROEDER
PUBLICLY REBUKED FOR VIOLATING DEFENSE RIGHTS / KUBBY ATTORNEY TO FILE
CHARGES SACRAMENTO -- California's
judicial watchdog commission, publicly admonished Placer County
Superior Court Judge James L. Roeder in December of 2003, for waiving
defense rights without consulting the defendants. By law, those rights
can be waived only by defendants personally. The Commission on
Judicial Performance voted 8 to 0 to rebuke Roeder for denying
defendants have speedy preliminary hearings and trials without
consulting the defendants. Kubby attorney Bill McPike is currently
preparing to file charges against Judge Roeder with the Commission on
Judicial Performance. The complaint will be based upon new evidence
and a sworn statement that shows
Judge Roeder secretly and illegally
modified Steve Kubby's misdemeanor conviction to dupe the California
Appeal Court into making Kubby a "felony fugitive."
Pot
issue the 'perfect storm'
Decriminalizing or legalizing pot may be more
popular than the ward system. But the thing about marijuana reform is
that, while most people see pot as no worse than booze, most voters
don't care enough about it one way or the other to make it a litmus
issue on voting day. The Marijuana Party, with its surprisingly
comprehensive and arguably quite right-wing policies, is never going
to form a government.
ALCP: Coroner wrongly blames
cannabis. "...claims the Northland
coroner, Robin Fountain, is categorically wrong to blame cannabis for
an apparent bad decision by the skipper which resulted in the sinking
of the Iron Maiden in heavy seas south west of Cape Reinga last
July.... "
Just
say no to the US Drug War. Brace yourself Canada, annual $60 billion a
year US prison-filling drug war has taken its first step into Canada.
Let's make our politicians and law
enforcement understand we the people will
not tolerate it. We want to be free and we don't want more prisons.
The US drug war has proven itself to be a horrendous failure, as the
budget increases each year so does the drug problem. The US has more
prisoners per capita than any other country in the world, seven times
more per capita than Canada. This is in large part due to the drug
war, a staggering number of the prisoners are there for marijuana
offences.
Bloc Pot leader guilty of drug
charge MONTREAL -- Bloc Pot and Marijuana Party Founder and President
Marc St-Maurice was found guilty of marijuana possession
at the Montreal Courthouse Thursday morning. The
36-year-old activist was arrrested in March 2004 at the Chez Marijane
coffee shop during a "bring your own joint" night in Montreal.
St-Maurice said his arrest was illegal because the police officers
infiltrated the party by paying a membership fee. St-Maurice said his
arrest breached the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Quebec Court Judge
Andre Perreault rejected St-Marice's arguments and fined him $300.
St-Maurice and his lawyer Julius Grey plan to appeal the ruling.
Prince of Pot says his empire is crumbling.
"All three people who are the graphic artists on
the magazine kind of ran off," he said outside the courthouse. "The
reason is when the DEA says your boss is the No. 1 crime kingpin
around the world, when I'm bigger than the Hells Angels, when they
make me sound like the most important person, it makes people
nervous."
California NORML Press Release -
August 25, 2005 NIDA Blocks Marijuana Vaporization Study
-Medical Marijuana Research Advocates Appeal for
Redress from DEA Administrative Law Judge After 18 months of
regulatory delay, a laboratory study of marijuana vaporization
sponsored by MAPS and California NORML has been blocked by the US
Public Health Service/ National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). NIDA
made it known that it was rejecting the laboratory's application to
buy 10 grams of research marijuana just days before the opening of DEA
hearings on an application by Prof. Lyle Craker of the University of
Massachusetts to license an independent marijuana production facility
for use in FDA-approved medical marijuana R&D sponsored by MAPS
(Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies).
For Immediate Release: August 26,
2005 Contact: Michele Kubby (250) 578-8422 Attorney Bill McPike (559)
841-3366 URGENT! MAJOR FRAUD DISCOVERED IN KUBBY CASE KUBBYS
THREATENED WITH ARREST IMMIGRATION MINISTER’S INTERVENTION REQUESTED
VANCOUVER -- American Refugees,
Steve and Michele Kubby have written an urgent letter to The
Honourable Joe Volpe, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada .
The Kubbys are requesting the Immigration Minister's intervention,
based upon dramatic new evidence of judicial fraud that has just been
discovered by their legal team. In her letter to the Immigration
Minister, Michele Kubby outlines dramatic new evidence of a major
fraud upon the courts and Immigration, based upon a sworn statement by
a Placer County court official. In that sworn statement, the official
confirms that a judge secretly and illegally instructed the California
Appeal Court to process Steve Kubby's misdemeanor appeal as a FELONY
appeal. Mrs. Kubby wrote: "There are two reasons this action was
illegal and a fraud. Reason #1 Judge Roeder had been recused from
our case for bias. He was by law, never supposed to touch my husband’s
case ever again. Reason #2 Judge Roeder overturned the trial judge,
violating my husband’s rights, without a hearing! "The consequences
for my husband from this one fraudulent act, were devastating. As you
can see from the next piece of evidence, (Exhibit L), the State of
California, Court of Appeal Third Appellate District, proceeded with
Steve’s appeal as though it were a felony. When an appeal proceeds
as a felony appeal, the defendant must be present. Since Steve had
left for Canada, with the permission of the court, to pursue our video
production business in Canada, he was not present and therefore was
labeled a felony fugitive by the Appeals Court. This, of course, is
the information authorities in California gave to Immigration in 2002,
which caused them to arrest my husband, deprive him of the medicine he
uses with the blessings of the MMAR program through Health Canada, and
throw him in jail for four days. This caused long term damage that we
are still attempting to heal today." Mrs. Kubby says she has become
alarmed at the way they are being treated by Border Services, after
receiving a letter from David Kanuit, Enforcement Officer for the
Criminal Removal Service to report to his office on Monday, August
29th, or face arrest and jail. Efforts by the Kubbys to persuade
Officer Kanuit that they are not criminals and are still in court have
been rebuffed. Despite their pleas to be allowed to continue their
case in court, a second letter from Officer Kanuit dismissed the
Kubby's right to due process. "CBSA is fully aware of the outstanding
application for leave to the Federal Court. However, as your Removal
is in force we will be proceeding with the Pre-Removal Risk Assessment
initiation. As such, you are required, as already directed, to appear
in person," said Officer Kanult. In her letter to the Immigration
Minister, Mrs. Kubby also explains her serious concerns for her
husbands health. "Dr. Joseph M. Connors, Chair, Lymphoma Tumor Group,
Research Ethics Board at the BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver, testified
under oath at our Refugee Hearing that because of the explosive and
unpredictable nature of Steve’s adrenal cancer, he is at risk of
suffering a heart attack, stroke or seizure."
FACING 10 TOUGH YEARS - Deep Cove
resident Renee Boje is fighting extradition to the U.S.
'It's a serious sovereignty issue'
"I face something that's incredibly scary,
" says Renee Boje. "It's been devastating for me. It's caused a great
deal of stress in my life. I feel I don't need to be persecuted in
this way. On July 29, 1997 Boje, a recent graduate from Marymount
University, was working on her first freelance arts project
illustrating a book called, How to Grow Medical Marijuana She claims
both the author, Peter McWilliams, and publisher, Todd McCormick who
were inflicted with terminal illnesses, had legal prescriptions from
the State of California to use marijuana for medical purposes.
The LaGuardia Report
along with these psychiatric studies, and especially medical studies
from Mexico, did not go unnoticed on the international scene. During
the first meeting of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs
held after World War II in 1946, the commission decided that there was
no necessity for appointing a sub-committee to study cannabis. The
commission gave as its reasons for this decision, "some medical
opinion in the United States [i.e., the LaGuardia Report] and in
Mexico had been advanced that marihuana did not offer any real danger,
and had little influence on criminal behaviour. Indeed, the Mexican
physicians were of the opinion that its use had no ill effect on the
health of the user. The representative for
Mexico wondered whether in these circumstances too strict restrictions
on the use of this plant, the production of which was in fact
prohibited in Mexico, would not result in its replacement by alcohol,
which might have worse results." [6] Anslinger, the American
representative "did not share this point of view and quoted a number
of concrete examples, proving the relationship between the use of
marihuana and crime. He considered the recent report of certain United
States physicians on the subject to have been extremely dangerous."
[7] 7. J. J. Anslinger, "More on Marihuana and
Mayor La Guardia's Committee Report," Journal of the American Medical
Association 128 (1945): 1187.
The Canadian federation that
British Columbia joined 135 years ago is no longer working.
It is time for the citizens of BC to question our
relationship with that federation. Will we remain blindly committed to
federalism or will we open our minds to the evolution of our land into
a prosperous and free nation and a stronger and more representative
democracy? Brian Taylor-April 2005
A
WHIFF OF 'REEFER MADNESS' IN U.S. DRUG POLICY
.... "Social scientists have found that adolescents
who progress to hard drugs are already quite troubled to begin with.
Truancy, failing in school, fighting, stealing and drinking often come
before heroin or cocaine involvement. Marijuana use before age 15 is
also a red flag indicating psychological turmoil and social
instability. ........ By contrast, older teenagers who experiment with
marijuana generally function as well as nonusers with respect to
school and mental well-being...... As staff psychiatrist for the
clinic, I have taken over 500 detailed histories of adults with opiate
addictions. Marijuana was the least of their problems when they were
young. More often, they were staggering under the weight of a chaotic
home life and had dropped out school, committed petty crimes and
battled depression. These problems, not marijuana, led them to hard
drugs......."
Of Drugs and Thugs.
"....Consider this: When Marc Emery, the head of
British Columbia's Marijuana Party and self-proclaimed "Prince of Pot"
was arrested last month after a U.S. federal grand jury indicted him
on charges of conspiracy to distribute marijuana seeds, the creator
and executive producer of Da Vinci's Inquest was in Vancouver shooting
Intelligence, a new CBC Television film, scheduled to be broadcast
this fall, about local marijuana millionaires....."
Marc
Emery writes: I'll talk about my situation with the Minister of
Justice Irwin Cotler. ".....This
Attorney-General wants to send me to jail for the rest of my life. And
I have every confidence that if I am put in a US jail, no one in
Canada will ever see me alive again. The DEA/USA is not going to make
it possible that I'll ever get out to rouse the world's conscience. I
am a permanent enemy of these Nazified forces that are surging through
North America these very anxious days for all of us in the cannabis
culture..... ..... ....Mr. Cotler has admitted that some of his
children are enthusiastic pot smokers by admitting on television news
that his adult children watch POT TV. When interviewed last week, Mr.
Cotler stated of his four children, "one is an anti-drug activist, the
others are on a 'don't ask, don't tell' basis". ....... ..... What is
this? He certainly does know they smoke marijuana. But what kind of
parenting is that, this "don't ask/don't tell" stuff? Thats bad
parenting! Your children should feel comfortable bringing any subject
up ......"
Pot Shots - Feds Takeover
Prosecution of Dustin Costa. "...Dustin
Costa, leader of the Merced Patients Group, was arrested at his
residence on Wednesday, Aug. 10. He is being held at a federal
detention facility in Fresno...."
On
July 29th, 2005, the Vancouver Police Department and RCMP executed a
warrant from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration,
raiding the B.C. Marijuana Party Headquarters in Vancouver and arresting party president Marc Emery in
Halifax. Two of Marc’s associates, Greg Williams and Michelle Rainey,
were also arrested. The United States is attempting to extradite all
three to face life in U.S. prison for selling cannabis seeds, a
practice that has been openly tolerated by Canadian authorities and
the Canadian people for a decade. On September 10th, people in cities
in Canada, the United States, and across the globe are uniting in
protest against this alarming infringement on Canadian sovereignty and
unprecedented escalation by the Bush administration of the failed War
on Drugs. The Canadian government must abide by the Extradition Act of
Canada and refuse the extradition of Marc, Greg, and Michelle.
SOME TRUTH IN
THE MEDIA
U.S. suspends war on drugs for Seattle Hempfest - Dozens of vendors
sold elaborate pipes, humongous bongs and paraphernalia The U.S. apparently suspended its war on drugs
here on the weekend for the 14th annual beachside Hempfest. Motley
children in strollers, exuberant young adults in face paint and
costume, grateful deadheads in tie-dye, aging hippies in sarongs, the
city's finest in uniform -- more than 150,00 people, media estimated,
cavorted Saturday and Sunday in Myrtle Edwards Park.
Continuing Professional Education
(CPE) Online Courses September - November 2005. Fundamentals of
Addiction "...This eight-week course
offers an overview of addictions for practitioners in the fields of
health, education, leisure, security or social service and for anyone
who would like to work in those fields. You will learn about drugs and
their effects, patterns of substance use in specific populations,
assessment and treatment approaches, health promotion and harm
reduction. Course content is delivered through online materials, links
to web resources, individual and group activities, and small and large
group discussion...."
No place for Texas Rangers
Increasing presence of American agents is making a mockery of Canadian
values Canadian cops have become used to
co-operating with their American counterparts over the years, but it's
beginning to look as if co-operation is turning into reliance --
reliance on U.S. agents to track down criminals in this country, and
reliance on U.S. courts to give them a punishment that in Canada they
wouldn't deserve.
IRONY? FROM
THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES Experimental compound improves
cognitive performance and reverses effects of sleep deprivation.
(oh yes!! its called SPEED!!)
"...The researchers first tested normal, alert monkeys on a matching
task similar to a video game. Each monkey was shown one clip art
picture at one position on the screen, and after a delay of one to 30
seconds, picked the original out of a random display of two to six
different images to get a juice reward. The monkeys were then given
varying doses of the drug and re-tested. At the highest dose tested,
the drug improved performance to near perfect for the easier trials
and by about 15 percent overall...."
CRACKPOT JOURNALISM FROM SOUTH OF THE BORDER
Crackpot Potheads Deal Dope on TV. "...As
many as 100,000 potheads were expected over the weekend at the
Hempfest in Seattle, Washington, to celebrate the use of a drug that
makes one unable to think clearly. One of the speakers, Reverend Levon
the Lion of the "Church of Cognitive Therapy," claims a "religious and
spiritual entitlement" to marijuana. It would be laughable were it not
for the fact that marijuana is also being sold to the gullible as
something that supposedly has medical benefits. Now it is supposed to
have spiritual benefits? Some people will say anything to justify
getting high...."
For Immediate
Release: August 22, 2005 Contact: Michele Kubby (250) 578-8422
Attorney Bill McPike (559) 841-3366 PLACER COUNTY JUDGE DENIES REDRESS
FOR PROSECUTORIAL FRAUD IN KUBBY CASE
For a second time, a Placer County judge has denied the request of
exiled medical-marijuana activist Steve Kubby to overturn his
conviction because of frauds committed by the prosecution. At a
hearing held Monday in the historic Auburn courthouse, Judge John L.
Cosgrove declined to reconsider his May 16 decision to deny a new
hearing based on a writ of error coram nobis. The writ alleges that
Placer County authorities relied on a fraudulent DEA document to
obtain the search warrant that led to the Jan. 19, 1999, arrest of
Steve and Michele Kubby at their Olympic Valley home. At Monday’s
hearing, McPike called the prosecutor's appeal “a collateral attack on
probation,”. California law precludes such an appeal process and
requires prosecutors to file a writ in order to appeal a probation
order wheher or not a custodial sentence has been imposed. “So, the
Appellate Court was wrong in hearing this?” Judge Cosgrove asked.
“That’s my conclusion,” McPike said. “It’s a tantalizing thought to
agree with you,” Cosgrove commented. Deputy District Attorney Chris
Cattran said at Monday’s hearing that jurisdiction over the Kubby case
remains in the appellate court. He also noted the absence of Kubby,
who has lived in British Columbia since the spring of 2001. Felony
proceedings typically require the presence of the defendant. McPike
argued that only a writ of error coram nobis in the original
jurisdiction could untangle what he called a “highly unusual”
procedure that followed Kubby’s conviction. Afterward, McPike
explained what happened: "There is a statutory 30 days under Penal
Code 1466. The DA was actually beyond the 30 days. Also, any appeal
may not be made IF it challenges a Judges discretionary grant of
probation. Kubby was in fact granted probation so the appellate court
had no jurisdiction to hear an appeal filed over 60 days after the
grant of misdemeanor probation. We contend that the appeal is void and
Steve Kubby is protected by law from having his conviction raised to a
felony. Speaking from his Sun Peak residence, Steve Kubby said the
decision was not a surprise. “A judge can turn your life upside down
with the stroke of a pen, yet that same judge will come up with
endless reasons why they don't have the power to fix the mess they
helped to create” Kubby said. The writ of error coram nobis charges
that in its 1999 Statement of Probable Cause, Placer County
authorities used a purported DEA report identifying journalist Pete
Brady as a Jamaican drug smuggler. Brady, who was observed visiting
the Kubbys during a six-month investigation, later attempted to obtain
a copy of the N.A.D.I.S. report, but was informed that no such report
existed. Placer County authorities have never furnished a copy of the
alleged report, nor have they ever denied the allegations of fraud.
After the North Tahoe Narcotics Task Force searched the Kubby
residence, Placer County charged the couple with 19 felony counts. A
jury acquitted Michele Kubby of all charges and acquitted Steve Kubby
of the marijuana charges against him, but convicted him of misdemeanor
possession of peyote and a piece of psilocybin mushroom stem.
Michele Kubby
<michele@kubby.com wrote:
HOW A DISQUALIFIED JUDGE SNUCK BACK INTO OUR CASE AND NEARLY KILLED
STEVE Our legal researcher and
top legal eagle, Ed Pearson, has just notified us that the real source
of the illegal motion to increase Steve's misdemeanor conviction into
a felony was a judge named James Roeder. It was Roeder who secretly
signed the prosecutor's motion and fraudulently misled the appeal
court into making Steve a felon. Such an action is clearly and
strictly forbidden by California law, but Roeder did it anyways. Now
for the real shocker. Judge Roeder had previously been removed from
our case, for bias an prejudice, and was officially recused. Under
law, once a judge has been disqualified from a case they are forever
disqualified. But that didn't stop Roeder and it was his signature
that made Steve a felony fugitive and nearly resulted in Steve being
jailed, deprived of his medicine and killed. For a judge to sneak back
into a case, after being recused for bias and prejudice seems to me to
be a new low in judicial sliminess. That Steve nearly died as a result
seems like nothing less than attempted judicial homicide.
"I heard some bad news - Puff Mama
was arrested today. Her lawyer phoned.
They found 1/2 pound of weed and cash on her. She's being held in an
RCMP detachment in Killoway, ONT.
Goodster is in contact with her lawyer, and will post the time and
place of her bail hearing." Cannabis Culture Forum.
Toronto420 tried to contact Puff Mama and was
not able to......23 August update......she was picked up in a
Drinking&Driving sweep...i.e. she does not drink but I guess the cops
must have smelled something green in the air.
Growing indoors is easy,
inexpensive - Authorities not tipped off
if hydro bills are paid By: Peter Kuitenbrouwer, National Post
(Canada), 03-05-05 .... including a quote from
me on an interview I had with the journalist :-)
Edmonton Sun - Three people
face charges after a scuffle with police at Hamilton's marijuana cafe.
Two officers in uniform entered
Up in Smoke yesterday
and noticed a patron smoking marijuana in a pipe. The officers tried
to arrest the man, but two other patrons allegedly stepped in and
assaulted police. Police said one of the patrons ended up on the
ground and bit the curb, egging on officers to step on his head. No
one was injured, but one man was charged with simple possession and
another man with obstructing police and creating a disturbance. A
woman was charged with assaulting police and obstructing police.
"I've been hearing from multiple
sources that Hempfest 2005,to be held near Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario,
will be the victim of an "example raid" to be conducted by the OPP in
conjunction with the RCMP and American DEA." (CCC)
This doesn't mean that you should stay home!
The media have been alerted, and many people on the Marc Emery beat
will be in attendance. If you have any further questions about this
possible raid (and about a search warrant executed by police earlier
in the year in search of the festival's business records) please
contact:1-888-215-8970 or visit:
http://www.planetarypride.com For more information about the
pending OPP raid, please contact: S/Sgt. Wes Moore Sault Ste. Marie
Detachment Cmdr. Ontario Provincial Police
wes.moore@jus.gov.on.ca
705-945-6833
Bang, bang - you're dead wrong
Toronto's rash of gun violence has our pols wailing
about U.S. imports, but the real data shows we are our own worst
enemy. Our system of checks and balances? You can blow holes through
it. Myth #1 Most guns connected to crimes are smuggled from the U.S.
The reality A 2004 report prepared by Toronto police for the police
services board found that only 24 per cent of crime guns seized by
police last year could be traced to the U.S. Unregulated flea markets
and gun shows south of the border
The NDP's inhaled too deeply on
Marc Emery's cause. Mr. Emery, it turns
out, is no slouch in that department. After the Pot TV interview, he
says he signed up "more than 3,000 new NDP members and delivered about
150,000 votes . . . printed 100,000 brochures outlining Layton's
position on marijuana . . . paid $5,000 to buy two tables at a Jack
Layton dinner, and donated between $500 and $1,000 to eight different
NDP candidates." Though I'm a child of the '60s like Mr. Layton, I
can't imagine the NDP under David Lewis or Ed Broadbent associating
with these kinds of people and accepting this kind of money.
IRRATIONALITY IN CANADA'S DRUG
POLICY In light of the arrest and
requested extradition to the United States of Canadian marijuana
activist Marc Emery, I thought I'd talk to an expert about Canada's
drug laws and policy to find out if the government is stoned or if I
am. Eugene Oscapella is an Ottawa Lawyer who teaches drug policy in
the department of criminology at the University of Ottawa. He is also
founding member of an independent, not for profit research group and
think tank called the Canadian Foundation for Drug Policy. He was able
to share his thoughts on Canada's cannabis laws.
MARIJUANA LEADS TO BETTER HEALTH
Editor: I would like to respond to Mr. Bucholtz'
statements ( The Times, Aug. 14 ) regarding cannabis legalization and
its medical use. Most medical professionals now agree that most, if
not all cannabis use is for medical purposes, whether for sleep, pain
relief, stress etc. Furthermore, what's been called "recreational use"
by the media is defined as "bringing one's self back to health" in any
dictionary, and doing something recreational is always a good healthy
activity, even if it has harm associated with it.
THE MISSISSAUGA NEWS Mississauga
man gunned down by Florida police Husband not a drug dealer, outraged
wife says The Mississauga News Aug
19, 2005 The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) says a
40-year-old Mississauga man who was shot dead by police in Florida was
lured to the state by a suspected drug dealer to buy thousands of
dollars worth of marijuana. Donovan Brooks' family, including his four
children and former wife, Antoinette White of Mississauga, will travel
to Jamaica this weekend to attend his funeral. White has contacted a
Miami law firm founded by the late trial lawyer Johnnie Cochran in a
bid to bring a complaint against U.S. authorities. "I want to see
justice and nothing else," she said, adding she was outraged by the
shooting. White said she has no knowledge of her ex-husband's alleged
drug history. Brooks, she said, was a "good man and good father."
Police here say he had no criminal record. "If a man does a crime, he
should pay for it by going to jail. But he shouldn't be killed," White
said. "It's not right to shoot someone like that." The DEA said police
were waiting for Brooks and a friend when they arrived to meet another
man at the Days Inn in West Palm Beach, near Interstate 95 and 45th
St. Officers ordered Brooks and his friend to the ground before the
fatal shooting, according to the DEA. The officer who shot Brooks was
on assignment with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office's organized
crime bureau, which assisted the DEA and U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement in the operation, Sheriff's spokesman Paul Miller said
Friday. The officer was placed on paid leave while the Sheriff's
Office investigates the shooting. The officer's name was not released
because he works undercover and officials don't want to jeopardize
other investigations. The Sheriff's Office has indicated the officer
said he shot Brooks because he felt threatened. Brooks, who worked as
a cook here, came to Canada from Jamaica in 1993. He spent a lot of
time with relatives in New York State, the family said. He had two
sons and two daughters with four women, White said.
Grow op was ‘sophisticated’
Man sent to jail for three years for running what
judge called ‘a professional operation’
Medical Pot Activist May Sue Over
Bust at Airport. Valerie Corral said she
was at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank when security officials found about
"5 or so grams" of pot in her bag. She had a Santa Cruz County medical
identification card and a doctor’s recommendation, she said. That
didn’t keep her from being detained for about 45 minutes, having her
pot taken and getting a citation.
Cannabis
News
17 Aug.2005
A blow for the 'Prince of Pot'.
The possible extradition to the US of a prominent
marijuana enthusiast has sparked anger in Canada, For years, Canadian
authorities ignored the lucrative mail-order marijuana business run by
Marc Emery, Canada's most prominent proponent for legalising weed. The
self-styled "Prince of Pot" sold cannabis seeds via the internet to
customers all over the world, including the United States.
Against the drug war. AN ANALYTIC
ASSESSMENT OF U.S. DRUG POLICY. Many
conservatives have wondered the same thing, and have condemned the
inefficacy of the effort, especially regarding cannabis. But their
often emotional appeals have yet to resonate with national policy
leaders. In that context, the utility of this slender volume becomes
clear. Using arguments rooted largely in cost-benefit analysis, the
authors neatly debunk the drug war as it is currently fought. Decrying
the lack of "strong empirical evidence of substantial effectiveness"
of the effort, the scholars suggest that the drug war's advocates be
charged with providing said evidence.
From the horse's mouth: marijuana
etiquette. The owner of the marijuana
will not smoke in front of others unless he has enough for everyone
with him. "You don't get it out unless you have enough for the class,"
said one Liberty High School junior. Sharing marijuana is common.
Generally, a person with marijuana will share with everyone present at
no cost.
The raw (and ugly) truth about the
war on drugs. "....A nation of drug
addicts Fact is, we are a nation of drug addicts. We drug ourselves,
our elderly and our children on a daily basis. We do it with
prescription medications, over-the-counter pills, alcohol, caffeine,
nicotine... and we say it's all fine because those drugs are legal.
But wait a minute, you say. Those legal drugs are different from
marijuana. They're FDA-approved drugs, prescribed by a doctor. They
have a medical purpose...."
Justice minister 'feels the concern' about our drug woes.
"..Cotler said he isn't able to say when the law to decriminalize
possession of small amounts of pot will be passed by Parliament, given
the government's minority status, but hopes it will be this fall.
Asked what he thought of Mayor Larry Campbell's desire that marijuana
be legalized and a California judge's assertion last week that harsh
legislation has done zip to diminish U.S. drug use, Cotler shook his
head. He says laws send out messages; legalizing pot would only
broadcast societal sanction for toking up. The father of four says
he's certain his son, an anti-drug activist, has never used pot. As
for his three daughters, the policy at home is "don't ask, don't
tell."
Cannabis
News
16 Aug.2005
New Website for the Medical Access
to Marihuana Regulations. For some reasons Feds decided to move it.
Update your bookmarks..
The DEA Raid Emery Seeds: Global TV
Interviews and more. Special thanks to
the loyal Pot TV Newshawks who captured these clips. Interviews with
Marc Emery after his bail release. Marc tells all about the seeds of
revolution and the money they generated for the cause of marijuana law
reform. Plus a clip about another massive grow! Pot-TV
John Shavluk asked Jack Layton in
person: How do you view the situation faced by Marc Emery
[the British Columbia marijuana activist and
entrepreneur who faces extradition to the United States]? Jack Layton
(in front of camera): "We have opposed and we do oppose the
extradition. We think that Marc Emery is a Canadian citizen and what
we have here is a U.S. set of laws that involves unbelievably cruel
and unusual punishment for something that in Canada we're working to
bring legislation to make it all possible. So the extradition is
something that should be opposed and our party certainly opposes it."
Why Does Drug Reporting Suck?.
"...Today's headlines and news stories on drug
abuse often echo those found in newspaper stories of the thirties,
when Harry J. Anslinger, the stern and energetic foe of drug use, took
over the Federal Bureau of Narcotics," writes Bomboy. Anslinger was an
original exponent of the "reefer madness" school of drug
education...."
Trailer Park Boys Actor Supports
Emery "...According to Calgary Herald
entertainment writer Bill Rankin, Canadian actor John Dunsworth has
declared his support for Marc Emery in a very vocal way. Dunsworth
plays Sunnyvale trailer park supervisor Jim Lahey on the smash hit
Trailer Park Boys TV show...."
This Johnny Appleseed Is Wanted by
the Law. "Let me be the light that
shines on the American gulag," he said, stern-eyed, pointing into the
camera. Without notes, Mr. Emery sermonized for a half-hour about
everything from the marvelous medicinal and spiritual qualities of pot
to the greatness of Thomas Jefferson, "who gave America on hemp paper
the Declaration of Independence."
The Internet
sites mariuana.it, marijuana.it and semini.it, have been shut down by
law enforcement agencies and their organizer,
Matteo Filla, kept under arrest for five day on
charges of 'inciting public use of illegal drugs' and 'complicity in
cannabis cultivation'. Marco Contini, secretary of the
Antiproibizionisti.it, comments that "The seeds of prohibition always
produce bitter fruit. Here the price of what purports to be a 'morally
edifying' action runs frighteningly close to becoming an infringement
of everyone's freedom of expression."
The Addictive Risks of Cannabis.
"......more teens are in treatment with a primary
diagnosis of marijuana dependence than for all other illicit drugs
combined......----- Now comes CESAR (the University of Maryland's
Center for Substance Abuse Research, not by any means a generally
dovish source in drug-war terms) with a
little corrective fact: of all referrals (not broken out by
age) for marijuana treatment, more than half come from the criminal
justice system. And that fraction has been rising, reflecting another
fact: marijuana arrests have roughly doubled over the past fifteen
years, with the vast bulk of those arrests are for simple possession.
Other studies show that for juveniles, most non-criminal-justice
referrals reflect parental pressure. It's a beautifully circular
system: Step up enforcement against marijuana users, leading to more
criminal-justice referrals to treatment. Tell parents cannibis is more
dangerous than ever before, encouraging them to force their kids into
treatment for even casual pot use. Then use the
resulting increase in juveniles getting treated for cannabis as
evidence of how dangerous the drug really is, supporting more
enforcement and more propaganda aimed at parents to generate still
more treatment referrals.
Audio: Marc Emery Case: Rafe Mair
talkes to Svend Robinson MP3 File Link.
"....Svend strongly supports saying No to the extradition and Yes to
regulating pot. (He sited(sp?) the Senate report.) Svend is also
another potential witness in court for Marc as he said that Health
Canada referred him to the internet to buy seeds when he contacted HC
about Canadians in medical need who had asked him where they are
supposed to get their seeds....."
Bad Medicine?
Cannabis is proven to be a fairly harmless drug --
so why is the American right still waging a massive war on weed?
Millions to fight marijuana, with
little to show for it. "...By shifting
to a policy that treats and taxes marijuana like tobacco and alcohol,
Virginians could gain the following benefits: a decrease in illegal
activities surrounding drug sales; government control of marijuana
quality; better control of underage access to marijuana; and removal
of the profit motive that attracts sellers, including a substantial
number of teenage sellers who, most frequently, supply other
teenagers.
Interesting Quote 1:
"You know, it's a funny thing, every one of the bastards that are out
for legalizing marijuana is Jewish. What the Christ is the matter with
the Jews, Bob? What is the matter with them? I suppose it is because
most of them are psychiatrists." -- US
President Richard Nixon, May 26, 1971
Interesting Quote 2:
"Today's arrest of Mark (sic) Scott Emery,
publisher of Cannabis Culture magazine and the founder of a marijuana
legalization group, is a significant blow not only to the marijuana
trafficking trade in the U.S. and Canada, but also to the marijuana
legalization movement." -- DEA
Administrator Karen Tandy, July 29, 2005
Choke on this! U.S.'s war on drugs invades Canada
"....AS I understand the
pretzel logic of America's War On Drugs, marijuana breaks up families
and destroys lives -- because it's hard to maintain a family and a
life when you're in prison....."
Venezuela Leader Accuses DEA of
Espionage. "....Hugo Chavez on Sunday
accused the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration of using its agents
for espionage, and said Venezuela was suspending cooperation with the
U.S. agency.
BC justice calls illegal US Drug
Enforcement Administration activities in Canada an "abuse of process"
",,,,,A British Columbia Supreme Court
justice has called the illegal activities of the US Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) in Canada in 1999 "blatant acts in disregard of
Canadian sovereign values and law," and "so egregious as to constitute
an abuse of process." As a result, the judge stayed an application by
the US government to have a suspect committed for extradition to the
United States....."
Bail hearing reveals some of the
evidence gathered against Marc Emery.
"...During the August 2 bail hearing for Marc Emery and Greg Williams,
the Crown Prosecutor outlined the evidence which had been collected
against Emery. Her explanations to the judge provided an insight into
what kinds of surveillance had been conducted, and whether past
clients of Emery Direct should be concerned...."
A
New Hard-Liner at the DEA.
"...Though the Republican Party prides itself on being a champion of
state sovereignty, one need only mention phrases like "medical
marijuana" or "drug law reform" to see how quickly the Administration
of George W. Bush becomes hostile to the notion of the autonomy of
states. The latest--and perhaps most egregious--example of this enmity
is about to become manifest via a new appointment: that of veteran
Justice Department official Karen Tandy, soon to be new chief of the
Drug Enforcement Administration...."
U.S. judge refuses to extradite Gustafsen Lake defender.
A U.S. judge has stunned legal observers in Canada
by refusing to surrender a fugitive wanted by Canadian authorities in
connection with the 1995 Gustafsen Lake standoff. Judge Janice Stewart
ruled that she would not support the extradition request by Canada
because James Pitwanakwat "was part of an uprising by native people
with both religious and political overtones."
Marc Emery out on bail
B.C. Marijuana Party leader Marc Emery has been
released from the pre-trial centre in Port Coquitlam after posting
$50,000 bail.
DEA go away.
"...The American "War on Drugs" and "War on Terror"
have become a war on freedom, and a war on Canadian sovereignty. If
the Canadian government capitulates, America will have succeeded in
becoming absolutely tyrannical. Who is next? Muslims? Minorities?
Same-sex couples? Brew your own beer depots? Watch out...."
Cannabis
News
1-3 Aug.2005
BUSH'S WAR ON POT.
"...America's long-running war on drugs has, literally, gone to
pot. ..."
'Prince of Pot' wins bail fight
"...B.C. Marijuana Party president Marc Emery, who
faces extradition to the U.S. on drug and money-laundering charges,
has been granted bail....."
A BC Supreme Court judge set bail
at $50,000 dollars for the man described as Canada's "Prince of Pot."
Emery, Marijuana Party vice-president Michelle
Rainey-Fenkarek and Gregory Williams are all charged with conspiring
to sell pot seeds to U.S. residents and money laundering. The three
were arrested on Friday by Vancouver police at the request of the U.S.
Drug Enforcement Agency. Their arrests followed a year-long
investigation by the DEA. None of the three face charges in Canada.
The DEA is seeking to have them extradited for trial in the U.S., and
had requested that Emery be held in custody until his extradition
hearing concludes. That could take up to a year. U.S. officials allege
that Emery has sold as much as $3 million in seeds. B.C. Marijuana
Party spokesperson Kirk Tousaw says the arrests are about much more
than law enforcement. "This is a political persecution not a criminal
prosecution," he says. "They are not after Marc Emery because he sells
marijuana seeds. There are dozens of those seed sellers throughout
Canada and the United States. "They are after Marc Emery because he is
a political activist, and we need to make sure Canadians understand
that because this issue goes far beyond marijuana policy."
Well, it's a little different than
all that. Greg and Marc are still in
jail. The judge said we had to get 5 different people to put up $5,000
each in surety for Greg, and 4 people with $10,000 each in sureties
for Marc, including another $10,000 cash. However, when we brought in
people to get Greg and Marc out, we were told that we had to have
property owners, not just sureties (cars, stocks, etc.) and therefore,
we need 9 people to put their property up for Marc and Greg. Michelle
is out today, and will be working at the BCMP bookstore tomorrow to
start raising funds. The three of them will be able to communicate for
work purposes only. Marc and Greg are allowed at the CC office and the
BCMP store. Michelle is allowed at the BCMP store.
WE NEED PROPERTY OWNERS! With hope, we can get
Greg and Marc out tomorrow. Anyone who can offer help, please call
Kirk Tousaw at 604-836-1420.
Study Finds Marijuana May Help
Bowel Ailment British Researchers Study
Drugs Derived From Cannabis. A new study finds that a form of
marijuana could help people with inflammatory bowel disease.
Loss of Canadian Sovereignty
"....The arrest of Marc Emery and two others on
July 29, 2005 in Canada to serve the questionable USA War On Drugs is
a wake up call for Canadians. Marc Emery is a serious activist
promoting the legalization of Marijuana use in Canada. The
significance for Canadians of his arrest is not about anyone's
personal attitude to the legalization of marijuana. The significance
speaks to the core of being Canadian, being a sovereign nation, being
able to make decisions we choose in our interest, in our own time, on
our own terms....."
sophistry put forward by UN bureaucrat Antonia Maria Costa. His entire
argument is farcical. Many Canadians have tried this "dangerous" drug
at one time or another and the vast majority of them have found it to
be pretty much innocuous. Most people just outgrow it. Those that
don't, don't die from it and don't kill for it. There are a lot of
very pressing issues in the world right now. Pot isn't one of them.
medication that enables
her to avoid intolerable pain and death." The brief argues that
barring her from using marijuana would violate her "fundamental right
to life" under the Fifth Amendment due process guarantee of the
Constitution. Raich, 40, says she needs marijuana to combat lack of
appetite and severe pain from several illnesses. Robert Raich, who is
Angel Raich's husband and attorney, said, "This case implicates
perhaps the most fundamental right of all, the right to preserve one's
life." 
according to a survey
released by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. The 2005
Ontario Student Drug Use Survey released yesterday also found fewer
students are using alcohol, tobacco and cannabis at an early age.
Since 1999, not a single drug the survey measured has increased in
use. "This group is more conservative and traditional than their
parents and we're seeing evidence of that," said Ed Adlaf, of the CAMH.
The survey is not all good news. Youths haven't stopped binge
drinking, frequent cannabis use and risky behaviour related to alcohol
consumption and drug use .... While the use of cannabis did not
decline between 2003 and 2005, the use of drugs such as hallucinogens,
methamphetamine and heroin has decreased. 
cannabis than smoke
cigarettes. A federal government survey of 30,000 Australians found
support for a range of harsher penalties for cannabis offences,
including referrals to treatment or education programs, fines,
community service or weekend detention. The findings came as the
Victorian, NSW and Queensland premiers expressed their concern about
the links between cannabis and mental illness, warning that it should
not be viewed as a "soft drug". The Australian Institute for Health
and Welfare report found 4.3 per cent of 12- to 15-year-olds had
smoked cigarettes in 2004, but 7 per cent tried illicit drugs and 5.2
per cent had used cannabis. While it found 180,000 fewer Australians
used cannabis last year compared with the previous year, use of
illegal drugs was still common among older teens, with 20 per cent of
16- and 17-year-olds and 30 per cent of 18- and 19-year-olds trying
marijuana, speed or heroin. 
uglier truths of policing in America. "With each new badge, each
new phase of learning," he writes, "I developed a deeper and keener
understanding of this: the most intractable problems of my
field--racism, sexism, misogyny, homophobia and other brands of
bigotry, fear, brutality, corruption, organizational ineptitude, even
individual incompetence--are rooted in the system of policing, a
system that includes the laws police are called upon to enforce."
If made available in the way alcohol and tobacco are, we
will no longer see "grow-op homes" and the dangers associated with
them -- which are, ultimately, results of prohibition. Jodie Geiesz-Ramsay
Cannabis Culture magazine Vancouver 
underage
youngsters in England, with one in ten admitting they take drugs and
25 per cent saying they drink on a regular basis....
read more
