THIS BUD'S FOR YOU

A Review Of The Pro-Pot Book Bud Inc

REGINA - From a perspective rooted in propot activism and action,
awardwinning journalist and author Ian Mulgrew explores the marijuana
industry through its many characters and offshoots in his book, Bud
Inc.

A very practical and human side of the pot trade is portrayed when
explained through law, morality, health, and economics. Inside is the
pungent account of Vancouver's revolutionary Da Kine cafe, which
openly sold weed, easily raking in $30,000 a day. Mulgrew argues
marijuana regulation is economically beneficial and would curb the
dangers of gang-controlled drugs.

Beginning in Mulgrew's home of Vancouver and spanning the US and
Europe, the book provides both local and global perspectives of the
debate. From the primary product and the people who plant it, to the
bottom line and what that can mean for Canada, Bud Inc. has a relaxing
effect on the entire argument.

Already hailed by critics as eye-opening, Bud Inc. is well-written,
easy to read, and engaging. Millionaire drug dealers, innovators, and
businessmen speak candidly as they succeed and struggle when some who
sell to those in pain (and those who are not) deal with SWAT teams,
court dates, and deportation. This is an enlightening and civil look
at a product that could potentially be a Canadian asset.

Early on, Mulgrew says, "The international debate, in my view, is "coloured
by ideology rather than insight."

An economist describing similarities to the prohibition on alcohol
during the 1930s further explains this statement: "The alcohol
prohibition ended because it was impossible to enforce. Booze was
available everywhere; as a consequence, prohibition had an acidic infl
uence on people's attitude toward police and the courts because the
law was often ignored or treated as a misdemeanor. The dirty money
generated by the activity was equally caustic." Canadian booze served
the public back then. Today it's marijuana.

Mulgrew uses the examples of countries that have legalized pot to
defuse the idea of societal disarray if the same drug that fuelled
Reefer Madness were to be unleashed on the public.

In the final chapter, a former president of the Yale Young Republicans
says, "you can't have a serious conversation about [marijuana]. The
headlines condition you to think whatever follows is a joke. So, when
you read that there is no fatal dose of pot, that marijuana is a
medicine, that it is more benign than Aspirin, it's a joke, you don't
take it seriously."

This is a well-organized pro-pot read. You can expect a seriously
thoughtful and potent look at the effectiveness of the policies of the
Canadian government. But be aware, Bud Inc. may make users loses their
inhibitions and encourage further exploration of the topic, for better or
worse.