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?
The USMJP operates solely from donations
made by concerned citizens and from
volunteer work.
You can help by making a donation,
starting or supporting a Marijuana
Party in your state, organizing
rallies and protests, and writing
letters to editors or your state
representatives calling for an end
to prohibition and the drug war.
Another thing that anyone can do
is simply to talk about the issue
with friends, relatives and co-workers
at every opportunity. The more we
push this controversial topic into
the spotlight to be discussed, the
sooner the nightmare of prohibition
will come to an end. Do your part.
Please visit our website at www.usmjparty.com
for more detailed information on
how to get involved.
Alabama
& USMJP Alabama
Loretta Nall President
excerpts by Elizabeth
Bernard
At twenty-eight years of age, Loretta
Nall appears to be a typical wife
and mother, but there was nothing
typical about what happened to her
on September 17. That day her quiet
rural Alabama life was invaded by
agents of the Alexander City Police
Department, the Tallapoosa County
Sheriff’s Department, the
Tallapoosa County Narcotics Task
Force, the Marijuana Eradication
Project, the Drug Enforcement Administration,
and the Alabama Bureau of Investigation.
She had been puzzled by the appearance
of a helicopter that had hovered
over her house for nearly an hour,
but the puzzle was solved when all
of the police vehicles began pulling
onto her property.You see, exactly
one week earlier, Loretta had taken
a trip to Vancouver, BC, to visit
Marc Emery, a well-known Canadian
marijuana-legalization activist.
She took the trip not to get high,
but to learn the art of political
activism. Loretta had it in her
head to start an Alabama arm of
the American
Marijuana Party. Upon her arrival
in Canada, she notified customs
officials where she was going and
whom she was going to see, at which
point all her papers were seized
and she was held in limbo for several
hours while the Canadian authorities
checked her background to see if
they had any reason to stop her
from entering the country. Then
they returned her passport and told
her she was free to go. Loretta
had no police record. That is, she
didn’t have one until last
Wednesday.
Loretta is convinced that the sudden
appearance of the authorities at
her doorstep is a direct result
of her trip to Canada. She claims
that no one would have had any reason
to suspect her of anything. She
leads a quiet life rearing two children.
Knowing her rights (something the
police probably assumed a high-school
dropout in rural Alabama would know
nothing about), Loretta gave the
authorities permission to search
outside her house, trying to spare
herself a huge hassle, but she insisted
that if they wanted to come inside,
they would need to get a warrant.
When Loretta brought out her video
camera to record what they were
doing, they high-tailed it off her
property.
Less than a month later, Loretta
formally founded the Alabama
Marijuana Party, and a little
more than a month after that, on
November 7, she had her first letter
to the editor published in the Birmingham
News calling for the legalization
of marijuana. On November 13, Judge
Kim Taylor of the Tallapoosa County
District Court received a request
from the Tallapoosa County Sheriff’s
Department to issue a search warrant
for Loretta’s property on
the basis of an alleged anonymous
phone-in tip that she was growing
marijuana inside her house. The
search warrant was issued, and less
than three hours later, it was executed.
Loretta returned home from a morning
of job hunting to discover that
the police had broken into her home.
What did the police find after breaking
in Loretta’s front door, looking
for a crop that didn’t exist?
Of course, one wouldn’t expect
to find a marijuana crop in her
diaries, which were seized, or in
the plates of catnip, also seized,
or in her copy of the November 7
Letter to the Editor, seized, or
in the Salvia leaves in the freezer,
seized (Mr. Nall is a horticulturist),
or in the printed materials regarding
marijuana and political action,
seized.The police did not even stop
to think twice about sifting through
the ashes contained in an urn, the
ashes of Loretta’s son who
had died at the age of three months
of SIDS.
So what did the police get for all
their efforts? They found one marijuana
stem, three seeds and a package
of cigarette papers, which they
claim to have found in an envelope
on Loretta's printer. Not content
with harassing Loretta by ransacking
her house, the police called in
the Alabama Department of Human
Resources, whose agents declared
Loretta’s home unfit for her
children. They informed her that
if she did not have a place to send
the children to stay, then the state
would take them away.Loretta had
not truly been afraid, until then.
She had been certain the police
would find nothing but an unclean
home when they searched. It hadn’t
occurred to her how far the state
would go to punish her for her activism.
She hadn’t realized she might
lose her children. Her son and daughter
were brought to her mother’s
house, some fifty miles away, but
only after the agents of the state
questioned her five-year-old daughter
and ten-year-old son relentlessly.
Loretta was handcuffed and taken
to jail where she was formally booked
for possession of marijuana and
paraphernalia. The police wanted
to make sure the Nalls knew they
were helpless in the face of the
state's power.
The irony is, Loretta doesn’t
feel helpless. She feels empowered
by what has happened to her. She
is determined to continue the fight.
Her determination is all the more
amazing because Loretta and her
husband are not well off. They have
a modest livelihood, and this fight
could cost them thousands of dollars.
Loretta might not have an advanced
education, but she does have intelligence,
and even more important, she has
a conscience. She wasn’t born
an activist; she was made into one.
She watched as several friends had
their careers and families destroyed
by marijuana convictions. To her,
such punishment was plain cruelty,
and she couldn’t – and
still cannot – understand
how Americans can sit idly by and
watch as the government turns the
lives of thousands upon thousands
of people upside down over something
as innocuous as marijuana. “We
as Americans have a responsibility
to fight for justice and freedom.”
California
MJP California
Tony Bowles
I am proud to say that I am a third
generation Cannabis consumer; I
have used this wonderful herb for
over a decade now and I feel great!
I live in the wonderful city by
the bay, San Francisco, California.
My cannabis activism started after
hearing about Ed Rosenthal's trial
on Pot-TV News. I went down to the
Federal Courthouse here in San Francisco
to show my support. It turned out
to be the day that the “Juror's
Revolt” happened. I listened
and watched as these jurors spoke
out in favor of Ed. It was then
and there that I decided to get
involved with Americans
for Safe Access. On Cannabis
Freedom Day I was helping ASA
by passing out literature and getting
people to sign a letter of support
for the prisoners of this drug war.
People kept asking me for information
on any organizations that supported
legalization, not just for medicinal
but personal use. I informed them
of the United
States Marijuana Party, and
passed out literature on the party.
People seemed very responsive and
generally liked the idea of a Marijuana
Party
After giving it some thought, I
decided that I wanted to help support
the Marijuana
Party in the Bay Area.
I would like to say that the brave,
courageous, freedom fighters of
the Marijuana
Party are my heros and make
me so proud to be a pot-smoker.
All of them set an extremely good
example, which we are in short supply
of these days. I have seen how we
must stand up and fight for our
most basic rights or we will not
be truly free. I have seen unjust
sentences and the innocent imprisoned.
As Henry David Thoreau says, “Under
a government that imprisons any
unjustly, the true place for a just
man is also in prison.”
I pledge my allegiance to the unfortunate
victims trapped within the belly
of the beast, locked up in solitary
confinement for showing compassion.
I have no love for a government
without heart that smashes down
doors and terrorizes families; a
government that uses an extremely
excessive amount of force that shatters
lives and sometimes ends in death
Smoke Pot & Be Proud!
NEW
JERSEY MJP New
Jersey
Ed Forchion, Njweedman
It’s time the average US citizen
stands up to our government and
demands freedom. Its time for a
new “Tea Party”. I openly
advocate a campaign of civil disobedience
and the utilization of jury nullification
to win this WAR ON US!
I’m a 39 year old American
of African descent. I’m a
US Army vetern and also served in
the New Jersey National Guard and
USMC, honorably discharged from
all three. Released from the army
on June 21st, 1990, I went into
business for myself as a coast to
coast owner operator truck driver.
I became aware of how cheap marijuana
was in the south western US due
to mexican marijuana crossing the
border. As a capitalist, it didn't
take me long to get into transporting
large amounts of marijuana from
Arizona to New Jersey several times
a year. In 1997 I was arrested after
a small 40 pound shipment did arrive
via Federal Express.
After I was arrested I insisted
on a “fair trial”. I
attempted to employ a defense called
Open Advocaton of Jury Nullification.
I wanted the citizens on the jury
to judge the law as well as
the facts. I wished to present a
case that the law was wrong, not
I.
On April 20, 1998 I formed the (LMP)
Legalize Marijuana Party and to
get publicity I started using the
moniker of “NJWEEDMAN”.
I ran for several public offices,
sometimes more than one at
a time.
It took the state of New Jersey
almost three years to get me to
trial; during that three years I
made a routine of public acts of
disobedience. Eventually in 2000
I was convicted at a totally “unfair
trial” where I wasn’t
allowed to use my defense or to
present any witnesses to support
my contention that the US Marijuana
Laws are lies. Eventually I
pled guilty with the promise that
I would be admitted into a state
parole program called Intensive
Supervision Program, (ISP) within
3-6 months of imprisonment. I also
appealed my unfair trial and the
denial of pre-trial motions.
The state bamboozled me, and refused
to release me to ISP for 17 months
and then once I was released, they
tried to use the Intensive Supervison
Program as the Inmate Silence Program.
After 4 months on ISP, I was arrested
and held in jail for talking about
legaliztion on my website: njweedman.com
and making 3 Political commercials
calling for the end of the War on
Drugs.
Eventually a federal judge ordered
the state to release me back into
ISP without the unconstitutional
violations of my free speech. Upon
getting released, I filed a $4 million
dollar lawsuit naming state officials.
The US
Marijuana Party asked me to
join them and I did in September.
I'll be formally released from ISP
on Dec. 3rd and will hold a demonstration
on Dec. 6 where I will obviously
ingest marijuana, and announce my
decison to run once again for office.
I will be running for the 3rd Congressional
District of New Jersey against a
Republican “war hawk” named
Jim Saxton. I will not only point
out that our “War on Iraq”
is based on a lie, but our “war
on potheads” has always been
a lie!
Mississippi
MJP Mississippi
Anita Mayfield
First, I want to say that I was
not born an activist. I have been
made into one. I am 47 years of
age and have witnessed more atrocities
to human rights than a person of
a free democratic society should
ever have to.
I was born in Memphis, Tennessee
to a Mississippi woman and an Alabama
Man. Now, folks, that’s southern.
There's no way over, under or around
it. At the ripe old age of 6 months,
my mother moved me into the home
of my maternal grandmother in Holly
Springs, Mississippi. From that
point on, I have been traveling
the US. I always come back here.
Most all of the members of my family
have either moved away from here
or died. Not me, not yet.
I grew up on a cotton farm with
a grandfather who was a Mississippi
Legislator and a grandmother who
could get ANYTHING accomplished.
She was the first and foremost persistent
woman I ever knew. She fought hard
for the underdog and almost always
won. I guess a lot of her had to
rub off on me. She made it very
hard for me to be taken advantage
of for any length of time.
I’m also a singer, songwriter
and play a little guitar. I have
a grown son from my short-lived
first marriage. I am a lover of
great music, family & friends,
critters, humor, and to say the
least, human rights.
I have been married to a Mississippi
man for about 12 years. He is not
an activist. He is a hard working,
caring veteran of the United States
Marines. It was to be his career
until an active-duty injury caused
him to have to leave his service
of country. He is still fighting
the VA for what was and is promised
to every man or woman fighting for
the freedoms of our land. He upholds
all human rights and is a very fair
and funny man.
I certainly do not insist on anyone
indulging in marijuana, tobacco,
alcohol, caffeine, ephedra, hallucinogens,
prescription tranquilizers, amphetamines,
anti-depressants or any other mood
altering substance. If one is legal,
then all must be legal. How can
one be criminal and another not?
This is completely illogical and
downright stupid!
PEOPLE OF OUR LAND, LET'S GET THIS
65 YEAR OLD PROHIBITION LIFTED OFF
CANNABIS / HEMP / MARIJUANA AND
STOP THE TRUE TERRORISTS OF THE
WORLD.
THE ‘WAR ON DRUGS’ IS
MORE HARMFUL THAN WE THOUGHT!
Kentucky
MJP Kentucky
Gatewood
Galbraith
I can't think of a more honorable
venture, educating and organizing
individual citizens to get involved
in the political process to
protect other people, especially
the sick and dying.
Medical marijuana, our Constitutional right
to privacy within our own homes,
human rights across the board, prison
and sentencing reform, all
of these and more are compelling
planks that constitute the
US
Marijuana Party’s National
Platform. These issues need
to be articulated everywhere possible
and voters activated around them
to force change, not only nationally,
but locally.
“All politics is local.”
I am considering the possibility
of running as a US
Marijuana Party candidate for
President next year. This past
November 4, 2003, as an Independent
candidate for Attorney General of
the Commonwealth of Kentucky, with
no party affiliation and $20,000,
I received 10.6% of the vote,
109,085 votes. That is the second most
successful showing of an Independent
candidate for a major office in
America in the past 50 years.
The most successful showing was
my race for U.S. Congress in
2002 as an Independent when
I received 27% of the vote. (Jesse
Ventura was not an Independent.
He belonged to the Reform Party that
supplied him with $500,000. If I
had that much money, I’d be
the Attorney General for Kentucky
right now.)
BTW, during these races, I
revealed that I smoked marijuana
daily, for treatment of my emphysema
and that I relied on my right to
privacy within my own home
to remain free of police interference.
I believe this privacy in ones
own home is a Constitutional
right shared by all citizens.
Illinois
MJP Illinois
Richard Rawlings
I was born in Peoria, Illinois on
July 20, 1961. As a child I was
raised on Peoria's south side in
the Harrison Homes.
At age six, my mom remarried and
we moved to the east coast, Maryland.
While there, I got to visit Washington,
D.C. I have stood in front of the
Whitehouse, and walked up the steps
of the Washington Monument. What
really stands out in my memory is
being next to John F. Kennedy’s
grave.
Cannabis should not be illegal.
There are drugs that our government
has approved the sale of, that are
far more damaging then cannabis.
As a recreational drug, marijuana
is safer then alcohol. This weed
does not hurt anyone, other than
the pains brought on by its prohibition.
Cannabis hemp can be made into clothing,
paper, foods, fuel, you name it
and this plant can most likely produce
it. Hemp fuel burns cleaner than
the petroleum that we currently
use. Hemp grown for paper and building
materials would help in protecting
our forest. Hemp is environmentally
friendly!
It was in 1997 when I noticed all
the pro-marijuana web sites on the
internet. This inspired me to build
my own site, Legalization
Of Cannabis Organization (L.O.C.O.).
I became a member of the Libertarian
Party in 2000. Earlier this year
I became a member of the U.S. Marijuana
Party and soon after this in March,
I started the Illinois chapter.
Again, there are many things that
motivate me; medical marijuana patients
being denied a drug that helps them,
and our government showing no compassion
for the chronically ill or dying
patients needs. Now with overwhelming
evidence that it helps people with
Aids/HIV, cancer, MS, and glaucoma,
they should not be denied any medicine
that could help them.
Students have lost their chance
of federal grants, because they
got arrested for possessing marijuana
while people convicted of violent
crimes are eligible for these funds.
Denying anyone a chance of a higher
education, well, we are just denying
ourselves a better way of life.
The U.S.
Marijuana Party is the voice
for all these people who are afraid
to speak out against the unjust
laws on marijuana or of being incarcerated
over a plant. Until the U.S. Government
stops putting out its propaganda
lies about marijuana, I will remain
motivated to putting an end to the
senseless war on those that grow,
need, or want marijuana. We are
not afraid of the governments or
their jails.
Pennsylvania
MJP Pennsylvania
Vincent Alvarez
My name is Vincent Alvarez and I
live in western Pennsylvania about
60 miles east of Pittsburgh. I moved
here with my wife, Kim in 1993 to
start a horse business on the family
dairy farm. I am an electronic technician
with experience in security systems,
satellite TV and telecommunications
equipment. I have built and flown
radio controlled airplanes as a
hobby for 24 years.
I found pot-tv.net in 2001 and quickly
learned how far the government goes
to suppress the truth about cannabis.
What kind of family values supports
destroying families over a plant?
When Loretta Nall founded the US
Marijuana Party, I decided to
join right away. I decided to do
something instead of waiting for
my turn to get railroaded.
Goose
Creek
Noticing something suspicious while
monitoring the 70 school surveillance
cameras, the principle called in
police officers who, along with
police dogs, conducted a drug sweep
at Stratford High School in Goose
Creek, South Carolina, a suburb
of Charleston. Police found nothing,
not even a joint, no drugs. Police
reported that their dogs found 12
book bags worthy of sustained sniffing.
Drug sweeps are not uncommon in
schools and the majority of students
and parents want drugs of all kind
kept out of schools. What shocked
North America was not just the way
the raid was conducted with guns
drawn and scenes of children screaming
in fear as some are handcuffed and
others have guns pointed in their
faces, but in a subsequent internet
survey 33% of the parents thought
the action was appropriate and sent
a strong message to students.
McCrackin, the principle who has
a history of repressive authoritarian
tactics, says he didn’t know
police would draw their guns and
police were just doing their jobs,
so who’s to blame? http://www.pot-tv.net/archive/shows/
pottvshowse-2320.html.
New
age cooking for pain relief, relaxation
and fun.
Stir Crazy is a great book for beginners,
explaining the science of Cannabis
cooking. What to do and why it works
is carefully outlined in this amazing
recipe book
From harvest to table, Stir Crazy
can help anyone who would rather
have “Cannaedibles”
to reduce the harm of smoking. Cannaedibles
are an excellent, clean method of
administration with fewer side effects.
Another benefit includes whole body
pain relief. Once you learn how
to make Cannabutter, you can create
just about anything for function
or fun.
Five Leaf Award
Herby’s
Twist
Evan is the sole owner of
Herby's Twist, he created the Original Magnetic
Ball Grinder and is based in Toronto,
Canada. The company is in the process
of adding a number of new product
offerings and has really expanded
over the last year.
He attended Ryerson University in
Toronto, earned a degree in Business
and was certified as a systems engineer
with Microsoft. Evan also has
an extensive entrepreneurial background,
having established several other
companies over the past few years,
including Naturally Wild, a specialized
retail store selling hemp products
and smoking accessories. The
store generated many ideas and much
customer feedback was obtained from
its clientelle about products and
customer satisfaction.
Soon after, Evan began to design
the magnetic ball grinder and the leg
work of looking and learning about
the machining and moulding
industry shortly followed. Evan's
goal is to continually create something
new, be unique, stay ahead of the
pack and to have fun doing
it.
Bringing
Your Outdoors Indoors
By Allan Town
‘You got an inzee or an outzee?’
my good friend Andy asked of me.
I had to sheepishly answer that
I had inzees – six of them.
To be specific the strain was Blueberry.
And they were huge! Andy’s
brow wrinkled in disgust.
Actually, what we were discussing
was the topic of indoor and outdoor
strains of cannabis. I had planted,
in the back of my vegetable garden,
six plants that had overgrown my
small closet-like grow space (See
‘Out of The Closet’
Vol.1 Issue 2). Being that they
were an indoor strain of a hash
plant Andy, my ganja guru, didn’t
think they had a very good chance
of finishing properly in the outdoors.
But I just hated the thought of
destroying them after they had given
me two nice crops of prime smoke.
They had outgrown the closet and
the pots they grew in so I had no
other choice.
He was right, by late fall the buds
were just barely forming when it
was decided that we would uproot
them and try to finish them off
in Andy’s basement rather
than have a bumper crop of ice-leaf.
After surviving the initial shock
of transplanting into pots and waking
up in a cool basement, the plants
took another 8 weeks to finish off
under 1-500 watt and 2-1000 watt
lamps. We enjoyed a good harvest
of sweet, resin packed buds that
rivaled the best of any strain grown
indoors we had tasted.
That got us to thinking that we
had stumbled onto something. By
recycling the closet throwaways,
we had started with plants that
were already 6 months old. Another
4 months outside in the garden plus
2 months finishing equals 12 months
of total growth. This is more like
a marijuana plant’s natural
cycle of life as opposed to a quick
pushed life of 2-3 months in a typical
indoor grow under intense lighting.
But who could afford to run lights
like that for a full year? We seemed
to have gotten the best of both
worlds at a reasonable cost by utilizing
some free sunshine.
The next year we decided to try
the experiment again but with some
minor alterations. First, I transplanted
the closet plants into large pots
then buried those so the soil level
in the pot matched the garden’s
ground level. Above ground the black
pots would have over-heated the
root system of the plants causing
them to dry out more. Come autumn
time when we had to take the plants
indoors, the shock of digging them
up and damaging roots was now eliminated.
We felt this shock would normally
add a week or more to the overall
finishing time and definitely compromise
the health of the plant. I installed
individual drip lines to each plant
so the arduous task of hand watering
was removed with never an excuse
for letting the plants lack for
water. For the outdoor duration
– from the beginning of June
until late September when heavy
frosts told us that it was time
for them to go back indoors, they
were fed a diet of high phosphorus
bat guano, and all-purpose organic
fertilizer. Slow release fertilizers
that last for weeks before the next
required application will cut down
on overall maintenance time.
At Andy’s indoor end, we decided
to try to simulate autumn in any
way we could. The overall intensity
of the lights would be less than
normal for typical indoor growing.
We would use only one 1000watt HPS
bulb and cut the light hours down
to 10 instead of the usual 12. Andy
heard that growth and the production
of resins seem to take place during
the off hours of light, the nighttime.
I believe this has to do with what
is known as the ‘turgor pressure’
of plants. In the heat of the day
plants preserve their moisture by
storing it in the root system rather
than in their foliage, making the
plant tend to appear slightly wilted.
This will be even more extreme if
the plants are under-watered to
begin with. At night the turgor
pressure sends the plant’s
waters up to the foliage bringing
with it the nutrients that the roots
have been absorbing throughout the
day. So in theory, the longer the
night is, the longer the upper portion
of the plant feeds and drinks and
grows!
The combination of lower light intensity
and less hours of actual on time
resulted in a lowered overall temperature
of the entire room that the plants
finished in - also very reminiscent
of autumn time.
Andy avoided the use of nitrogen
in the fertilizing plan. He had
heard that the reduction of nitrogen
in the flowering cycle, increases
the production of THC. The leaves
of the plant seemed to yellow like
a maple tree in September. The leaves
didn’t necessarily go necrotic,
die and fall off but rather transformed
gracefully from dark green to light
green to yellow - we almost hoped
to see some reds in there too…
We thought that by doing this the
chlorophyll content would be reduced
and sweeten the overall flavor of
the smoke. In the meantime, the
buds themselves were frosted, quite
literally, with a forest of resinous
trichomes visible to the naked eye.
At the end of the cycle the plants
were fed straight water for a period
of 2 weeks in order to flush out
any remaining nutrients. Before
harvest Andy put the plants into
72 hours of total darkness to finish
off. Again he had heard it could
increase THC production up to 30%.
Certainly worth the experiment.
The end product was unlike any other
that we had seen with this particular
strain. The buds were plump and
full with very little pruning needed,
due to the fact that most of the
small leaves that one would normally
prune off were covered in delicious
resin! It just seemed so cool for
the plants to live such a long full
life, and finish in a natural easy
way like all life should, rather
than being pushed and forced through
a quickened pace, unnatural to a
plant’s genetic plan. Maybe
the plants were happier because
of all the little extras we did
for them. I know we are.
Cloning
Cannabis
As the name suggests, it’s
the process of making exact genetic
replicas of existing sexually mature
plant material. Once you have grown
out and harvested a plant whose
characteristics serve your needs,
you can revitalize the plant and
preserve copies for your future
use. Cloning Cannabis is really
quite an easy process.
The process begins with simply leaving
some of the lower leaves on the
plant after you harvest, and moving
it to a room under 24 hour halide
light. A flush and a shot of high
N fertilizer with number such as
20/20/20 will stimulate the production
of chlorophyll and revive the plants
cell production, preparatory to
taking cuttings in a few weeks.
Once enough growth has occurred
(sprigs should be at least 3 inches
long) use your sterile razor-knife
to take the cuttings at the stem,
and immediately put the cut ends
in water to keep them from drying
out. Remove the leaves surrounding
the node sites, and apply rooting
hormone, rolling the end in the
gel to make sure the entire end
is covered, and put them in a rooting
cube, then place the cubes in a
covered cutting tray. Form the cubes
into a block to conserve moisture,
and make the roots come out in the
dark.
Keep these in a warm and bright
place, (best under fluorescents,
75 deg F) and mist every few days
to ensure they won’t dry out
while the roots form in 1-2 weeks.
Once the roots begin to form and
sprout out the bottom of the cubes,
you may immediately transplant the
clones into one gallon pots with
the following method.
Fill the pot to nearly full with
rich black potting soil mixed 3
to 1 with Perlite, leaving 2”
to the top. Remove the plastic jacket
on the cubes, and placing the cube
in the center, gently surround and
then cover the cube with soil, submerging
the stem under the top level of
the soil. This should produce a
further flush of roots along the
bottom part of the stem, and strengthen
the stability of the plant. (Good
roots, Good nutes, Good toots) Water
each plant into its container with
a strengthend solution of vegetation
nutrients, and for the first week,
place under lights that are set
2 to 3 feet above the plants. The
lights can be lowered as soon as
the plants start responding to the
increased lumens.
The new plants should be a reasonable
size in a few weeks if they are
needed for a short-term crop, or
they can also be grown into full
sized plants before they are harvested,
and cloned again.
Final note on the subject of cloning
and genetic drift: as long as the
plants grown from clones are fed,
nurtured, taken care of, and get
everything that a being of its species
needs to live a fully productive
life, there is no evidence to support
the idea that a clone of a clone
etc…. won’t be just
as potent or effective medicine
as the original progeny for generations
to come.
All the best,
Klozit
King
Green
Aid.
The Medical Marijuana Legal Defense
Fund (USA). Contributions welcome.
www.green-aid.com
or call 1-888-271-7674 (US), 1-415
677 2226. Donations are tax deductible
(US).
Colorado
Med. Users:
Colorado
Cannabis is helping people join
the Colorado Patients Registry.
We offer grow advice, registration
assistance and referrals. Contact
us at mail@coloradocannabis.com
The
Medical Marijuana Mission
Real stories & valiant struggles
of Federal Medical Marijuana Exemptees
in Canada - www.themarijuanamission.com
medicalmarihuana.ca
Canada’s Medical Marihuana
Resource Island Harvest P.O. Box
#5 Duncan, BC, Canada V9L 3X1 250
748 8614 - www.medicalmarihuana.ca
- info@medicalmarihuana.ca
The
Krieger Foundation
www.kriegerfoundation.org
The Canadian Charter of Rights and
Freedooms promises the best quality
of life possible in this country.
Therefore, if you decide to utilize
Cannabis as your medicine we will
enable your decision.
HEAD
OFFICE
PO Box 85055, APPO Calgary, Alberta
Canada T2A 7R7 - Tel (403) 235-1244,
Fax: 403-770-8131, e-mail info@kriegerfoundation.org,
Calgary
403-272-5204, Edmonton
780-432-0827, Lethbridge
403-328-4264, Regina 306-359-0357,
Winnipeg
204-785-8613, Kenora
807-467-8651, Saskatoon
306-668-3941, Airdrie
403-912-9167
Americans
for Safe Access
- http://www.safeaccessnow.org/
Canadians
for Safe Access
- http://www.safeaccess.ca/
The
Marijuana Policy Project
- http://
www.mpp.org/
The
Vancouver Island Compassion Club
- http://www.thevics.com/
Drug
Sense - http://www.drugsense.org/
The
Vancouver Compassion Club Society
- http://www.thecompassionclub.org/
http://www.medpot.net/
Assembly
of the Church/ University of the
Universe http://www.iamm.com/
International
Association for Cannabis as a Medicine
(IACM)
http://www.cannabis-med.org/
Marijuana
the Forbiden Medicine
- http://www.rxmarijuana.com/
Uses
of Marijuana - http://www.marijuana-uses.com
Health
Canada - The Office of Cannabis
Medical Access - Guides and Forms
- http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hecs-sesc/ocma/guides.htm
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