CAMPBELLFORD MAN TAKES THE LEAD IN CANNABIS EDUCATION CAMPAIGN

Organization Pushes for Public Opinion and Political Policy Changes

CAMPBELLFORD - Al Graham founded PACE (People Advocating Cannabis
Education) last summer because using marijuana has helped him cope
with his own illness and he believes others would benefit from its
wider acceptance.

"I can tell you it's improved my quality of health," Mr. Graham
says.

The Campbellford resident was once a production supervisor who oversaw
65 employees but he had to go on disability after he was diagnosed
with Crohn's disease, an inflammatory disease that attacks the
digestive system, in June 2003. He used to take 32 pills a day but
he's now down to eight and most of them are vitamins. He still takes a
couple of "nasty drugs" administered by doctors but he's replaced the
painkillers with cannabis, which he inhales or smokes throughout the
day.

"I've become more active and more involved in things, it hasn't shut
me down," said Mr. Graham, who's been a key member of Friends of
Ferris in helping to make the provincial park more appealing to visitors.

He's also emerged as a strong advocate for change in public thinking
and official policy concerning marijuana.

"It's all about getting the truth to the people," Mr. Graham said.
"The government has shut the truth down. There are people out there
that need to know this."

He's making an effort to remove the stigma associated with marijuana
by writing for 'Treating Yourself', a magazine that supports medicinal
marijuana, and representing the publication at national trade and
health shows held in Toronto. He also distributes PACE brochures that
provide links to websites that talk about the therapeutic properties
of cannabis and report on the latest developments and studies.

Mr. Graham stepped up his public awareness campaign last October when
he began showing documentaries once a month at the Grind House Cafe on
Front Street South. The films address four themes: science, patient
testimonials, the history of hemp and cannabis, and prohibition.
They're open to the public and are usually held the third Sunday of
the month, although the next one, 'What If Cannabis Cured Cancer' will
be shown Feb. 13, beginning around noon. A discussion typically takes
place after each showing and the floor is opened to questions.

Mr. Graham envisions a time when there will be a Cannabis Control
Board of Ontario to control the distribution of marijuana. Amsterdam
and Portugal have much more liberal laws governing marijuana and that
hasn't led to increased consumption among youth and society in
general, he said.

He believes the same outcome would prove true in Canada if marijuana
were to become part of a taxed, regulated market.

If the authorities are loathe to do so out of concern about
marijuana's psychological effects on users, "then shouldn't they be
protecting us from a lot of other stuff we consume on a daily basis?"
Mr. Graham argued, citing alcohol and cigarettes.

Grind House Cafe owner Gerhard Marzinski uses marijuana on occasion -
"I grew up in the '60s." Mr. Marzinski is a strong advocate of
decriminalizing marijuana because it can be used for many things, from
biofuels to cooking to cosmetics, he says.

It's a renewable crop that makes the most beautiful paper in the world
and clothing that rivals silk, he says.

"I just don't believe we should be suppressing that, we should be
embracing it and getting it to be part of our economic process."

If government were to control the production and sale of marijuana to
the public, it would generate more taxes, he says.

"Take the criminal element out of it and ensure that the product was
safe," he said.

That would be better than what's happening now, with young people
"buying crap off dealers," he said. "Personally, I think the health
risks with alcohol or cigarettes are far, far greater."

Mr. Marzinski said he's lost a few customers because his coffee shop
plays host to the PACE events but most people are open-minded and
they're willing to look at the aspects of what they're doing.

"We're not selling the stuff, we're not smoking the stuff in here,
we're not promoting that that happen," he said. "What we're after is,
simply, let's decriminalize it. Our jails are full of people that got
busted with a joint or two."

Mr. Marzinski said government has no business interfering with people
using marijuana as a recreational drug so long as it doesn't put other
people at risk; in other words, treat it the same as alcohol and
consume in moderation.

Lisa Winegarden doesn't belong to PACE but she prints its brochures
and shares its beliefs. Ms. Winegarden says she uses marijuana to help
her relax but believes it helps her with her glaucoma.

"It should be totally legalized," she said. "The benefits of it are
unbelievable ... I don't see anything wrong with it."

Many people have opted to use marijuana in place of prescription drugs
because their side effects were brutal, worse than the pain they were
experiencing, Ms. Winegarden said.

"The biggest problem with it becoming legalized," she said, is that
currently there is no test police can use to determine if a driver is
high from using marijuana.

Another hurdle to overcome is to change the views of an older
generation whose attitude toward marijuana was shaped during the
reefer madness era where all drugs are bad, Ms. Winegarden said.

It's not a gateway drug, it's not an addictive drug but that doesn't
preclude people becoming heavy users or moving on to harder drugs, she
added.

"A lot of people drink but not very many people are alcoholics," Ms.
Winegarden said.