Pubdate: Sat, 21 Apr 2012
Source: Kamloops Daily News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 Kamloops Daily News
Contact:  http://www.kamloopsnews.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/679
Author: Mike Youds

PARK GOES TO POT

Pot smokers in Riverside Park presented a picture of sunny bliss
Friday in support of 4:20, the global celebration of cannabis culture.

The city's first sanctioned 4:20 rally attracted about 60 supporters
to the Rotary Bandshell by mid-afternoon. People lounged around
listening to the local band The Tyme Travellers, savouring the spring
warmth and, yes, lighting up some king-sized doobies while hardly
batting an eye.

Thirty or 40 years ago they would have been arrested on the spot. No
one objected and there were no uniformed police officers in sight.

There was a sober side to the rally, though.

Many of those smoking cannabis were complying with the law as
federally licensed medical marijuana users. Their local source of what
they believe is safe cannabis - free from mould, bacteria and
chemicals - a compassion club run by local activist Carl Anderson, was
shut down by RCMP in February.

Anderson hoped to mount a charter challenge but had a setback earlier
this week when a new charge was substituted, moving the case to a
lower court. He helped organize Friday's rally.

"You can't criminalize people for doing something so widely used," he
said. "I think if it was on a (referendum) ballot, it would be
legalized overnight."

Elisa Millns was one of Anderson's customers. Suffering from two acute
intestinal diseases, she found marijuana an effective substitute for
prescribed morphine or hypo-morphine.

"When you live with pain for 24 hours a day and you can sleep for six
hours, it's a Godsend," she said. She theorizes that the cannabis
works as a catalyst for internal resistance to pain, enabling the body
to produce its own morphine.

"It also improved my life," added Theresa Edstrom, who has multiple
health issues.

They believe rallies such as Friday's will help overcome stereotypes
and make the public more aware of the merits of marijuana. They see
Ottawa's omnibus crime bill moving the country in the opposite
direction, threatening to criminalize more Canadians for growing
marijuana. That has to change, Millns said.

"What's it going to take? It's going to take groups like this to stay
peaceful. It's going to take more people coming out of the closet."

Another woman, a senior who didn't want her name used, knows an
elderly woman who discovered that marijuana helps her health. Other
acquaintances, parents with a young boy who has cancer, allow him to
use cannabis as therapy.

"Since he started using marijuana, he no longer throws up and he can
sleep."

Others at the rally advocated for an end to prohibition.

"They think we're all stupid layabouts, but they'd be surprised," said
Winston Smith, a member of The Tyme Travellers. "They recently
analysed Shakespeare's pipe in the British Museum and it tested positive."

He argued that the law discriminates, amounting to bigotry and
prejudice. Why hasn't there been an effective challenge under the
charter, then?

"Because every time we try, like Carl, they bounce it down to a lower
court."

"People in B.C. grow the best pot in Canada," Anderson said. "B.C.
bud's the best. It's known worldwide. And it's a major part of the
culture. The whole province is built on pot." 
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D