O CANNABIS

We congratulate Vancouver on being named the world's best marijuana city by
venerable High Times magazine. Though naturally we've never inhaled, we
understand -- from a friend, of course -- that the city on the left coast
is a deserving winner.

There are reportedly more than 20,000 marijuana-growing operations in
Vancouver and the surrounding Lower Mainland, providing ample supplies of
high-quality, reasonably priced weed to complement some superb scenery in
which to smoke. The crop generates annual revenues estimated as high as
$30-billion, rivalling the $36-billion in cash receipts generated last year
by all of Canada's "legitimate" crops combined. (And you thought that all
those smiling, relaxed Vancouverites were simply enjoying the natural high
from their beautiful surroundings.)

Given such a concentration of pot in one city, we eagerly await other,
related honours for Vancouver. Like the 7-Eleven award for highest per
capita purchases of hoagies and nacho chips after midnight.