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COMPLIMENTARY

C A N N A B I S H E A L T H t h e m e d i c a l m a r i j u a n a j o u r n a l page 3

DON'T PLAY THE TOMATO GAME

Watch for "Don't Play the Tomato Game" in the next issue of Cannabis Health

Make your Marijuana Plants Explode!

CANNABIS HEALTH the medical marijuana journal

editorial ....................................................................................................................... 3

meet the staff ........................................................................................................... 3

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

legal eagle ................................................................................................................... 8

commentaryWelcome Aboard ........................................................................................................ 9

prison of pain .......................................................................................................... 10

ask dr.ethan.............................................................................................................. 12

legalize itThe Canadian Senate Report in short ................................................................. 13

U. S. initiativesPeople Out of Time (P.O.T.) ...................................................................................... 13

coming to canada?................................................................................................ 14

set - setting - dosage ........................................................................................... 16

truth or d.a.r.e.A daring look at drug education .......................................................................... 18

US fedslack of compassion ................................................................................................... 19

history of the C. C. C.The Canadian Compassion Coalition ................................................................. 20

booster a medical user compares ........................................................................................ 21

marvin’s gardensbig results from a small space ............................................................................... 25

back to basicsproper ventilation of indoor gardens .................................................................. 26

the cold revolutioncold vs. hot in the light wars................................................................................... 26

hemp, an emerging superfoodArthur Hanks reports on hemp ............................................................................. 27

stonehemp™

building with hemp .................................................................................................. 28

vaporization(advertorial) smoking your medicine without smoking it............................. 30

watch Nevada.......................................................................................................... 31

constitutional challenge .................................................................................... 31

cannabis classifiedsbuy, sell, trade, network, coming events, friendly outlets ............................... 32

C A N N A B I S H E A L T Hi n s i d e @

c o v e r s t o r y

The Vancouver IslandCompassion Society.

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The Cannabis Health Foundation was formed inthe spring of 2002 as a non-profit foundation.

The foundation is dedicated to: • Promoting the safe medicinal use of cannabis.• Research into efficacy and genetics of cannabis.• Supporting and protecting the rights of the medical

cannabis patients. • Educating the public on cannabis issues.The first initiative of the foundation is this complimentaryhard copy publication of Cannabis Health Journal.

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Grand Forks Hemp Co.: where you have a choice of hemprelated products to buy, from t-shirts to hemp string.Cannabis Health Journal: where you can go to the bookstore & buy a book, or subscribe to the Journal. Cannabis Research Institue Inc.: Find a wide selection ofharm reduction products and growing equpipment.Advance Nutrients: Purchase these marijuana specific nutri-ents from the convenience of your own home.Gaia Green Products Ltd.: For a safe, healthy choice try GaiaGreen organic fertilizers for growing in soil.

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e d i t o r @ c a n n a b i s h e a l t h . c o m

Welcome to the firstedition of CannabisHealth Journal. Whatwe are about to dowith this publicationwould not havebeen possible tenyears ago.Impossible becauseeven 5 years ago the

technology was not available thatwould enable a dedicated few topublish on this scale.

Impossible too, because politics, thelaw and society were not ready. Thehighly successful medicinal cannabislobby has increased acceptance bythe general public of the medicinalproperties of cannabis, instilling con-fidence in more closet smokers tocourageously step forward and admita lifetime pattern of modest andresponsible use.

Over the past several years thecannabis hemp movement hascalmed the fears of the masses withthe comforting message that hempis not marijuana. Indeed, the differ-ences between the strains are signif-icant and this strategy has allowedmodest gains for the hemp move-ment. I remember vividly a heateddiscussion with famous author JackHerrar in Salmo in 1996; Jack wasarguing that hemp would open the

door for marijuana legalization,while I on the defensive was press-ing the alternative, that marijuanamust be dealt with first to avoid theproliferation of rules, regulationsand people to enforce them. I wasmuch younger then and more naïve,but alas, I was right. Western soci-ety’s fear of marijuana is rapidlydiminishing and cannabis is againbeing embraced in all its identities:as clothing, as food, as buildingmaterials, and as medicine.

My respect and admiration goes outto the patients in California who arefacing the force of the DEA and theUS federal government; the Journalwill follow their couragious strugglein more detail in the next edition.Also look out for more on the tomatogrowing myth, titled, "No WonderWe’re Confused". My apologies fornot delivering on the "Question forHealth Canada".Our sympathies arewith HC; I am sure the last few weekshas been hell.

We will continue to submit questionsto Health Canada and hope to reportthe responses in the coming edition.

Cannabis Health Journal is owned bythe Cannabis Health Foundation, aregistered non-profit society. Thehard copy Journal is fully integratedwith the cannabishealth.com website. The site offers information, shop-

ping and more in depth reportingthan we have room for in print andwill offer readers multiple web linksto more information and other sitesof interest.

The Journal will focus on the respon-sible marijuana user, who underCanada's new laws will soon have theright to grow a small quantity ofcannabis at home for personal con-sumption. We will celebrate the bravepilgrims that courageously and rou-tinely place their lives on the line fortheir beliefs and we will encouragethe pioneers of the cannabis move-ment to tell their stories and sharetheir secrets. I welcome and wouldlike to personally thank those forwardthinking individuals and businessesthat have stepped forward and adver-tised in this first edition. The responseto the Journal from the professionalcommunity and from medical usershas been inspirational.

Decisions that will affect the lives ofmillions will be made in the next fewmonths. The Canadian Senate reportwas released on September 4/02 andrecommended dramatic changes inCanadian law that would extensivelytreat marijuana the same as alcohol.Senator Nolin, who chaired the com-mittee, predicted that the CanadianCommons committee reviewing thesame topic and due to report inNovember, would substantially con-cur with the Senate’s recommenda-tions. Other politicians have warnedof a backlash from the U.S. should wedare to legalize. Regardless of theslowdowns or bends in the trail, Ihave no doubt Canada will continuedown the path to more enlightenedand humane drug policies.

Cannabis Health Journal will be thereas the decisions are made, as theconsequences unfold and as the lawschange. We will be a strong andcredible voice in the rapidly evolvingcannabis culture.

Congratulations to all the Journalcontributors, staff, volunteers andsupporters; thanks for sharing thevision.

Brian TaylorEditor in Chief

s t a f f @ c a n n a b i s h e a l t h

Cannabis Health StaffBack row, left to right: Gordon Taylor, Alixe Laden, Brian McAndrew, Brian Taylor, L. L. Soley, Barb

St. Jean Front row, left to right: Mandy Nordahn, Tammy Little, Harvey Mathison

C A N N A B I S H E A L T H t h e m e d i c a l m a r i j u a n a j o u r n a l


There were no guarantees. Ofcourse, we were all optimistic, but asI walked into the courtroom that

day, no one could be certain of the outcome.We stood up as the judge entered. As we satdown again – myself behind my able attor-ney John Conroy - my wife, friends and sup-porters in the audience, silently awaiting myfate (and the fate of the Vancouver IslandCompassion Society) – the judge announcedthat he was going to read the entire legaldecision aloud.

Judge Higinbotham began to outline thebackground of the long case. Since my arrestin November of 2000 I had appeared in courtover 20 times:

"Philippe Lucas is President of the VancouverIsland Compassion Society, an organizationthat provides marijuana to its members formedical purposes. His activities in that regardresulted in a charge of possession of less than3 kilograms of marijuana for the purpose oftrafficking, contrary to section 5(2) of theControlled Drugs and Substances Act, to whichhe entered a plea of guilty. Mr. Lucas hasrequested he be discharged absolutely, andthe issue in this hearing is whether anabsolute discharge is justified."

Over the 25 minutes that it took the judgeto read through his decision, I had a chanceto reflect on the long court battle, as well aswhat had gone right (and wrong) since ouropening day on the 1st of October, 1999.

At the VICS, our goal has always been tohelp those with a legitimate medical needgain access to a safe, affordable supply ofcannabis. As a secondary goal, we hope todemonstrate that this can be done in a man-ner that is both legally and socially accept-able. For us, this means two things: 1)complete transparency of action and

accounting. 2) anticipating and addressingpossible public and police concerns regard-ing our actions and organization.

The former has been addressed by register-ing as a provincial non-profit society. Non-profit status takes away one of theprosecutor’s main line of argument: that weare in this for the money. As a non-profit, own-ership of the Vancouver Island CompassionSociety remains in the hands of its 250 currentmembers. All of the financial records for theorganization are submitted to and reviewedby the relevant government organization.During the court case, Judge Higinbothamhad the prosecution agree that there was aclear distinction between the VICS makingenough money to continue its operationshelping those in need, and actually profiteer-ing from the desperation of the sick.

Our status as a non-profit also helps us gainpublic support; it reflects our efforts to workwithin the system when possible.Furthermore, non-profit status serves as abusiness licence, allowing us to forgo the citybureaucracy involved with obtaining alicence. Lastly, as a non-profit, we receive dis-counts on some essential services, such as theinternet, intra-office security, banking, etc. Anyand all money saved can be a real boost to asmall start-up organization.

The VICS’ original location - in a residentialarea in Oak Bay - meant that we had to antici-pate the very real concerns of the local com-munity in our business model. Firstly, we werewise enough to look at what was alreadyworking. The British Columbia CompassionClub Society (BCCCS) had been in operationfor almost three years before the VICS camealong, and we learned much from their expe-rience and success. Bureaucracy and paper-work are the most dreaded aspects of any

legitimate busi-ness, so instead ofreinventing thewheel, we modeledour forms on thoseof the BCCCS, mak-ing appropriatechanges wherenecessary.

A CASE HISTORYThe Court Decision at a Glance

[4] The Compassionate Society carried onits program in a commercially zoned premisewithin the Municipality of Oak Bay for four-teen months with what appears to be thetacit approval of the police.

[5] The attitude of the police changedwhen Mr. Lucas reported to them that theSociety’s premises had been broken into, andthat two pounds of marijuana had beenstolen.

[6] This frank disclosure by Mr. Lucas led toan investigation of him and his activities,even though his activities were known to thepolice and tolerated by them up to this point.

[8] Mr. Lucas is a 32 year old resident ofVictoria with a degree in English Literatureand a secondary education certificate quali-fying him to teach English and Theatre. He isarticulate, intelligent and fluently bilingual inboth official languages. He has earned anincome most recently by writing articles formagazines and by teaching. The principal ofa school where he recently taught French tograde 2 and 3 students described him as awonderful teacher and a gift to children.

[9] He has also become an importantresource both in Canada and our local com-munity on the issue of the medicinal use ofmarijuana. He has consulted with, and influ-enced, both federal cabinet ministers andlocal city councillors. During the course ofthis hearing I was made aware through cor-respondence and video evidence that he ishighly regarded by these levels of govern-ment as a source of information on the sub-ject of the medicinal use of marijuana.

[44] A judge is guided by a number of prin-ciples set out in section 718.2. A sentenceshould be increased or reduced to accountfor any relevant aggravating or mitigatingcircumstances relating to the offense or theoffender. The mitigating factors in this caseinclude:

[47] This case must be viewed in a broadcontext in which, to date, the combination offederal regulations and College of Physicianstrepidation has made it extremely difficultfor applicants to obtain approval to use mar-ijuana.

…This was not truly a commercial opera-tion in the sense that we usually understandit. Profit was not the motive. Nor can she sus-tain the argument that the community wasput at risk. Further, the Crown cannot relyupon the argument that there is a lawfuloption for those in need of the drug when theevidence establishes that the drug is onlytheoretically available through legitimatesources.

[49] I find that while there is no doubt thatMr. Lucas offended against the law by provid-ing marijuana to others, his actions wereintended to ameliorate the suffering of oth-ers. His conduct did ameliorate the suffering

The Vancouver Compassion SocietyThe Vancouver Compassion Society

continued page 7

The VIC’s staff: left to right: Mat, Steve, Mike, Philippe, and Chad

Our residentiallocation meant that (unlike the BCCCS) nosmoking was to be allowed on site.Furthermore, we created a contract inform-ing members that any redistribution ofproduct would lead to their immediateexpulsion. It is important for applicants torealize that, due to the continued prohibi-tion on cannabis, membership in a com-passion society is a benefit, rather than aright. We hope to extend this benefit to asmany people with a legitimate need aspossible, butalways with thegoal of protect-ing the integri-ty and legalsecurity of thesociety and its250 currentmembers.

Modern sci-ence hasproven timeand again thatcannabis is anincrediblydiverse, safe and effective medicine. Assuch, the VICS operates under the beliefthat the medical and research communitiesshould be natural allies in the fight forpatient access to cannabis therapies. Wehave worked hard to provide informationto physicians on a one-on-one basis as wellas through public presentations. The VICSencourages continued research (and freeaccess to information) in the area of thera-peutic cannabis; we are currently engagedin the development of a Strain/SymptomSurvey Protocol with Dr. Marc Ware fromMcGill University. We are also in theprocess of developing a survey protocolwith Dr. Diana Sylvestre from theUniversity of California, San Francisco andthe BCCCS, that will monitor the potentialincrease in the success rate of Hep-C suf-ferers who use cannabis while undergo-ing interferon ribovarin treatment.

Since scientific research and observa-tional studies have found cannabis to beeffective in treating the symptoms associ-ated with serious conditions like Hep-C,HIV/AIDS, MS and cancer, the VICS strivedto establish a relationship with the rele-vant social/welfare organizations in ourarea. We have also felt it to be our respon-sibility to address the federal governmentregarding the practical needs of Canadianmedical marijuana users. This has led to ameeting with then Health Minister AlanRock, and to two invitations for an audi-ence from the Senate Special Committeeon Illegal Drugs, to whom we presentedpractical information on the unworkabili-

ty of Health Canada Marijuana MedicalAccess Regulations, as well as the problemscurrently facing the compassion clubs thathave arisen to fill this void in the safe sup-ply of cannabis treatments.

And yet, despite all of our hard work, inNovember of 2000 we had the poor luck ofhaving our organization broken into androbbed. When I made the naïve mistake ofdutifully reporting this incident to the localauthorities, the police showed up at theVICS with a warrant for my arrest.

For betteror for worse,the VICSwould neverbe thesame.Whereas wehad previ-ously goneout of ourway tomaintain alow publicprofile, wewere now

forced to call upon the support of the pub-lic and the press in order to assert astronger voice in this debate and to callattention to this inexcusable breach of jus-tice and compassion. We had not asked forthis public role - I had honestly hoped tocontinue to quietly help those in need withas little fanfare as possible - but now I wasbeing charged with trafficking, and theVICS had been dragged into the legal sys-tem. Overnight, a petty thief and then theOak Bay Police had taken the medicine

from the mouths of some of the area’s sick-est citizens. Overnight, my ability to travel,my work with children, my legal status, allwere instantly in serious jeopardy.Overnight, everything had changed.

In March of this year, as part of a dealwith the prosecution, I went into the localprovincial courthouse, stood before a judge,and was asked how I


of others. By this Court’s analysis, Mr. Lucasenhanced other people’s lives at minimal or norisk to society, although he did it outside anylegal framework. He provided that which theGovernment was unable to provide a safe andhigh quality supply of marijuana to those need-ing it for medicinal purposes. He did this openly,and with reasonable safeguards. The fact that hehas stated he will continue this activity points tothe sincerity of his principles, and points to ourneed as a society to get this thorny issue resolvedquickly by either Parliament or the SupremeCourt of Canada.

[50] Mr. Lucas has established that he is a manof good character, who would benefit fromreceiving a discharge. He has also establishedthat in the circumstances of this case, the grant-ing of a discharge would not be contrary to thepublic interest. As there is no need to apply reha-bilitative principles in terms of a conditionalorder, I grant him an absolute discharge.

[51] I am not satisfied that all of the itemsseized by the police were sufficiently related tothe offense to justify blanket forfeiture….I there-fore order all monies seized to be returned to Mr.Lucas. I further order that the seized computerbe returned to him, as there is no legitimate pur-pose in ordering it forfeited. Finally, I order thereturn of any unused paraphernalia only. Theseized marijuana and any used paraphernaliaare forfeited to the federal Crown.

continued from page 5

continued on page 8

plead to the charge of "possession for thepurpose of trafficking". I looked up, andagainst all of my instinct, and despite allthat the VICS had done to contribute to thehealth and happiness of its many critically

and chronically ill members, I answered"guilty, your honour". Those were the hard-est, most frustrating three words that I’ve

ever had to utter in my life. And now, fourmonths later, I was standing before thatsame judge, listening to him read off theclosing chapter in this long legal battle.

Judge Higinbotham was nearing theend of the sentencing:

"Mr. Lucas has established that he is aman of good character who would benefitfrom a discharge. He has also establishedthat in the circumstances of this case, thegranting of a discharge would not be con-trary to the public interest. As there is noneed to apply rehabilitative principles interms of a conditional order, I grant him anabsolute discharge."

Relief immediately swept over me. As Iturned and hugged my beautiful wife, thecheering supporters were told by thecourt officer that there was to be "no clap-

ping!", a round of applause went up any-how. In Judge Higenbotham’s wise 21page legal decision lay the sweat, tears,and dedication that has made the societystrong through a bust, 3 locations, andalmost 3 years of constant hard work. TheVICS hadn’t changed the laws governingthe distribution of medicinal cannabis, butthe club’s members and its incredibly ded-icated staff had presented a way to suc-cessfully work within them.

Through the extensive experience andobservation, the compassion clubs ofCanada have become an invaluablesource of information in regards tocannabis therapeutics. By continuing towork with all levels of government as wellas the health/welfare community, theVICS is engaged in making this informa-tion available to researchers, physiciansand the general public alike, with the sin-cere hope that with knowledge andunderstanding will finally come laws andpolicies that reflect compassion, caringand common sense.Phillippe Lucas, Director, Vancouver IslandCompassion SocietyP.S. My special thanks to my wife Mary, JohnConroy, Hilary Black, Marc Emery, and espe-cially the VICS staff and members. Withoutall of your help, the 20 months may haveturned out very differently.

page 8 C A N N A B I S H E A L T H t h e m e d i c a l m a r i j u a n a j o u r n a l

Dear Mr Conroy,Myself and a number of friends with MShave been cooperatively growing our ownmedicine for many years. For a variety of rea-sons, most of our group are opposed toapplying to Health Canada for legal permits.One of the arguments is that soon we will beable to grow legal anyway. What will happenif you are successful with the Supreme Courtchallenge in Clay, Malmo-Levine and Caine?Will we finally be able to grow our own?A: While it remains unlawful, according tothe Controlled Drugs and Substances Act(CDSA), to possess, to grow, to possess forthe purpose of distribution, to traffick (whichincludes "giving" and merely "transporting"),and to export or import cannabis or to con-spire to do so, without a federal governmentpermit of one kind or another, arguably thelaw remains unconstitutional insofar as theuse of cannabis by genuine medical patientsare concerned. This argument is based onthe submission that the Marijuana MedicalAccess Regulations do not meet the test for

constitutionality required by the OntarioCourt of Appeal in Parker, in that "access" isnow arguably more difficult than before,when only the support of your treating physi-cian was required. Hopefully this argumentwill be sustained in the pending challenge inHitzig et al that is being pursued currently inthe Ontario Superior Court by Alan Young. Iunderstand it will be heard on the 18th and19th of September 2002. (last-minute-update-next court date is October 18th)The Malmo-Levine, Caine and Clay trio ofcases will now be heard together in theSupreme Court of Canada on December13th, 2002 in Ottawa. It is virtually certainthat the court will reserve judgement untilsome time in the future before giving fullwritten reasons for this decision. The courtmight find the law to be unconstitutional,but suspend the declaration of unconstitu-tionality for a period of time to let the gov-ernment try and get it right, as the OntarioCourt of Appeal did in Parker. While theSenate Report is encouraging and theParliamentary Committee will report inNovember, I wouldn't put any money on anyprogressive action by any politicians pend-ing the decision of the Supreme Court ofCanada, perhaps by late 2003.If we win on all points in Clay and Caine, thenpossession will be lawful for any purpose -

medical or otherwise. I'm uncertain whatthey will say about growing for personal useconsistent with possession, as the growingissue arising in Clay is not being argueddirectly. Malmo-Levine deals with self-regu-lated distribution that minimizes the blackmarket risks to vulnerable groups, such asimmature youths, the mentally ill and preg-nant women, as well as requiring membersof the Harm Reduction Club to learn tosmoke more safely and pledge not to drive,fly or otherwise operate complex machinerywhile high. Probably the Natural Health CareProducts regulations will cover situationswhere someone markets Cannabis as "med-icine". Certain consumer protection stan-dards will have to be met if the product is tobe sold on the open market, at least as med-icine and eventually for recreational purpos-es as well. Hopefully, you will all be able togrow your own again, at least for medicinalpurposes, but the status of co-operatives,etc. remains up in the air.JCQCJohn Conroy, Q.C., CONROY& COMPANYBarrister and Solicitor2459 Pauline Street, Abbotsford, BC V2S 3S1Telephone: (604) 852-5110Fax: (604) 859-3361Website: www.johnconroy.com

[34] It is clear that marijuana has both arecreational and medicinal use. This case

has to do with medicinal use only, andought not to be viewed as relevant to thedebate over the legal prescription againstthe recreational use of marijuana…In the

medicinal sense, the drug clearly has value,and this value probably outweighs the risks

to the individual and the community.

Legal Eagle!


the comfortable waiting room the menu


Public healthis the linchpinof drug control -the state justi-fies thecriminalizationof use and distri-bution on the

grounds that our collective well-being isthreatened by the presence of the alleged-ly dangerous substance. This assertion isbecoming increasingly difficult to main-tain with marijuana. Cannabis is so clear-ly a world apart from alcohol and tobacco,drugs that are, paradoxically, rarelydescribed as drugs. Even when rates ofuse of all three substances are taken intoaccount, the harms of marijuana areinsignificant, in con-trast to the lung can-cer and emphysemaepidemics producedby tobacco, and thecirrhosis, cancer andheart disease pro-duced by alcoholabuse. And so B.C.Ferries (be thankfulthey don't flyplanes) recently didits bit for the ill-con-ceived war on mari-juana, inviting adozen police officersand their snifferdogs onto theHorsehoe Bay-Nanaimo run to ran-domly search carsfor cannabis. Youwould think this wasa matter of pressingnational importance- so many lives atrisk that the normalprocess of obtaininga search warrantwas unnecessary.There might well becircumstances in

which the Ferry Corporation would besensibly serving the public good by invit-ing officers and their dogs on board with-out a warrant to track a bomb or bombsthat had been placed on the ferry, toarrest a man who was fleeing a masshomicide, to find a terrorist about tounleash a biological weapon of massdestruction.

But cannabis? As many commentatorshave noted, there will likely be no convic-tions arising from this poorly conceivedsearch, and the $30,000 worth of mari-juana seized was probably replaced bynightfall with the constant yield from ourprovincial grow-operations. Weneed to yield to

science in the matter of marijuana. Thisis a drug that provides medical benefitsfor some people in some circumstances,and the harm that it produces for recre-ational users is almost always less signifi-cant than the harms produced by thedrugs that our culture endorses, respectsand embraces. If public health is our man-date, we should think of shifting ourfocus from cannabis to tobacco, alcoholabuse, the excessive consumption of fatsand sugars, and the failure to exercise.These issues deserve more attention fromthe state than does the use of cannabis byconsenting adults.

Neil BoydCriminologist at

Simon Fraser University

by Arlene Smith

I was in my early 20's when the con-straints of physical pain became a regularpart of my day and it was medical mari-juana use that has led me to a life of free-dom. Let me explain…

In '92 I was badly injured by a car thatcollided with my bicycle. I spent severalweeks on the floor of our rental homeand another 8 weeks on crutches. After 6months of therapy, I was able to get backto work. To this day, it is unwise to doactivities that could twist the knee or puttoo much pressure on it. Weatherchanges and overexertion affect myelbow and knee, causing aches and loudsnapping noises.

Five years later, I was involved in a 3-vehicle accident in which all parties wereinjured. I had such a severe case ofwhiplash that my left arm was numb formonths and my lower back throbbedpainfully. I had chronic and acute painfrom headaches, muscle spasms andsleep-deprived nights. After a year of full-time physiotherapy, massage therapy andcounseling for depression and anxietyattacks, I was only able to do a few hoursof my previous work load a day.

For the pain, I was prescribed Tylenol 3's,which made me vomit, have constipationand feel dope-sick the next day, yet I had totake up to 2 of these a day (1/2 at a time)for years. When I could, I chose non-pre-

scription painkillers(i.e. Advil, etc) which Itook like candy for 5years. I was also pre-scribed muscle relax-ants that resulted inexhaustion that dayand dope sickness thenext. For ChronicDepression I was pre-scribed Paxil, anaddictive antidepres-sant, which made mefeel so disconnectedand displaced that I

quit taking it. When my doctor urged meto try again, but to take only 1/2 a pill, I didtry one more time, and hated its effectsenough to stop using this drug. For theAnxiety Attacks, I have been takingLorazepam. Aside from the immediate sideeffects of prescription drugs, is a long-termone to be wary of as well - the body canbecome so addicted to medication it canactually create 'false' pain!

Lifestyle changes were the first chal-lenges I had to face if there was to be anyhope of getting off prescription drugs. Ilearned the art of pain management andmovement modification. Massage therapyand exercise are vital components for mypain management. Dietary changes includ-ed decreasing caffeine intake, drinkingmore water and taking natural supple-ments such as: herbal teas, glucosamineand MSM. But despite these measures andso many years passing, I still suffer enoughpain and discomfort to require me to stayat home, or else suffer every day.

Incorporating the use of medical mari-juana over the last 4 years, I noticed ahuge decline in the medication I was tak-ing. This last year, for instance, my pre-scriptions actually expired before beingcompletely used up! My headaches arenot so severe and I can carry on dutiesthroughout the day when I take regularbreaks.

It is very easy to become consumed bythoughts of despair and loss. After all, I am

not quite 33 - yet I live like an elderly per-son! My physical future is not clear and Iam utterly dependent on my husband.However, I have noticed that certain vari-eties of marijuana, such as Bubble Gumand Shady Lady, tend to alleviate depres-sion. Marijuana takes the mind to otherplaces. I do not dwell on thoughts, butpass through them, and am able to smileand carry on with a lifted heart. On thenegative side, however, I find marijuanaisn't conducive to shopping, appoint-ments or driving as my anxiety is actuallyheightened.

According to a recent article in the localpaper, marijuana is said to cause apathy. Itis my opinion that certain strains actuallystimulate creativity. My favorite variety ofall time, is Shady Lady, an old strain fromNepal, for this reason.

Smoking anything is damaging to thelungs, so to reduce these effects I haveincorporated other methods to take mari-juana. My first goal became to eliminateusing papers, which often contain chemi-cal residues. Instead, I use a little woodenbox that has a brass pipe to grind in thechopped bud. These little 'boxes' are dis-creet and are much easier to managethan joints, especially when only a fewpuffs are needed. When burning joints,one can almost see the dollars go up inthe unused smoke between puffs. Theseboxes & pipes reduce wasted smoke. Formuscle spasm and sleepless nights thereis no medication better than marijuanabrownies for me. I sleep well and wake upalert, rather than drowsy and disorientedfrom medication. Keif, which I prefer tosmoke in a pipe, is especially useful forday spasms, headaches and depressionbecause it causes less sleepiness.

However, with only one income in ourfamily, using marijuana regularly canbecome quite a financial sacrifice. I amnot a criminal nor am I comfortable deal-ing with criminal elements, or paying highstreet prices. But until growing marijuanafor one's own use is legalized, people likeme are forced either into undesirable cir-cles or taking the risk of growing this ille-gal herb ourselves. Neither option isconducive to the peaceful life that victimsof chronic pain, depression or illness havethe right to enjoy.

Choosing medical marijuana as an alter-native to prescription drugs has given mefreedom from my sentence of pain, sleep-less nights, depression and the conse-quences of heavy medication.

THEPRISONo f Pa i n

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Medicine is an ever-chang-ing science. While sugges-tions for therapeutic use ofcannabis or other drugs maybe made herein, this forum isdesigned solely for educa-

tional purposes, and neither the author, pub-lisher, nor other parties, will assume anyliability whatever for application or misap-plication of any information imparted. Wecannot claim scientific proof or accuracy of

the material discussed, and no warranty, expressed orimplied is advanced with regard to the information.

Cannabis is illegal in most jurisdictions, and thereader must apply awareness of this fact when con-sidering its usage. Medical use of cannabis may ormay not be a viable legal defense where you reside.Canadian clinical cannabis patients are encouragedto seek exemptions under existing law from HealthCanada. The proper forms and procedures are avail-able on their web site.

Full disclosure and discussion of medical issues withyour health care providers is encouraged, as is propereducation with respect to effects and side effects of exist-ing medication.

Q1: Dear Dr. Russo,I am diagnosed as bi-polar with both themania and the depression crash follow-ing. I am 50 years old and had my firstfull-blown attack at age 30. Over the fol-lowing 20 years I crashed several timesand was subjected to all the standardpharmaceutical solutions. For the past 2.5months I have been using cannabis tokeep me focused and stable. I am findingthat cannabis improves my concentrationand attention span and is a cognitivestimulant.

My question is: I amon no other drugsand, for the first time

in a long time, I feel good. Am I foolingmyself, cured or just stoned?

A1: Bipolarity:The use of cannabis to treat bipolar prob-lems (previously known as manic depres-sion) is a fascinating development. Asurprising number of people so afflictedhave independently made the discoverythat cannabis has improved their condi-tion, whether the mania or depression. Itmay also reduce side effects of otherdrugs used in its treatment, such asLithium, Carbamazepine (Tegretol) orValproate (Depakote). Some people havefound cannabis more effective than "con-ventional drugs" so you are by no meansfooling yourself, or "just stoned."

No doubt, cannabis is affecting the bal-ance of neurotransmitters that are at thebasis for this disorder. Endocannabinoidsseem to be intimately involved in emo-tional regulation mechanisms in the limbicsystem. Because THC and other chemicalsin cannabis mimic our own internal bio-chemistry, they may help replace what ismissing. Cannabis strains that containcannabidiol (CBD) also have anti-anxietyand anti-psychotic benefits.

The best documentation available for thisis an article by the eminent clinicalcannabis prophet, Lester Grinspoon, thatwas published in Journal of PsychoactiveDrugs in 1998:

If you go to the search engine on Lester'sWWW site, Marihuana, the forbidden med-icine, and plug in the search term bipolar,you will see many accounts of people suchas you, that have benefitted from cannabisfor their condition.

Unfortunately, despite Dr. Grinspoon's pleafor more research, no one has more for-mally studied this issue, most likely due tothe politically-conspired near impossibilityof doing clinical research on cannabis.Hopefully that situation will change soon.

Q2: Dear Dr. Russo,My partner Bill smokes 15 to 20 large 1

gram or more joints per day. He alsosmokes tobacco, sometimes mixed into hisjoints. So what is going on here? He sayshe could quit, but never does. The otherpeculiar thing is that he never seems to bestoned. How much damage is he doing tohimself and how is the addictiveness ofpot when mixed with tobacco?

A2: Tobacco and CannabisIt is difficult to fully analyze this situa-tion, but certain things are evident.Firstly, your partner should know thatsmoking tobacco is distinctly unhealth-ful!

The amounts you mention him as usingare very great, and one should ask why?What is missing in his life, or what mighthe be treating by his use of tobacco andcannabis? I cannot answer that, but coun-selling could help discover the underly-ing issues.

While I never recommend smoking tobac-co, it is true that concomitant cannabismitigates some of the harm to a degree. Iwould refer you to my Chronic Use Study,available online, and to an article that indi-cated that cannabis-only smoking doesnot seem to provoke emphysema, and toan interesting study by Roth et al. thatdemonstrates how THC actually helps pre-vent carcinogenic deterioration.

Remember, there has never been a docu-mented case of a lung tumour in acannabis-only smoker.

Q3: Dear Dr. Russo,I am considering the use of cannabis forpain control. I am on two other drugsthat I do not wish to give up, becausethey seem to be helping me. The drugsare Paxil and T3’s for my headaches. Ihave seen what mixing cannabis andalcohol can do, what interactions doescannabis have with other drugs? Am Isafe to try it?

A3: Pain ControlIt is always difficult to advise peoplespecifically about their particular situa-tions without having the whole story. ByT3’s, I assume that you mean Tylenol #3. Ifso, there is no way that I would recom-

Dr. Ethan Russo

Ask Dr. Ethan

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mend its chronic use. Tylenol, or aceta-minophen, is a potential cumulativehepatotoxin. That means, if you take toomuch too long, or mix it with alcohol, itmay produce irreparable harm to theliver. The other ingredient is codeine,which is addictive and counter-produc-tive to good headache control in the longterm. Both components produce anal-gesic rebound when overutilized. That is,they actually perpetuate headache, prob-ably through a mechanism of overstimu-lating glutamate receptors.

Interestingly, cannabis is one of the fewdrugs that is not toxic that inhibits gluta-mate toxicity.

A very long article I wrote on cannabis and

headaches in the Journal of CannabisTherapeutics also addresses these issues. Iwould expect cannabis to render use ofTylenol #3 superfluous. Paxil is an SSRIantidepressant, and has more side effectssuch as sedation and dry mouth thanother drugs in the class (Zoloft, Paxil,Celexa). Certainly cannabis could haveadditive side effects with it.

Many clinical cannabis patients find thatthey no longer need additional antide-pressant treatment. This is addressed inthe Chronic Use Study mentioned in theanswer to question 2.

The long history of cannabis as an antide-pressant is addressed in a section of myHandbook of psychotropic herbs, also online.

Cannabis has few noteworthy drug inter-actions, but you may want to look at achapter on that written by FranjoGrotenhermen in our book, Cannabis andCannabinoids.

Finally, I have written a book chapter oncannabis in pain management that maybe useful.

Unfortunately, cannabis remains illegal inmost areas, so I must recommend that youseek an exemption or other medical rec-ommendation before using cannabis totreat your pain, for your own protection. Asto whether it could help, the answer is thatit likely would, especially if your problem isneuropathic pain.

1) A position within the Privy CouncilOffice, with staff assigned by relevant fed-eral departments and agencies.

2) A high-level conference of representa-tives from provinces, territories, municipali-ties and associations, for the purpose ofsetting goals and priorities, for action overa 5 year period.

3) A name change from the Centre onSubstance Abuse to the Canadian Centreon Psychoactive Substances andDependency, with accountability to parlia-ment, a $15 million annual budget andreport, research co-ordination, and strategyassessment every 5 years.

4) Legislation to create the Centre and setup a monitoring agency to study andreport drug use trends and problems inadult and student populations.

5) Adoption of a policy on risks andharmful effects of all psychoactive sub-stances, with focus on prevention andtreatment of excessive use.

6) Amendments to the Controlled Drugand Substance Act allowing criminalexemptions for obtaining licences and pro-ducing and selling cannabis, and penaltiesfor illegal trafficking and export or otheractivities outside the exemptions.

7) An amnesty for all persons convicted

of possession of cannabis, under current orpast legislation.

8) Amendments to the MarijuanaMedical Access Regulations with new rulesfor eligibility, production and distributionof therapeutic cannabis, and research.

9) Amendments to the Criminal Code tolower permitted alcohol levels (in the pres-ence of other drugs), and admission of evi-dence from trained police experts in caseswhich involve operating vehicles whileunder the influence of drugs.

10) A national fund for research on thera-peutic applications, prevention and treat-ment programs, and tools for detectinginfractions under the Criminal Code.

11) Instructions for the Minister ofForeign Affairs and International Trade toinform the United Nations that Canadarequests an amendment to the conven-tions and treaties governing illegal drugs,and develop a Drug and DependencyMonitoring Agency for the Americas.

LEGALIZE ITExciting developments in Ottawa reached the media last month,

with the Senate Committee's published report to theFederal Government of Canada, which recommended

the government create the following:

Al Byrnefor the Coalition for ReschedulingCannabis

The Coalition for ReschedulingCannabis filed a petition on September 5,2002, with the U.S. Drug EnforcementAdministration. The regulatory process inthe U.S. that determines the medical avail-ability of cannabis is known as schedul-ing; the petition summarizes the scientificdata that supports changes in the sched-uling of any prohibited agent, and arguesthat none of the three requirements forany substance to be placed in ScheduleOne apply to cannabis.The U.S. government contends that

cannabis has a high level of abuse,is unsafe for medicinal use, and has

no medical value. Cannabis is regulatedby the Controlled Substances Act (CSA),and would never be available to patientswhile classified as a Schedule One sub-stance. Unless formally pressed to justifytheir position, the DEA has no motivationto review its own decision or recommenda positive revision to the CSA for thera-peutic cannabis use.Dr. Jon Gettman, PhD., began this petitionprocedure in conjunction with High Timesmagazine and the New York law firm ofMichael Kennedy. Dr. Jon states "The pur-pose of this rescheduling petition is tohave the federal government acknowl-edge that cannabis does not have high

potential for abuse, has a relatively lowdependence liability, is safe for use undermedical supervision and has acceptedmedical use in the United States". Afteryears of delay, the most recent Gettmansubmission was returned with perfuncto-ry comment and the contention that thedeprivation of cannabis, or damages, topatients in the U.S. was not indicated, andtherefore his request was denied.The Coalition was formed by involvingPatients Out of Time, a national non-profitorganization providing education, tohealth care professionals and the public,about the therapeutic value of cannabis.The Coalition leadership includes 5 of the7 U.S. supplied cannabis patients, NORML,the Los Angeles

U.S. Initiatives

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Cannabis Health Journal hasreceived many requests for infor-mation about the proceduresinvolved in immigrating to

Canada. As the government moves towarddecriminalization and eventual legaliza-tion, the interest in becoming a perma-nent resident of Canada has increased. Weoffer a brief view of what you need toknow, and where to find more completeinformation.There are six basic classes of immigrantapplications:• Business (Investors, Entrepreneurs,

self-employed)• Skilled Worker• Family Class• International Adoption• Provincial Nomination• Quebec SelectedIn this article, our focus is on the SkilledWorker, and applicants within this catego-ry will need to provide the following:

• A minimum period of work experience(at least 1 year within the last 10) from alist of approved occupations

• Proof of funds (the amount will varydepending on the size of your family,and must usually be enough to live onfor six months)

• Demonstrated language skills in one ofthe official languages of Canada (Frenchor English)

• A passing mark in a point system of sixselection factors, which includes: yearsof education; language proficiency;years of work experience; age of appli-cant; arranged employment (a con-firmed job offer or a temporary workpermit allowing the applicant to work inCanada); and adaptability (your spouse’seducation, family relationship inCanada, years you may have alreadystudied or worked in Canada).

Visit the Canadian Immigration website(www.cic.gc.ca) for more complete infor-mation. You can take a self-assessment testonline, and determine your chances of suc-cessfully becoming a Canadian resident.

Resource Center, the Oakland CannabisBuyers Cooperative and CaliforniaNORML. The addition of these key groupsas petition participants will ensure thefocus is on the patients and their inabilityto receive even minimal cannabis therapy.Individual patients are encouraged tojoin the petition. To aid in this process,the Coalition has expanded to include:

Americans for Safe Access, the DrugPolicy Forum of Texas, Iowans for MedicalMarijuana, the American Alliance forMedical Cannabis and New Mexicans forCompassionate Use. Patients with med-ical conditions that would benefit fromtreatment with medical cannabis mayjoin the Coalition under the sponsorshipsof these organizations. You need not be

using therapeutic cannabis to join thepetition. While many individuals arealready represented through their mem-bership in Coalition organizations, it isimportant to have a specific patient listfor future access to federal courts.See <www.drugscience.org> after sep-tember 5, 2002, for patient registration,contact information and petition status.

Coming toCanada?


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Losing control, keeping it together, hallucinations, good trips, bad trips, getting high, addiction,spiritual enlightenment or Dante’s Inferno.These are some of the issues that users of marijuana and other psychedelics are confronted with.Aside from the medical benefits of marijuana, smoking it has certain predictable effects on peo-ple as well as the unpredictable. It is the predictable that gives it what I call the framework inwhich all the unpredictable happens.For the first time user, this unknown and unpredictable part can be not only a deterrent, but canamplify the negative effects.How does one maintain a level of control? What is the formula that will minimize the possibilityof a “Bad Trip”?Back in the late 60’s a Harvard professor, Timothy Leary, who was doing research on the effects ofpsychedelic mushrooms for treating psychological disorders, was given LSD by another scientistto try and later through his research came up with the control formula of “Set - Setting - Dosage”.Three simple checks to follow that stabilize not only a marijuana experience, but which I foundcan be applied in general to life experience as well.

“SET”The mind set.It involves the kind of expectations you have. Are youlooking for pain control, to relax, relief from depressionso you can start the day, or something to put you tosleep at night?Marijuana seems to amplify the ability for your mind to,on the good side, focus and, on the bad side, obsess. Ifyou approach your expected experience with a strongmind set, or a clear reason for doing it, then you acquirethe first block in the foundation to a positive andfocused experience. The chances of a bad experience inwhich you become obsessed with fear, or even the lackof fear, for example, are then greatly reduced.

“SETTING”The second block of your foundation to a positive expe-rience is the setting. If relaxation is your “mind set”, thena setting that includes things that help in the relaxationprocess naturally should follow. The choice of the drugyou are using is part of the setting. If it is your first time,then having someone with you who has smoked beforewill also be part of the setting. This person may be ableto help you create a positive mind set as well.“DOSAGE”How much of the drug you have chosen to use is thethird and final foundation block to a positive, focusedexperience. If it is your first time, it is advisable to smokeor eat a small amount and wait approx. 15 minutes if you

smoke and about 1 hour if you eat beforesmoking or eating any more. By followingthat guideline you will safely and easilycome to find the dosage that personallysuits you.I have found marijuana to be very forgivingand in 30 years I have heard of only one ortwo “bad trips” on marijuana. No matterwhat level of discomfort was experienced,one or more of the “set, setting and dosage”building blocks were not given enoughattention.One fellow, we will call him Frank, who was

in his mid 50’s, had wanted to try marijuana for the pain in his legsand back. He had never smoked cigarettes and 18 years earlier hadovercome a problem with alcohol. I told him that eating it seemed towork better for pain than smoking, that way he wouldn’t have tosmoke, which was a turn-off for him. He also didn’t want to experi-ence the “high”. I cautioned him on starting out with a bite of thecookie first and waiting, but, thinking “it’s just a small cookie and ittastes so good” he proceeded to eat it all. During the first time onegets “high”, a feeling of vertigo, just as if you were going up higherphysically, can flood your senses. For Frank this was not good. Thefeelings of vertigo reminded him of his time coming off of alcohol,which increased his anxiety, started him hyperventilating, and short-ly thereafter he went to the hospital to get help.Frank had a clear mind set, but the setting, which should haveincluded a companion, and the dosage, which should have beensmaller, changed the positive experience into a “bad trip” for Frank.My experiences over the first few years of smoking led me to realizethe powerful tool marijuana’s introspective effects can be. The Set -Setting - Dosage formula was used and became an instrumental toolfor gaining insight into my own fears and anxieties, helping me tobetter cope with daily life.A friend gave me a metaphor for understanding marijuana and therelationship he had with it. “Habits involving drugs or anything elsecould be perceived as a thorn in one’s side. Marijuana can be a thornto dig out others, if it is used with open eyes”.

This the first of many articles in Cannabis Health Journal that will lookat the Set - Setting - Dosage formula and how it may work.


by Paul J. Henderson

In 1936 a propaganda film called ReeferMadness was made as a serious warningagainst the evils of marijuana use. The filmis now watched as a cult classic and isviewed as comedy, considering the con-tent that includes kids smoking pot fol-lowed by horrific hallucinations, insaneshrieking and, of course, crazed killingsprees.In pre-war Germany students in schoolswere often confronted with armed, uni-formed SS officers telling them what theirattitudes should be as well as garneringinformation from them about their homelives that may be of interest to the state.What do these two unrelated anecdoteshave to do with one another?The first story is one of irony and humourlooking back at a misguided anti-marijua-na crusade. The second can still send shiv-

ers down the spine considering the atroci-ties that would follow in the war. But bothanecdotes have something in common asthey relate to the widespread Drug AbuseResistance Education (DARE) program.The DARE program began in 1983 andwas created by Los Angeles Police ChiefDaryl Gates. Today DARE is all over theU.S. and increasingly in Canada. TheCalifornia corporation that controls thecurriculum and merchandising is gov-erned by a 25-person board of directorsincluding a number of Hollywood celebri-ties. The executive director is GlennLevant, a former policeman who earnswell over $200,000 per year.The DARE program sees police officerscome into grade 5 classrooms for onehour a week for 17 weeks to, ostensibly,teach kids about drug abuse. But theDARE program is increasingly being ques-tioned, criticized and, in some instances,cancelled altogether. With enlightenedvision we can see that the ridiculous cari-catures presented in Reefer Madness aremerely laughable and how the idea ofuniformed Nazi officers hammering homedoctrine while recruiting informantsinstills revulsion. With that same vision theDARE program is being closely examined.The laundry list of cities dropping theDARE program, based on the fact thatevery independent and methodologicallysound evaluation of DARE has found thatit is either ineffective or counterproduc-tive, includes: Austin, Houston, Spokane,Seattle, Omaha, Milwaukee, Salt Lake City,Toledo and, most recently, Cincinnati,Ohio.There is a considerable list of criticisms ofthe DARE program, not the least of whichis study after study recounting the inef-fectiveness of the program, includingreports from the U.S. Surgeon Generaland the Journal of Consulting and ClinicalPsychology. In brief, the latter study found,"There appear to be no reliable short orlong-term positive outcomes associatedwith receiving DARE intervention."Criticism of the actual program's contentsincludes the fact that the curriculum isrigid and outdated lumping all drugstogether, which surely only muddles andconfuses kids. In fact, the program doesnot even differentiate between drugabuse and use. Even very casual use ofalcohol is treated as pathological, which,assuming kids are not stupid, only leadsto them further dismissing other possiblyvalid information disseminated aboutmuch harder drugs.Parents everywhere are becoming alarmed

at the ineffectiveness, the cost, the timewasted, the lack of truth in the curriculum,and the possible boomerang effect DAREmay have, "daring" kids to try drugs.Most disturbing of all, to some, is the ideaof having a police officer in the classroom.Teachers study for years to become quali-fied instructors of children, and here theyare asked to step aside so a high-schoolgraduate with two weeks of DARE train-ing comes in to teach mental health, psy-chology and drug education with astandardized curriculum. In this way theDARE program mocks teachers and theeducational system.Beyond the credibility of cops as teachersthere is an increasing realization that thereal intent of the program may have moreto do with recruitment and findingunpaid informants.Recently the Los Angeles PoliceDepartment, where the program originat-ed, decided to slash the number of DAREofficers in the district from 119 to 44 citinglack of efficacy. That seems a logical rea-son, but the LAPD fought to retain someDARE officers as a recruitment tool,according to commanding officer Mark R.Perez, who heads the LAPD's DARE divi-sion."What we want to do is recruit good peo-ple for the community and help cultivatethem, and we do that through the DAREprogram," he said.Kent Dowell, a former District Attorney'sNarcotics Unit agent in Oklahoma City,recounted a case where a child turned inher own parents after graduating from theDARE program. According to Dowell the 8year old girl called and reported that herparents wouldn't stop taking drugs."She listened to her DARE officer and wegot involved," Dowell proudly told theShawnee News-Star in Oklahoma. "The lit-tle girl did thank me."One component of the program is theDARE Box put in the classroom into whichstudents are encouraged to drop "druginformation" or ask questions anonymous-ly. It is through this anonymous informa-tion that cops are using schools as a toolfor the war on drugs, but worse, instillingconfusion and fear in young children.DARE instructors are not allowed to devi-ate from the program and allow for localvalues, issues, problems or concerns. In acommunity where many teachers andparents might be marijuana users, theDARE program puts 9 and 10year old kids in a tough situationas well as raising all kinds ofother questions about drugs that look for links


DARE does not answer. Do I tell the policeabout mommy and daddy’s plants? Do Iignore this officer since he or she is clearlylying about marijuana? What about UncleJoe and the pot he smokes for his multi-ple sclerosis? What about daddy's scotch,mommy's mood-stabilizers and myRitalin? Aren't they drugs? Are we all bad?Recently, in a Terrace, B. C. CoastMountains School Board meeting, theRCMP corporal who trains all the officersto deliver the program was asked whysome students opt out of the classes. In aletter to the Terrace Standard, parent GailMurray wrote of the incident: "The onlyreason she (the Corporal) could offer wasthat it was likely due to the fact that theirparents are drug users themselves."The examples of the abuse of power goon and on. Reportedly an Arizona DAREofficer took out a search warrant on the

home of a student whose parents heldhim out of the program. A Colorado DAREofficer got a student to turn in his ownparents and then he bragged to thenational press that informing is what hehad, "taught him to do."The culture of fear surrounding drug dia-logue is palpable. Rational talk of illegaldrugs is discouraged and kids are scaredto speak out.In researching this story the writer wastipped about a number of kids who hadbeen involved with the program andwho had criticisms of what they saw.When asked for an interview for thismagazine, each and every one of themdeclined to comment - even anony-mously - about their experiences for fearof "retribution"! One young girl whobravely asked the DARE officer aboutmedical marijuana and was dismissed

out of hand, was considering speaking,but hesitated at the last minute.What are kids afraid of and, more impor-tantly, is this any way to inform andeducate?While there are undoubtedly a goodmany well-intentioned DARE officers, theprogram is at once combining the author-itarian presence and fear of the uni-formed officer, with the lying andmisinformation put forth in propagandafilms, at which we can all now laugh.As the war on drugs collapses and ration-al drug dialogue is increasingly permitted,one day DARE will surely go away. Maybethen we will all look back and laugh at thejoke that was DARE the way we look atReefer Madness. Or maybe - like the Naziofficers feeding students propaganda -we'll look back in horror at what a genera-tion of kids were subjected to.

SANTA CRUZ - Calling Santa Cruz a "sanc-tuary" from federal authorities, medicalmarijuana advocates joined by city lead-ers, passed out pot to about a dozen sickand dying people Tuesday at City Hall."Santa Cruz is a special place, and todaywe're letting the world know how com-passionate we can be," said MayorChristopher Krohn. "We're taking astand." More than 1,000 communitymembers jammed into the garden-likecourtyard for a supportive demonstra-tion during the giveaway.Several people in the crowd lit marijua-na cigarettes, but it was mostly an alco-hol- and drug-free gathering, whichwas what organizers requested. "Pleasedo not confuse our message. Our mes-sage is not about defiance, our mes-sage is about peaceful assembly," saidValerie Corral. Marijuana is illegal as amedicine or as a recreational drugunder U.S. federal law. But state law,and county and city ordinances say it'slegal if recommended by a doctor.In Santa Cruz and many California com-munities, local law enforcement worksclosely with growers and distributorswho help sick people obtain marijuana. The City Hall pot distribution comes lessthan two weeks after DEA agents arrest-ed Valerie Corral, founder of Wo/Men'sAlliance for Medical Marijuana.WAMM provides medical marijuana,

grown by members on a farm owned byMichael and Valerie Corral, to about 280patients with recommendations fromtheir doctors. Community members inthis liberal community repeatedly havesupported medical marijuana. In 1992,77% of Santa Cruz voters approved ameasure ending the prohibition of med-ical marijuana. Four years later, state vot-ers approved Proposition 215, allowingmarijuana for medicinal purposes, butdespite this the DEA has focused its raidson medical marijuana growers and dis-tributors in California. The DrugEnforcement Agency has already raided

marijuana clubs in San Francisco,Oakland, Sebastapol and WestHollywood.The Corrals have been in hiding sinceDEA agents raided the farm at theirDavenport home. "We are not theenemy," Valerie Corral told the crowd."We are the hungry, we are the infirm, weare the dying... and when we speak to thefederal government, they have no earsfor us." "We are not the victims of drugtraffickers - we are victims of the DEA,"she said. "With a gun to my head the DEAstole the medicine that over 250 sick anddying people worked to grow."

US FEDSlack of compassion


HistoryWhat inspired Canadian

activists to build the frameworkfor a united voice to represent adiverse cross-section of the

cannabis movement?What led to transforming a steering

committee into a board of directors, intoa general consensus, and maybe beyond?

Actually, the Canadian CannabisCoalition (CCC) unintentionally mani-fested from collective and conventionalcannabis wis-dom, gainingdefinition inresponse to theever-changingcannabis cli-mate. It has nobudget, salaries, offices or officials, justthe strong and steadfast convictions ofpeople who have expressed themselveson-line or at meetings. These dialogueshave led to interesting and lively discus-sions, debates, changing structures andsome proud accomplishments.Throughout these formative years, theCCC has been leaderless, but not rudder-less, as driving forces steer it throughunchartered waters.

The earliest incarnation began as asmall e-mail networking list, set up inApril 1999 by Deb Harper, to explorethe idea of creating industry standardswithin the medicinal cannabis move-ment (1) and to exchange informationbetween compassion clubs and otherinterested parties. In June of that year,list members and other activists met at agathering, initiated and hosted by Brianand Teresa Taylor and friends in GrandForks, B.C., (2) to further discuss therole for the fledgling medicinal cannabis

network. It was decided among theapprox. 20 participants who representedwide-ranging interests from non-govern-ment organizations (NGO's), entrepre-neurs, professionals and grass-rootsactivists, that the propagation of a broadunifying entity encompassing the wholecannabis community would be moredesirable.

A name, the Canadian CannabisCoalition, and a purpose - a nation-wide

umbrella organiza-tion for cannabisorganizations andactivists - wasagreed upon. Amission statementwas crafted, “The

Canadian Cannabis Coalition is dedicatedto facilitating access to a safe supply ofcannabis through research, education andadvocacy”, and an interim steering com-mittee was elected.

Networking continued over the inter-net, a website was designed, (3) and asecond meeting was held in Grand Forkson September 5th (4) that brought sever-al more organizations on board. Thenumber of attendees almost doubled bythe next meeting that was held onceagain in Grand Forks in June of 2000.(5) The last annual get-together hap-pened in October 2001, hosted by MattElrod and friends on Vancouver Island.

The undaunting task of creating a posi-tion that represents so many within themovement has produced tangible resultson several occasions. A press releaseissued in February 2000 stated the CCCwould re-evaluate its "unwritten policyof encouraging people to apply for sec-tion 56 exemptions to the Controlled

Drugs and Substances Act indirect response to the govern-ment's obvious mismanagement ofthe process". (6) On August 2nd,2000, an open letter to HealthMinister Allan Rock, precipitatedby Reille Capler of the BritishColumbia Compassion Society(BCCCS), specifyingrecommendations forthe upcoming clinical

trials (7) was noticed by the media. (8)A group project to develop documents tofile for intervenor status at the upcom-ing Supreme Court case of Malmo-Levine, Caine and Clay was initiated andis now pending.

The voices of the CCC have also beenheard in a more individualistic fashion.An on-line newsletter written and com-piled by Deb Harper was published onthe website in the spring of 2000, whichhighlighted some individuals, membersand events of CCC. The responses fromparticipating organizations to theMedical Marijuana Access Regulationswere also posted (9) between April 7thand May 7th, 2001, as there was no offi-cial CCC position. (10) The CCC's net-working list has approx. 65 subscribersrepresenting 40 organizations fromVancouver Island to Nova Scotia andinternational affiliates from the U.S. andAustralia. Currently the focus is onissues the government is refusing to dealwith that are vital to medicinal cannabisusers such as practical regulations and adistribution system. Members also havecourt cases pending at every level ofcourt system in this country.

The coalition advises persons whocontact it concerning medicinal

cannabis, legal problems or othercannabis-related issues. Cannabisexperts within the CCC have the

ability to consult, makerecommendations, hold conferences,design research protocols, develop

products and services, and devise aregulatory framework. By default,

the combined experience, knowledge,resources and talents of the

participants assert theCCC's role as a leading national

authority on cannabis.

First CCC meeting at Broadacres in Grand Forks B.C.

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Dr. Paul Hornby and Hilary Black


advertorialNumerous bloom

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ing so-called bloom boosters would be an excel-lent starting point for the confused new grower.My task was to set up a situation that would dis-cover the truthabout which prod-uct performs best ina real-life marijuanagrowing test.

My grow room isa perfectly sealedchamber kept at 76-78º F with1500ppmof CO2 and 45-50%humidity. I focusedon how 10 cloneswith the samegenetics would per-form (by weight) in a7 week flowering cycle. I am the first to admitthat my scientific techniques could be improvedor more variables that could be controlled, how-ever, the plants were chosen of similar size,colour and robustness. 5 different productswere chosen for this test, Advanced NutrientsBloom Booster, Advanced Nutrients Dr. HornbyBig Bud, General Hydroponics KaBloom, Grotek

Monster Bloom and Supernatural Bud Blaster.Instructions on the labels were followed and theboosters were added to the base nutrientAdvanced 3-step Grow Micro and Bloom at1000ppm. As you can see by the graph results,not all Bloom supplements are the same.

By harvest time, Dr Hornby Big Bud was readyfor harvest a full 5 days sooner than the rest ofthe boosters. I called Advanced Nutrients andspoke to them about the results. They said thatthe reason Dr. Hornby Big Bud did so well is

because it's the firstbloom supplementspecifically madefor Cannabis andboth Advancedproducts have citricacid in them. Citricacid has beenproven to helprelease phospho-rus bound up insphagnum mossmixes (phosphorusbinds very easilywith soils) and both

contain magnesium. Big Bud also contains a full20 amino acid profile in L-form and the correctphosphorus to potassium ratio that is cannabisspecific.

Also, Dr. Hornby Big Bud contains no Di-ammonium phosphate (D.A.P.) or mono ammo-nium phosphate (M.A.P.). All the rest do, evenAdvance’s own Bloom Booster does, but only a

very small amount.The reason companies put in M.A.P. and D.A.P.

is because customers want to see an immediategrowth response and the ammonium compo-nent of both M.A.P. and D.A.P. products is actual-ly a strong nitrogen source for plants. Thegrowth response that the customers see is avegetative response, not a flowering response.Big Bud contains 0% nitrogen, no M.A.P. or D.A.P..Extensive research has found that lowering yournitrogen during flowering increases T.H.C..

The 3 poorest performing brands are generalpurpose flowering products. Big Bud and BloomBooster are built from the ground up for onepurpose only, growing Cannabis.

Patients can call Lance directly for advice or tosuggest ideas for research at 1-604-255-1949between the hours of 9 to 5 PST

To recap the results: 1st place was AdvancedNutrients Dr Hornby Big Bud (Big Bud also fin-ished 5 days earlier and had a great smell andtaste). It had a total manicured plant weight of492.7g wet, 98.6g dry and the manicured topcola weighed 98.5g wet, 32.6g dry.

2nd place: Advanced Nutrients BloomBooster. It had total plant weight (manicured)351.5g wet, 71.0g dry and the top cola weight(manicured) was 71.5g wet, 23.4g dry.

3rd place: General Hydroponics KaBloom. Ithad a total plant weight (manicured) of 326.5gwet, 62.5g dry and the top cola weight (mani-cured) was 54.5g wet, 16.7g dry.

4th place: Supernatural Bud Blaster (plantsgiven this product experienced phosphorus leafburn and smoking it was extremely harsh). Ithad a total plant weight (manicured) of 203.1gwet, 39.8g dry, and the top cola weight (mani-cured) was 39.5g wet, 11.9g dry.

5th place: Grotek Monster Bloom. It had a totalplant weight (manicured) of 142.0g wet,29.2g dry and the cola weight (mani-cured) was 34.0g wet, 8.0g dry.

Advanced Nutrients is the leading manufac-ture of synthetic and organic nutrients for themedical marijuana industry. What makes ourcompany unique is that all of our productshave been scientifically researched, designedand formulated to grow medical marijuana.We achieve our goals by working the leadingdoctors, scientists and chemists dedicatedexclusively to Advanced Nutrients andcannabis research technology.The combination of knowledge and researchby this team of dedicated people, have brokenthrough many of the barriers and stigma

often associated with cannabis. They havealso helped to prove that this plant has aninvaluable contribution to health and society.As the world turns to natural remedies andalternative medicines, Advanced Nutrientshas an integral role providing the mostresearched and finest quality nutrients avail-able. Our researchers have also helped usintroduce many of natures helping hands toour product line. Of the 58 plant specificproducts we currently manufacture, many ofthem have organic bases with a wide array ofamino acids, enzymes, hormones and benefi-

cial bacteria in them. These elements help tomaximize a plants potential, ensuring you aregetting the very best mother nature and manhas to offer. Advanced Nutrients prides itself on bringingyou the finest, most compete line of plant spe-cific nutrients available anywhere. We arealso the only company endorsed by theCannabis Research Institute. Thank you forchoosing Advanced Nutrients as your supplierof plant specific nutrients for your medicalmarijuana needs.

Editor’s Note:Lance Van Den Nieuwendyk lives in the Vancouver area

and is licensed to grow 25 plants under the new Canadianmedical marijuana access programs. Lance has studiedhorticulture at Camosun College in Victoria and hasgrown his own medicinal marijuana for many years.Although his health is fragile (he is licensed under catego-ry 1, terminally ill), Lance would like to share his extensiveknowledge of cannabis cultivation with other patients.This regular information spot is sponsored by AdvancedNutrients, who provide Lance with personal support,products and resources to conduct his experiments.

Bloombooster Challenge

A: Advance Nutrients Dr.Hornby Big Bud

B: Advance Nutrients BloomBooster

C: General HydroponicsKabloom

D: Supernatural Bud Blaster

E: Grotek Monter Bloom

Lance Van DenNieuwendyk


Bob is 36, married, with no children. He andhis wife live in a northern community ofrural Quebec and have relied on their miniproduction system to supply theircannabis needs for several years. Bob cameto the Journal’s attention when heinquired as to the marketability of verysmall cold light systems.

CH: When did you first get interested inthese systems and this technique of grow-ing cannabis?B: In about 1987 I purchased one of thefluorescent light grow units advertised inHigh Times. The unit was small, octagon-shaped and used a series of side lights.These units are great, and I was trulyshocked at the production I was able toget for minimal cost. Over the next severalyears, I began to modify and improve onthat system, by putting in hydroponics,clay beads as the medium and basicallyimproving the lighting. CH: Tell me about what has evolved, howdoes it work now?

B: After a whileI had made somany modifi-cation I knewit was time tobranch out

and try my own design;also, the new 100 Watt plushigh intensity compact flu-orescents with self-con-tained ballast were justhitting the retail market.The box we settled on wascompact and by payingattention to air flow, wewere able to use 6 fluores-cents to produce about30,000 lumens withoutsubstantial heat build-up.The unit is at a comfortable workingheight and uses an ebb and flow withexpanded clay as the grow medium. Thereservoir sits under the top grow cham-ber and is a 20 litre plastic bin with a250gph submersible pump. I wanted asimple design that was inexpensive tooperate. This unit uses under 4.8 ampsand should cost around $4 to $6 permonth in electricity.CH: Are there special techniques to grow-ing, any tricks and tips?B: Honestly, this is one of the easiest sys-tems I have ever used. I use a 3 step nutri-ent, a bloom booster and periodicallyH2O2. Bug control is a breeze, with the unitbeing closed I simply fog with an organicpesticide. As far as strains, both my wifeand myself like variety and we have hadsuccess with a wide variety of indicas andsativas. I like to use up to 6 plants per trayand trigger the plants almost immediate-ly. You could grow fewer plants, but youwill waste time vegging and shaping toget the same leads (flower heads) as youcan achieve by using multiple plants.Shaping and trimming is still needed andvery important. The plants tend to growout, not up and the grower needs to bevigilant in keeping the branches awayfrom the lights. The space does not lenditself to seeds and sexing at all, you needto start with clones.CH: How much will it produce in a cycleand is it good smoke?B: On average I estimate you should pro-duce 4 to 5 ounces of tight thumb-sizedbuds in 8 weeks from triggering. The best Ihave seen is 6.5 ounces in 9 weeks. In myopinion and that of my wife, the smoke is

excellent, crystal content is high, and youdo not have a lot of woody stems. Meetsour needs.CH: Where are you going with your proj-ect from here?B: I am intrigued at how much we contin-ue to learn about this plant. I hear of peo-ple that are still paying exorbitant pricesfor pot and I think there will be a marketfor even smaller units than the pizza ovensize units now on the market. I am enjoy-ing what I have achieved and plan to con-tinue with my experiments, improving theodour control and maybe even addingCO2 injection. Maybe I would even consid-er a commercial venture. The next fewmonths will tell.

Marvin’sGardens


Bruce Tait Gen2 Grow Lightswww.Gen2growlights.com

Growers want healthy, lush growth thatproduces many flowers, full of aroma andprecious oils. They want to do it safely,with a highly efficient light, and with aneye on the hydro bills. Growers now havean alternative to achieve these goals, andthe "cold" vs "hot" light debate is startingto heat up.

Introduced within the last year, cold lightsare winning converts with each successstory. Gen2-type cold lights are well suitedfor small spaces, and can produce fantastic

results. Cold lights can be used as primarylights, supplemental lights, or for cloning.As primary lights, they can be placed inch-es away from the vegetation without burn-ing. Used as supplemental lights (budboosters), they can be strategically placedbeside the lower parts of the plant, increas-ing bottom flower yield and the overallhealth of the plant.

Cold lights are much safer than "hotbulbs". They are low wattage and have noremote ballast (125W, 1.4 Amp). They arelightweight and can use standard timersand electrical service. Because very littleheat is generated, the risk of injuries andfire is greatly reduced.

How cold lights work involves a discus-sion of physics, colour spectrums, photobi-optics and lumens, and is probablybest left to future articles and research.Do cold lights compare with the lumenoutput of a 1000 Watt hot bulb? Theanswer is "no", but cold lights are useddifferently, and it is important to remem-ber that plants use a different colourspectrum than the often quoted visiblelight measurement of lumens.

Cold lights are excellent for cloning,achieving results that are approximately50% better than alternatives. In a recenttest, a cold light was placed 6" above a trayof clones, with others placed under nor-mal fluorescent grow tubes (3" away) anda 400 Watt sodium (2 feet away). Theclones under the cold lights were bushier,greener, healthier, and produced roots upto 10 days faster.

Mother plants kept under cold lightsshowed compact, bushy growth, withmany nodes. Production of clones wasimpressive, because lower branches pro-duced usable cuttings. Cold lights (125Watt) used as bud boosters add light inten-sity (and bud) to dark areas of your room. Ifyou are getting 90% of your yield on thetop foot of a plant (as most people do) andnothing below that level, you need to add abud booster light. Cold lights are a safe andinexpensive answer.

More formal research needs to be done,but initial results are very encouraging.Take a few minutes to examine your growroom; is it safe, are you a slave to hot bulbtechnology, and could you do the same ina smaller space?

by Bonzai

Airflow is the most important factor whenconsidering setting up your own medicinalmarijuana garden. Having adequate airflowwill help you control many other factorsincluding temperature, humidity, pests,molds, mildews, and it also supplies a freshsource of carbon dioxide.Airflow consists of hot air being exhaustedout while cool fresh air is being pumpedin. Fresh air is circulated with the help ofoscillating fans. Since hot air rises, exhaustfans should always be vented as close tothe ceiling as possible. Carbon filters canbe used in conjunction with your exhaustfan to eliminate odour problems (see dia-gram). Intake fans pump fresh air in via a

4" or 6" ducting running along the floor(see diagram). Smaller rooms, fewer than1000W, will not require an intake fan dueto the low volume of air to be transferred.The exhaust fan will pull fresh air upthrough the ducting on the floor. Largerrooms will need an intake fan of less CFM's(cubic feet per minute) than your exhaustfan in order to create a negative vacuumin your room allowing no air to escape theroom except through the carbon filters.

A well-ventedroom shouldexchange theair aboutevery threeminutes.To calculatewhat size ofexhaust fanyou will

require, find the cubic feet of your room:length x width x height = cubic feet. Nowdivide that by three, giving you the CFM'srequired for your exhaust fan.EXAMPLE:A room measuring 6 x 6 x 6 = 216 cubicfeet, 216 / 3 = 72, therefore a 72 CFM fan isneeded. Unfortunately, a 72 CFM fan isimpossible to find, so you will have to findthe closest possible replacement, 80 or 100CFM fans will do fine.With a well thought out airflow plan, tem-perature and humidity are easily controlled,molds and mildews are less likely to appearand CO2 levels are constantly being replen-ished. If you are thinking about setting up agarden, your first step should be to thinkabout how the air will be flowing throughyour room. This kind of planning solves allkinds of problems before they begin. It'sworth a thought.

The Cold Revolution

Back toBack toBasics


Some folks are a little more educated. Whenyou say hemp, they identify it as the non-euphoric strains for the cannabis plant, youknow, good for textiles, paper, plastics, alter-native fuels, skin care products and 25,000other uses, but lousy in the elements thatmake for the psychoactive punch thatrecreational tokers, medical users and spiri-tual seekers are looking for. Some of themore discriminating might further identifyhemp with the adjective “industrial” - thisis to distinguish it from all the other “hemp”varieties that exist out there.Industrial hemp is clearer, but it can beclumsy to use all the time. I prefer to usehemp as a stand-in for industrial hemp. Justso you know.But this column isn’t about hemp etymolo-gy. I merely bring it up to show that hemphas a bit of an image problem. Hempmeans many things to many people, so itcan be confusing to talk about it. Certainlyhemp is a resource that has many sides toit. And most definitely, some sides are bet-ter known than others.One of the least known, but most impor-tant uses of hemp, is as a food. More andmore the word is getting out of what this"superfood" is about.In talking about the hemp seed, of course,you don’t want to munch on the stalkfibre. That’s not edible for humans.A smorgasbord of finished hemp foods arenow available in Canada, including ener-gy/nutrition bars, waffles, granola, cheesesubstitutes, salad oil whole and blendedwith other good oils, premixed salad dress-ings, peanut-like butters, toasted and salt-ed whole seeds, flour, pasta, tortilla chips,wrap and flat breads, paté, and hemp icecream, too. There's more product develop-ment on the way. Hemp foods are movingquickly and interest is growing. You’ll alsofind "raw" hemp packaged in whole seed,oil or dehulled forms.So why should you eat hemp? According

to one analysis, a whole hemp seed con-tains about 22.5% protein, 35.8% carbohy-drates and 30% fat, as well as mineralssuch as Calcium, Phosphorus, Iron,Thiamine, Niacin and Riboflavin. It’s a goodsource of dietary fibre, too, with 35.1%dietary fibre (3.0% soluble). Hempseed isalso a powerful source of amino acids. Notethat 100 grams (1/2 cup) of hemp seed haveabout 500 calories.Hemp seed is also cold-pressed to make amarvellous vegetable oil. Hemp oil con-tains 80% polyunsaturated fats. These arethe good fats that we need for energy andare one of the highest counts of all veg-etable oils. Hemp oil is also quite low inmonounsaturated (12%) and saturated fats(typically 8.0% or lower). With this profile,hemp oil is very heart smart.It gets better: hemp oil is also a rich sourceof Essential Fatty Acids, namely Omega-6(LA-linoleic) and Omega 3 (ALA alpha

linoleic). Hemp has a balance of three partsOmega-6 to Omega-3, very close to thebody's nutritional requirements. EFA's arecalled essential for the very good reasonthat our bodies can’t make them and theyare needed for the healthy functioning ofthe body's cells. As regulators, the LA andALA fatty acids provide stability and con-trol the movement of all substances in andout of our bodies' building blocks. Very keyand very basic stuff.Hemp is also a good source of GammaLinoleic Acid (GLA), which stimulates theproduction of hormone-type substances.For this reason, many women find hemp oilsupplements help to relieve PMS crampsand extreme symptoms of menopause.Some of the many other benefits of hav-ing all these EFA’s in our diet include anincreased metabolism, lower cholesterol,better digestion, general vigour, improvedskin and hair condi-

by Arthur HanksMention the word “hemp” to people and you are alwaysnot sure what kind of reaction you will get from them.For some people, hemp is marijuana groups who sharethis opinion range from the Drug Enforcement

Administration to many, many head shops across theland. A search for “hemp” on the net suggests this is awidely held opinion. On one search engine that I like touse, whenever I type in that little 4 letter word, my com-puter screen flashes a drug education banner ad.

look for links

continued on page 28


Energy neutral home madepossible by StoneHemp™products andtechniques!Earthshipdesign,

www.earthship.org,incorporated into aconcept demonstra-tion building in theSouthern B.C. interior.Stonehemp's testedformula for pozzolanic,non-hygroscopic, re-born Roman cementappears as plaster,mortar, grout andflooring in the structure.Recycled waste ashfrom the steel andenergy sectors formthe base. Lime contentdrops from 65 to 4%(reducing air and waterpollution generated bythe cement industry).Hemp hurds soaked inlime milk are theprocess key.Interested in greenbuildings?

Watch this space!

tion, and a boost-ed immune system.I think the best part is that hemp tastesgreat. Many people compare it to wal-nuts or sesame seeds. Hemp's nuttytaste makes it easier for people to tryand keep using hemp.Not everyone likes nutty taste of course.And not everyone thinks food and diethave a link with health. And not everyoneis comfortable eating a food that hasn’tplayed a major part in the Canadiandiet… yet.Yeah, hemp foods have their detractorstoo. It seems to go with the cannabis ter-ritory. I’m glad there is controversy, itmakes for fertile ground for a good col-umn. Anyhow, I will be covering a widerange of hemp foods topics and issues inthe future for the Cannabis HealthJournal, In the meantime, enjoy yourseed.Arthur Hanks is a Saskatchewan writerwho has written extensively on all aspectsof industrial hemp. He can be reached [email protected]


SurvivalPodOne

SurvivalPodOne


advertorial by John Stahl

The use of marijuana as medicine hasaroused considerable controversy. Themedical community has long known thatsmoking anything on a regular basis is verybad for your health. This is true simply fromthe smoke involved, whether cannabis,tobacco, or other substances.

There are "hemp activists" who assertthat the entire plant is good in every way,although the facts do not support suchblind faith. The negative side effects ofsmoking cannabis are well known.

It is important to make my own positionclear (and it is my own, not necessarily thatof this Journal) - any questions about theuse of marijuana are health and socialissues, not legal or criminal ones. The med-ical benefits (or lack thereof) should haveno bearing on the legal status of cannabisuse by free individuals in a free society.

There are a host of issues which relate tothe problem of the smoke. A regular habitof smoking anything - tobacco, marijuana,damiana - will cause havoc with your res-piratory system. The smoke contains heat,tar, particulate matter, carbon monoxide,benzene, and hundreds of other toxicmaterials. However, you don't have tosmoke marijuana to experience the med-ical benefits! The easiest alternative tosmoking is to eat the cannabis. This

method of ingestion presents the follow-ing problems: the timing is often incon-venient, it is difficult to regulate thedosage, and eating cannabis is generallyconsidered to be only half as effective assmoking it.

In the last few years, the vapourizer hasentered the scene, providing a superiorexperience in every way when properlyadministered. Modern improvements invapourizer design have changed the mindsof many people who previously rejectedvapourizers in favour of their reliable jointor bong.

There is some truth to the idea that thereis "something missing" when you vapour-ize cannabis. Many users declare that it is"not as potent" as smoked cannabis. Bythis, they may mean the degree to which itdisorients or incapacitates them, or makesthem feel drowsy or sluggish. These symp-toms derive from the smoke, not thecannabis. More typical effects of cannabis(without the smoke) are: increased sensorystimulation and heightened cognitiveimagination. Pure cannabis can be psyche-delic and entheogenic, and is associatedwith religious experience for many users,whereas smoked cannabis becomes moreof a narcotic in its effect. Vapourization ofcannabis is, in my opinion, the purest formof delivery.

Many frequent smokers have lostthe ability to appreciate cannabis,since smoking sustains high levels ofCBD, which acts to block the effective-ness of THC, and contributes to thetired, sluggish feeling. The pure effect

of cannabis is most commonly experienced(by smokers) from the most potent prepa-rations of hashish, so that large amounts ofTHC may be ingested with a minimum ofsmoke. The vapourizer takes this conceptone stage further, so the progression is:bottom leaf, top leaf, flower tops, hashish,pure cannabis oil, and finally, the pureexperience released in a light cloud ofvapour.

Using a vapourizer results in an experi-ence that is cleaner, richer and clearer, with-out the disorienting effects of smokedmarijuana. The effect also lasts longer. Atoke in the morning can keep a medicalpatient free of pain all through the day.People who sometimes use a vapourizer,but also smoke, don't get this effect. TheCBD in the smoked marijuana builds upand blocks the THC. This explains why the"morning toke" works so well. Many smok-ers are familiar with the experience ofsmoking a large amount of cannabis thenight before, waking up to have one littletoke, and experiencing a better "high" thanthe night before. This happens because thenight's sleep has metabolized enough ofthe CBD to allow a fresh burst of THC beforethe CBD takes over again.

Which is the best model of vapourizerto buy? Because I am the designerof the "Ultimate Vaporizer" (www.vapor-magic.biz), I believe my own design is thebest, but I will try to give a balancedoverview of the devices on the market.

Most designs fall into one of two cate-gories: 1) those with heat guns pushingforced hot air (at a carefully regulated tem-perature) over the cannabis into a vapourchamber, which is then inhaled; and 2)those that feature some sort of "hot bowl"without an assisted air flow. I believe thedesigns (like my own) which use the powerof a heat gun offer the most effective expe-rience. When comparing models, the mainthing to look for is a high quality heat gunwith fully adjustable temperature controlsand a ceramic core. The ceramic core isimportant because it isolates the metallicheating element so there is no adulterationin the quality of pure hot air delivered. Ifyou are considering a "hot bowl" device,portability is the main advantage. These aresimple units that can be carried anywhere.People with a serious medical need for

Vaporization


cannabis would probably want to have ahigh quality vapourizer for their primaryuse and a portable unit for travel.

If cannabis can be taken in vapour, with-out the use of smoke as a vehicle, most ofthe potent objections against the use ofcannabis melt away. An entire world of pos-sibility opens up to the medical patient,who can now obtain relief from his symp-toms without the toxic complications ofthe smoke.

The world ofCELEBRATION PIPESadvertorial

Our mission is to create the finest smok-ing accessories on the planet, built to lasta lifetime. Each piece is handcrafted fromour unique ceramic composite, texturedwith lava rocks, fired to over 2,350 degreesFahrenheit, and then the bowls are platedin either 22kt Gold, Platinum, Opal, or ourexotic Hanalei Blue. A velvet and satin bagis provided for safekeeping.

Each year since 1973, no more than4,000 pieces are created, signed and num-bered resulting in a true collector's heir-loom from the STONEAGE. We werefounding advertisers in the very first HIGHTIMES magazine over 27 years ago. Timetested, rock and roll hard, virtually

unbreakable CELEBRATION PIPES willamaze your friends and stimulate yoursenses with remarkable efficiency.

Over the years, we have been commi-sioned to create CELEBRATION PIPES forAerosmith, Fleetwood Mac, Bob Marleyand the Wailers, Jefferson Starship, Logginsand Messina, Cecilio and Kapono, JesseCollin Young, Hugh Hefner and KeithStroup (founder of NORML). Recently sev-eral CELEBRATION PIPES were presentedto Woody Harrelson and his voiceyour-self.com crew.

In 2000, while meeting new friends fromaround the world at the 13th annual HIGHTIMES Cannabis Cup, we were honoured tobe inducted into the permanent collectionof the GLOBAL HEMP MUSEUM inHaarlem, Netherlands. There you can findone of the most complete histories of theherb on planet Earth.

We welcome you to visit our websiteand online store and share a "peace ofparadise" with your friends and family.

Watch NevadaThe odds are out, the bets are in and the

race is on November 5th 2002, citizens ofNevada will vote on whether to legalize ornot. Nevada once again could be the liber-

al wedge, the big prize fight in the US drugwar. It is estimated that bringing marijua-na into a regulated market would gener-ate $200 million in annual tax revenues forthe state.

Legalization has been running neck andneck with the opponents. Early on itappeared that the Chiefs of Police were onside, but in the home stretch they bailedout. Approaching the finish line, legaliza-tion organizers have countered with astrong TV campaign.

Watch for international coverageNovember 5

Constitutional

ChallengeAllen Young, who represents several seri-

ously ill people from across Canada andone caregiver, launched a constitutionalchallenge against two federal laws, theMedical Marijuana Access Regulations, andthe section of the Controlled Drugs andSubstances Act that prohibits possessionof marijuana. Three other individuals havejoined the leagal action, and the court ishearing all the challenges together. Watchfor the next court date of Octobe r 18th.


ANNOUNCEMENTS

Did you live in Gilpin between 1971 & 1975?Would you attend a reunion? Write to Box 21Have you been banned from the U.S forMarijuana charges? Please contact us atCannabis Health Journal, Attention Banned.

KUDOS

Kudos to the R.C.M.P for their “Cops 4 Kids”fundraising program. Enforcing sociallyunpopular laws has cost the R.C.M.P. credi-bility with the youth in our communities. CHmagazine applauds their efforts to show thehumanity that has motivated many officersto dedicate their lives to this career. Kudos to Nelson British Columbia, WAL-MART for responding to community need forsmall hydroponic corner in their gardeningdepartment. Thanks from the medical mari-juana community!

BRITISH COLUMBIA

BC Hydroponics1610 Elizabeth St. Port Alberni, BC,V9Y 6L7 ph:250-724-4769

Backwoods Hydroponics10590 Carlson Rd., Prince George, BC,V2K 5E5 ph:250-963-9541

Duncan Plant & Ponics

#4-2985 Breen Rd. Duncan, BCV9L 6C7 ph:250-746-5591

Oasis Hydroponics#15- 1771 Cooper Rd., Kelowna, BCph:250-763-4769Pacific NW Garden Supply#107-5530 Wharf Rd, Sechelt, BCph:604-885-4717

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ALBERTA

U Grow. Indoor Garden Centre Inc7361 104 Street, Edmonton Alta.ph:780-434-3797 fax:780-434-3796

COMING EVENTS

The Marijuana Policy Project and Studentsfor Sensible Drug Policy present ...NationalConference 2002, November 8-10, Anaheim,CA. * perspectives on the drug war frompolitical conservatives, religious leaders,judges, and law-enforcement officials *important election results from across the

nation announced and analyzed * stand-up comedy by Bill Maher * and much, muchmore. Register right away atwww.mpp.org/conference for a substantiallydiscounted early bird rate! For more infor-mation on the Marijuana Policy Project /Students for Sensible Drug Policy confer-ence, please call 202-293-4414.

HEALTH AND HEALING

Quantum Healing AssociatesSuzanne Forgeron B.A./C.S.T./D.Ac32 Milrun Cres. Bedford N.S. B4A 1H7ph: 902--832-1312 / fax: 902-832-9217

$1.oo per word including taxes.. Submit and pay for your classifieds on the web at cannabishealth.com,or pay by phone, MasterCard, or mail cheque /money order to Cannabis Health. Reply to CH-Box #’s at Cannabis Health 8120-B Donaldson Drive, Grand Forks, B.C. V0H 1H0

c l a s s i f i e d s @ c a n n a b i s h e a l t h

The stores listed below are friend-ly to medical marijuana users andwill gladly help you with your grow-ing questions.

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