cannabis health - [nov/dec edition 2005]

8/9/2019 Cannabis Health - [Nov/Dec Edition 2005]

1/36


2/36

issue-4-1 10/17/05 4:29 PM Page 2


3/36

issue-4-1 10/17/05 4:30 PM Page 3


4/36

4 Cannabis Health journal

Ask an Expert

...........................................................................5

Meet the Cannabis Health Team

...........................................................................6

LEAP - The Story of Howard & Misty

...........................................................................8

Dennis Lillicos Challenge

.........................................................................13

Legal Status of Canna bis Seeds in Canada

.........................................................................16

The Best Of the Best Winners

.........................................................................18Drug Policy Alliance Conference

.........................................................................28

Cannabis Health Contest

.........................................................................31

Community Talking Stick

.........................................................................32

Inside Cannabis Health

Cannabis Health Journal is published six times ayear. All contents copyright 2005 by CannabisHealth Journal. Cannabis Health Journal assumes noresponsibility for any claims or representationscontained in this magazine or in any submission oradvertisement, nor do they encourage the illegal useof any of the products advertised within. No portionof this journal may be reproduced without the writ-ten consent of th e publisher.

StaffEXECUTIVE EDITOR, BARB ST. JEAN

[email protected]

SENIOR EDITOR, LORRAINE LANGIS

[email protected]

PRODUCTION BRIAN McANDREW/BEYOND GRAPHIX

[email protected]

ADVERTISING MANAGER PAIGE GARNETT

[email protected]

DISTRIBUTION & SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER

TERESA THOMSON

[email protected]

ON-LINE [email protected]

WEBMASTER [email protected]

GENERAL INQUIRIES [email protected]

Vo l u m e 4 I s s u e 1 , N o v e m b e r / D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 5

Cannabis HealthCannabis Health Journal is th e voice and t he new image

of the responsible cannabis user. The publication treatscannabis as one plant and offers balanced coverage ofcannabis hemp and cannabis marijuana. Special attention isgiven to the therapeutic health benefits of this plant mademedicine. Regular contributors offer the latest on the evolv-ing Canadian cannabis laws, politics, and regulations. Wealso offer professional advice on cannabis cooking, growingat home, human interest stories and scientific articles fromcountries throughout the world, keeping our readers in

touch an d informed. Cannabis Health Journal is integratedwith our resource website, offering complete downloadablePDF versions of all archived editions.

www.cannabishealth.com

Subscribe TodayMasterCard / Visa Accepted

Call: 1 866 808 5566

New Farm Location5695 Cooper Rd., Grand Forks, BC Canada

Mailing Address: Box 1481Grand Forks BC Canada V0H 1H0

Phone: 250 442 5166Fax: 250 442 5167

Toll Free: 1 866 808 5566Email: [email protected]

journal

journal

Silver Award issue 7

2003 Grand Forks

Chamber of Commerce

Out of the Box Award

Best Quote:

Off The Record

The Cannabis Health Home Team recently hadthe pleasure of entertaining an hounored guestand friend, Dr. Dave West. Durin g an evening ofentertainment at the farm, with majestic moun-tains that border his country and ours in thebackground, he quipped, This place is likeBrigadoon, one Stinger missile and its all over!

issue-4-1 10/17/05 4:30 PM Page 4


5/36

D R . L E S T E R G R I N S P O O N , M DQuestion: I have been told that regular u se of cann abis can cause

cognitive impairment with regard to learning new skills, due to thedepositing of THC in th e brains fatty tissues. Is this true? I value myintellectual skills highly and would hate to think of them being grad-ually degraded over time.

Answer: I have been stu dying marijuana for almost 40 years andI have found little credible evidence that its regular use can causecognitive impairment. While tetrahydrocannabinol does linger infatty tissues, there is no medical literature that I know of to suggestthat this delayed excretion is harmful.

Question: I just got your name through the diabetic neuropathywebsite. I am in such pain from my peripheral neu ropathy but I don twant to go on oxycontin. Do you know if pot helps people with mycondition?

Answer: Many people with neuropathic pain from a variety ofdisorders find th at marijuana is useful in the symptomatic treatment ofthat pain. I cannot assure you that it will provide you with relief, but Ido think it is worth a tr y if you are able to find someone wh o can teachyou how to use it properly. If it works, wonderful; if it doesnt, you willhave lost little because the d rug is remarkably free of toxicity.

Question: If I join the Health Canada MMAR program will I beon a government/police watch list? Will I have trouble entering theUnited States?

Answer: Recent changes to the MMAR do not require theconsent of the patient for the release of information to the policeupon the r equest of the police engaged in an investigation.

Previously, patients had to consent to this release of informationand many did not due to fears as to how the information would beused. Th ere has to be some mechanism for the police to commun icatewith H ealth Canada because if the patient is ar rested, the police needa reliable way to confirm the authorization to possess. If the policecannot obtain this information readily then the patient will be

charged and will probably lose whatever medicine has been seized.This is why the new MMAR authorizes the release of informationupon r equest.

Although one should worry about what the police do with theirinformation, I think in this circumstance, it is not problematic toallow H ealth Canada to release informat ion to the police under s.68.1of the new MMAR.

As for the States, there is no trouble crossing the border simplybecause a patient is part of the MMAR program; however, they will inall likelihood not recognize a MMAR authorization and thus you couldbe arrested and charged if you take medicinal marijuana to the States.

Question: My grandfather is suffering from post shingles pain(post-herpetic neuralgia I think is the term). The outbreak has beenfinished for tw o years now, but the pain continues. He has tried every-thing he can find. Greatest relief so far has been from a TENS unitwhich provides some electrical interruption of the pain signal, but he isstill struggling. For too long he was on heavy prescribed opiates, but he

didnt care for the loss of alertness that goes along with that.Recently I heard about r ub-a-dub at th e Seattle Hempfest and th at

its a possible treatment for sh ingles pain. I googled it and found you.Is it possible to get this stuff on the west coast of the USA? Could itbe produced at home or is it a complicated thing? Thanks very muchfor any h elp you can suggest.

Answer: Post-herpetic n euralgia (PHN) is a painfu l complicationof a reactivation of the herpes zoster virus in nerve cells (otherwiseknown as shingles). PHN may occur for years after the rash disap-

pears and is a form of neuropathic pain. Conventional treatmentoptions include anticonvulsants (e.g.: gabapentin and pregabalin),antidepressants (e.g.: duloxetine and amitriptyline or desipramine),and even opioid analgesics may be effective. Topical agents have theadvantage of not being associated with major systemic side effects,and may include topical lidocaine or capsaicin. N erve blocks and in fil

trations may also be considered, and trans-cutaneous electricalstimulation (TENS) is relatively non-invasive and may even beportable.

In spite of these treatment options, many patients with PHNcontinue to suffer uncontrolled pain. Cannabis-based topical agents areunder formal investigation for this condition but are not currentlyavailable as pharmaceutical preparations. The safety and efficacy ofhome-made products cannot be addressed in a forum su ch as this.

A L A N Y O U N G , B A R R I S T E R A N D S O L I C I T O R , P R O F E S S O R O F L A W

D R . M A R K A . W A R E , B A , M B B S , M R C P , M S c

T H E E X P E R T SDR. LesterGrinspoon,

MD

Dr. Grinspoonis a professor

emeritus ofpsychiatry at Harvard MedicalSchool and is one of the worldsleading authorities on the uses ofmarijuana for medicinal purpos-es. Among many otherachievements, he has authored 10books and more than 170 journalarticles and book chapters.

Alan Young,Barrister and

Solicitor,Professor ofLaw

P r o f e s s o rYoung teach es law at OsgoodeHall Law School and criminologyat the University of Toronto. Inhis twenty years of practicingcriminal law, he has beeninvolved with some of Canadasmost signifcant and high-proflemedical marijuana cases.

DR. Mark A.Ware, BA,

MBBS, MR CP,MSc,

Dr. Ware is a

pain specialistworking at the Montreal GeneralHospital. He is assistant pr ofessorof Anesthesia and of FamilyMedicine at McGill University,and is involved in epidemiologicalresearch and clinical trials ofcannabis and cannabinoidmedications for chronic pain.

Hilary Black

Ms. Black is am e d i c i n a lcannabis advocateand educator,

having presentedthis issue to a wide range of audi-ences. She is also the founder anda past director of Canadas firstand largest organization of medici-nal cann abis advocacy, The BritishColumbia Compassion ClubSociety.

DR. David W. Pate, PhD,

MSc.

Dr. Pate is ar e s e a r c h e r

specializing inCannabis and the cannabinoidshis academic background encom-passing both plant biology andpharmaceutical chemistry. Hepursues particular interests in thechemical ecology of Cannabis,ophthalmic endocannabinoidsand hempseed foods.

Disclaim er: A notice of complian ce has not been issued under th e Food and Drug Regulat ions concerning the safety, effectiveness and risks of m arijua na as a dru g. Advice from these experts

should not be construed as offering professional medical advice to patients. Decisions about medical treatment are made by you and your Health Care Professional. These experts are not

recommending that anyone engage in any activity that might violate the laws of the province, state or country in which he or she lives.

issue-4-1 10/17/05 4:30 PM Page 5


6/36

6 Cannabis Health journal

T h e H o m e T e a m

Strangers are exciting, their mystery neverends, but theres nothing like seeing your histo-ry in the faces of your friends. - A ni DiFranco

Its been an exciting time, over six yearsin the making, and oh what a ride. TheCannabis Research Institute Inc. (CRI) was

created in 2000, from the collective thou ghtsof three people; Brian Taylor, BrianMcAndrew and me, Barb St.Jean. Thosethoughts qu ickly blossomed into a vision andthe company set out on a mission to bid on

the first Canadian marijuana growingcontract. (Looking back at all the challengesPPS has had to endure over the last 5+ years,I can honestly say, Im glad CRI didnt get it.)What w e decided to do instead w as a lot morerewarding and entertaining, to say the least.

One of my most memorable adventureswas touring the province in the Cannabus,with Brian Taylor the leader of the BCMarijuan a party. As we traveled aroun d, wetried to stop in every town to meet all thesupporting residents and fly our flags highand proud on top of the bus. However, lateone aftern oon after a long day of politicking,we all loaded into th e bus to head off to a newlocation, but forgot one crucial step in thedeparture process. The flagpoles remainedup, all 20 feet of them, on t he roof of the bus.Th e local police happened t o be playing base-ball in the field beside the low hung wiresthat loomed in our path. Music streamedfrom the PA system as sparks flew from thewires and onto the field as we came to a

grinding stop. The police handled it liketroupers, after the initial excitement woreoff, but Im sure the story of the day theCannabus tried to take out the police ballteam will live on in the min ds of many.

Since the creation of CHJ in 2002, wevehad the opportunity to do our small part tosupport the growth and influence this collec-tive movement has had in the quest of socialevolution. Im not even sure if some of yourealize the miracles and milestones that havebeen created over the years, so this issue ofCHJ is our t ribut e to you, th e voices. Youhave touched t he lives of so many people andthis special edition is our way of sayingthan k you. You should all stand proud, th eminds of the majority have been significant-ly enlightened and you are all history in themakin g. Its time for a roun d of applause anda group hug!

Courage is what it takes to stand up and

speak; courage is also what it takes to sit downand listen. - W inston Churchill

Love Barb St.Jean

Ive always had a bit of a creative streakand its expressed itself in man y different waysover the years, from drawing & painting, carv-ing, pottery, writing and more to commercialgraphic arts and pu blishing with my business,Beyond Graphix. I even worked for 3 years onthe TV set of Beach Combers doing set andspecial effects painting, like turning a cementfloor into a h ardwood one with a coat of paint.

I never finished grade 12, and thatprevented me from getting into any commer-cial shop for a long time. In 1989 my luckturned and I was hired as a paste up artist by

The Sunshine Coast News in GibsonsLanding, BC. While there, I learned the oldcut & paste method and immersed myselfin everything that it took to put out thatpaper every week. In 1990 they upgraded tocomputers with the top of the line publishingand drawing programs which I took to like afish to water. It was durin g my stay there th atI knew I wanted to publish something of myown. Publishing a paper or magazine on aregular basis can be very stressful with dead-lines coming at you nonstop, 20,000 wordsand everyone sees the typo. This kin d of pres-sure can have its toll on people but I havecome to like the way it can make one believein miracles when everything comes together.And it happen s on a regular basis. Well, after

four years work ing there, I left and since th enhave built up Beyond Grap hix, published twocommunity style papers and now find myselfhere after more than three years of being abig part of start and continued life of thisjournal.

Cannabis Health Journal means a lotmore to me than just publishing a magazine.

Cannabis saved my life at the end of grade

12, in 1972, shortly before the Le DainReport, recommending legalization, was madepublic. Here it is more than 30 years sincethen and w here are we?

I take all the hard work done by theeditors in charge of the quality informationthey collect and coordinate from all thecontributors, give it a beautiful package thatrepresents it, and make it fit all the technicalspecs to get sent digitally to the printers. Iwear many different hats, as does everyonein the office.

Coming up with the cover design is thefirst thing to do as this ads inspiration bygiving everyone in the office a visual and itseems to really take a life of its own after that.

When Brian Taylor, Barb St. Jean and Imet with Advanced Nutrients almost 4 yearsago, little did we know how it would turnout. I was given a chance to be a part of a

team then, to take all my creativity andknowledge of marketing and communitypublications, to give the CannabisCommunity the same thing, a voice. A voicethat it has waited for and deserved for a longtime, and together we all have done th is.

Barb S t . Jean:Execut ive Editor

Brian McAnd rew :Art Director/ Production Manager

issue-4-1 10/17/05 4:30 PM Page 6


7/36

Cannabis Health 7

T h e H o m e T e a m

Two years ago I n eeded a job and Cann abis Health was looking for a n ew employee. I fell intothe job. WOW!! What a ride its been!

I started out answering the 800 line after the Raydiator ad hit Rolling Stone magazine. Thephones w ere so busy it was tough to k eep up. Now I h andle many different ar eas in the office. Immost proud of my title of Senior Editor.

I would have to say the most rewarding part of my job is dealing with the patients. My heartbreaks with them in their losses and rejoices with them in their victories, no matter how small.They h elp to keep me grounded an d focused on th e battle were fightin g. They remind m e our voiceis their voice and together we can change the world.

Outside of the Journal, I enjoy spending time with the people I work with. We have a garageband, so we get together an d jam. Th is is one of the ways we relieve stress (put ting together a maga-zine is not easy work). We also laugha lot! Its wh at keeps us san e. I also enjoy reading (just aboutanything I can get my hands on), spending time with my family, being outdoors and just hangingout w ith good folk.

May you all have a wonderful holiday season and may you always find the pot of gold at theend of all your rainbows.

Hi, my nam e is Paige. It really does happen; when opportun ity knocks, youre supposed to openthe door. Thats what I did and I walked into the best job ever. Im the Advertising Manager atCannabis Health Journal. Ive worked in t he media for over a decade, but n ever in sales. My mottowas always; I couldnt sell a furn ace to an Eskimo. I w as committed to giving it 110% though,and I fell in love with the job, with the magazine, with the people I work with and the ideal thatwe need to stand up for our freedom of choice; and I am proudly adding my voice. Expect mira-clesI do.

I grew up mostly in the East Kootenays and on the Sunshine Coast. My family moved aroundBC a lot; I even went to Grand Forks Secondary School in 1977/78. Its great to be back inBoundary Count ry. I am the only child in a mu sical family, my father had a coun try ban d and w asfiddling champion of Canada at one time. I played a tiny, plastic tambourine while the bandjammed in the evenings when I was little. But my instrument was my voice. I sang everywhere Iwent and sang with the band until I was 20. Im singing again and I never lost my rhythm, I playthe drums as well. I love photography, and crafting. Im an avid reader and Ill spend a Sundayenjoying a NASCAR, stock car race. I like to h orseback ride, swim and hike. I read Tarot cards, love

flea markets and get the most ou t of life by living by the Wheel of Th e Year. I want to wish every-one a Happy Yule and may 2006 be a healthy and prosperous year for you.

Teresa Thomson:

Distribution and

Subscriptions Manager

Gord Taylor:

Research and A ssociate

Editor

Tom Scheitel:

Building and Grounds

Manager

Sp ecial congratulations to Lorraine for her prom otion to

the position ofS enior Editor Lorraine Langis:S enior Editor

A big w elcome to Paige in her new position of

Advertising ManagerPaige Garnet t :

Advertising Manager

issue-4-1 10/17/05 4:30 PM Page 7


8/36

8 Cannabis Health

by Logos

Two years ago I read a news story abouta retired police officer from Ft. Worth, Texaswho was riding his horse across America

with a t-shirt th at said, Cops say legalize pot,ask me w hy.

Last winter, I received the Jan/Feb 2005(# 3-2) issue of Cann abis Health Journal, andread an article about how he was takinganother trip, this time from California toNew York .

He started at Hermosa Beach CA. onMarch 4th. There was a documentary filmcrew covering the sendoff. Larry Rathbun, aMedical Marijuana patient and VietnamVeteran d rove from Washington state to sendHoward off and speak to the film crew.Howard and Misty will have covered 3300miles when they ride up to Battery Park inNew York on October 5th.

I ride horses, and to contemplate theimplications of a ride th at long is difficult forme, especially when I realize that Howard

walked a third of thatdistance. Howard

subscribes to the notionthat in a fair world horseswould ride half the time andis the sort of horseman w howould give the last carrot t othe horse and go hungry.

Howards trip entailed traveling through13 states and many of our larger cities wherehe would take a few days off and recuperatewhile giving presentations, and do inter-views for newspapers and radio stations.Howards audience is primarily the conser-vative crowd at Rotary Clubs, Churches andsimilar organizations. He reaches out tothese people because they are the communi-ty leaders and the ones wh o can truly impacta change in policy.

When I checked the LEAP website(www.leap.cc), I discovered that they werehoping to use an RV that the November

Coalition (www.november.org) donated to hismission. There were logistical problemsgetting it to Howard before the r ide began, an dhe had hoped to have it by the time he reachedDenver. I had the opportunity to deliver thatRV and sh ake Howards hand in person.

Shortly after shaking his hand for thefirst time, I was whisked off to a presentat ionhe was giving to the Denver DowntownAthletic Club, a bran ch of the Rotar y Club ofAmerica. His presentation started off withHow is the drug war treating you Denver?and went through his reasons that the drugwar is failing Americans. Would you preferthat criminals control the flow of mind alter-ing substances, or would you prefer thegovernment control the flow and purity ofthese substances? Would you rather haveyour law enforcement efforts spent searchingunder someone's dashboard for a baggie ofpot, while a drunk driver blows past them onthe road, or do you want them focusing onsuch crimes as child molestation, and drunkdriving?

Th at night at a diner, people kept walkingup and simply asked Why? His answer isimmediate an d full of confidence, So we can

focus on drunk drivers and child molesters.Th e response to th is simple message was metwith hearty approval each time.

When I talked to Howard recently, hismain message was that the response of thepeople he has talked to is an overwhelminglypositive one. The good people of this nationfeel that locking a person in jail for wantingto feel good is simply unacceptable.

LEAPThe Story of Howard & Misty

This ride entailed travelingthrough 13 of our states. A littleover 200 years ago, 13 coloniesbecame our first 13 states.Industrious activists in the 13states that Howard just rodethrough should do everything theycan to get some initiatives on theballots. Howard has done his PaulRevere duty and taken the messageto th e people, they are ready to votenow. Let these 13 states become the

new 13 colonies that usher in anew era of freedom before we losethe freedom to affect change.

Photo courtesy of Mike Smi thson, speakers bureau coordinator LEA P

issue-4-1 10/17/05 4:30 PM Page 8


9/36

Cannabis Health 9

From day one of his career,Howard told himself as he pinn ed onhis badge for the first time that hismission was to protect the publicsafety and he proudly states that henever intended to bust anyone forsimple possession of pot. He feelsthat the rules are not conducive topublic safety, and in fact, theyinfringe upon public safety by creat-ing a huge flow of money into thecriminal element. Howard statedunequivocally in our conversationthat all drug treatment that was everneeded for any drug addiction couldbe paid for by the simple taxation onpot at the same rate as alcohol andthat treatmen t is the right way to dealwith addiction. Jail is not!

He believes that people should bewilling to take responsibility for th eirfoolish behavior, and that marijuana Photo courtesy of Mike Smi thson, speakers bureau coordinator LEA P

issue-4-1 10/17/05 4:30 PM Page 9


10/36

10 Cannabis Health

issue-4-1 10/17/05 4:30 PM Page 10


11/36

Cannabis Health 11

prohibition is th e linchpin of all drug prohibi-tion. Howard isnt doing this because hewants to use drugs; he has known since hisdetective days that a great deal of felony

crime is generated by these laws, and thatthese laws do not serve the public safety. Hefeels that dr ugs cannot be eliminated, nor canthe desire for people to use drugs. The onlysolution is to bring all drugs under regulato-ry conditions where their use can be bettercontrolled.

Howard set a goal of reaching 3 to 4million people with his message during thisride, and estimates that he will have reached10 million by the time his ride ends. Heattributes all of the success of this missionnot to h imself but stressed the team of peoplewho have brought this all together. He refersto them as Team Howard and they rangefrom the members an d staff of LEAP, Norm aSapp who is driving the RV, all of the people

who came out of nowhere to hear hismessage, and to help him when there wasneed, almost exclusively out of their ownkindness, requiring no pay in retur n for theirservices, or meals paid for, and most impor-tantly to the two horses that are carrying him

from coast tocoast. He alwaysputs his horsesneeds ahead of

his own.H o w a r d s

message andmission werentsupported by allwho heard itthough. At two ofthe meetings thatI attended inDenver, the firsthad the wholequestion andanswer period used up by a guy who hadattended a previous meeting and read awhole page worth of governmen t propagandadisguised as questions. I found out after themeeting that he was the lead opponent to

Colorados medical marijuana law, and thatfew people agreed with his remarks. At thesecond, much smaller meeting that I attend-ed, I had the pleasure of sitting with a majoropponent who basically reiterated what theman the day before had said. They didnt

seem to want to understand what Howardwas tryin g to get across to them. It was inter-esting to witness so much close-mindednessin the face of so much simple logic. Equallyinteresting was Howards renewed enthusi-asm after each meetin g. The overwhelmingly

positive feedback created the type of highthat H oward prefers.

There were two instances of law enforce-ment not liking what he had to say, but inboth cases, it was discovered that Howardwasnt doing an ything illegal and couldnt be

LEAP The Story ofHoward & Misty


issue-4-1 10/17/05 4:31 PM Page 11


12/36

LEAP The Story of Howard & Misty

12 Cannabis Health

detained. In on e instance, the officer in ques-tion shot Howard the bird as he sped off. Ihonestly wonder if that particular officersfirst pr iority is pu blic safety.

When Howard reaches his destination,

he will tidy things up from this ride and headto Washington DC where he will lobby thefederal government to end the drug war andhelp set into motion programs that will bemore effective to the American people, andthe problem of drug abuse in our culture.

The th ree items that he brought from theAmerican people during this trip is thatalmost un animously people aged 18 to 80 feelthat th e drug war is a failure, that prisons areuseless in stopping the problem, and thatthere should be no jail time for people whoare in simple possession of drugs.

I asked him what the single most impor-tant thing a person could do to help him inthis mission was and his response hadnt

changed since he told me I needed a haircut.Put on a nice suit, make your self presentable,and then pay a visit to your state level repre-sentatives. Bring a short list of why youbelieve that drugs or marijuana should belegal, and bring as many friends as you can.He says that a letter is equivalent to 10peoples opinions, a call is worth 100 people,and a visit in person is worth 1000 people. Ifthe very least you can do is a letter or a call,it helps, but if you can, go meet in person andput a good face on t he movement. Be respect-ful and presentable. You can make adifference.

One th ing I would like to see people do aswell, is to sign up as a supporter of LEAP,

and for anyone dealing in the drug warindu stry, especially the dru g warriors, police,lawyers, judges, etc., sign up as either kn ownor anonymous supporters, become a speakerif you can, help spread the message. If youtruly support what this man is doing for thismovement, then lend him your support. He

doesnt do this for the fame or glory, HowardWooldridge is one of the most humble andgracious people I have ever had the pleasureof meeting.

If everyone wh o consumes cann abis were

to lend their support to this issue, it could beresolved much sooner than it otherwisewould, and that would save a lot of lives,families and resources.

Howard feels that through the efforts ofTeam Howard, the drug war has potentiallybeen shortened by one week and that thelives of 1,000 people have been spared. Hesays that makes it all worth it.

Howards horse Misty has written a bookdetailing the first transcontinental trip fromGeorgia to Or egon from her perspective. It istitled Mistys Long Ride and should be inbookstores before this trip ends.(http:// www.authorhouse.com) Th is trip hasno doubt inspired another book.

Shortly after Howards trip began, heflew to England to be honored with elevenother long riders w ho were being awarded fortheir achievements. Howard is the firstperson to document a trip riding both direc-

tions across North America.When I asked Howard if he was planning

any more trips (IE, Texas to Canada) hisresponse was a hearty laugh, he then replied,I love to ride horses, but not that much.

For more information about Howardsmission, and the mission of LEAP, visitww w.leap.cc and be sure to check out th e tripweb log.

Logos is an A merican Cannabis Liberation

Activist who wishes to remain anonymous

while the drug insanity rages in his native

nation.


issue-4-1 10/17/05 4:31 PM Page 12


13/36

Cannabis Health 13

by Curt R obbins

If you inquire with a medical specialistregarding dystonia, youll learn that its afamily of neurological disorders similar toParkinsons Disease, only more severe. Dueto its relative rarity, the average laypersonhas n ever heard of dyston ia. Severely degen-erative in nature, it is actuallybehindParkinsonsthe third most common move-ment disorder, afflicting more than 300,000people in North America.

Dystonia disturbs n erve signals from thebasal ganglia in the brain to variousmuscles. Some dystonias are genetic, whileothers are the side effects of pharmaceuticaldrugs. Brain injuries are a third causal clas-sification.

The Dystonia Medical ResearchFoundation defines this ailment as asyndrome of sustained muscle contractions,frequently causing twisting and repetitive

movements or abnormal postures.

But ask British Columbian and dystoniasufferer Dennis Lillico for a definition(whose dystonia is genetic in nature) andhell convey to you a very personal story ofpain, depression, incredible optimism andoverwhelming challenge.

I suffer from severe depression andinvoluntary movements in my body that arestress indu ced, Lillico said durin g an Au gustphon e interview from h is home in T rail, B.C.,about 140 miles north of Spokane,Washington. It causes my brain to have anauto dominant n ature. That means I look atthings with an analytical mind.

While most sufferers of severely debilitat-ing diseases would rather indulge inforgetting their symptoms, Lillico has accu-mulated a knowledge of his condition thatapproaches that h eld by most doctors. I haveseven high signal lesions within the frontallobe on the right side of my brain, he said.My condition is classified as essentialmyoclonus, which means that it is degenera-tive, based on myelin deter ioration.( 1)

Lillico described his condition in amanner more seeming of a medical profes-sional than a man who can label a weeklytwo block walk to a public park a major

victory. Unlike a medical professional of thewestern variety, however, he is par ticularlygood at describing the human side of hisailment.

The perception of time doesnt meanmuch to me, he said matter of factly. Datesare not very importan t to me either. I have tolook at thin gs differently.

Extreme Sensitivity to StressLillicos daily existence hinges on his abil-

ity to prevent or reduce stress. He suffersfrom continual involuntary movementsthroughout his body, severe depression, andextreme sensitivity to str ess. He is also afflict-ed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.Based on MRI scans of his brain, doctors

believebut cannot concludethat he mayalso suffer from multiple sclerosis.

Lillico on ly wishes h e could define str essby the same meter as the rest of the world.Workplace politics, rush hour traffic andmisbehaving children are stress sources ofwhich he can only fantasize. His personalstressorsactivities such as walkin g, talking,eating, and personal groomingare thingsthat healthy people take for granted. Tasksthat others perform several times per day,almost as afterthoughts or background activ-ities, are monumental challenges for thishumble Canadian.

I find it amazing that, by listening to thechildren who are playing in the pool, laugh-

ing, having funit helps me connect myheart with my brain, he explained. Thereare lots of things that you can do for stressreduction. And hanging around kids playingin the pool is some of the best stress reduc-tion that I can do.

The compassionate tone in Lillicos voicedispels the notion t hat h e may be living vicar-iously through the energetic, carefreechildren. He h as seemingly accomplished th erare feat of chan neling his pain and su fferinginto a compassion for his fellow humans.

Lillicos voice and h is enu nciation ar e asI envision Dr. Stephen Hawking if he werecapable of speech. Its easy to gain the percep-tion that Lillico might literally be asub-genius, h is condition being so severe th atit would drive those of a lesser intellect ormental tolerance into psychosis, severechronic depression, an d even suicide.

Simple Tasks Difficult or ImpossibleLillico described in painful yet objective

detail an incident when a friend preparedpancakes for him. I couldnt put my h and tothe plate. It was a hard struggle, very hard,he said. He described how it was impossible

for him to cut the pancake, place it in hismouth , chew and swallow, because his disor-der affects every muscle in his body.

Just the simple movement of me takin g a

fork and trying to put it to a plateI couldntphysically do that without fighting veryhard, he said.

After witnessing Lillicos struggle, hisfriend began to weep. Without the ability tochew or swallow, however, there was littlehis friend could do to assist.

Without any hesitation, after smoking adoobie, I wolfed the whole pancake downwith no problems whatsoever. At that specif-ic point in my life, there was no one on thisplanet that was going to tell me that I could-nt smoke my medication. N o one.

In only six years, Lillico has endured alifetime of suffering. Many simple pleasuresin which people indulge on a daily basis willnever be enjoyed by this soft spoken 40-year-old. A brief phone conversation taxes hisenergy and can be a monumental challenge.

A man of above-average intelligence,Lillicos brain produces thoughts that hismouth and tongue muscles have difficultyexpressing (similar to stroke sufferers). Thestuttered lethargy of his speaking can easilytax an impatient conversational partner. Th eknow ledge that h is stilted speech can be frus-trating to his conversation partners, in tu rn,further stresses himthus deteriorating hisspeaking ability to an ever greater exten t.

Simply by attempting to engage in acommon activity, such as eating or walking,Lillico can ironically cause himself enough

stress to prevent his ability to engage in theactivity. His life is a physical metaphor for anemotionally crushing Catch 22: Engaging inactivities that potentially reduce his stresslevel threatens t o cause him str ess.

Familial Autosomal D ominant MyoclonicDystonia

Officially labeled Familial AutosomalDominant Myoclonic Dystonia, Lillicoscondition began to manifest itself in pain an dmuscle spasms in 1999. But it was not until2003 that neurological specialists inVancouver were able to accurately diagnosehis disease.

To Lillico, the exact label on his ailmentis of little consequence. Regardless of its

Latin name, pain and struggle are pain andstruggle. The perpetual lack of control heexhibits over the muscles in his body needsno medical title. It is a constant reminder ofhis minute-to-minute challenge to fight hisdisease and overcome the lure of depressionand hopelessness.

Leading neurologists and experts on mycondition have told me, in writing, that there

Dennis Lillico s Challenge

issue-4-1 10/17/05 4:31 PM Page 13


14/36


15/36

Cannabis Health 15

a monopolistic pharmaceutical industryand prohibitionist politicians bent on fearmongering, most of the world doesntunderstand the efficacy Lillico gains from

cannabis. Even one of my closest friendsdoesnt believe in medical cannabis thatmuch, he said.

I acknowledge the in ternational effortsto destroy the medical benefits of cannabisin the United States. I have very strongopinions about that, he added, revealinghis activist side.

Cannabis benefits every neurologicalcondition except for Parkinsons, Lillico toldme. Health Canada has even acknowledgedthat there is benefit and, in every case, theyhave stated that there must be more researchdone. They have reported 54% to as much as94% symptom relief in every neurologicalcondition out there, he said.

Finding MedicineLillico cant afford to purchase cannabis

on the black market based on his meagerincome (unable to work, he receives publicassistance). He relies on th e charity of otherswh o contribu te medicine. Some people have,through the Internet, helped. But a lot of the

local people thin k that Im too outspoken andare afraid to help me. At the time of thisinterview, Lillico was out of cannabis.

Lillico has attempted to grow his own

cannabis, but with little success. Prior toobtaining a medical exemption and growlicense, Lillicos small grow effor t was confis-cated by the police. The RCMP came inFebruar y of 2005 and took out my grow roomand two pounds of dry medication that I hadlocked up in my room, he lamented. Theywent in and they destroyed half of my growequipment and shut down the power to myhouse. They put me out of my house for twomonths.

There are many who believe medical marijuana is a farce, due in large part togovernments that continue to propagate thisnotion. But to patients such as Dennis Lillico,the efficacy of cannabis is more real than

healthy individuals will ever comprehend.Patients such as Lillico, wh o often search

for years or even decades for a credible solu-tion to their pain and suffering, areperplexed by their own governments andmedical establishments inability to recog-nize such a simple and natural source of

relief as cannabis. Couched in politics, corpo-rate monopolies, and a governmentinsensitive to peer-reviewed scientificresearch, current marijuana policy is clearly

not meeting the needs of people like Lillico,arguably one of societys most vulnerable citi-zens.

1) Healthy nerves in the human body arecoated with a myelin sheath. This protectivetubular casing consisting of specialized fat cellsthat protect n erves from electrical activit y andallow them to fun ction properly. It is the myelinsheath that contributes the color to the whitema tter of the brain.

Dennis Lillico s Challenge

issue-4-1 10/17/05 4:31 PM Page 15


16/36

By John W. Conroy QC

Generally the Controlled Drugs andSubstances Act (CDSA) prohibits th e posses-sion, sale, production, possession for thepurpose of sale, import, and export and anyconspiracy to do so or being a party to anysuch offence, in relation to any drug set outin its various schedules. Cannabis is thesubject of Schedule II.

Schedule II defines the su bstance prohib-ited as Cannabis, its preparations,derivatives and similar synthetic prepara-tion) including

(1) Cannabis resin,

(2) Cannabis (marihuana),

(3) Cannabidiol,

(4) Cannabinol,

(5) Nabilone,

(6) Pyrahexyl,

(7) Tetrahydrocannabinol, and,

(7.1) DMH P,

but not including(8) Non viable Cannabis seed, with the

exception of its derivatives and,

(9) mature cannabis stalks that do notinclude leaves, flowers, seeds or branches;and fibre derived from such stalks.

This definition has been held by thecourts to essential-ly include theentire plant andspecifically viablecannabis seed,although the termviable has yet tobe clearly defined.It is not defined in

the CDSA. In R. v.Hunter, the BCSC(April 14th, 1997)held that a viableseed is one thatgerminates. Thisdefinition wasaccepted on appealby the BCCA in t hat case and can be found onthe cour ts webpage at 2 000 BCCA 36 3, decid-ed June 8th, 2000. In these decisions the BCSuperior courts followed an earlier decisionof the Alberta Court of Appeal in a casecalled Snyder decided in 1969, which heldthat the prohibition applied to the entire

plant and included the seeds.

On March 12th,1998 the Governmentpassed the Industrial Hemp Regulationspursuant to the CDSA. Those regulations

define Industrial hemp, and seed, asfollows:

industrial hemp means the plants andplant par ts of the genera Cannabis, the leavesand flowering heads of which do not containmore than 0.3% T HC w/w, and includes thederivatives of such plants and plant parts. Italso includes the derivatives of non-viable

cannabis seed. Itdoes not includeplant parts of thegenera Cannabisthat consist of non-viable cannabisseed, other than itsderivatives, or of

mature cannabisstalks that do notinclude leaves,flowers, seeds orbranches, or offibre derived fromthose stalks.

seed meansany part of an industrial hemp plant that isrepresented, sold or used to grow a plant.

These Regulations are stated to apply to(a) the importation, exportation and posses-sion of industrial hemp; (b) the production,sale, provision, transport, sending or deliver-ing of industrial hemp; and (c) an offer to doanything mentioned. They do not apply to(a)the importation, exportation, sale or provi-sion of whole industrial hemp plants,including sprouts, or the leaves, flowers orbracts of those plants; (b) the importation,exportation, sale, provision or production ofany derivative or product made from wholeindustrial hemp plants, including sprouts, orthe leaves, flowers or bracts of those plants;or (c) the importation, exportation, sale orprovision of any derivative of seed, viablegrain or non -viable cann abis seed, or produ ctmade from th at derivative, if the derivative orproduct contains more than 10 g/g THC.

Furth er, the Act and th ese Regulations donot apply to the importation, exportation orwholesale sale of a derivative of seed, viablegrain or non-viable cannabis seed, or a prod-

uct made from that derivative, provided that(a) the derivative or product was not madefrom whole industrial hemp plants, includingsprouts, or the leaves, flowers or bracts ofthose plants; (b) a representative samplefrom each lot or batch of the derivative orproduct being imported or exported, or soldat wholesale, has been found to contain 10g/g THC or less when tested at a competentlaboratory using an alytical procedures set out

16 Cannabis Health

The Legal Status of CannabisSeeds under Current Canadian Law

Canada is not

apparently very interested

in prosecuting this

offence although it has

done so in the past

against Marc Emery

(fines were imposed)

issue-4-1 10/17/05 4:31 PM Page 16


17/36

Cannabis Health 17

in the Manual; (c) in the case of importationor exportation, the shipment is accompaniedby a certificate from a competent laboratoryin the country of origin of the derivative orproduct that sets out the concentration of

THC in the samples; and (d) in the case ofthe wholesale sale of a derivative, the packagecontaining the derivative is labeled,Contains 10 g/g TH C or less.

Also, the Act and these Regulations donot apply to th e retail sale, provision, posses-sion, transport, sending or delivering of aderivative of seed, viable grain or non-viablecannabis seed, or a product made from thatderivative, whose importation, exportationor wholesale sale has met the requirementsset out in subsection (1), as long as the deriv-ative or product is not changed in any waythat results in its containing more than 10g/g THC.

As one can see these regulations are as

complex as the In come Tax Act. However thebottom line appear s to be qu ite clear. SellingCannabis seeds and representing them to be

viable to grow Cannabis(marijuana) as opposedto industrial hemp is ille-gal in Canada. It is alsounlawful to do so in the

USA. Consequently indi-viduals should n ot sell oragree to sell to US citi-zens who intend to takethem in to the USA norshould one sell them toUS citizens in the USAover the Internet. If youdo so, you run the risk ofthe USA seeking yourextradition to the USAbecause the offence iscommitted in both countries (the offence ofagreeing to sell and an other agreeing to buy isthe conspiracy offence) giving both coun tries jurisdiction over the offence. Canada is notapparently very interested in prosecuting this

offence although it has done so in the pastagainst Marc Emery (fines were imposed)and, as indicated above, the late Ian Hunter.

The USA is interested as evidenced by therecent extradition proceedings outstandingagainst Marc Emery, Michelle Rainey andGreg Williams.

The Legal Status of Cannabis Seedsunder Current Canadian Law

E-mail: jconroy@john conroy.comWebsite: ww w.johnconroy.com

CONROY & COMPANYBarristers and Solicitors

JOHN W.CONROY, Q.C.

Barrister and Solicitor

2459 Pauline StreetAbbotsford, B.C.Canada V2S 3S1

Ph: 604-852-5110Toll Free:1-877-852-5110

Fax: 604-859-3361

issue-4-1 10/17/05 4:31 PM Page 17


18/36

issue-4-1 10/17/05 4:31 PM Page 18


19/36


20/36

issue-4-1 10/17/05 4:31 PM Page 20


21/36

issue-4-1 10/17/05 4:31 PM Page 21


22/36

issue-4-1 10/17/05 4:32 PM Page 22


23/36

issue-4-1 10/17/05 4:32 PM Page 23


24/36

issue-4-1 10/17/05 4:32 PM Page 24


25/36

issue-4-1 10/17/05 4:32 PM Page 25


26/36

issue-4-1 10/17/05 4:32 PM Page 26


27/36

Cannabis Health journal 27

issue-4-1 10/17/05 4:32 PM Page 27


28/36

28 Cannabis Health

Drug Policy All iance2005 Internat ional Drug Pol icy Reform Conference

by Mary Taft-McPhee,m Special Projects

Coodin ator, Drug Policy A llian ceThis November nearly 1000 activists,

experts and advocates will come together inLong Beach, California, to attend the 2005International Drug Policy ReformConference, hosted by the Drug PolicyAlliance. This conference is unique. It prom-ises to be th e most significant gatherin g everof people who believe the war on drugs isdoing more harm than good. While presen-ters and attendees vary greatly in theirpersonal politics, specific interests, and atti-tudes toward drugs, they all agree on th e needfor major reform of drug policies both in theUnited States and across the world.

The conference begins with an opening

reception on the night of Wednesday,November 9th, and kicks into high gearThursday morning. It will provide anextraordinary three day crash course in theentire spectrum of drug policy issues, withmore than one hundred panels on topicsranging from medical marijuana to LatinAmerica, civil liberties, European drug poli-cies, new advances in drug treatment, andthe issue of methamphetamine. Presentersand attendees include scholars, journalists,elected officials, activists and people whohave been directly affected by the war ondrugs.

We expect Cannabis Health readers to bemost interested in some of the excellent

sessions dealing with hemp and medical

cannabis. These presentations include a mixof specific information an d reflection on howbest to move forward. One panel deals withthe cutt ing edge cannabis research an d policyreform taking place in Canada. Anotherprovides a road map for lobbying legislativeofficials in support of medical marijuana.Californians will reflect on Proposition 215,which voters approved in 1996, legalizingmarijuana for medical purposes in that state.Experts and activists will also discuss legal,state and federal strategies to ensure long-term su ccess of medical marijuana efforts. Apanel on hemp will cover the latest policydevelopments including the legal status ofhemp foods and ways to maximize use of thiscrop in th e United States. Finally, a panel on

Marijuana, Driving and Drug Testing onthe Roads w ill consider dr ug-impaired driv-ing, and the failure of much drugged-driving

legislation to address the issue of actual

impairment rather than evidence of past use.Because the war on drugs is such a vast

enterprise affecting so many aspects of law,public health, and politics, we hope that allattendees will reach outside of their comfortcircles to connect the dots between differentissues. Training sessions on fundraising andmedia will teach tried and tr ue money raisingfundamentals, how to write a press release,pitch a reporter and conduct an interview toget your issue in the n ews. A special breakoutsession has been scheduled to encouragepeople to form and broaden regional coali-tions. Those on the front lines may also beinterested in a pan el on civil disobedience, inwhich domestic and international activistswill share their tactics for planning success-

ful actions.

Formerly incarcerated people will speak

issue-4-1 10/17/05 4:32 PM Page 28


29/36

Cannabis Health 29

out on the challenges of re-entry, leadershipin the drug policy reform movement andtheir power as organizers. From the otherside of the criminal justice system, unlikelyallies including a judge and former policeofficer will discuss how they came to believethat drug prohibition is a manifest failure,and the ways in which the war on dr ugs hasnegatively impacted their profession. Panelson th e effort to r egain th e right to vote andRace, Racism and the Drug War willexplore the deep social roots of the war ondrugs and look at ways in which we canmost effectively draw attention to thedisproportionate impact it has on communi-ties of color.

A number of sessions will cover issuesimportant to parents and youth, including

student drug testing, racial disparity withinthe juvenile justice system, and efforts toreform it. Courageous harm redu ction-orient-ed parents will speak out on how they dealwith their childs struggle with drugs, or adrug-related death, and how they have trans-formed despair into productive work. Apanel of students turns drug education on itshead by addressing How to Talk to YourParents About Drugs, sharing advice abouthow to approach the issue of alcohol andother drug use. Finally, drug education andprevention experts present reality-based,cost-effective approaches that combineeducation, assistance when needed, andrestorative practices in lieu of punishment.This cutting edge session on Beyond Zero

Tolerance, focuses on implementation ofthese approaches, which result in increasedstudent connection to school and decreasedbehavior problems.

Political efforts such as CaliforniasProposition 36, which provides for treatmentinstead of incarceration for nonviolent drugoffenders, Seattles Initiative I, whichinstructed city governments to treat privateadult marijuana offenses as the lowest lawenforcement priority and other measures incities across the United States will be exam-ined in detail by local experts. Thesepresentations will include debates on thefuture of these laws, discussion on polling,messaging and endorsements, and prospectsfor launching similar initiatives in othercities. The issue of syringe access is alsoexamined in a discussion of the implementa-tion of Californias SB 1159 and a panelproviding a national snapshot of efforts toincrease th e availability of sterile syrin ges.

Attendees interested in internationaldevelopments w ill find plenty of interest in aroundtable discussion of Dutch policies, alook at recent reforms in the United

Kingdom, and a panel on European politicaldevelopments. The latter will endeavor toprovide a picture of the general state of drugpolicy reform in Europe and will includeinformation on Spain, Switzerland, andGermany, and the possibility of developingan alternate model that could challenge U.S.leadership on global drug policy. Anotherpanel titled, Shifting the Debate: LatinAmerica, will look at the prospects for creat-ing a new dialogue around harm reductionand regional dr ug policies.

Issues affecting Latinos in the UnitedStates will be discussed in a pan el on family,religion and culture, in which Latino policy-makers explore the effects of the war ondrugs in their communities, and some of thebarriers to reform. Oth er highlights include a

panel on The Politics of Science in whichmajor thinkers will explore the ways inwhich government agencies and fundinginstitutions shaped by powerful politicalforces often exercise a distortin g and destru c-tive influence on research agendas, and howthis relates to drug policy reform. Religion,psychedelics, heroin prescription, harmreduction psychotherapy, pain management,methamphetamine, crack in the late 1980sand early 1990s, and methadone andbuprenorphine behind bars are just some ofthe other panels that will be offered.

In addition to these incredible sessions,the conference also promises to be a ton offun! There are numerous bars and reason-ably priced restaurants located withinwalking distance of the conference hotel, andfree yoga sessions w ill be held each morn ing.A film festival on T hur sday and Friday nightwill screen r ecent films of note on dr ug policyreform, drug prohibition and related subjectsfrom around the world, as well as older clas-sics. On Friday night, High Times is holdinga comedy night at th e Hollywood Improv.

The conference closes on Saturday nightwith an awardsdinner generouslysponsored by theCriminal JusticePolicy Foundation,a gala event to pres-ent the 2005

Awards forAchievement inDrug PolicyReform. Thesebiennial awards forachievement indrug policy reformrecognize theaccomplishmentsand commitment of

people and organizations who have doneoutstanding drug policy reform work. Theawards include the Richard J. DennisDrugpeace Award for OutstandingAchievement in the Field of Drug PolicyReform; the Edward M. Brecher Award forAchievement in the Field of Journalism; theAlfred R. Lindesmith Award forAchievement in the Field of Scholarship; theRobert C. Randall Award for Achievement inthe Field of Citizen Action; and the NormanE. Zinberg Award for Achievement in theField of Medicine. This special evening willhighlight just a few of this years manyheroes in drug policy reform and provide alast chance for conference attendees to cele-brate and connect with one another beforereturning home.

The common thread bringing togetherthe man y topics covered in these th ree days isthe desire of attendees and pan elists to createpositive change and promote drug policiesbased on reason, compassion and ju stice. Thelatest information, including online registra-tion, is available at www.drugpolicy.org/conference. Please join me, my colleagues,and hundreds of other activists, students,researchers and those on the front lines ofthe war on drugs at the 2005 InternationalConferen ce on Dr ug Policy Reform. You willbe educated, entertain ed and galvanized allin more ways than you can imagine.

Drug Policy All iance2005 Internat ional Drug Pol icy Reform Conference

issue-4-1 10/17/05 4:32 PM Page 29


30/36

30 Cannabis Health

issue-4-1 10/17/05 4:32 PM Page 30


31/36

Cannabis Health 31

Every subscription, article, letter, art, photo and/or Tr uthIs submission and advertiser received before March 31,2006 will be entered for a chan ce to win th is exquisite one-of-a-kind medicine bag, worn during the openingceremonies of the Festival of Freedom at the Forks. Created

by Mikisew Cree First Nation ar tist, DorothyAnn, a giftedsoul who is inspired by the world around her. A piece ofmy soul goes into each medicine bag DorothyAnn says ofher creations. Her bags are made with 100% hemp, cordand hand dyed lining. The stones are: crystals, turquoise,100 year old trading beads, handmade pure silver and

p e w t e rMexicanb e a d s .She evenadds a

piece ofsweetgrass to bless the bag and a signed, numbered card isincluded. From her soul to yours, peace.This bag is valued at $2,500 CDN. The winner will beann ounced in the May/ June 2006 issue of Cannabis HealthJournal. Good luck to all.

Cannabis Health wants youand we will give away thisbeautiful, hand crafted

medicine bag to prove it.

SUBSCRIBE - SUBMIT A STORY -ADVERTISE - WRITE US A LETTER

OR SPOT THE PROPAGANDAAND SEND IT IN!

issue-4-1 10/17/05 4:32 PM Page 31


32/36

issue-4-1 10/17/05 4:33 PM Page 32


33/36

Cannabis Health 33

ees after my kn ee surgery. Mr. Watson, on theother hand, has, through HortaPharm, asignificant financial interest in GWPharmaceuticals. Thus he will be the loser if

Sativex, as it very well may, goes the way ofMarinol.

Cordially, Lester Grinspoon M.D.

Dear EditorPlease help, at least six stores selling

pipes were raided by the United States DEAin the last 2 months throughout Montana.They arrived in U-Haul trucks and left withmoney, pipes, rolling papers, and other itemsthe stores relied upon to stay in business.Like thieves in the night they looted andplundered with frightening precision. Thefrontlines of the war for medicinal freedomare at your door step Canada. Its time forCanada to send a message to the UnitedStates. Its time for a message about freedom,

human rights, freedom to medicate.People and courts of Canada, PLEASEREFUSE the extradition of Mark Emery tothe evil clutches of the DEA who are like

lions salivating and thirsty for blood like thesavage beasts that they are. The word on thestreets of America are th ose of millions pray-ing and hoping that Canada will deny theextradition of Marc Emer y.

Please tell the world that the people ofMontana should no longer allow the DEA tostage a war of oppression on Montanansdoorsteps. Were not their little boxing facili-ty where they can train w ith the latest brutaltactics. This is a desperate cry for help fromMontana. Please, people of Canada, pleaseknow that our U.S. Government is frighten-ing and oppr essive. With p rivate prisons, lifehas become cheap. The U.S. GovernmentAgencies only know how to take away free-doms. Never on ce have they ever given back

a freedom, just ruthless plundering of ourfreedoms.

You cant make a law without takingaway a freedom and unfortunately

Government is run by Law Makers with acomplete absence of Law Repealers creatingan environment of a ruthless, and endlessstripping of our freedoms.

Americans NEED Canadian Courts torefuse the extradition of Mark Emery.Canada, on this day Americans bow theirheads and ask our Dear Neighbor to theNorth for HELP.

Sincerely, Anonym ously Scared of U.S. Regime

Commun i t y Ta l k i ng S t i c k

TELL US YOUR STORY

CHJ is asking readers to submit theirstories. We are looking for personalexperiences that are meaningful,insightful, happy, sad, funny, thoughtprovoking or just plain weird. Picturesor art work will also be accepted.

Each submission published in theJournal will receive a one-yearsubscription to the Journal as well asbeing entered into the drawing for themedicine bag. Your anonymity will berespected.

We are your voice for freedom ofchoice, so if you want your voice to beheard, submit your articles, pics orartwor k to: Cannabis Health JournalSubmissions

Box 1481, Grand Forks, BC V0H 1H0

Email your submission to:[email protected]

put CONTEST in the subject line

Congratulations to our latest

winner, Mariano in Alberta. He

was a little surprised to receive a

phone call so early in the AM

(sorry about that Mariano), but

the reason for my call soon had

him smiling. Many thanks to all

who subscribed; I wish each one

of you could win. Your support is

always appreciated.

FINDMIGHTY

MIKE

Find Mighty Mike hidden some-where in this issue to win a prize. Sendthe page number and location where

you found Mighty Mike [email protected] or snail mailto Box 1481, Grand Forks, BC V0H1H0 with Mighty Mike Contest in thesubject line.

issue-4-1 10/17/05 4:33 PM Page 33


34/36

34 Cannabis Health

issue-4-1 10/17/05 4:33 PM Page 34


35/36


36/36

issue-4-1 10/17/05 4:33 PM Page 36

cannabis health - [nov/dec edition 2005]

Documents