BUD LIGHT - A QUICK LOOK AT MARIJUANA

Marijuana was first banned in Canada in 1923 under the Opium and Drug Act.
Ever since that legislation was passed, opponents have called the penalties
for possession too harsh.

Since May 1997, illicit drugs have been covered by the Controlled Drugs and
Substances Act, which opponents want scrapped. August 2000 saw the passing
of legislation by the Ontario Court of Appeal ruling that banning marijuana
for medicinal purposes violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and
Freedoms. More recently, in July 2001, Canada became the first country to
adopt a system regulating the medicinal use of marijuana.

The Canadian Medical Association estimates that 1.5 million Canadians smoke
marijuana recreationally. Obviously those estimators have not made a visit
to the Canadian West Coast. Anyone walking down the street almost anywhere
in Greater Vancouver can unexpectedly encounter the sweet smell of ganja.
However, the debate over recreational use continues and recent studies have
confirmed what many recreational users of marijuana have known all along.

Senator Pierre Claude Nolin has been acting head of a special Senate
Committee on Illegal Drugs. In May 2002 the committee presented a paper,
which summarized several important scientific discoveries. Namely,
marijuana does not lead to harder drug use, fewer than ten percent of
marijuana users become addicted, and a lot of money is spent on law
enforcement, even though public policies don't discourage marijuana use.

In September of this year, the committee released a second report, which
stated that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol and should be governed
by similar regulations. Mr. Nolin was quoted by the CBC as saying,
"Scientific evidence overwhelmingly indicates that cannabis is
substantially less harmful than alcohol and should be treated not as a
criminal issue but as a social and public health issue."

Some people are not interested in having the laws surrounding marijuana
changed, while others are pushing for complete legalization. Those people
camped in the middle favour decriminalization. They would like to see the
rules stay the same, but have the current penalties lowered from a criminal
to civil court, like getting a traffic ticket--no criminal record would be
kept.

In 1973 the LeDain Commission, a federal commission looking into the
non-medical use of drugs, called for an end to charges for marijuana
possession and cultivation. This was the first big boost to the marijuana
liberalization movement.

More recently, in May 2001 Progressive Conservative Party leader Joe Clark
made a statement to the effect that young people caught with marijuana
shouldn't have to carry the stigma of a criminal record for life.

Penalties for possession can include a jail term of up to five years.

Many groups call this penalty too harsh.

Both the NDP and Bloc Quebecois have made statements favouring
decriminalization. The Canadian Medical Association backs the position of
decriminalization, stating in a CBC editorial that carrying a criminal
record effectively bars young people from employment and other
opportunities, such as getting into medical or law school.

The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police has also advocated
decriminalization, as prosecuting people for small amounts of marijuana
ties up already stretched resources.

There are groups who disagree strongly with decriminalization. Mostly
police groups and anti-drug associations. Chief Executive Director of the
Canadian Police Association Dave Griffin made the statement that most
first-time offenders don't get criminal records.

In the US over the past few years, websites have appeared supporting
anti-drug stands.

Even Alcoholics Anonymous has branched out to help marijuana addicts,
appropriately calling the division Marijuana Anonymous. However, the
support for decriminalization appears to be growing.

A survey conducted by COMPAS for the National Post newspaper in May 2000
found that 65 percent of people surveyed said the concept of
decriminalizing marijuana was an excellent, or good idea. 20 percent of
respondents did not agree with decriminalization. A similar poll conducted
by Reginald Bibby, a professor at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta,
claimed that support for legalization has risen to 47 percent among Canadians.

Despite the fact that marijuana remains an illegal drug in Canada, the
Narcotic Control Regulations were amended in July 2001. The new regulations
established criteria for medical use of marijuana.

Patients who fall into one of three categories may apply for an
authorization to possess marijuana for medical purposes.

Category One patients are those people who have terminal illnesses with a
prognosis of less than twelve months.

Category Two patients are those people who are afflicted with symptoms of
serious medical conditions: multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, spinal
cord disease, cancer, AIDS/HIV, severe arthritis, and epilepsy.

Category Three patients are those people who do not fall into category One
or Two, but have severe pain or discomfort that is not alleviated by
contemporary medical treatments.

Applicants can phone or mail in their request for authorization from Health
Canada's Office of Cannabis Medical Access (www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hecs
sesc/ocma/contact_us.htm). The forms are also downloadable from the OCMA
website (www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hecs-sesc/ocma/index.htm). Applicants provide
information about themselves, and their medical condition, and indicate if
they plan to grow their own supply of marijuana, have someone else grow it
for them, or obtain it from a dealer licensed by Health Canada. Applicants
must also provide statements from one or more medical specialists stating
that conventional treatments have been tried.

Health Canada magazine has published a short web-based article which
claims, "Advocates of making marijuana available as a medical treatment
argue that the drug helps relieve nausea and vomiting related to AIDS and
cancer therapies, and is effective in treating other diseases or
conditions, including anorexia, chronic pain, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis,
glaucoma, arthritis, and migraines."

The evidence for medical benefits of marijuana dates back much further: An
article published in Cannabis Culture reads: "Due to its topical
anti-bacterial properties, cannabis has been used to treat a variety of
skin diseases such as pruritis, also known as atopic dermatitis, an
inflammatory skin disorder.

The symptoms of pruritis are severe itching, "and patches of inflamed skin,
especially on the hands, face, neck legs, and genitals." A description that
sounds startlingly similar to the skin disease described in Leviticus 13,
called tsara'ath. It is usually translated in the Old Testament as leprosy,
but has been noted by a number of scholars to be more likely a reference to
a severe form of pruritis rather than true leprosy (Hansen's disease)."

Furthermore, a 1960 study in Czechoslovakia concluded that,
"cannabidiociolic acid, a product of the unripe hemp plant, has
bacteriocidal properties." The Czech researchers found that cannabis
extracts containing cannabidiociolic acid produced impressive antibacterial
effects on a number of micro-organisms, including strains of staphylococcus
that resist penicillin and other antibiotics. The Czech researchers
successfully treated a variety of conditions, including ear infections,
with cannabis lotions and ointments.

Topical application of cannabis relieved pain and prevented infection in
second-degree burns.

On June 2, 1992 an Associated Press article appeared in The Province:
"Hashish (a resin derivative of cannabis) evidence is 1,600 years old.
'Archaeologists have found hard evidence that hashish was used as a
medicine 1,600 years ago', the Israel Antiquities Authority said yesterday.
Archaeologists uncovered organic remains of a substance containing hashish,
grasses and fruit on the abdominal area of a teenage female's skeleton that
dates back to the fourth century, the antiquities authority said in a
statement. Anthropologist Joel Zias said that although researchers knew
hashish had been used as a medicine, this is the first archeological evidence."

Another large pro-marijuana movement is the push to develop hemp-based
products for the marketplace. Hemp can be manufactured into clothing, oils,
paper, rope, and, although expensive when compared to other similar
products, with the right timing and marketing has the potential to beat-out
other industries. This has been one of the goals of the Marijuana Party and
activists such as Marc Emery. Emery started HempBC back in 1994 and has
nurtured his activism in cannabis culture to take on the slogan, "overgrow
the government."

Perhaps there will not be a quick resolution or acceptance of cannabis
culture, but the change is coming--marijuana has a budding future.