Police Recommend Drug Trafficking Charges for B.C. Compassion Club Members

The RCMP raid – the third in a decade – came late Friday afternoon, but two members of the North Island Compassion Club deny police allegations that the Courtenay-based marijuana dispensary is a front for illegal drug dealing.

Bill Myers and Ernie Yacub, the club’s long-time manager, were arrested on the weekend and police have recommended they be charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking marijuana. Both deny the allegations, saying the club is strictly for users of medical marijuana.

“There is absolutely no illegal drug dealing going on, none, and I can verify that,” said Mr. Myers, 56. “We dispense medical marijuana to people who really need it, and both Ernie and I spend enough time with everybody to know if they’re coming in on a straight edge.”

RCMP executed a search warrant on the society’s Sixth Street headquarters around 4 p.m. Friday, arresting Mr. Yacub, Mr. Myers and two other club members who were questioned and released without charges.

Police seized several pounds of dried marijuana, as well as unspecified quantities of cookies, hashish and cash.

“We recognize there are conflicting views on the medicinal value of marijuana but it remains illegal to sell in the manner in which they were conducting business,” said Comox Valley RCMP Constable Tammy Douglas.

The investigation was triggered by complaints “from neighbours, from Crime Stoppers and from the city,” Constable Douglas said, noting that RCMP have raided the club on two previous occasions in its 10-year history.

In 2006, the club’s founder, Edith Noreen Evers, was charged when police seized and destroyed dozens of pot plants growing on her acreage in Black Creek, south of Campbell River.

Rather than plead guilty and accept a modest fine as punishment, Ms. Evers launched a lengthy legal battle and spent five months in custody before she was sentenced to time served and released last April.

Mr. Yacub, who has managed the club’s affairs for seven years, said relations with the community and the police have been trouble-free since the arrest of Ms. Evers. The club only distributes marijuana to people with applicable conditions whose diagnosis has been confirmed by a doctor, he said.

The North Island Compassion Club has retained Mill Bay lawyer Kirk Tousaw, who represented two members of the Vancouver Island Compassion Club after their 2004 arrest for marijuana trafficking.

In 2009, after dragging through the legal system for five years, the B.C. Supreme Court granted the accused in that case an unconditional discharge.

Mr. Tousaw predicted a similar result for Mr. Yacub and Mr. Myers.

“There’s almost a decade of case law now, all standing for the proposition that bona fide medical marijuana producers and distributors ought to be granted full discharge,” Mr. Tousaw said.

The North Island Compassion Club’s storefront location has been closed until further notice, but Mr. Yacub said legal troubles or not, he and other members remain determined to serve the club’s clients.

- Article from The Globe and Mail.

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Compassion Club raided

Spencer Anderson, Comox Valley Echo

The North Island Compassion club, a medical marijuana group, was busted by Comox Valley RCMP last week.

On Friday, police executed a search warrant on the club's headquarters on Sixth Street in Courtenay.

They seized several pounds of marijuana, and arrested four people. RCMP spokeswoman Const. Tammy Douglas confirmed two were charged and released on a promise to appear in court.

"Police are concerned the club has become a front for marijuana dealing," said Douglas in a statement. "We recognize there are conflicting views on the medicinal value of marijuana but it remains illegal to sell in the manner in which they were conducting business."

Ernie Yacub is a director for the club and claims to be one of the two persons charged.

He said the bust shook up a lot of his fellow club members, many of whom he said are already nervous when it comes to getting hold of medicinal marijuana.

"We're talking about people who are sick in the first place, who are having all kinds of similar issues anyway, people who are afraid to talk to their doctors about marijuana ... ," said Yacub. "... So here we have a legal program where some people can access [medical marijuana] while the rest of us are criminalized, and the access is denied."

The Compassion Club has been operating for 10 years and has been at its current location for the last seven. Before that, Yacub said the club was dispensing marijuana at the train station.

He said police were civil and respectful during the bust on Friday but added, "If there's something they don't like about our operation, they can talk to us, instead of coming in here and taking all our medicine..."

Yacub said the club's members - there are 200, by his estimate - depend on the marijuana for pain relief. Yacub himself suffers from spinal stenosis.

"Imagine if the cops raided the only pharmacy in town and took everything. That's what it is for some of our members. Many of them are already on pharmaceuticals, but they also use [marijuana], because it works."

- Article from Canada.com.

Smoked Medical Cannabis May Be Beneficial as Treatment for Chronic Neuropathic Pain, Study Suggests.

ScienceDaily (Aug. 30, 2010) — The medicinal use of cannabis has been debated by clinicians, researchers, legislators and the public at large for many years as an alternative to standard pharmaceutical treatments for pain, which may not always be effective and may have unwanted side effects. A new study by McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and McGill University researchers provides evidence that cannabis may offer relief to patients suffering from chronic neuropathic pain.

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The results of the groundbreaking study are published in the latest issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

"This is the first trial to be conducted where patients have been allowed to smoke cannabis at home and to monitor their responses, daily," says Dr. Mark Ware, lead author of the study, who is also Director of Clinical Research at the Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit at the MUHC and an assistant professor of anesthesia in McGill University's Faculty of Medicine, and neuroscience researcher at the Research Institute of the MUHC.

In this study, low doses (25mg) of inhaled cannabis containing approximately 10% THC (the active ingredient in cannabis), smoked as a single inhalation using a pipe three times daily over a period of five days, offered modest pain reduction in patients suffering from chronic neuropathic pain (pain associated with nerve injury) within the first few days. The results also suggest that cannabis improved moods and helped patients sleep better. The effects were less pronounced in cannabis strains containing less than 10% THC.

"The patients we followed suffered from pain caused by injuries to the nervous system from post-traumatic (e.g. traffic accidents) or post-surgical (e.g. cut nerves) events, and which was not controlled using standard therapies" explains Dr. Ware. "This kind of pain occurs more frequently than many people recognize, and there are few effective treatments available. For these patients, medical cannabis is sometimes seen as their last hope."

"This study marks an important step forward because it demonstrates the analgesic effects of cannabis at a low dose over a shot period of time for patients suffering from chronic neuropathic pain," adds Dr. Ware. The study used herbal cannabis from Prairie Plant Systems (under contract to Health Canada to provide cannabis for research and medical purposes), and a 0% THC 'placebo' cannabis from the USA.

However, larger-scale studies with a longer time frame and higher doses of THC are needed to further evaluate the efficacy and long-term safety of medical cannabis. "Our challenge as researchers is to continue to conduct rigorous clinical studies on the medical use of cannabis with strict attention to details such as quality and dosage," says Dr. Ware. "This will allow us to move the debate forward by providing reliable scientific clinical data."

The active ingredient in cannabis can improve the appetites and sense of taste in cancer patients.

ScienceDaily (Feb. 25, 2011) — The active ingredient in cannabis can improve the appetites and sense of taste in cancer patients, according to a new study published online in the cancer journal, Annals of Oncology.

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Loss of appetite is common among cancer patients, either because the cancer itself or its treatment affects the sense of taste and smell, leading to decreased enjoyment of food. This, in turn, can lead to weight loss, anorexia, a worse quality of life and decreased survival; therefore, finding effective ways of helping patients to maintain a good diet and consume enough calories is an important aspect of their treatment.

Researchers in Canada ran a small pilot study from May 2006 to December 2008in 21 adult patients with any advanced cancer (except brain cancer) who had been eating less as a result of their illness for two weeks or more. All were either being treated with chemotherapy or had been in the past. The patients were randomly assigned to receive medication from a pharmacist in a double-blind manner, which meant that neither the patients nor the doctors knew which treatment they were receiving. Eleven patients received oral capsules containing delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) -- the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis -- and eight patients were assigned to the control group to receive placebo capsules. The active capsules contained 2.5mg of THC and the patients took them once a day for the first three days, twice a day thereafter, and they had the option to increase their dose up to a maximum of 20mg a day if they wished; however, most followed the dosing protocol, with three patients in both groups increasing their dose to three times a day. The treatment ran for 18 days.

From patient answers to questionnaires conducted before, during and at the end of the trial, the researchers found that the majority (73%) of THC-treated patients reported an increased overall appreciation of food compared with patients receiving placebo (30%) and more often stated that study medication "made food taste better" (55%) compared with placebo (10%).

The majority of THC-treated patients (64%) had increased appetite, three patients (27%) showed no change, and one patient's data was incomplete. No THC-treated patients showed a decrease in appetite. By contrast, the majority of patients receiving placebo had either decreased appetite (50%) or showed no change (20%).

Although there was no difference in the total number of calories consumed by both groups, the THC-treated patients tended to increase the proportion of protein that they ate, and 55% reported that savoury foods tasted better, whereas no patients in the placebo group reported an increased liking for these foods. (Cancer patients often find that meat smells and tastes unpleasant and, therefore, they eat less of it).

In addition, THC-treated patients reported better quality of sleep and relaxation than in the placebo group.

Dr Wendy Wismer (PhD), associate professor at the University of Alberta (Edmonton, Canada), who led the study, said: "This is the first randomised controlled trial to show that THC makes food taste better and improves appetites for patients with advanced cancer, as well as helping them to sleep and to relax better. Our findings are important, as there is no accepted treatment for chemosensory alterations experienced by cancer patients. We are excited about the possibilities that THC could be used to improve patients' enjoyment of food.

"Decreased appetite and chemosensory alterations can be caused by both cancer and its treatment; untreated tumours cause loss of appetite, and by itself, chemotherapy also causes loss of appetite. In any individual patient, some part of both of these effects is usually present.

"It's very important to address these problems as both appetite loss and alterations to taste and smell lead to involuntary weight loss and reduce an individual's ability to tolerate treatment and to stay healthy in general. Additionally, the social enjoyment of eating is greatly reduced and quality of life is affected. For a long time everyone has thought that nothing could be done about this. Indeed, cancer patients are often told to 'cope' with chemosensory problems by eating bland, cold and odourless food. This may well have the result of reducing food intake and food enjoyment."

The researchers say that larger, phase II trials should test their findings further, but, in the meantime Dr Wismer thinks that doctors could consider THC treatment for cancer patients. "It could be investigated for any stage of cancer where taste and smell dysfunction and appetite loss has been indicated by the patient," she said. In addition, treatment would not necessarily have to be limited to the 18 days of the study. "Long term therapy with cannabinoids is possible, however, in each case this would be up to the patient's physician to determine."

Although the study was unable to show that THC treatment could increase total calorie intake, Dr Wismer said this was unsurprising. "In the healthy adult population, we know from personal experience that we usually eat more of something if it tastes better. However, in this advanced cancer population, there is a real struggle with appetite; normal appetitive pathways do not seem to be functioning. We know from our earlier work that individuals with advanced cancer have diminished appetite and have to make a big conscious effort to eat; they are motivated to eat simply to survive. So, although THC did not significantly increase total calorie intake, the fact that it improved appetite and protein intake is important."

This work was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Alberta Cancer Board, Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

High.

As you guys might or might not know, Cannabis Liberation Day will once again take place in Grand Circus Park in Detroit, the Motor City, on Sat. May 7, 2011. This year there's reportedly 420 cities who have expressed interest in sponsoring an event, and we're sure it will be one of the biggest yet. Our esteemed colleague, Jay Hayburner, who started Detroit Liberation 11 years ago, is not available since he's incarcerated for, you guessed it, cannabis. So this year the field is wide open.

I would like to get every compassion center, every grower, every activist out there on Woodward, and at 4:20 give Detroit the biggest Pro-Cannabis March ever. I am open to ideas from anyone to make this an awesome day of celebration. If you know anyone who is a pro-cannabis performer (musician, poet, artist, mime) please ask them to attend this event. We'll give them a chance to perform for the crowd. Anyone who wants to come down and say a few words about their own experiences will have an open mic at our event.

As to vending, each vendor will have to work that out with the city of Detroit. I would recommend doing that before April 20. (Puff Puff). I will update everyone on the status of our event as information becomes available. Peace.

For More Info: www.cures-not-wars.org

Paranoia Will Destroy Ya!

Who is an activist's #1 enemy? Go ahead make a list. Then cross them all off. Because an activist's #1 enemy is...Himself!

Activism is a tough gig. It requires sticking to your guns when everyone around you is calling for your head. It asks for a lot and gives back very little. Nowhere is this felt more than in the cannabis movement. Just like the Christians they are being thrown to the lions for no good reason. They're being brutalized, locked up, & persecuted. Their property is being taken away from them. They're losing their families, their dignity, their freedoms. All because they smoke cannabis. A plant.

For a cannabis activist this is a hard pill to swallow. And so they make a commitment to defend the persecuted, to stand up when necessary. That's what Free De Herb is all about. It's about innocent people being destroyed by unfair laws. It's about being subject to an evil rule, where police and courts look at you as another number on a docket. It's about ending the War On Cannabis once and for all. And you just don't hedge on that bet.

I'm an activist. And I intend on seeing cannabis legal in my lifetime. I am so tired of 'potheads' who, in addition to confirming stereotypes about our culture, don't want to get involved. And these are oftentimes the biggest whiners after a run-in with the Five-O. They'll bitch when it's their precious freedom on the line, but when you ask them to step up for the cause they somehow have better things to do. (How many of these award winners do you know?)

For Cannabis Legalization the time is now! And every single smoker, grower, patient, and advocate needs to get on the legalization train (Boarding at 4:20). We'll win your battle for you, but please step back if you're paranoid. We don't need another obstacle in our way. People who are paranoid are concerned with one thing: Themselves. It's a totally selfish condition brought on by purely selfish desires. Paranoid people never question why they live in fear. They just do. Once paranoia is a part of you it becomes a cancer. This 'cancer' is usually what stops all forward progress. It effectively gives us reasons not to try.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that paranoia is all in our minds. Are there enemies out there? Of course. But do they really give a crap about you posting something on a Facebook group? Maybe you're afraid they'll cancel your Facebook page. Sorry, but Facebook's got a thousand reasons to cancel your account, none of which have anything to do with cannabis. So what are you afraid of?

Ironically, your fear is what the Cannabis Nazis are looking for. Because as long as you 'fear' them they can control you. Why do you think they raid legitimate compassion centers all the time? It's part of the Mind-Fuck, to keep you on our toes. Well they can't arrest all of us. And there was a time when the cannabis culture recognized that.

Where's My Real Freedom Fighters?

“Is The War On Cannabis Over? Not Even Close!”

After my morning coffee and a bowl of Sour Diesel I started thinking; About The War On Drugs, and how cannabis doesn’t belong anywhere near it. That cannabis is a plant. A PLANT. And a plant is not a drug regardless of the dictionary you’re using. So why is it still being called a drug, even though there’s no evidence to support such a claim? Stupidity. Arrogance. Control. Take your pick. But the important fact is, cannabis isn’t a DRUG.

So it’s inclusion in the War On Drugs is completely bogus. Every cannabis arrest, prosecution, & imprisonment is EVIL. If you support the War On Cannabis you’re EVIL. I for one am not going to sit by while EVIL people run our state, our country, our world. So you’ll have to pardon me if I sound angry, but I'm fucking pissed. And I’m not going to take it anymore!

And I’m not calling out anyone. Not law enforcement, not the courts, not the police.
I would rather change things through reasonable dialogue, support the idea of the community participating in cannabis issues, sit down with Law Enforcement and talk to them face to face. And I still support such ideas. But the cannabis culture has gotten soft. The activists who used to tell the Pigs to Fuck Off are now voting Republican. And everyone’s afraid to say anything for fear of Big Brother kicking in their door.

A Global Internet Community has given way to mass-paranoia and one-dimensional conversations. Face it. We’ve become our own worst enemy. And it’s time to return to those days of yesteryear, when the word Revolution didn’t cause mass hysteria and there was such as a thing as community organizing. We are all we got people. If we don’t support each other, who will?

So once again, I send out a message of good will to my Real Cannabis Brothers & Sisters. If you hear me say, “Hell Yeah!” Then roll a phat one.

“Medical Marijuana – Who Really Won?”

In 2008 63% of Michigan voters approved The Michigan Medical Marijuana Act, effectively making it legal for residents with certain medical conditions to cultivate, smoke, and bake their favorite buds. This was celebrated throughout the cannabis community as it signified a new day for the sick and depressed among us who chose cannabis over mass-produced drugs. And in spite of the fact that this law has benefited all cannabis users just by existing, it has also given us a number of additional challenges.

#1. Mind Fuck=Paranoia. The System’s favorite ally. Sure they’ll give you something. But then they’ll weasel their way out of it, and even sabotage you once you’re not looking. It’s also called the old Bait & Switch. We’ve been hornswoggled for so long, a lot of us are used to it. But if you get used to being compromised, you’re doomed. Even though medical marijuana has been legal for more than 2 years, sick patients and their caregivers are still being taken down and their lives still disrupted. Is there no relief?

#2. Us & Them. Additional pressures are being put on the recently liberated. Under the Michigan law you can be cited and jailed for sharing your medicine with a non-card carrying person. Which means they can set up a narc in your midst, and if you pass them a joint of that bad-ass bud your grower just laid on you, you could be on your way to the hoosegow. What has been the effect of this thus far? Certified medical patients are scared shitless and they close themselves off in hopes of remaining undetected. So, let’s review. The voters approved medical marijuana (by a substantial margin I might add), and sick patients are now more closed off and paranoid than ever before. Funny thing, laws. Eh?

#3. A bill is already circulating in the Michigan Senate that will harass and eventually forbid compassion centers from coming into your neighborhood. After all, who wants a bunch of sick people in wheelchairs gumming up the place? Many local authorities have referred to compassion clubs as ‘criminal enterprises’, setting up task forces to close them down. And to the average American you’re still just a “burner’. What we learn here is this: Our fight is as one culture. Not medical and recreational users separate, but Cannabis Smokers United. Union 420! You may think you’ve been liberated, but the slave owners are already working on getting their slaves back.

#4. The list of acceptable conditions to become “Legal” reads like the log at a Hospice Center. You pretty much have to be at death’s door or on the road to ruin. The MMMA, while well-meaning has addressed only part of the War On Cannabis. I would argue that its main redeeming value is instead of smoking Regos we’re now huffing Sour Diesel. Whoops. There goes that criminal element again!

In summary, medical marijuana is being challenged at all levels, in every municipality. Prejudice against cannabis users is still being felt, and some might say it’s getting worse. Voters seem to be OK with Medical uses but bring up Recreational and the thumbs start twitching downward. As long as cannabis is being classified as a drug, it will be treated as such. And I don’t want to have to contract a serious condition to enjoy de herb. Do you?

The Bash

Michigan's Hash Bash is a celebration of the cannabis culture, held each year on the first Saturday in April.

This year the date to put on your calendar is April 2nd. As is tradition the event kicks off at "High" Noon on the Diag at U of M, and moves on to Monroe St. at approx. 1:00pm, where the Monroe Street Fair takes place. This is a wonderful gathering of heads, lovers of cannabis, and activists, all showing love for their fellow human beings. In fact, if you’d like to attend the Hash Bash for the first time, just show up on April 2nd and follow the beautiful people. It’s that easy!

Begun in 1972 after the John Sinclair rally/concert “ten for two”, which lit a fire under cannabis supporters everywhere, the Hash Bash has become an Ann Arbor tradition. And don’t think that members of Ann Arbor’s law enforcement community haven’t recognized this. They are known for objecting to the event, and some have even sought to end it. But it continues, and for one good reason: People show up to support it. The Hash Bash is nationally recognized, and it’s here to stay.

For those of you afraid to attend this event because you think the place is surrounded (It probably is. Sorry optimists), there are certain guidelines you can follow NOT to get busted.

#1) The cops are looking for the obvious. They’re looking for potheads firing up a “J”. They’re looking for the hippies, the burners, the dealers. Don’t give them an easy look. What a trip it would be if all the attendees at the Bash wore three piece suits one year instead of jeans and t-shirts. It would totally fuck their heads up. So don’t be a burnout. Be a productive citizen who just happens to smoke cannabis. Those people do exist don’t they?

#2) Cannabis possession is a civil offense in the city of Ann Arbor, although State & Federal laws still apply, so BE SMART. Smoking on or near any U of M property will be looked at as a cardinal sin. And after getting taken down for smoking a joint in 2000, I can tell you they go out of their way to humiliate and embarrass you. Smoke on the Diag at your own risk.

#3) This is a pro-cannabis event, and city residents expect the “freaks” to come out on Hash Bash day. This is our strength. They’re expecting us. And no matter what you say about cannabis supporters, they bring money to spend, and they’ll buy food and drinks galore. The centerpiece of Monroe St. is Dominics, and they clean up every year. So there’s a kind of love-hate relationship going on. Play up the Love and play down the Hate.

#4) We all love each other. We’re there to have a good time. Doesn’t everyone want to support love?

The Hash Bash is the kickoff for Cannabis events world-wide. It is an Icon, a Tradition, and an American Original!

Greetings To All My Cannabis People.

I am the bearer of Good News! We are about to beat this ego-centric War Against Cannabis once and for all. And all my real Freedom Fighters are going to be a part of it. We will march. We will rally. We will petition. We will holler. We will change the game.

There’s been a lot of talk lately about the Egyptian people and their non-violent victory over a corrupt government. Well, my Brothers & Sisters, it’s time for a Cannabis March on Washington! All of us, the wind whipping our hair and 420 smiles on our faces, walking right up to the “House” and telling President O’Bama to “Get It Legal!”

And we’re not leaving if we don’t get what we want. Get ready for a giant tent city of stoners and patients right under the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument being turned into the world’s biggest bong.

Because We Are One Family. We Are One Power. We Are One. I Love My Family.

I recently posted a comment to Mike Bouchard's Facebook page regarding his attack on 'marijuana' smokers. Mr. Bouchard, who is the Sheriff Of Oakland County, has persistently harassed medical marijuana compassion centers and blocked pro-marijuana events from taking place within his borders.

His latest comment regarding 'busts' on centers in Ferndale and Waterford, MI was "This is Michigan, not some Cheech and Chong movie,", and he has likened the compassion centers, which are set up legally through Michigan's Medical Marijuana Law, to "organized crime". It is unquestionable that Mr. Bouchard has thrown down the Gauntlet on pot smokers and will resist the LEGAL right of medical 'marijuana' recipients to acquire and use their medicine.

In my comment I asked Mr. Bouchard how long this facade was going to continue, how long before taxpayers start refusing to foot the bill for all his 'marijuana' arrests and incarceration of sick patients. Of course I never got a response and I didn't really expect one. Mr. Bouchard knows deep down in his heart that they are persecuting the wrong people, that this war against an herb is wrong & immoral. But hey, somebody has to be the scapegoat when money's at stake.

Busting potheads is very lucrative for Mr. Bouchard and his cronies. In addition to Michigan's drug seizure laws, which bring in untold amounts of property that can be sold at a 100% profit, law enforcement and courts are welcome to apply any 'charges' to a defendant once they drag them through the legal mud. Probation fees, drug testing fees, tether fees, they even charge you for the jail time itself!

No wonder Mr. Bouchard is so involved in busting potheads. But the community should be very disturbed by this. And don't think that people aren't noticing how law enforcement places things like assault weapons and bales of money out in front of the 'evil weed', as if to further vilify it and excuse their actions against their fellow citizens. Shame on you Mr. Bouchard!

Dear Mike Bouchard

I'm not a resident of Oakland County, but I can't help but see how hostile you are to the Medical Marijuana law which voters overwhelmingly approved. If I didn't know any better, I'd guess you have a hidden hostility towards the cannabis culture and you're using your lofty position to push your own agenda. The voters don't want you to keep busting marijuana users. So why are you still doing this with alarming frequency? Why are your troops still kicking in doors and busting people for a plant? A PLANT! Do you know Mr. Bouchard? Or are you so drunk with power that you can't see anything reasonable? I think it's the latter.

Funny. You don't look like a fanatic. But your deeds and actions tell otherwise. What are you hoping to achieve? Some Social Utopia? Or are you just living in the past, holding onto the old myths that cannabis is a "gateway drug"? Have you ever studied cannabis Mr. Bouchard. Do you know anything about it besides the fact that it's illegal? I'm betting you don't. Because if you did the necessary research you would find that in 5000 years of use cannabis has NEVER caused a single death, has never been proven to be physically addictive, and cures or helps hundreds of health disorders, including cancer.You can choose not to believe these claims, but you cannot ignore their existence.

Where did you get your medical degree Mr. Bouchard? From a cereal box? Are you seriously telling the residents of your county that this glorified Witch Hunt on cannabis users is necessary, let alone fiscally responsible? Oh, I forgot. Oakland County has so much money to spare that it can choose to engage in these sort of Gestapo tactics. Well then, go ahead Mr. Bouchard. Heaven knows I can't do anything to convince you otherwise. But remember one thing. You war on our culture is an abomination, and if you continue you are betraying your residents, the voters, and your own conscience.


Good Day

Medical Pot Bust A New DEA Strategy

The DEA, now unable to raid legal cannabis clubs, has turned to targeting the activists who supply them. Cures Not Wars, founded by Dana Beal, has been involved in supplying cannabis clubs in New York and across the East coast for as long as they have existed. Two of his associates, Chris Ryan and Jay Statzer have pled no contest to felony charges for aiding legal cannabis clubs. Dana had been busted for medical pot before in '91 en route to patients in Boston. He is currently up on similar charges.

The drug war line is that medical cannabis will be diverted into the illegal market. The reality is the opposite says Statzer, "The DEA didn't take that 180 pounds off the street, I did! This is a friendly fire incident in the war on drugs." This operation was purchasing in the Southwest at distributor cost so the patients on the East coast could buy their medicine below wholesale cost. Considering the quantity restrictions poisoning many medical cannabis laws, this service is often an illegal one. One needing activists, not dealers. For example, the Michigan law provides for caregivers to enter the illegal market to divert pot into the hands of their legal patients.

However, a limit of two and a half ounces forces the caregiver to pay inflated retail prices. You need to buy at least a pound to get a wholesale price break. Like the (passed by Republicans to bankrupt Medicare) poison pill of Medicare Part D, there is no ability to negotiate the drug prices in the law and that hurts the patients. This is a need that should go away once everybody's plants are matured and cured but there can be that need for many months for every new patient. When Jay was arrested, it was by two K-9 officers who were assured by their guidance to lie their way into the stop and search. Then, the DEA was right there for the booking. The DEA wrote a lie into the report that Jay had refused to do a controlled delivery. "I would have been happy to lead the DEA right to the door of the compassion club knowing they couldn't raid.

They knew too and that's why no such offer was made. I only refused their one attempt to get a statement before they flew back to DC. They deliberately jacketed me as a dealer to hide their motive." Unfortunately for Statzer he will not be allowed to bring the DEA agents, the director of the club he was delivering to, or any other evidence to prove his intention before an Ohio jury and is forced by 18 years of mandatory minimum time to take a plea.

The core questions remain to be tested. Can legal medical cannabis be transported from one legal state to another? Will the DEA continue to target activists as if they were drug dealers for taking pot off the streets? If a patient can't afford the medicine is there really a right to the medicine? How can any law be legal if it contains racist hate speech like "marihuana" in its text?

Jay Statzer
www.cures-not-wars.org

Get It Legal!

We now know that cannabis legalization is entirely possible and that the persecution of our culture, which is nothing more than social genocide, will have to end. Yes, Johnny Law is still cracking us in our heads for doing nothing more than smoking a harmless herb, but the lies and deception that have permeated US policy on cannabis is beginning to wear thin. Even the public is getting tired of spending countless tax dollars on busting kids for smoking pot and incarcerating thousands of adults for their chosen medicine and beliefs.

Eventually it will be necessary for those in power to acknowledge that this War On Drugs is a War On People, and our leaders would never continue such practices, let alone support them. With a major vote in California barely getting defeated, and subsequent votes being proposed daily, the march for cannabis liberation carries on. And it's never been more important for all pot smokers and supporters to rally together and help push this thing over the edge. In Michigan, where medical marijuana is now a reality, the fight will be even more heated.

Voters have elected a Secretary Of State, Bill Schuette, who has expressed an interest in repealing the Medical Marijuana Legislation, and it's anybody's guess what new governor Rick Snyder will do to either hinder or help our cause. But one thing is clear. We must follow the example of our good friends Gatewood Galbraith and Jack Herer, and incessantly promote the cannabis cause. Rep De Herb, Mon. And don't think that just because you're not a "user" you can't help with the struggle. We know a lot of people who aren't afraid to let their freak flag fly, to celebrate the counter-culture. And to those brave souljahs we say, "Damn Right!"

The Pot Head's Dilemma - "To Smoke Or Not To Smoke."

Here we are in the 21st Century, and we still don't have hover-cars, space highways, or cannabis legalization. And while technology moves to realize the first two, one wonders when, and if, the third will ever happen. Oh sure. They'll throw us a bone every once in a while, but in the broader sense our politicians and judicial tyrants don't want legalization across the board. This would mean a huge loss in revenue from pursuing, apprehending, prosecuting, and imprisoning the cannabis culture. And I'm not talking about Mr. Kingpin here. I'm talking about sons, daughters, students, teachers, doctors, patients, police officers, even the lawmakers themselves! I'm talking about a multi-billion dollar business centered around medicinal persecution, or the rights of citizens to partake in cannabis sativa as an alternative to pills and powders.

Cannabis, or as its more commonly referred to, marijuana, is still high on society's hit list as being a negative & destructive force on our culture. In spite of the fact that it has never caused a single death (compare to alcohol), and that most pot smokers are a peace-loving and caring lot, your average Mom & Pop household still look at it as a 'gateway drug', and therefore a potential threat to their way of life. Cannabis is almost always accompanied by harder drugs when there's a 'bust', and therefore gets lumped into the same extreme categories. If a proper survey were done, it would most likely show that a majority of those who are against cannabis legalization are avid drinkers and pill poppers. Which makes most of society's opposition to our cause purely hypocritical. But of course this doesn't stop them from pushing the issue, and smoking a 'J' in public can still get you prison time in the Land Of The Free.

Which brings us to the average pot smoker, a group that is reportedly getting bigger each year (Take that D.A.R.E.!). They are often the demographic however that, come election time, are rarely seen at the polls, even when a key pro-cannabis initiative is on the ballot. Their reasons for not turning out vary, from being afraid the government will target them for signing a petition, to just out right laziness. One thing is for sure. If even half of the pot heads in this state, let alone nationally, voted when pro-cannabis initiatives were up for consideration, pot would be legal, or at the very least de-criminalized. There are pot heads everywhere. They're on every corner, in every neighborhood, every board room, and are of every nationality. They are your parents, your mentors, and your clergy. Pot heads have the numbers to politically change this country. If only they could admit they were pot heads.

America is fueled by Big Media, a Capitalist machine that has managed to permeate every corner of our society. You can't go anywhere without the glare of Big Brother peeking out from a sign, billboard, magazine, TV, or storefront. And what Big 'Media' Brother teaches you is similar to what George Orwell envisioned, "Be good. Don't smoke that 'wacky tobacky'. Watch these shiny objects. Drink booze and smoke cigs like real Americans. Go to sleep."

Unfortunately, much of America has sucumbed to this 'eternal sleep'. They go along with what their Corporate overlords tell them to: buy the products, believe the bullshit, live in fear. Which is why so many pot heads are afraid to stick their necks out for the pro-cannabis movement, why they prefer to smoke their bud behind locked and bolted doors. They FEAR. The fear-mongers, members of law enforcement and the judicial system, have gotten into their heads. "Thought crime does not entail death: Thought crime is death."--George Orwell.

A recent pro-cannabis vote in California was defeated primarily because the growers of Humboldt County (and other lucrative pot growing areas) feared legalization would hurt their bottom line, a move fully supported by the anti-cannabis movement. Here it wasn't pot smokers who determined the fate of cannabis in Cali but businessmen, who used their riches to help defeat the bill. Just imagine how that vote would have turned out if only a fraction of the non-voting-pot smoking community turned out on November 2nd. They'd be smoking Killer Cali in the streets right now.

"Think For Yourself" has never been more important. We've been manipulated and most people either don't know it, or they're just too afraid to admit it. Fear of cannabis is completely irrational. It is a beautiful & graceful plant with untold resources and pleasures to offer. It may not be your cup of tea, but it is for millions of others, and it always will be. Hundreds of years from now, people will be smoking a spliff in their new hover-car as they listen to Bob Marley. Cannabis will never die. It will continue to grow, and each generation will have its 'heads'. And It Will Be Good.

So pot heads. What's it gonna be? Are you gonna let your freak flag fly, or are we going to continue bailing you out of jail because of your choice of medicine? It's totally up to YOU. The movement is ready to fight the hypocrites who flood our legal system, but we need your help to put this thing over the top. All we're asking from you is to sign a petition every once in a while and go out to vote. It's once every two years! And we must all work together to educate the public about the misconceptions regarding De Herb. This may be as simple as talking to a stranger who's on the fence regarding legalization issues, or wearing that Hash Bash shirt to
a family reunion. But hiding isn't the answer. And that's what a lot of pot smokers are doing right now.

Consider this a challenge. Prove me wrong America! Come out for Cannabis Liberation Day on May 7th, 2011 in over 300 cities world-wide. Make this year's events the biggest ever! If we all work together, this senseless and crazy war against cannabis can finally come to an end.

Liberation Is Coming!

MAY 7th, 2011 IS "J" DAY!

For the 11th consecutive year Cures Not Wars is sponsoring a Cannabis Liberation Day march and rally in Detroit, Michigan at Grand Circus Park, 1601 Woodward Ave, directly in front of Comerica Park. The purpose for this event is to decriminalize adult use of cannabis world-wide and free up government resources that are being devoted to prosecuting cannabis related offenses.

Cures Not Wars would like anyone who has been affected by today's oppressive anti-cannabis laws to attend, as well as anyone who believes in personal freedom. We plan to have music, speakers and much more, and there is no admission to attend. Medical marijuana patients & compassion centers will have a special place at our event, and they can consider themselves our guests of honor. We'll kick off the day's festivities at "High" Noon, and plan to go until 6 or 7pm. A march is planned for 4:20pm on the streets of Woodward Ave., in one of Detroit's busiest metropolitan areas, and we ask that you bring signs to carry or materials to make signs, such as poster boards, markers, etc.

This is not just a gathering of cannabis advocates, but a celebration of the cannabis culture as well as Michigan's recent medical marijuana legislation. We offer a peaceful and positive way to show the community that wasting tax dollars on busting potheads is a drain on all citizens, and that such laws need to be repealed.

What makes this event special is the people. Much like Ann Arbor's Hash Bash, which attracted thousands of cannabis supporters last year, Detroit's Liberation Day will be teeming with the young, the old, and everything in between. So won't you please be a part of it. We welcome anyone who would like to speak or perform at this year's event. The exposure factor should be pretty sweet and your contribution will be greatly appreciated.

Any questions? Check out our official website at: www.detroitliberation.us. or www.cures-not-wars.org

PEACE.

Overgrow The Government!

Did You Know?

- In Canada, there are two precedents for selling marijuana seeds:
1) R. v. Hunter in the year 2000, the BC Court of Appeals found that a $200 fine, not jail time, is the appropriate punishment for selling seeds.
2) On March 7th, 2008, the BC Appeals Court released a decision that the punishment for selling cannabis seeds should not be more severe than one month in prison and one year of probation, the punishment handed to a marijuana seed retailer in BC who was selling to Americans.

- Marc Emery, Michelle Rainey and Greg Williams never went to the United States. The seed business, "Marc Emery Direct Marijuana Seeds", was Canadian-based and run by Marc Emery. There were no US-based employees, and only regular mail was ever sent across the border from Vancouver, BC to Americans who made orders online or through the mail.

- According to a 2005 survey done by the Strategic Counsel & Angus Reid Polling, 58% of Canadians opposed extradition in this case. In the years since, public opposition to extradition has only grown, with national newspaper editorials, local news columnists, and even Members of Canada's Parliament all urging the Justice Minister to refuse extradition in this case.

- Marc Emery paid Income Tax to Revenue Canada and Revenue BC on all of his income generated from his seed business. He paid more than $500,000 in taxes between 1999 to 2005, and put his occupation on the income tax declarations as "marijuana seed vendor".

- Marc Emery's magazine "Cannabis Culture" was sent to every Member of Parliament for over 12 years, and still is today. Every issue of Cannabis Culture up to #57 (the issue printed on the very same day as the raid on Marc Emery's seed business, July 29th, 2005) included the entire seed catalogue in it, so Parliament knew about the business.

- Health Canada, when it first began licensing medical marijuana users, recommended to Members of Parliament and licensed users that new cannabis growers should purchase seeds online from Canadian seed sellers such as Marc Emery Direct. Svend Robinson, the New Democratic Party Health Critic in Canadian Parliament, will testify to that fact.

- Marc Emery brought a capitalist approach to the marijuana legalization movement by starting "radical retail" outlets such as Hemp BC, and got politically involved by helping organize the Canadian Marijuana Party and creating the BC Marijuana Party, the latter which he still leads today.

- Marc Emery created his seed business with the purpose of using the profits to fund the cannabis movement worldwide. Through the sale of cannabis seeds, Marc was able to finance numerous drug law reform groups and events around the world, mostly in Canada and the United States. He funded global rally/march promotion, American and Canadian ballot initiatives, election campaigns, lobbying groups, conferences, drug rehab clinics, class action lawsuits, protests, patient bills and bail fees, and more. In total, over $4,000,000 was contributed to various activities and organizations.

FREE MARC EMERY!

The Weed Generation

In my life I've smoked Michuacan, Monkey Paw, Thai Stick, Panama Red, Columbian Gold, Maui Waui, Northern Lights, Bubble Gum, Jack Herer, Sinsemilla, Purple Kush, Chronic,Blunts, Bongs, Vaporizers, One Hitters, Hookahs, and yes, even a toilet paper roll with tin foil. I am not Tommy Chong by any stretch of the imagination, but I have smoked enough bud to kill every single brain cell in my body. And yet I'm as fit as I've ever been, as thoughtful and productive as I've ever been, and I'm looking forward to the future. Not at all like those anti-pot commercials where the "addicted" are lethargic and pretty much brain dead.

It seems that nowadays we can't buy a break in the mainstream media, in spite of our Seth Rogans and our Snoop Doggs. To them we, the potheads of this great nation, are a hindrance to progress and should be vilified. When I look out here and see the smiling faces, happy because they just smoked a fattie, I know that they're my people. What the media sees however is bunch of hippies and n'er do wells, people who should just be happy that they live in a country as great as America and stop bitching about little things like losing your property because you decided to grow a few seed bank plants in your basement or going to jail and pissing in a cup because you were pulled over and the officer found a roach in your ashtray or losing your children because someone at their school found out that you like to spark up every once in a while or losing your job because you came up dirty on a random piss test. I mean, why can't you freaks drink booze like everyone else?

The fact that you can still go to jail for a very long time for growing what is one of the most beautiful and useful plants in the world is an American tragedy. The fact that sick people are being thrown in jail for growing their medicine is an American tragedy. The fact that nearly every business violates our right to privacy by forcing us to piss in a cup is an American tragedy. This country wastes enough money each year apprehending and incarcerating marijuana offenses to fund thousands of schools and enhance thousands of communities. This too is an
American tragedy.

In closing I'd like to say to all the police officers, judges, prosecutors out there to take a serious look at themselves. To realize that we're all human and we're all looking to fill that void. We're all on drugs of some kind, or we're drunk, or we're speeding on caffeine.

America is a drugged nation! So before you accuse me take a look at yourself.

Be A Champion-Smoke Cannabis!

Early in 2009, 8-time Olympic gold medal winner Michael Phelps was photographed smoking a water bong containing, GASP!, marijuana. This set off a storm of controversy created mostly by America's media outlets, and before he knew it, the man who just months earlier was declared the greatest Olympian athlete ever became America's scapegoat. Why? Because he decided to smoke marijuana. The only relevant question here is, "Does mainstream America really believe that Michael Phelps is now a common criminal because he smokes De Herb, or was this just more smoke and mirrors by the Pro-Republican media?" I tend to think the latter.

Recent state-wide votes on marijuana have been considerably favorable, even winning out in prehistoric drug states like Michigan. (Oh yeah, Thank You Voters!!) So I think the public are actually supporting decriminalization of marijuana for medical purposes. It's the politicians who invest heavily in the justice system, with its over-the-hill judges who look at crime and punishment as a way to avenge their own shortcomings, who are against it.

Marijuana related offenses are the easiest to prosecute and drug offenses represent the biggest profit for state governments. But they don't stop there, Oh No. Once they put you in prison, then they go after everything that's in your name. Cars, RVs, property, your home. And once you do get out, to nothing by the way, then society doesn't want to give you a job because now you're an ex-con. All because you like to smoke a little bud. I'm sorry, but what the government is allowing to happen to its citizens is as close to Nazi Germany as we're going to get. Does it really matter that instead of leading us to a gas chamber they're leading us to a cell? It doesn't matter to me.

This war on marijuana is a war on people. It's a war fought for greed and power, a war funded by America's Conservative Front so they can continue their prison state mentality and enslave us all. While this might sound like a far fetched idea, think for a second about what happened to Michael Phelps. This man did nothing more than make a bad judgement call and he lost one of his biggest endorsers, Kelloggs. If you listen to Kellogg's side of the story, making a mistake is not part of Kellogg's philosophy. Neither is forgiveness or restraint. Kelloggs is part of that Republican funded prison state and we, the productive pot smokers of America should not spend our money on any of their products. There's just way too many brands of cereal out there.

And to Michael Phelps, I wish you many happy bong hits.

Inside Job

Corporate and governmental concerns are clearly centered on keeping marijuana illegal. This is evident by the huge drug testing industry, which makes billions of dollars violating our privacy. Hemp is a threat to the textile industry, which has mastered the art of merchandising inferior products at a premium price. Even minor marijuana offenses can mean the forfeiture of hundreds of government loans and assistance programs, saving the government millions of dollars. Want to go to college on a Pell Grant? Better not smoke any wacky tobacky.

And the prison complex. More inmates mean more correctional jobs, and we all want that, right? I am convinced that corporate America will never embrace our cause. It’s bad for business. And even though George W. was the biggest coke-head ever to grace the White House, the drug laws in this country are pathetic. It all comes back to the people, just like it did in 1776. We need the average voter. We need them to embrace our cause, if even for selfish reasons.

Legalize Don't Criticize

Pro-marijuana events have taken a hit over recent years. They are attracting much smaller crowds and societal pressures regarding marijuana use have scared many potential activists away. What remains is a core group of activists who attend every event, yet these people oftentimes end up preaching to the choir: themselves. Of course the media gives their usual apathetic coverage of the events, so the average citizen misses the point altogether. What they see is a bunch of potheads bitching about not being able to engage in illegal behavior. That is if they care to look at it at all.

The fact is, without some form of mainstream acceptance our rallies and marches have minimal impact. Many activists refuse to believe this and continue to organize without adding much to the bigger picture. Groups such as NORML tend to separate themselves from the recreational user and concentrate on political lobbies. And while they can be seen passing a joint with the common folk, their focus is clearly elsewhere. What separates the haves from the have-nots is mainstream support. Progressive thinking comes from progressive people. Does this mean Michiganders are conservative? Of course it does. And that requires a totally different approach.

The difference between liberal and conservative thinkers is that one thinks for themselves while the other thinks what they’re told to. And in spite of the fact that Michigan gave their support to John Kerry in the last election, they are doomed to think inside the box. To illustrate this, let’s look at the Ann Arbor Hash Bash.

The Hash Bash began as a student project at the University Of Michigan, a premier institute of higher learning, in 1972. It has since become a major pro-marijuana event, attracting such stoner-alumni as Tommy Chong & John Sinclair. Its reputation reached a peak when High Times, America’s pro-pot magazine, began sending their staff to cover the event. In the mid to late 70s the Hash Bash was a true cultural phenomenon, attracting thousands of activists and curious thrill seekers. Marijuana was openly smoked (as it should be) and there was a very low incidence of problems for the city. Some would say that the Hash Bash brought economic strength to the area, especially the restaurants and bars, and that our culture was a relatively well behaved bunch.

The residents of Ann Arbor didn’t really mind all the freaks that descended on their fine city every April. After all, it was only once a year, and they probably looked forward to the colorful pageant that is the marijuana culture. But at some point local politicians began frowning on the event. They saw it as a black eye to the city that so many “criminals”, many of which came from outside the area, chose to practice their negative behavior within their boundaries. Of course Michigan government, which has been in the grip of corrupt conservatives for quite some time, agreed, and the disassembling of our precious resource began. The arrests went up dramatically, and soon those swing voters, the weekend pot smokers, disappeared. The Hash Bash of 2005, while not generating many arrests, made nary a ripple in the minds and hearts of those who still believe that possession of a joint is a jailable offense. The crowd, a soggy crew of diehards, did their best to put the issue out there, and God love ‘em for that, but the lack of numbers downplayed any long term effect.

We need to get the people out to these kinds of events in droves. There needs to be thousands of chanting activists holding signs and decrying the inhumane laws surrounding marijuana. Mothers, fathers, grandparents, business owners, religious leaders. They all need to show up. But how to do that?

First of all, the average citizen does not feel personally affected by marijuana prohibition. They probably never bought or tried a hemp product, most were never busted for a marijuana offense, at least in adulthood, and many have bought into the gateway drug theory, which states that marijuana leads to progressively more dangerous drugs. They may not demonize the weed, but they certainly don’t support its legalization. News reports showing marijuana busts always feature footage of confiscated guns and shady characters, further condemning it for the average viewer. But we are compassionate. Right? We care about our fellow humans (I know, it’s a stretch). So the medical marijuana patient should be someone they at least respect. The problem is, medical marijuana is usually reserved for critically ill patients, making it a last resort for many. But the medical issue is certainly intriguing. Extra effort should be made to get these people out on the front line, not as poster children, but as symbols of the practicality of marijuana use.

The best way to get someone on your side is to demonstrate how they themselves are being affected. We know that millions of tax dollars are being wasted each year on busting potheads, many of which are honest tax-paying citizens. Illustrate this by passing out informational flyers at non-marijuana events such as concerts. Keep the flyer simple and non-offensive. For example, the phrase “Fuck The Police” should be avoided. Concentrate on the financial losses of the average tax-payer, including the cost of rehabilitation and incarceration. But get that message out into the mainstream. Work on that majority that can actually help change the laws regarding marijuana and hemp.

We know who we are. We know that we’re going to sign the petitions, march in the rallies, and support the legalization issue. But we’re not enough. This has become painfully evident by the stepping up of marijuana related arrests. We must sway the public if things are to change for the better. Even once a marginal victory is attained, the ultimate prejudice towards the pot culture will make that victory pointless.