By Gayle Quin
Welcome to Summer, and the 25th edition of the Cannabis Digest. The first printing of our newspaper format has been wonder- fully received, and is expanding rapidly. Be sure to check out the list of stores around town that offer member discounts, as it keeps growing, too. And do not forget to thank our advertisers when you shop in the stores.
I’d like to thank everyone who has mailed, phoned, and emailed their MLA or MPs; and those who come out to the Friday and Saturday Stop Bill S-10 Street Meets. Every voice can be heard. With just a little effort, you can help make a differ- ence.
Speaking of voices being heard, if ever there was a “Little Town That
Could Be Heard,” it would be Courtney, B.C., which is located half way up Van- couver Island. (I have to keep in mind that our readership has expanded beyond our borders, and some may not know where Courtney is!) We first “re-discovered” the North Island Compassion Club on one of the first trips Ted and I took doing deliver- ies. I say re-discovered because we visited with Noreen and William a few years ago, then Noreen got busted and we fell out of touch. The folks who took over for her have since concentrated on keeping a low profile for safety’s sake. So much so, members of the CBC of C living in the area had never heard of them. So we offered to help them “come out of the closet,” and they have done so with a bang! We left them a “party pack” of edibles and skin products to share amongst their members. Within a month, they invited us back up to teach them how we do our baking. We had a packed kitch- en with about 20 eager folks straining their necks and asking lots of questions. With some gentle encouragement, the Courtney folks are now producing all of their own edible products. In a couple of herb classes from now, they will be making their own skin products as well.
The second thing they did was in- vite Ted and I to speak at a day symposium comprised of a NICC member panel, Ted and I, and Mik Mann. A group from the Courtney club came down to both UVIC and VIU Cannabis Conventions, and they modeled their event after those. A panel of members spoke of being incredibly pain free, able to sleep better and longer, able to eat, and feel a sense of belonging and community they hadn’t felt in a long time. Some spoke of being able to make a closer connection to their spirituality. It was a very moving experience. Ted talked about the CBC of C, and I spoke of our products and the free, non-credit University of Vic- toria UVSS Hempology 101 club lecture series (these may be viewed on YouTube). Mik talked about the MMAR and how best to deal with the government and physi- cians. Ernie’s daughter made an incredible poster covered with our various products. So with a gentle nudge they have leaped out of the closet. Next, they invited Ted and I to hold Hempology 101 meetings, so on the first Thursday of every month we meet at the BCGEU Building at 7 p.m. It was at the first meeting that we decided to hold a Stop Bill S-10 rally on June 4th. By the time we were done, 26 Communities across the country (six of which were on the Is- land) took part simultaneously. There are photos of the rally in Courtney at <www. hempology.ca> I was in Courtney and Ted was in Victoria. We stood on the main street corners around City Hall, handing out flyers and educating people about our government’s plan to jail cannabis users, thus creating more jobs by needing more jails. Mr. Harper has $10 billion set aside to do just that. We made posters and talked to a lot of folks who ended up thanking us for being there. I can hardly wait to see what they come up with as things progress!!!
Summer is taking off with a game-show full of excitement. The Sixth Annual Reach for the Pot Tournament has been well worth the time and money in en- tertainment value—with games coming as close as a five point difference. Congratu- lations to this year’s champs POTLEY CRUE—made up of Daak, Ryan B., Ryan F. and Todd—who smoked the ROACH CLIPS in the finals. They will receive their trophy bongs on Sept. 1 at the 15th An- niversary of Hempology 101. We also had a blast hosting the Annual Best T-Shirt, Bong, Pipe, Poetry/Spoken Word, and Joint Rolling Contests. This year’s winners are: Ryan S. for best written word (song/ poem); Glenn M. for best t-shirt (hand- made by James); Steve P. and James S. for best bong (Insta-Stoner); Tanner L. and Ja- son A. for best pipe; and Kristen M. and Joe are joint joint rolling champs! To reit- erate, this is an annual event, and was so much fun my sides still hurt! And there are only three things Ted likes better than giv- ing away prizes!
Speaking of which, Cannabis Day was as perfect a day for Hot-Boxing as possible, in Victoria. The sun shined, the wind died to a breeze, and we had the flags hanging perfectly. At about 60 people strong this year, hot-boxing made a very fun prelude, and makes playing Reach for the Pot that much more challenging!
Sept. 1 is Hempology’s 15th An- niversary! Come march with us from City Hall to the front steps of the Legislature for our annual group photo! We meet at 7 p.m. and head out soon after, so we get to the Leg before the sun gets too low to take the picture. It’s a great night full of fun, show- ing Victoria we’re Loud and we’re Proud!
Peace and Love be with us all, Gayle.
(p.s., don’t forget to use your aloe salve in the sun.)
