Editorial:

Brian Taylor Editor

An indignant caller from Texas informed me that he hated those hippies and all their peace and environmental crap, but at 71 years of age, the only thing that took the pain out of his wrists and allowed him to keep shooting his 45 was cannabis. Just because you and I enjoy cannabis and support the cause, does not ensure that we share any other core beliefs. It comes as a bit of a shock for those of us that sported the long hair and wore the trappings of the counter culture revolution that we must now confront the implications of our own success. Cannabis has gone mainstream.
Canada and the USA are both approaching general federal elections. I hope the information and the stories in this issue on the US marijuana party movement and in the next edition, the Canadian political scene, will make people stop and question the sanity of prohibition and put real faces on the political leaders on both sides of the border who are willing to speak out.
The simple fact that a political party with such a name exists is a huge psychological breakthrough for North American Society. Even in the late 60's and early 70’s when marijuana was smoked much more openly than it is now, it never occurred to anyone to create a political party devoted to legalization.
Thanks to Quentin Hardy from Forbes magazine for coining the phrase “army of the ordinary” That was by far the greatest contribution he could have made, identifying the backbone of the industry not as organized crime, not as mom and pop, but as an army of ordinary people who do not respect prohibition and are showing their defiance by being civilly disobedient.
A number of established US companies are disappointed that they are not likely to be covered in the 30th anniversary of High Times magazine. Operation Headhunters and the DEA have created intense political pressure for the new editor, Mr Mailer, to change the entire nature of this publication. We think it is a shame, after such a long and illustrious history, that this institution should fade quietly away, uncelebrated and forgotten. We ask our readers to give us their memories of the best of High Times. Dig out those dusty old copies and send us your favorite stories and pages.
Help us say happy 30th and so long to an American legend.
For those of you who are following the Canadian pot quality issue, Phillip Lucas responds to the Health Canada interviews and raises more questions. Be sure to read about Howard and his trusty horse Misty. We covered Howard some time back in the summer and he did complete his coast to coast ride. Doesn’t that Howard shake the dogma of all you rabid cop haters.
I would like to congratulate the organizers of the December 1st HIV/AIDS rally at the International AIDS Day Conference in Toronto. Working in partnership with existing advocacy groups is a positive and powerful strategy. Look for coverage in the next issue.
Finally a prediction for the New Year. Despite the assurances of the new Prime Minister Paul Martin that he only had one of those brownies, and that he will pass the new marijuana legislation, I have my doubts that bill C-38 will ever be returned to the house. Instead I believe the Supreme Court of Canada will take the advice of the learned Senate, who by the way are of the same age and generation as the judges, and give the provinces one year to implement legalization and provincial controls.
From all the staff and volunteers at Cannabis Health, Happy New Year!

LETTERS

Cannabis On the Road,
What a beautiful summer it has been.  Cannabis Health has made its way into street festivals, concerts and bike races all over the West.  I’d like to thank you rocken fokes for your support with all my road trips and races this summa!  Cannabis Health was welcomed with open arms at the Phish, and Dead shows at the gorge at George, Nelson Street fest, Kootenay Fat Tire Mountain Bike Festival, and the worlds longest downhill race, the Psychosis in Golden.  The support and excitement on your wicked mag overwhelmed me, and I’m looking forward to more adventures next summer.
Cheers Amanda O’Connor

LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition)
While in the Yukon this summer, the manager of a café startled me by saying, “I know about you.” He disappeared and re-emerged with a copy of your magazine with an article about me.
In the middle of nowhere, folks knew about Misty and me.
Anyway, as an update for your readers, Misty and I splashed down in the Pacific at Newport, Oregon on October 4, 2003.   After 3100 miles and 6 months of hard livin’, the trip came to an end. We appeared on 14 TV stations, 40 times in newspapers resulting in over a million people seeing the t-shirt and hearing the message. Misty is resting comfortably at a ranch in north Georgia, while I am in New England speaking to groups here.
Misty and I will sally forth like Paul Revere again when a state has a legalize marijuana bill going before the voters.  We will ride to every county seat, gathering publicity and support for the vote. Misty being drop dead gorgeous, reporters just love her and so does the camera.
Let me know if I or LEAP can be of service to you.
Officer Howard J. Wooldridge (retired)
Member, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (www.leap.org) Fort Worth,Texas Howard J. Wooldridge 817-975-1110 wooldridge@leap.cc

An Extended Letter to the Editor

Philippe Lucas speaking before the American Academy of Pain Management, 2003
Philippe Lucas is founder and Director of the Vancouver Island Compassion Society (www.thevics.com) and Canadians for Safe Access (www.safeaccess.ca).  He recently presented before the House of Commons Special Committee reviewing Bill C-38 on behalf of Canadian medicinal cannabis users and distributors.
"The Facts and Fiction of the Health Canada Medicinal Cannabis Program: An Open Letter of Concern to the Editors of Cannabis Health"
It was with great anticipation and not a little apprehension that I read the exclusive CH interviews with Health Canada, PPS, SIMM, and Mr. Scholten in the . The stories revealed both the major differences between Dutch and Nov/Dec. issue of Cannabis Health Canadian federal approach in regards to medicinal cannabis cultivation and distribution, as well as the misinformation that continues to plague our national program.
As a long-time user, cultivator, distributor, researcher and advocate of medicinal cannabis, I feel the necessity to bring to your attention misleading statements and inaccuracies that appear in this series of articles and interviews; and to suggest how we might improve safe access to therapeutic cannabis in Canada.
Let’s begin by examining some noteworthy details of the Dutch medicinal cannabis cultivation and distribution program. The re-introduction of cannabis into the Dutch pharmacopoeia came about as a result of pressure from Dutch physicians, who concede that although more research is necessary, the low potential of abuse and overwhelming number of anecdotal reports (as well as an ever-expanding number of clinical trials) supporting the safety and effectiveness of therapeutic cannabis has made its availability through the pharmacies desirable to the medical community. Comparatively, the biggest obstacle to a similar distribution scheme in Canada has been an unjustifiable intransigence by the Canadian Medical Association and Canadian Medical Pharmacies Association This is most apparent by examining the pace of implementation of the Dutch program, for although Canada has been in the federal cannabis business for much longer than the Netherlands, the Dutch program has long ago outpaced our own in terms of organization and practical implementation.
Sadly, the most significant progress to date has come as a result of the courage and common sense of the Canadian courts, rather than through caring or compassion from either the federal government or the CMA.
The Netherlands has been pragmatic in its approach to medicinal cannabis cultivation, seeing the wisdom in contracting two different companies with very different production protocols as suppliers. They have rightly taken the government out of the loop in regards to distribution, treating cannabis like any other pharmaceutical. This level of decentralization - wherein a simple prescription is enough to gain access to cannabis through pharmacies - will be a necessary step for the eventual success of our own federal therapeutic cannabis program. It would remove the legal and bureaucratic burden of our overly onerous regulatory scheme from Health Canada as well as those who might legitimately benefit from the therapeutic use of cannabis, while also re-empowering physicians to ultimately decide the best care options for their patients.
When comparing the two programs, Mr. Burton states, “becoming the direct distributor of cannabis is without precedent and sends the message to patients that this plant is even more dangerous than any other drug, and so dangerous that it can only be managed by the government”. As his tone suggests, there is no scientific justification for these exceptional regulations.
I was saddened to see that Mr. Scholten was fooled by Health Canada misinformation regarding the amount of federally funded cannabis research underway in Canada. In the 4+ years Health Canada has managed this program, only two clinical research protocols have ever been approved, and last March they suspended the funding to one of those, an HIV/AIDS nausea and appetite protocol begun by the Community Resource Institute of Toronto. How disturbing it was to read Valerie Lasher’s comments regarding the possibility of continuing the good work started by CRIT, when she is well aware that the organization actually ceased to exist over 7 months ago as a result of her departments cuts. That leaves Dr. Mark Ware’s McGill Pain Center research, which has taken over 3 years to just get past the recruiting stage, and will eventually cost over $250,000. By contrast, Canada’s compassion clubs are producing far more research than Health Canada’s anemic and expensive program. The Vancouver Island Compassion Society (www.thevics.com) has taken a leadership role in this area, with active protocols examining the effect of cannabis on hepatitis-C with the University of California, San Francisco, and nausea and pregnancy with University of British Columbia (UBC); as well as undertaking the first high-THC smoked cannabis and pain double-blind protocol in North America - all at no cost to Canadian taxpayers.
And now for Dr. Viau. Dr. Viau’s misinformed comments show him to be dangerously ill-informed and inexperienced in the area of therapeutic cannabis. By suggesting that he considers reports of differing, strain-dependent therapeutic effects of cannabis on medicinal users akin to differences in taste expressed by consumers of cigarettes, whiskey, and beer, he displays an incredible callousness to those Canadians whose health depends on safe access to this therapeutic herb, as well as an utter myopia in regards to the pharmacokinetics of cannabis. Moreover, strain/symptom differences are easy to understand when one examines the incredibly varied cannabinoid profiles apparent in different cannabis plants, which has led the U.K.’s GW pharmaceuticals to conduct research into CBD’s modulating effect on THC in numerous clinical trials. Dr. Viau should understand that if it were truly possible to relieve all symptomology with a single strain of cannabis, compassion clubs would have long ago narrowed and simplified their own “menus”. Sadly, this is simply not the case.
In regards to further comments that he doesn’t accept that “stronger may be better”, I refer him to a 1997 article by Tashkin et al. (http://safeaccess.ca/research/potency.htm) which found that stronger cannabis not only reduced the amount of smoke ingested by test subjects, but that stronger cannabis actually contained less tar than weaker product. This evidence directly contradicts the poorly-planned distribution of “diluted” 10% PPS cannabis to exemptees, and may well result in exposing health-compromised users to more carcinogens than would occur if they were using a full-strength product.
If these remarks reflect Dr. Viau’s ignorance of the use and effects of therapeutic cannabis, they pale in comparison to his comments in regards to organic cultivation. He suggests that there is no official definition of organic cultivation, stating “the use of such a nebulous term in a scientific context is problematic since it is not clear what is meant, if anything”. This is utter nonsense, and I suspect that the International Organic Accreditation Service - which operates the organic accreditation program for International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM)- would be shocked to hear this assumption. In their Basic Standards for Organic Production and Processing (which was approved by the IFOAM General Assembly in Victoria, B.C. in 2002), they clearly state that in order to certify a plant product as organic:
Biodegradable material of microbial, plant or animal origin produced from organic practices should form the basis of the fertility program.
• Accumulation of heavy metals and other pollutants should be prevented.
• Irradiation is not permitted.
It is apparent that the cultivation practices used at PPS do not fit these parameters; and since there is significant evidence that chemical phosphate fertilizers may lead to the production of carcinogens in plants , it is disturbing that Dr. Viau can be so cavalier in his dismissal of these serious concerns. Again, sadly, this level of inexperience and incompetence has become symptomatic of our national cannabis program.
Brent Zettl, the director of PPS, has suggested that those who promote this type of cultivation have some kind of “vested interest” in organic cultivation. He’s right – our interest is to produce the best and safest cannabis possible for the end users of this benign herb. His actions and intransigence in this area suggest that he and PPS may have different goals altogether. G.W. Pharmaceuticals has been growing organic cannabis for therapeutic use in England since 1998. Their Sativex whole plant, sub-lingual spray will be released in the U.K before year’s end, and should find its way into Canadian pharmacies by early 2004. I wonder if Mr. Zettl would enlighten us as to their possible “vested interests”, other than the health and safety of the end users of their products?
Additionally, as any experienced cannabis cultivator/consumer quickly realizes, organic cannabis is not only safer, it simply tastes and burns better.
I must also suggest that Valerie Lasher’s comment that compassion clubs are illegal, and that the responsibility for dealing with them rests with the police and the courts is rather misleading and disingenuous. As Valerie well knows, both the courts and the police have addressed this issue, and they have repeatedly come out in support of the good work of Canada’s compassion clubs and societies. In the court case brought against the VICS in 2000, B.C. Provincial Judge Higinbotham stated:
“I find that while there is no doubt that Mr. Lucas offended against the law by providing marijuana to others, his actions were intended to ameliorate the suffering of others. His conduct did ameliorate the suffering of others. By this Court’s analysis, Mr. Lucas enhanced other people’s lives at minimal or no risk to society, although he did it outside any legal framework. He provided that which the Government was unable to provide: a safe and high quality supply of marijuana to those needing it for medicinal purposes. He did this openly, and with reasonable safeguards...”
Furthermore, both the Senate Special Committee on the Illegal Use of Drugs and the Hitzig ruling under no uncertain terms urge Health Canada to work with the clubs to ensure the safe and effective distribution of therapeutic cannabis. Even in the far more restrictive regime to our South, California’s legalized compassion clubs currently help 30,000 registered users gain access to cannabis. The only thing keeping Canada’s network of compassion clubs and societies illegal is the lack of a Health Canada licensing scheme. Period.
And finally, in regards to Brent Zettl’s dismissal of the Canadians for Safe Access testing of the PPS cannabis, I can honestly state that originally we were quite surprised by our independent test results (conducted by experienced labs using standard protocols), which showed elevated levels of lead and arsenic in the Health Canada cannabis. However, after uncovering numerous government reports indicating that the area around the Flin Flon grow operation is one of North America’s most contaminated regions, surprise turned to suspicion on the behalf of licensed cannabis users across Canada.
There are still far too many unanswered questions for Canada’s compassionate users: why is it that Mr. Zettl refuses to state whether or not his company has ever seen similar results in previous tests? Why is it that Health Canada has not yet released results to contradict the CSA testing, if such tests exist? Would Brent have the good conscience to release such tests to the Canadian public and to the end users of this product? Why is Health Canada knowingly growing medicine in such a horribly contaminated region? Would any of this be acceptable if we weren’t talking about cannabis?
It is disturbing for all Canadians that this national cultivation project has so far only succeeded in allowing a handful of very sick individuals to access poor quality, low potency, non-organic cannabis products. Furthermore, in light of PPS’ $5.7 million contract, this is without a doubt the most expensive schwag in the long history of Canadian cannabis cultivation.
Finally, as a frequent contributor and the original “cover guy” for Cannabis Health, I have to express my disappointment that Cannabis Health Journal chose to ignore some of these pressing concerns in this series of interviews. How can a magazine claim to be representing the interests of Canadian users and cultivators of therapeutic cannabis while ignoring what was potentially the biggest controversy in the history of the program (the CSA testing of the PPS product), and while allowing Health Canada’s Dr. Viau to make such obviously outrageous claims completely unchecked and unchallenged? If Cannabis Health is not willing to ask Health Canada and PPS some tough questions, who exactly will? Although I found these articles illuminating, the uncharacteristically pandering tone adopted by Cannabis Health does a disservice to your readers, many of whom depend on CH for honest and accurate reporting on this contentious and complicated issue.
With a great deal of care and concern,
Philippe Lucas VICS/CSA/DrugSense

Mommy's Funny Medicine
The Making Of The World’s First Children’s Book About Medical Marijuana
By Russell Barth
Christine Lowe and I are both medical Marijuana users. Christine uses cannabis for her epilepsy and post traumatic stress disorder, and I use it for my fibromyalgia and anxiety. In mid-December of 2002 we met a woman in a wheelchair on Bank Street in Ottawa. Since I use a wheelchair for most of my transport needs, we compared notes on our machines and the state of Ottawa sidewalks.
I asked her if she was in pain and she said that she was in constant pain. I asked her what she used to treat it, and she said “Ten Tylenol 3’s a day.” We then and asked her if she had ever considered cannabis. She was shocked and offended by this, comparing pot to heroin. We told her that cannabis was safe and effective, and not addictive like codeine, and that she needed to educate herself.
She absolutely refused to listen, falling just short of sticking her fingers in her ears and chanting “La la la I can’t hear you.” She acted as if even discussing it was a scandal. “What would I tell my grandson?” she asked. In unison, Christine and I replied “The truth!” The woman, whose name we never got, stormed off, quite insulted.
As Christine and I departed, one of us said to the other “Someone should make a children’s book.”
We thought nothing more about it until December 22nd, when I was talking on the phone to my father, who was in Florida for the winter. He is an avid prohibitionist, and despite all the science to the contrary, firmly believes the myth and hype about pot “warping your mind” and being “ten times more carcenogenic than tobacco”, so we didn’t discuss my medical marijuana use in that conversation.
After I got off the phone, I asked Christine how I could possibly explain all of this cannabis use and activism to him? I was miming that I was reading a bedtime story, pointing angrily into my hand at an imaginary book: “Look. See Russell. See Russell getting well with his new medicine.”
Christine and I looked at each other and gasped. The idea just popped into our heads like that, and we knew that it was something that could possibly be huge.
Most of the text for Mommy’s Funny Medicine came out that night, written in one session. We did some quick pencil sketches and showed it to our good friend, Ottawa activist Mike Foster. He got choked up from just reading the text, and said that it was a great idea and that we should do it.
We knew that a children’s book on such a controversial topic would be difficult to pitch to publishers. We also knew that there would eventually be media publicity to deal with.
We didn’t want some big publisher making more money off of this book than “the cause” would, and we didn’t want to appear on TV saying “Buy our book so we can buy pot!” We might have appeared as the “Pied-Pipers Of Pot”, and that wouldn’t help us, the book, or “the cause”.
We decided that the best idea was to somehow get it self-published, and give all the proceeds to help establish the National Capital Compassion Society. That way, if we did media publicity, we could hard-sell the book because all the proceeds went to a charity.
Over the month of January 2003, Christine did the black and white line-work illustrations. We scanned them, and I spent the month of February in front of the computer, touching up the lines, adding color, and pasting in the text.
On March 1, we did the first print on a standard home computer laser printer. Upon seeing this first print, Mike Foster said he thought it was so nice, he’d like to publish it himself.
The 2000 printed copies arrived at Crosstown Traffic on April 21st, 2003, and since then, we have spoken to TV, Radio, and print media, trying to draw attention to the fact that we need a Compassion Club with a safe and consistant supply for people in the Ottawa area.
Mommy’s Funny Medicine has appeared in Cannabis Culture magazine, on local TV, Pot-TV, and can be ordered online at crosstowntraffic.ca.

In Memory of Donny Appleby
by Mike Foster
The cannabis community has lost a warrior. Reverend Donald Cyril Appleby (Donny to his many friends) died on October 30, 2003 at 12:45 A.M. He was 44. Donny succumbed to injuries he received while extracting oil from his cannabis shake and trimmings. He suffered burns to 70% of his body.
Donny’s AIDS made his chance of recovery very slim. His body did not have the strength to fight off infection. Friends who visited Donny on October 28th said that although he could not speak, he was aware they were there and acknowledged their presence. By October 30, Donny was not conscious. We gathered to wish him a fond farewell and at 12:45 AM, he passed peacefully into the next realm.
An examination of Donny's apartment showed a bathroom door that had been blown off its hinges. There was no evidence of fire, just a partially melted shower curtain still hanging in the bathroom and bits of shake and shower curtain scattered through the hallway. Donny had taken the full brunt of the flames himself.
Donny's friends gathered in Ottawa on November 8th to celebrate his life. At the memorial service, they adorned his wooden urn with Donny's trademark black and white beret and his potleaf glasses. They then surrounded him with freshly picked cannabis leaves as the minister wished us all well with our ongoing battles. He acknowledged Donny as a pioneer for a new medicine for a new millennium. Photos were passed, tears were shed and memories were shared.
Those of us who knew Donny will miss this brave man. In the face of adversity he could always muster a laugh and always managed to find the silver lining in every dark cloud he encountered.
Donny's tragic and premature death serves as a warning to all of us who enjoy processing and tinkering with our herb. Moreover, it should also serve as a wake up call to Health Canada to stop mouthing hollow words and to start to adequately address the needs of Canada’s medicinal cannabis users.

The British Columbia Cannabis Bioproducts Trade Association
(BCCBTA) is a membership-based non profit business association for the cannabis Industry in BC.
BCCBTA’s mission is to be an effective voice of action in all matters concerning the development, marketing and free movement of cannabis and associated products and services throughout Canada and the world. BCCBTA will work with governments and the cannabis industry to establish scientific and ethical standards. Membership in BCCBTA will be open to any individual or company that conducts business directly or indirectly related to cannabis in the province of BC.
Yearly membership in the BCCBTA is $25 for individuals and organizations. Cheque should be made payable to BCCBTA C/O CRI box 1481 Grand Forks BC, VOH 1HO
For further information on the BC Bioproducts Trade Association contact
Brian Taylor 250-442-5166 editor@cannabishealth.com

If Cannabis Could Cure Cancer
Analysis by Richard Cowan
If cannabis could cure cancer, they would tell us, right? No; very simply, it would undermine cannabis prohibition. Steve Kubby is the living proof.
In layman's terms, medicinal substances and treatments generally fall into three categories, palliative, therapeutic and curative.
Palliatives relieve the symptoms of the disease, reducing the suffering of the patients. Perhaps the best-known medical use of cannabis is for the relief of the nausea and anorexia associated with cancer and AIDS treatments and the diseases themselves. In such cases, palliation can be lifesaving by making it possible to continue with the treatments and for the patients to eat and thus maintain their health.
Palliation can be highly subjective, but often it can also be easily measured, as when a patient stops vomiting. The broad public support for medical cannabis is based on the commonsense idea that if something makes sick people feel better, they are the best judges of their own comfort.
A therapeutic substance may prevent the disease from doing further damage to the body. The first legally recognized use of medical cannabis in the US was that of the late Robert Randall, who found that cannabis kept him from going blind from glaucoma. He successfully forced the federal government to provide him with free cannabis. Some of the seven surviving members of that program also have glaucoma.
Finally, a curative treatment or substance eliminates the disease itself. Antibiotics that kill pathogens, and chemotherapy, radiation and surgery for cancer are the most obvious example of curatives.
Most people do not think of cannabis as a curative, but it seems that may be about to change.

Talk Show Host Fined
Talk show host Montel Wiliams was reportedly fined Monday night for carrying drug paraphernalia into Metro Airport. Williams has apparently been prescribed medical marijuana to control his pain from multiple sclerosis. He was detained and ticketed for the paraphernalia but not for the small amount of cannabis in his possession. Airport officials admitted they were not sure if Mr. Williams had broken any law, even though they were acting just as if he had. They did, however, express concern that they might damage Mr. William's reputation. They went on to blame the Federal/State jurisdictional dispute currently raging over the precedence of laws concerning medical marijuana for their confusing actions.
A spokesperson for Williams released a statement in response to Monday night’s incident stating among other things that:
“Montel Williams has been very open about his battle with MS in the hope of raising awareness and helping others”.

Death Sentence for Growing
Michael Patriquen was sentenced to six-years in a federal prison for growing and selling 4.5 kilograms of medical marijuana, despite being granted an exemption by Health Canada. For Mr. Patriquen, medical marijuana was a last but effective resort in his search for a treatment for a painful and debilitating medical condition. The sentence of Mr. Justice Hood included denying him access to medical marijuana in prison. Consequently, Mr. Patriquen became very ill while serving his time, suffering extreme pain and being unable to eat or sleep properly. Petitions to the Solicitor General Wayne Easter to allow him access to medical marijuana in prison were met with hostility. Mr. Patriquen claims that Correctional Services Canada (CSC) conspired to erect roadblocks to deny him the only effective treatment for his condition. He claims they made it impossible for him to see his family physician to confirm his need for medical marijuana. At the same time they permitted a CSC affiliated physician to file a report in which it was claimed Mr. Patriquen would not suffer irreparable harm if denied access to Cannabis. This claim became the official expert testimony at a subsequent emergency hearing where the judge commented that the court was not convinced he would “suffer irreparable harm if he is not granted access to marijuana”. Meanwhile Mr. Patriquen claims his immunity to infection was being compromised making him particularly vulnerable to rampant Hepatitis C infection rates in the prison. A test done in prison came back positive for the disease. Mr Patriquen now believes he is dying, and points the finger directly at our society, a society that perverts one of the pillar institutions of any civilization, the justice system, to bend it to the will of politically motivated morality.

Let My People Grow
Jack Layton, leader of Canada's federal New Democratic Party, spoke to Marc Emery about his strong support for legal marijuana in an October 26 interview on Pot-TV.
Mr Layton was very explicit in his support for ending the war on cannabis. At one point, Layton called marijuana a "wonderful substance," And went on to say that he supported laws that would allow people to enjoy their marijuana in the peace and quiet of their own homes, or in a cafe, without having to worry about being criminalized."
In my late fifties now, I was raised to believe that the only party that cared for working Canadians at all was the NDP. Politics mattered, and even my dad who cared little for unions, felt every man was equal and voted solid NDP. Heck, I even named my favorite horse Tommy Douglas.
For over 40 years, I have financially supported the NDP, even been elected to office within the BC party. Lately, I have had doubts. Am I the caring socialist I think I am, or what the media likes to refer to as "the unthinking hard core NDP support". Had my karma finally run over my dogma?
Then along came Jack. I have never been so proud to be NDP as the day I watched the interview with Jack Layton by Marc Emery on Pot TV. Some would say that Jack's enthusiasm was overstated, but I believe he knew very well that anything less than a shocking statement would not get the attention of the pot vote.
Marijuana parties have received a small percentage of the total vote. However, many cannabis supporters like me would not use their vote in the past because they knew support for the marijuana party was an information and protest vote.
From one long-haired country boy, proud to be NDP and back in the party: tell Paul Martin, let my people grow or let my people go.

Alison Myrden runs for NDP
Long time cannabis rights activist and CFMM Exemptee & owner of www.themarijuanamission.com, Alison Myrden, is one of the nation’s leading patient advocates for medical marijuana, and recently announced that she will be seeking the Federal New Democratic Party nomination in Burlington, Ontario.
“Medical marijuana plays an important part in the debate surrounding health care in this country,” says Myrden, “and while other parties have paid court-ordered, grudging lip service to this issue, Jack Layton has come out strongly in favour of helping critically and chronically ill Canadians like me. I'm looking forward to helping Canada's NDP team.”

Dana Larsen Quits BC Marijuan Party
BC Marijuana Party Leader converts to NDP, intends to run as a federal candidate.
Dana Larsen, Leader of the BC Marijuana Party, officially signed the NDP membership papers at a press conference in Snickers Restaurant in Powell River, at 1pm Thursday, November 27.
“I am resigning from the provincial and Federal Marijuana Parties” said Larsen, “I’m proud to become a member of Canada’s NDP Party.”
Larsen ran as the federal Marijuana Party candidate for the riding of West Vancouver - Sunshine Coast in 2000 and as the BC Marijuana Party candidate in 2001.
“It’s my intention to run in the upcoming federal election, as the NDP candidate in my riding” said Larsen. “The nomination meetings are still a few months away, but I have already received the endorsement of the NDP candidate who ran in the last federal election, and other key members of the local NDP.”

The 2nd Civil War
Never since slavery has an issue divided America like the war on marijuana. Cannabis use is the single largest act of civil disobedience in North America; ever!
Bombarded by conflicting images,Canadians’ view of the US is shaped by the the Seventies Show and constant positive references to marijuana that fill the media airways.
They also see the stars getting off with a warning while the little guys on the real cop shows get treated like dangerous murderers; for a roach. Real life police shows slam pot smokers to the ground yelling and screaming in their face. Canadians see American officials threatening to make it more painful for everyone to cross the border, totally denying medicinal benefits from cannabis and accusing those who organize the resistance of just wanting to get stoned.
We laugh at Americans who are ignorant of things Canadian. Well, some Canadians are wondering if anyone down there is standing up to this repression?
Having some political experience, when first I spoke to Loretta, I was prepared for some paper cowboys, since the US Marijuana Party was loose-knit and substantially a new organization. My Canadian superiority melted away as I talked with Loretta, opened their web site and began to read the personal stories of the willing candidates
Many of us involved in the Marijuana Party in Canada have experienced the excitement of standing up in front of a public meeting and being allowed to explain our position on cannabis in a typical Canadian polite and rational way. To the surprise of many candidates, audiences responded positively, clapping and often commenting on the way out of the hall “good job, very informative, sorry I can’t vote for you but you have made me think”.
Americans are more patriotic about the flag and the vote, and one can assume some will be insulted that these druggies would dare to use the political process in such a disrespectful manner. Will these brave candidates be received in such a civilized fashion in USA? I seriously doubt it! I see the phenomenon of the rise of the US Marijuana Party as an important indicator that the masses in America are waking up. Ordinary Americans from all walks of life are stepping forward to block the tanks.
Be careful out there.

The U.S. Federal Marijuana Party US Marijuana Party
Loretta Nall / President
“All experience has shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they ar accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such a government, and to provide new guards for their future security”
Thomas Jefferson, United States Declaration of Independence
Who is the US Marijuana Party?
The United States Marijuana Party is a motivated group of Americans who are tired of living in fear of their government because of marijuana prohibition. We are fed up with the intrusion into our personal lives, with urine testing at work and school, with armed home invasion, and with the possibility of prison because of a plant. We are Americans and we do not piss in a cup for anyone but our doctor!
We feel it is time for the 12 million Americans who smoke marijuana on a regular basis to stop hiding their love for this plant and unite as one large body of voters to demand an end to the unconstitutional prohibition of marijuana and the drug war. The U.S. cannot lock up 12 million people. The War on Drugs causes more harm than the drugs themselves ever will. United, we are a potential 12 million vote political machine. We want to live free and we must be determined to stand up, be counted, demonstrate, rally, and write. Waiting for the government to silence us all in the American prison system is not an option. Too many of our brethren are there, in prisons right now.
More Americans are in jail today for non-violent drug offenses than at any previous time in American history. More Americans are in jail today for marijuana offenses than at any previous moment in American history. The war against marijuana is a genocidal war waged against us by a government determined to eradicate our plant, our culture, our freedom and our political rights.
What does the US Marijuana Party do?
The United States Marijuana Party is here to help citizens take control of our out-of-control government and to return the power to the people as it should be.
We are patriotic citizens who firmly believe in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
We organize Marijuana Parties in the states across the U.S.
Right now 18 states have Marijuana Parties.
We are striving hard to have all 50 states represented by the end of 2003.
If you do not have a Marijuana Party in your state, start one right now!
Our plan is to run candidates on the Marijuana Party ticket in local, state, and national elections and to debate this issue whenever the opportunity arises.
How can you help this US MJ Party?<