Andrew Brown Editor
Happy New Year! This year should prove eventful for the cannabis movement, and we can only hope that the common sense switch gets turned on for our law makers and politicians.
Bill S-10 is digging its teeth into the House of Commons after passing Senate in December. This is the single most important fight the Canadian Cannabis movement has on the battlefront. This bill could throw every single person work- ing at a compassion club, university kids growing plants to share with their friends, or even somebody giving a Tylenol 3 to a friend with a migraine while walking past a school, into jail for up to two years or more. The Conservative government is relying on the lazy stoner stereotype of not bothering to get active using their voting voices because somebody else will do it, so it’s high time the 30 percent of Canadians and 102 percent of British Columbians who use cannabis make their voices heard. Call your MP, other MPs, Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff, Justice Minister Rob Nicholson, Stephen Harper, or any other influential government official, and let them know that mandatory minimum sentences are not supported by Canadians. It is very important to focus energy on the Liberal party and Michael Ignatieff, as they are the vote(s) that can pass or end bill S-10.
On the provincial side of government, former Cannabis Culture Editor, Vancouver Seedbank and the Dispensary founder, Dana Larsen is in the running for the NDP leadership. We wish him the best of luck in his bid, and hope he can spark some change. At the very minimum, he will for sure create a serious debate during his campaign.
Marc Emery is in prison in the U.S., in Georgia, and could really use some letters of support sent to the Hon. Vic Toews, the Canadian Minister of Public Safety, for his bid to be transfered to a Canadian prison. To find out more information check out
The CBC of C’s bakery trial is set to begin this year, also. The ruling of the trial could potentially affect portions of the MMAR, and help solidify cannabis’ validity as medicine. This will be a long and costly battle, so the community is encouraged to come and support the fun fundraising events planned throughout the year.
For the entire year, we must push harder than ever before. The Conservative government, backed by corporate interests, is waging war on our culture and the freedom of all Canadians. Please help anyway you can—pass out a couple of copies of this publication to your friends, buy and wear a themed T-shirt, talk about the last episode of Weeds at the water cooler, attend cannabis-related events, and most importantly contact Your MPs and Michael Ignatieff.
