Source: The Media Awareness Project Pubdate: Sat, 17 Oct 1998 Note: This is a summary of a TV documentary. Thursday the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) aired NATURE OF THINGS - - REEFER MADNESS 2. It is to be shown again at 4:00 p.m. Sunday, 18 Oct 1998 (check your local listings). Several have commented on how well the documentary states the case for medicinal marijuana. Having copies to show audiences would be of value not just in Canada, but everywhere. To give you, our readers, a little idea of the nature of this documentary, the following is provided. At the end is a list of U.S. networks which could be contacted to encourage one of them to broadcast the show. We understand that arrangements are being made for a video copy of the show to be available on the Legalize! website, probably sometime next week. http://www.legalize-usa.org/TOCs/video.htm Richard Lake Senior Editor; MAPnews, MAPnews-Digest and DrugNews-Digest email: ***** From the CBC website: http://www.tv.cbc.ca/ Nature of Things -Reefer Madness 2 MARIJUANA AS MEDICINE ON THE NATURE OF THINGS, OCTOBER 15 AND REPEATED OCTOBER 18/98 There is a growing number of people who regard marijuana (cannabis) as a benign medicine, offering relief to people suffering from a variety of illnesses, including epilepsy, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and glaucoma as well as lessening the side effects of medications and treatments given to cancer and HIV patients. On Thursday, October 15 at 8 p.m., CBC Television's THE NATURE OF THINGS with David Suzuki examines the medicinal uses of marijuana. This show is repeated Sunday, October 18 at 4:00 p.m. Officially, marijuana is an illegal drug that is still considered toxic and addictive with no medical value. People who use marijuana to alleviate their suffering, live with the added anxiety of possible arrest, jail and forfeiture of property. They all say it's worth the risk. This program tells the stories of those who have shown courage in providing marijuana to the sick and suffering as well as the stories of people whose lives have been transformed by its medicinal properties. Reefer Madness 2 also travels to India where marijuana is openly cultivated and used in medicine, rituals and recreationally, as it has been for thousands of years with little indication of its supposed damaging effects. It came to the West in the mid-1800s, and was commonly used as a folk medicine. In the United States of the 1930s, it became identified with the corrupting influence of the jazz culture and with Mexican and Chinese immigrants. From then on, it was labeled as a Schedule 1, or dangerous drug. The Black Candle, written by an eminent Canadian judge stirred the controversy in Canada in the 1920s. Reefer Madness 2 introduces audiences to the personal stories of two women who provide marijuana to the sick. Valerie Corral of California established the Women's Alliance for Medical Marijuana (WAMM) and supplies over 200 people in the Santa Cruz area. Vancouver's Hilary Black runs The Compassionate Club. She talks about her dealings with sufferers, the police and the growers she relies on for supplies. Dr. Lester Grinspoon of Harvard Medical School and the author of Forbidden Medicine, recounts how a personal experience affecting his own family reinforced his determination to try and set the record straight about the marijuana use and cancer patients. Reefer Madness 2 is written by John Bassett and produced by Vishnu Mathur. Executive producer of THE NATURE OF THINGS is Michael Allder. ***** Also from the CBC website: MARIJUANA AS MEDICINE ON THE NATURE OF THINGS, OCTOBER 15 and REPEATED OCTOBER. 18/98 There is a growing number of people who regard marijuana (cannabis) as a benign medicine, offering relief to people suffering from a variety of illnesses, including epilepsy, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and glaucoma as well as lessening the side effects of medications and treatments given to cancer and HIV patients. On Thursday, October 15 at 8 p.m., CBC Television's THE NATURE OF THINGS with David Suzuki examines the medicinal uses of marijuana. This show is also repeated Sunday, October 18, 1998, at 4 p.m. If you wish to contact The Compassion Club in Vancouver the phone # is (604)875-0448, WEBSITE www.thecompassionclub.org WAMM's phone number (408)423-5413 and e-mail address - ***** David Suzuki's bio is at: http://www.tv.cbc.ca/personalities/natureofthings/suzuki.html If you want to contact David Suzuki himself, you can reach him through his assistant, Lisa Hayden, via telephone--(604) 730-9670, fax--(604) 730-9672,, or snail mail at Suite 219, 2211 West 4th Ave., Vancouver, B.C. V6K 4S2 CANADA If you have comments about The Nature of Things, you can contact CBC directly by email at: You can also reach them via snail mail at The Nature of Things, CBC Toronto, PO Box 500 Stn "A", Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5W 1E6; Tel.: 416-205-6888; Fax: 416-205-3579. ***** Folks interviewed for Reffer Madness 2: Dr. Lester Grinspoon Websites: http://rxmarihuana.com/ and http://www.marijuana-uses.com/ Articles by Dr. Grinspoon: Public Nuisance Or Therapy? Cannabis Clubs http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n878.a05.html Medical Marihuana Reconsidered http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n766/a09.html Plus about 45 other items about or by Dr. Grinspoon at: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/ Valerie and Mike Corral, Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana (WAMM). Website: http://www.wamm.org/ A few of the more than a dozen news articles at MAP: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v97/n632/a02.html http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v97/n164/a04.html http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v97/n350/a01.html http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n027/a01.html Hilary Black, The Compassion Club Website: http://www.thecompassionclub.org/ Some of the articles: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v97/n314/a04.html http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v97/n463/a04.html http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v97/n463/a04.html Chris Clay, The Compassion Club webmaster Dozens of articles about Chris can be found by searching the MAP website, but those about him are mixed in with those he newshawked. Jim Wakeford and Mr. Wakeford's physician, Dr. John Goodhew A few of the related articles: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n664/a08.html http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n086/a08.html http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n653/a09.html http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n788.a14.html Dr. Donald Abrams Again, just a few of the articles: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n159/a08.html http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n379/a08.html http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n595.a09.html Celia Scott, Mayor of Santa Cruz, California http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n196/a02.html Terry Parker, and Aaron Harnett, Mr. Parker's lawyer Just three of dozens of articles on the MAP site: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n890.a06.html http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v97.n390.a01.html http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n692/a07.html Vancouver Police Constable Gil Puder Again, just a few of many, but one by Constable Puder: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n318/a12.html http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n294/a01.html http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n453/a08.html http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n001.a02.html Will and Meg Foster Website: http://www.gnv.fdt.net/~jrdawson/willfoster.htm Just a few of the many, many articles on the MAP site and elsewhere: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n385/a03.html http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n412/a01.html http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n202/a06.html http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n709/a06.html Note: The search feature at the MAP website found, and can find for you, the many more articles about the people interviewed above: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/ ***** It is possible that a U.S. network could pick up 'Nature of Things -Reefer Madness 2' for rebroadcast, but only if you act to let them know it is important to you! Here are some of the website starting points and/or email addresses you could use to alert the networks: NBC: http://www.nbc.com/nbc/nbcemail.nbc http://www.nbc.com/interact/ ABC: http://www.abc.com/email_abc/index.html CBS: http://www.cbs.com/ CNN: Email: http://cnn.com/feedback/ PBS: Email: The Discovery Channel & The Learning Channel Email: - --- Checked-by: Richard Lake