INSIDE@CANNABISHEALTH

www. cannabishealth.com
Editorial ......................................................................................... 4
Off the Wire ..................................................................................................................... 4
Sending Legal Cannabis by Canada Post........................................................................... 5
The Cannabis Health Foundation was formed in the spring of
2002 as a non-profit foundation.
Our mandate as a non-profit foundation is to provide accurate up-to-date information
on Cannabis Marijuana and Cannabis Hemp in a conservative style magazine that
appeals to the general public. We are pleased to announce the journal is now being
made available to: Government health organizations, patient support groups, medical
associations, research foundations and other cannabis related corporations at the very
low bulk distribution rate of: $1.00 per copy + shipping
Advertisers in the journal receive up to 300 free copies per issue.
For advertising information use phone or fax or e-mail: sales@cannabishealth.com.

How to safely ship pot by mail SUBSCRIPTION / DISTRIBUTION INFORMATION

If you would like to receive 6 copies per year of the most informative resource for
medical marijuana available, subscribe to Cannabis Health by sending your name and
Letters ............................................................................................................................. 5 address to:
Cannabis Health Foundation, P.O.Box 1481, Grand Forks, B.C., V0H 1H0
$25cdn in Canada (USA send $45.00cdn and foreign send $75.00cdn)
Our readers let us know what’s on their minds Bulk distribution rates in boxes of 100 at $1.00 per issue plus shipping.
E-mail: distribution@cannabishealth.com

Cannabis Branding-Where’s the THC? ................................................................6 Editor: Brian Taylor Production: Teresa Taylor Sales: Lisa Smith
Accounting: Barb Cornelius Distribution: Lorraine Langis
Alcohol turns to marijuana for marketing help Shipping & Store: Gordon Taylor Web: Barb St. Jean

No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form, print or electronic, without written
The Dagga Freedom Coin .......................................................................................8 permission of the publisher.
Cannabis Health is also reproduced on the web in downloadable pdf format
at cannabishealth.com/archive.html.
Artist Jeffery Sax brings cannabis to light through art

Questioning the Direction of Medical Marijuana Research ..................10

The Sacred Plant .........................................................................................................12

Renowned cannabis writer, Chris Bennett, tours marijuana history

High Art: The Grandfather of Herb Art, Pat Ryan......................................16

One Artista on the forefront of art revival

Art and Compassion: Nemo’s Story ....................................................................18

Cannabis Trade Association: Legal Cannabis ................................................20

Team Cannabis ...........................................................................................................22

The Pot BC 2010 Olympic Gear

IACM Requests your Help.......................................................................................23

International Association for Cannabis as Medicine in time of need

Triptorium: A Flashback in High Art ................................................................24

Receptive Earth ................................................................................26

The Persecution of Reverend Brother Michael D. Ethier.................26

Church of the Universe Reverend recalls his story

Marihuana and Religion ..................................................................30

O n t h e C o v e r
This month’s cover was designed by Jeffrey Sax, an American artist
Rev. A.L. Blaauw (ThB) on cannabis and religion whose works are inspired by and honoring of the cannabis plant.
See more of Jeffrey’s work at:
Curing your Buds..............................................................................32 www.saxgallery.com / www.daggaglass.org
Also, be sure to read the Dagga Freedom Coin story on page 8.
Klozit King gives us step by step instructions for curing great buds

2 CANNABIS HEALTH Journal


Brian Taylor: Editor-in-Chief
One of the drawbacks of publishing bi-
monthly is that some events become stale-
dated. One such event, spearheaded by
activist Jody Pressman, was the July 6
demonstration, “Fill the Hill” which drew
3000 Canadians to Parliament Hill with a
message for politicians; prohibition does
not work. For me, what was significant
about this traditional style event, was that
OFF THE WEB
MORE SMOKING MARIJUANA
July 8, 2004 Richmond Times-Dispatch (VA)
More U.S. adults, especially young minorities
and baby boomers, are habitual users of mari-
juana. The prevalence of marijuana abuse or
dependence climbed from 1.2 percent of adults
in 1991-92 to 1.5 percent in 2001-02, or an esti-
mated 3 million adults 18 and older. That repre-
sents an increase of 22 percent, or 800,000 peo-
ple, according to data from two nationally
representative surveys that each queried more
than 40,000 adults.
Among 18- to 29-year-olds, the rate remained
stable among whites but surged by about 220
percent among black men and women, to 4.5
percent of that population, and by almost 150
percent among Hispanic men, to 4.7 percent.
Among all adults ages 45 to 64, the rate
increased by 355 percent, to about 0.4 percent of
that population.
COMPASSION IN MONTANA?
On Friday, the Montana government certified
the Marijuana Policy Project’s medical marijua-
na initiative for the November 2 ballot. (After
three months of petitioning, MPP turned in more
than 32,000 signatures to the Montana govern-
ment on June 18.)
If the initiative is passed by a majority of vot-
ers, Montana will become the 10th state to pro-
tect medical marijuana patients from arrest and
jail.
4 CANNABIS HEALTH Jour nal
EDITOR@CANNABISHEALTH
after 35 years, so many Canadians still con-
tinue to feel such passion and enthusiasm.
Canada’s new Prime Minister, Paul
Martin, announced that his government
would re-introduce changes to marijuana
laws in October. Optimists are betting that
the new legislation will reflect the influence
of the New Democrats and that we might
see a legal plant limit as well as the posses-
sion of minor quantities without a fine.
Most people feel that at this point anything
is better than the confusion we have.
I am one of those optimists. In the last
few weeks I have noticed several surprising
indicators of positive change.
Associative Product Marketing, using an
association with cannabis, marijuana, pot or
hemp, to attract new customers to use a
non-cannabis product. Who are these peo-
ple these marketers are targeting that want
this safe association with the herb? My
guess is they are a wide demographic of pot
smokers and sympathizers who are secretly
reaching out saying, please save our planet
and save us from our hypocrisy! Remember
Please visit www.MontanaCares.com to learn
more about the initiative, and visit
www.mpp.org/MT/news_7706.html to read
some of the local news coverage.
SCIENTISTS SAY MARIJUANA
RESEARCH BLOCKED
July 20, 2004 Associated Press (Wire)
WASHINGTON - The government is violat-
ing federal law by obstructing medical marijua-
na research, scientists contend in lawsuits seek-
ing faster action on applications to grow the
drug.
In lawsuits to be filed Wednesday, researchers
assert that Washington is refusing to act on legit-
imate research projects and delaying studies that
could lead to marijuana’s use as a prescription
drug.
“There is an urgent need for an alternative sup-
ply of marijuana for medical research,” said Lyle
Craker, director of the Medicinal Plant Program
at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, the
main force behind the lawsuits.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of
the Health and Human Services Department,
“maintains a monopoly on research marijuana.
Many researchers believe that NIDA’s monop-
oly is an obstacle to getting needed studies done
on a timely basis,” Craker said in a statement.
Joining Craker in filing the suit are Rick
Doblin, president of the Multidisciplinary
Association for Psychedelic Studies, and Valerie
the Berlin Wall.
Another sign has been a new openness
from health professions including doctors.
All those news stories and specials and
debates are finally sinking in. People in my
town and all around the country are waking
up and realizing prohibition is dangerous.
More education is needed for doctors, for
seniors and for kids.
Modern archeologists uncover some of
the lost art from the dark period in America,
the 1980s. What a discovery. Our wish is to
see a new appreciation, a renaissance of the
art from this period. This was a way of
thinking, art with attitude. This will not be
the last readers will see of ARTISTA.
Tune in for more of How the heck do we
get ourselves out of the marijuana supply
business. The journal will try to shed some
light on quality, and cannabis testing.
The response to this editions theme has
been spectacular. Look for more cannabis
art and music in the next edition.
Corral, co-founder of the Wo/Men’s Alliance for
Medical Marijuana in Santa Cruz, Calif., who
uses marijuana to control epileptic seizures.
“As a patient, each day brings new struggles,”
she said in a statement. “Instead of providing
relief for critically ill Americans, our govern-
ment refuses to allow the research that would
free sick and dying members of our collective
from living in fear of an administration that
views medical assistance as criminal activity.”
CRITICAL OF GOVERNMENT POT
July 13, 2004 The Ottawa Citizen
Some patients are spurning a new batch of
government-certified marijuana, dismissing
Health Canada claims that it’s a stronger, better
quality smoke.
“It’s no good,” Marco Renda, 45, said yester-
day from his home in Dundalk, Ont. “I took two
puffs and I put it out.
Prairie Plant Systems, which produces med-
ical marijuana on contract for Health Canada,
began shipping a second batch on May 21 after
users gave the first harvest bad reviews. Health
Canada says the new batch has more THC, the
primary active ingredient in marijuana, fewer
leaves and twigs and more flowering tops.
“I’ve been told ... that the feedback has been
positive overall,” said Health Canada spokes-
woman Catherine Saunders.
 SHIPPING LEGAL CANNABIS BY
CANADA POST
Taylor is a licensed marijuana grower and
grows for Michel a legal marijuana patient.
Taylor has grown for other patients and has used
a variety of mail carriers to send cannabis mari-
juana to patients in Canada.
In June, two 3oz shipments sent to Michel’s
home in Ontario went missing. After Canada
Post lost the first shipment, Taylor turned to
Purolator. The second parcel also went missing.
Canada Post initially refused to take responsibil-
ity for the lost shipments and refused to ship any
marijuana. Health Canada instructions to
patients were not to identify the product as mar-
ijuana, package it well and require a signature on
delivery of the shipment. The intention of Health
Canada officials was to draw as little attention to
the product as possible. Without an agreement
with Canada Post, what in fact was happening
was, shippers were unable to insure their ship-
ments. If all went well and the parcel arrived, no
one took a loss, however, if the shipment
became lost, without insurance, the patient and
grower would take the loss.
Taylor asked other private mail carriers to
transport the marijuana to Ontario and all have
SAY NO TO GOVERNMENT POT?
I am surprised that your journal has not
given more coverage to the story of the
poor quality government marijuana.
I am considering applying for a licence,
however, why should I bother if I still am
forced to buy my marijuana from an illegal
source.
I am totally confused at the conflicting
stories over THC levels and quality. I love
your journal, you are my main source of
cannabis information.
Please help me understand these issues
better.
Sincerely yours, Maria Hill
Dear Maria,
We are equally as confused. We will look
into this further and will have more infor-
mation on this in our next issue.
BT
CANNABIS HEALTH Jour nal
refused. A supervisor from Loomis/DHL I.e. $175 to $200 per oz.
explained that they would like to help, but mail C# Nothing on the exterior should indicate
carriers often share planes that are routed that marijuana is in the package. You do not
through Cincinnati, Ohio and are subject to US need to identify the contents to the Canada Post
inspection including the use of sniffer dogs. employees.
Taylor was ready to ship another package to D# Send by Express Post with a signature
his patient the next week. His patient Michel required on delivery.
who is chronically ill was threatening to hitch-
CHJ
hike to BC to get his medicine.
Watch for more information on shipping in
Health Canada officials from the Medical
the next edition of the journal.
Marijuana Program, were alerted to the difficul-
ties patients and growers were experiencing and
entered into talks with Canada Post.
Subsequently Canada Post officials announced
that they were not opposed to shipping legal
marijuana, but needed more time to develop pro-
tocols for shipping.
As this next edition of the journal goes to press
our advice is:
A# Package your cannabis in a hard plastic
container. Disposable Tupperware type contain-
ers work well and Duct tape can be used to seal
the lid for added odor control.
B# Insure the contents for a reasonable value.
LETTERS
DIVERSITY OF SUPPORT HELPS
I loved the last issue, “Cannabis
Generation”. I am always amazed to see the
diversity of people that are brought togeth-
er through cannabis. This diversity is what
allows the movement to continue to with-
stand adversity.
I wish you all the best your endeavors,
and will stop by your store to say hello the
next time I’m down south!
Hemp and health,
Patrick M., Williams Lake, BC
5
 C A N N A B I S B R A N D I N G : W h e r e ’s t h e T H C ?
by Barbara Bud there has been criti- know how dangerous alcohol can be)
L’Or Special Drinks, a large Czech alcoholic cism that the drug is New Zealand faces a similar issue with a sim-
drink manufacturer, has launched marijuana being used to pro- ilar product that is using “cannabis branding”.
flavoured liquor. The drink (sold mostly in mote alcohol. The Alcohol Advisory Council is asking liquor
supermarkets and some restaurants) contains no Verina McEwen, a stores to withdraw Hemp Vodka, which has a
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active sub- Drug Action Team marijuana leaf on the label, claiming the product
stance in marijuana. It does, however, contain coordinator in breaches advertising ethics. Major alcohol man-
16% alcohol. England, branded the ufacturers in New Zealand have signed a code of
Jiri Janak, head of liquor production at Drinks sale of this drink as advertising standards that confirms they won’t
Union, said; “We produce if from hemp, but “irresponsible.” She use illicit drug images or language on labels.
there’s no THC in it,” adding he hasn’t received said; “This is clearly The distributor of Hemp vodka, however, is not
any complaints from anti-drug activists. Experts encouraging the use registered with the council, which represents
agree that drinkers probably can’t get high, but of more than one manufacturers. Beer, Wine and Spirits Council
drug, which is totally chief executive, Nicki Stewart is aware of the
irresponsible. issue and “flabbergasted” how it got through.
Marketing alcohol in Christine Rogan of Alcohol Healthwatch
this way should never brought this issue to the attention of the council.
be allowed, and it is She is concerned at anything that links the drug
an attempt to make culture to young people. “This has got a very
drink more attractive large, inviting marijuana leaf on the label, asso-
when it is actually ciating the product with an illegal substance.
dangerous and can That’s the main concern,” she said. “We are not
kill in extreme very happy about it and would certainly like to
cases.” (I think we all see it off the shelf.”

6 CANNABIS HEALTH Jour nal

 THE DAGGA FREEDOM COIN
by Akasha Jones
In 1994, artist/hemp activist Jeffrey Sax
was given an opportunity to design his own
currency. It was his intent to unite and
empower the cannabis culture with a cur-
rency that promoted environmental pros-
perity as well as spiritual and personal free-
dom.
The first coins featured the “Celestial
Lady Liberty” smoking a joint, with the
words “IN FREEDOM WE TRUST” and
the tail side featured a hemp leaf in the form
of a peace sign overlaid onto a map of the
planet. The words “WORLD PEACE” sur-
rounds the image as a proclamation that the
world could heal, prosper, and mellow, through
the life supporting gifts of the cannabis plant.
The coins were minted on one troy ounce of
.999 Fine Silver, and the dates have been
changed each year to acknowledge the history as
well as give it numismatic value. In 1995, only
31 coins were minted.
“I consider this the “1909 svdv” of the collec-
tion.” said Jeff “So far we have 1,798 Dagga
freedom coins in circulation. One man sent one
to his brother in Turkey, one was gifted to a
Chinese governor by a filmmaker, and many
were placed internationally, as well as stateside,
through my art gallery over the years. For many
people, it was their first cannabis “outing”.
Parents bought them for their children and visa-
versa. What really mattered was that it opened
up dialog between like-minded people. They see
this coin and it gives them courage to be who
they are.”
As an alternative currency, Dagga freedom
coins have been bartered for meals at restau-
rants, exchanged for herbs as well as produce at
Farmers Markets, used for rent, as well as gifted
to “herbal freedom fighters” around the world.
“I read of a chiropractor who was growing
plants for her client who suffered from glauco-
ma. She was facing jail time and heavy fines, so
I sent her a care package with an encouraging
note. At these times I considered the coin equiv-
alent to the Purple Heart, a medal that acknowl-
edged exceptional bravery and compassion dur-
ing times of war.” exclaimed Jeff. “I soon
received a letter back from the Doctor which let
me know that I was making a difference,”
8 CANNABIS HEALTH Jour nal
“What a beautiful coin you sent me!!! I’ll
treasure it always as the brightest moment of
this dismal affair,” were the first words from
her letter.
“I was also very moved when Brownie
Mary, Dennis Peron’s long time assistant and
AIDS activist, wore her freedom coin proudly
around her neck. We met at the 1993 Cannabis
Cup and she was truly an inspirational angel of
compassion. Dennis was also riding high on
the momentum of Prop 215 and of course we
were honored to gift him a coin as well.”
“We also gifted the coin to political figures who
“Glory Road” by Jeff Sax
were being proactive in the
hemp war.
It was encouraging to receive
a “thank you” letter from the
Surgeon General of the
United States while she still
was in office on official gov-
ernment stationary.”
Jeremy Slate, actor/hemp
activist, explained that the
coin is much more than just
an ounce of silver. “When my oldest son Jef was
dying of AIDS, cannabis was the only medicine
that eased his pain, but above all else, raised his
spirits to the point of ignoring his predicament.
Throughout his ordeal, the coin remained a
strong symbol of his commitment to the
cannabis culture. I inherited Jef’s coin and keep
it on my altar as a treasured momento and a
reminder of Jef’s better moments.”
Jeff also knew of a groom who bought a coin
for each guest at his wedding party, to celebrate
his union, and to let his passion for cannabis set
the tone for the ceremony and reception.
In 1998, WORLD PEACE was changed to
WORLD DAGGA, to incorporate a large scale
marketing plan for all hemp products. Cartoon
characters from all walks of life were created to
promote and celebrate their cannabis culture.
The “freedom coin” became their “currency of
choice” and their world a place of cannabis
inspired wonder.
The name “Dagga” was randomly picked from
a list of names for cannabis, from page one of
the 1993/4 edition of “The Emperor Wears No
Clothes”, by Jack Herer, who was one of the first
people to honor the new currency by “exchang-
ing” coins for advertising space.
“From my art gallery on Cannery Row, I paint-
ed many cannabis inspired images.” proclaimed
Jeff. “I was hoping to use my reputation as an
accomplished artist (including museum credits)
to enlighten the mainstream about this amazing
plant. Often people would buy images not real-
izing that there was a cannabis plant in the
design. Even if they were initially prejudiced
against the plant, they would still embrace the
image because of the positive vibrations of
the work.”
“Cannabis reflects the earth’s beauty and
soul, as well as the sun’s healing light. It is
inappropriate to be singled out and attacked
by military men in helicopters.” reflects
Jeff. “Through art, I was channeling and
honoring the grace, wisdom, strength, and
the sacred power of transformation of the
cannabis plant. Through the coin, I was
hoping to empower
the people who saw
and lived this truth.”
In the year 2001, a
new version of the
coin was offered that
featured the
Celestial Lady
Liberty not smoking
a joint. This was for
the people who were
more focused on the
industrial side of the
hemp issue. Both
versions were also
offered as a key-
chain.
Dagga has been an evolving concept that has
been growing roots steadily since 1995. After
nineteen years, Jeff closed his gallery on 1/1/01,
and focused his energies exclusively on Dagga.
Jon Brant, long time webmaster for Dagga,
recalls, “I remember what it felt like back in
2001 when we did the Santa Cruz Hemp Expo,
Seattle Hempfest, and Burning Man for the first
time. I felt we were ready for release into the
public. Our booth at the two shows totally
rocked; the stickers, the Dagga Freedom Coin
tree, the cards, the video. We had it all and I was
expecting so much more reaction than what hap-
pened. It wasn’t till we got to Burning Man that
I truly understood what the Dagga project was
really about. The gift economy of Burning Man!
That was Dagga! It wasn’t about money it was
all about ART and creative free expression.”
“Seeing the huge smiles and lit up faces of the
people we gave the coins to made me so happy
and connected. People ‘got’ what we were trying
to do, a new vibration of thinking. My favorite
memory was the coin I gave to the Johnny-on-
the-Spot guy, hired to pump out a city’s worth of porta-potties. I heard
through the grapevine that their morale was low and they were on the
verge of quitting. I jumped up onto his truck and thrust a coin at him
through the window and
loudly proclaimed “Thank
you!” He said, “WHOA
man, this is the coolest
thing I’ve ever seen!!!”
I knew that this guy
would have a story to tell
his friends and a coin that
really acknowledged his
efforts on behalf of the cit-
izens of Black Rock City.
In 2002 , Jeff embarked
on a personal, spiritual
quest that included being
in total service, Rascal
(the rabbit), and a little animation project called “Ammonite Rising”.
“All that is real, and all that matters, is love...” concludes Jeff. “As
Dagga moves into the future, I will let this lesson be the guiding light
behind all manifestations of our work.
It is my hope that 2004 will bring a sense of spiritual renewal for
everyone and that Dagga can be a part of that empowerment and cele-
bration.”
www.saxgallery.com / www.dagga.org

CANNABIS HEALTH Jour nal 9

 QUESTIONING THE DIRECTION
OF MEDICAL CANNABIS RESEARCH
by Fred Gardner, editor of O’Shaughnessy’s room at the Ariston Hotel, same as the ICRS tion and use of marijuana.”
The directors of the University of California’s meeting. About 40 distinguished scientists sat Note that the act refers to “marijuana” as it
Center for Medical Cannabis Research -Igor around tables with nameplates, microphones, was and is being used by Californians under
Grant, MD, and Drew Mattison, PhD- organized water, gift notepads, etc. (there was a noticeably Prop 215, in other words, the plant. The crude
a “workshop” in Paestum, Italy last month that higher percentage of men than at the ICRS meet- plant that grows in the crude soil and that we
seemed to violate their basic mandate. ing) Breakfast and lunch were provided. The voted to legalize for medical use. SB-487 made
abstract book acknowledged grants from the no reference to synthetic formulations, let alone
The event, entitled “Future Directions in
U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse, Health antagonist drugs. It authorized UC to sponsor
Cannabinoid Therapeutics II: From the Bench to
Canada, Solvay (makers of Marinol), Lilly, studies involving “marijuana.” For example:
the Clinic,” was held on Sunday, June 27, fol-
Merck, Esteve, Valeant, Indevus, Kadmus, and “Proposals shall contain procedures for outreach
lowing the International Cannabinoid Research
G.W. Pharmaceuticals. At least five people from to patients with various medical conditions who
Society’s annual meeting. Participants included
UC San Diego were involved -Mattison and may be suitable participants in research on mar-
many prestigious scientists -Raphael
Grant, staffer Heather Bentley, a grad student ijuana...” And “Proposals shall contain protocols
Mechoulam, Roger Pertwee, Raj Razdan,
and a distraught technician who kept scurrying suitable for research on marijuana...” And
Alexandros Makriyannis, Daniele Piomelli,
along the floor trying to get the mics to work “Studies conducted pursuant to this section shall
Cecilia Hillard, Vincenzo di Marzo, Ester Fride,
and/or stop screeching. include the greatest amount of new scientific
Natsuo Ueda, Jun Fu, George Kunos, Geoffrey
Guy, and others. The program was organized into four sections: research possible on the medical uses of, and
“Cannabinoid Agonists,” “Cannabinoid medical hazards associated with, marijuana...”
The CMCR (Center for Medical Cannabis
Antagonists,” “New Trends in Cannabinoid And “The marijuana studies shall employ state-
Research) conference was not publicized in
Therapeutics,” and “Cannabinoid Drug of-the-art research methodologies.”
advance and as of this writing is not reported on
Development.” Except for the promotion of How did it come to pass that research into the
their website. I first heard about it as the ICRS
antagonist drugs -which work by blocking the safety and efficacy of marijuana got transmuted
meeting got underway from Sumner Burstein, a
body’s cannabinoid receptors and pose dangers into studies involving synthetics? A key step
UMass medical school researcher who has
about which the designers remain in deep was the selection of UC San Diego -where the
developed a synthetic drug, ajulemic acid
denial- most of the research being described had influence of the medical marijuana movement
(named after his granddaughters) that activates
positive therapeutic implications. The talks was almost nil- to be the headquarters and
the cannabinoid receptors. Burstein said that a
involved very arcane chemistry, with the excep- Mattison and Grant to be the directors. This was
Massachusetts drug company, Indevus, was test-
tion of Geoffrey Guy’s report that tolerance did arranged by Vasconcellos as a favor to a mutual
ing AJA as a treatment for pain, and that their
not build up in more than 1,000 patients who had friend of his and Mattison’s.
promising early results would be reported at “the
taken Sativex for more than a year (for various
meeting on Sunday.” Whereas SB-487 had called for “Marijuana
conditions).
Next evening two California doctors, Jeff Research” the UC center changed its name to
Our concern is not that the CMCR honchos Cannabis (Latin is so much classier than
Hergenrather of Sebastopol and Steve Ellis of
spent taxpayers’ money on making themselves Mexican). The launch was accompanied by a
San Francisco, were seated at dinner with Drew
“players” in the cannabusiness world (the legis- self-congratulatory mission statement that erad-
Mattison, who revealed that the CMCR was
lation creating the CMCR allows them to spend icated marijuana, introduced the ambiguous
holding a meeting on Sunday for companies
five percent of their time raising money from term “cannabis products,” and added a gratu-
developing drugs they hoped to test and market
outside sources), but that the program itself vio- itous goal that ignores the people of California
in the U.S. Mattison said it was “by invitation
lated their reason for being, which was and is to while blowing a kiss to fellow bureaucrats.
only,” and he did not extend an invite to the
study “marijuana,” not ajulemic acid, or
California docs (who, being gentlemen, did not “The Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research
Marinol, or “cannbinoid therapeutics.”
protest). will conduct high quality scientific studies
The CMCR was created by “The Marijuana intended to ascertain the general medical safety
The following afternoon I encountered
Research Act of 1999” -SB-487- which was and efficacy of cannabis and cannabis products
Mattison outside the lecture hall and told him
introduced by State Sen. John Vasconcellos and examine alternative forms of cannabis
that Burstein had invited me to the CMCR ses-
explicitly in response to the passage of Prop administration. The center will be seen as a
sion. He said, in obvious displeasure, that “since
215. SB-487 authorized the UC regents to create model resource for health policy planning by
there had been so many complaints,” he’d been
a “Marijuana Research Program... (to) develop virtue of its close collaboration with federal,
forced to “open it up” on a first-come, first-
and conduct studies intended to ascertain the state, and academic entities.”
served basis to 20 more participants. I could get
general medical safety and efficacy of marijuana
in if I showed up early enough. Had the CMCR been based at UC San
and, if found valuable (sic), shall develop med-
I asked Mattison if the CMCR -which has Francisco, its operation might have been moni-
ical guidelines for the appropriate administra-
headquarters at UC San Diego and an office at
UC San Francisco- might find a way to provide
analytical-lab services so that California
patients, doctors and growers could identify the
composition of the plants they were using and
begin to duplicate, however crudely, the G.W.
approach to research. He gave me a horrified
look and instead of responding, said “Gerard
might be starting his talk”, and scurried into the
hall where Gerard Le Fur of Sanofi was about
to describe the effectiveness of a cannabinoid-
antagonist drug in treating obesity.
The CMCR Sunday conference was held in a

10 CANNABIS HEALTH Jour nal

 QUESTIONING THE DIRECTION
OF MEDICAL CANNABIS RESEARCH
tored by doctors and cannabis-using patients vide an adequate supply pursuant to Section questions raised by Californians who use
who want and need studies relevant to their own 11478.” cannabis as medicine in the now.
situation. Who is better positioned than the The federal agencies have indeed failed to Contact: journal@ccrmg.org
CMCR to collect data on the conditions that provide marijuana of adequate quality -which is Box 9143, Berkeley CA 94709
Californians have been treating with cannabis. why several CMCR studies couldn’t entice
And to collect and analyze the results? Who is enough test subjects and have been “on hold”
better positioned to analyze and provide data on for years. (Most egregious example: a San
the strains being used in the here and now? A Mateo study designed for 58 subjects that
director whose ambitions were on the clinical recruited just one!) Why don’t the scientists
rather than the research side of medicine would involved ask the AG to start supplying medicine
have promoted such studies. comparable to what Californians are growing in
Instead we have Igor Grant and Drew their own gardens? Why don’t they just get
Mattison “bringing together the major stake- real? While they’re at it they can discard any
holders in the development of cannabinoid ther- “placebo” protocols that are keeping prospec-
apeutics,” as their abstract book puts it, “to sur- tive patients out of their studies. What seriously
vey the laboratory compounds that are most ill person would risk getting a placebo when
promising for testing in human trials, confront they desperately need effective medicine?
potential stumbling blocks to testing and devel- We have to remind ourselves that the CMCR
opment of these compounds, and identify oppor- was created in response to Prop 215, which was
tunities for progressing (sic, sic, sic) new com- a rejection of a prohibition upheld not just by
pounds to clinical readiness.” the government but by the biomedical establish-
The CMCR leaders showed disrespect for the ment. Research inspired by Prop 215 should be
people they’re supposed to be serving when they realistic, practical, and designed to answer
didn’t invite Hergenrather and Ellis -who
between them have monitored cannabis use by
more than 5,000 patients!- to their confab.
A member of the CMCR scientific advisory
board (which has not met in two years) told
your correspondent that he had not been
apprised of the “workshop” in Paestum. He
sought to defend the CMCR by saying that SB-
847 requires that their studies be conducted
with marijuana provided by NIDA. But the
wording of the law suggests that studies could
be conducted with California-grown herb!
“The program shall ensure that all marijuana
used in the studies is of the appropriate medical
quality and shall be obtained from the National
Institute on Drug Abuse or any other federal
agency designated to supply marijuana for
authorized research. If these federal agencies
fail to provide a supply of adequate quality and
quantity within six months of the effective date
of this section, the Attorney General shall pro-

CANNABIS HEALTH Jour nal 11

 THE SACRED PLANT
by Chris Bennett
The question of cannabis’ role in the develop-
ment of humanity’s spiritual conception of the
universe, is a sort of chicken and the egg ques-
tion…Which came first?
We can imagine, as entheobotanist Professor
Richard Evans Schultes did long before us, that
early hunter gatherer humanity, in their quest
for food and oils, undoubtedly came across the
nutritious hemp seed. We can imagine our com-
mon stone age ancestors rubbing their hands
together to remove the fragrant pitch of the
plant, and possibly later tossing the ball onto the
camp fire... and the sweet smell arising
undoubtedly inspired the collection of more
of the plant to be destined for the flames... As
wild as this may sound, such an event likely
inspired some of the world’s earliest reli-
gions.
It is with such a view in mind that German
entheobotanist Christian Ratsch refers to mar-
ijuana as our oldest “cultural object” and the
late Carl Sagan speculated cannabis was
humanity’s first agricultural crop, using pyg-
mies as an example. The pygmies were basi-
cally hunter gatherers until they began using
cannabis ceremoniously and started to culti-
vate it to ensure a consistent supply.
From what can be derived from the histori-
cal record, we know that on the island of
Taiwan 12,000 year old archeological evi-
dence, such as tools used for working hemp
fibers and impressions of hemp fiber left on
pottery fragments, demonstrate stone-age
mans knowledge and use of the fibrous hemp
plant. Showing its already widespread use in
the distant, distant past , the Columbia
History of the World recorded that a trace of
10,000 year old hemp fabric was found at
Catal Huyuk in ancient Mesopotamia, now
modern Turkey.
The archeological record documents that
stone-age man was not only familiar with
cannabis’ fibers, but also with the effects of
burning the plant as well. Oxford archeologist,
Andrew Sherrat, points to the use of cannabis
incense at a gravesite of a group known as the
Proto-Indo-Europeans, the Kurgans, who occu-
pied what is now Romania 5,000 years ago. The
discovery of a smoking-cup, which contained
remnants of charred hemp seeds, at the site doc-
uments that 3,000 years before Christ humanity
had already been using cannabis for religious
purposes.
Recent archeological evidence from the
Russian excavations in the Kara Kum desert of
Turkmenistan give the clearest evidence of
cannabis’ historic role in the development of
religious thought. Both the Vedic religion, the
source of Hinduism, and the Zoroastrian religion
have a common ancestry in an earlier cult based
around the use of a sacred beverage known as
Soma in Indian literature and Haoma in Persian.
“[F]or the first time in the world archeological
12
practice, monumental temples were found in
which intoxicating beverage of the soma-haoma
type were prepared for cult ceremonies…The
excavations documentally proved that poppy,
cannabis and ephedra were used for making the
soma-haoma drinks, and thickets of these plants
were found in excess in the vicinity of the exca-
vated temples of Margiana.”(Sarianidi, 2003)
Soviet archeologists uncovered a large shrine,
about the size of a football field, dating from
2,000 BC and consisting of two parts, one of
which was obviously for public, but the other,
“hidden from the gaze of the multitude, an inner
sanctum of the priesthood. In one of these pri-
vate rooms were found three ceramic bowls.
Analysis of samples found in these vessels by
Professor Mayer-Melikyan revealed the traces of
both cannabis and Ephedra.”(Rudgley, 1998)
Remnants from vessels recovered at the site and
involved in the preparation of the sacred drink
have impressions from cannabis seeds left in the
gypsum that settled over the millennia and the
remnants of ephedra, poppy and mostly cannabis
in the white sediment stuck to the sides of
ancient pots and pitchers. Russian archeologist
Victor Sariandidi says this proves these plants
“were used for making the soma – haoma
drinks...”(Sariandidi 2003)
The religious use of cannabis spread quickly
throughout Old World religious cults. In the sec-
ond quarter of the first millennium BC in
Mesopotamia, the “word qunnabu (also rendered
qunapy, qunubu, qunbu) begins to turn up as for
a source of oil, fiber and medicine” (Barber
1989).
Ashurbanipal lived about 650 B.C., cuneiform
descriptions of an incense containing qunnapu
[cannabis] along with oil of cypress, aloes, myr-
tle, palm et al., was described in his library and
this description is generally viewed as a copy of
a much older recipe. Writings during the earlier
kingdom period of Ashurbanipal’s father
Esarhaddon give clear indications of the high
regard the ancient Assyrians held for this sacred
plant. “the main items for the [sacred] rites are
fine oil, water, honey, odorous plants and
cannabis [qunubu]”.
The ancient Sumerian city of Ur was Father
Abraham’s ancestral home. When Abraham
traveled from Ur to become the father of
Judaism, he carried with him the legends and
customs of his people. Many of these legends
and customs have particular relevance as
sources to our modern bible.
Prior to the time of Moses, where we get
some of our strongest Biblical evidence of
cannabis use, the Hebrews spent some time in
slavery in Egypt, and here too we find similar
evidence of the use of cannabis to that in
Mesopatamia. As reported in Aanova,
Monday 7th October 2002, ‘Scientists recre-
ate the perfume of the pharaoh’.
Scientists in France say they have recreated
the perfume of the pharaohs which they
believe was used by the ancient Egyptians to
boost their love-lives. But as the ingredients
of Kyphi perfume, said to be an aphrodisiac
which helps wearers relax, includes cannabis,
it cannot be commercially produced.
Experts from L’Oreal and C2RMF, the
Centre for Research and Restoration of
French Museums, succeeded in recreating the
legendary Kyphi perfume. French researcher
Sandrine Videault, who for years had attempt-
ed to recreate the aroma, was finally able to
do so with the help of Greek historiographer
Plutarch.
The Greek writer had written that Kyphi
had the power “to send someone to sleep, to help
them have sweet dreams, to relax them, to drive
away the worries of the day and to bring
peace.”…. But Videault said: “Kyphi will never
be sold because some of the ingredients are ille-
gal substances. In any case the smell is probably
much too pungent for the modern world.”
Other Egyptian references refer to cannabis as
sm sm t and describe its use as both a salve and
incense (THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ISLAM).
Further, the forsenic toxologist Dr. Svelta
Balabanova discovered evidence of cannabis
use, and other “magic plants” when doing deep
tissue samples of Ramses the Great, and other
ancient Egyptian mummies (Sumach 1997).
THE HOLY ANOINTING OIL
In 1936, a little known Polish Professor, Sara
Benetowa (aka Sula Benet), did extensive ety-
mological research, showing that both the
Aramaic and Hebrew versions of the Old
Testament contain references to cannabis as a
CANNABIS HEALTH Jour nal
 THE SACRED PLANT
fiber for rope and cloth, as well as an incense.
Most importantly, Benet found that hemp was
the active ingredient in the Holy anointing oil of
the ancient Hebrews, to be used only in the
installation of priests and kings, and in the con-
secration of holy items, as described in Exodus
(30: 22-33).
According to Benet’s research, cannabis
appears in ancient Hebrew texts as K’neh
bosem. Based upon the similarities between
kaneh bosem and the Assyrian name qunubu as
well as other ancient language terms for the
plant and the cognitive pronunciation of the
modern word cannabis, Benet showed that the
name kaneh bosem described cannabis and due
to a mistake in translation to the Greek and then
subsequent versions, calamus appears in most
modern translations.
This has continued to be a source of contro-
versy and calamus and cannabis are not the only
suggestions. The argument against cannabis
being usually the question of how a word of
Indo-European language ended up in the
Hebrew Bible? The answer to that is in fact
quite simple and contained in the Old
Testament itself. Cannabis was an item of trade
and as such, unlike common things such as
water and wheat, it retained the name from
whence it came on its travels. Even the Biblical
recipe for the anointing oil contains similar for-
eign words, as we see cinnamon, under the
name cinnamon, and this shows that such cog-
nate pronunciations can have their counter-parts
in modern language. More specifically in
Jeremiah 6:20 the sweet smelling ‘kaneh’ is
referred to as coming from a foreign land.
Calamus on the other hand was a common marsh
root!
The book of Exodus records the event of
Moses receiving the instructions for making and
distributing the hemp enriched holy oil, in the
most auspicious tones.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take the fol-
lowing fine spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh,
half as much of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels
of qaneh-bosm, 500 shekels of cassia—all
according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hind of
olive oil. Make these into a sacred anointing oil”
(Exodus 30: 22-33).
As one shekel equals approximately 16.37
14
grams, this means that the THC of over 9 pounds
of flowering cannabis tops were extracted into a
hind, about 6.5 liters of oil. The entheogenic
effects of such a solution, even when applied
topically, would undoubtedly have been intense.
References to similar cannabis anointing oils
occur in the contemporary literature of Egypt,
Bennett, with wife Renee and
son, Shiva
Assyria and Canaan as well as among Buddhist
monks in Medieval Tibet, European witches and
19th century occultists.
Indeed, the Hebrew title “Messiah” means the
anointed one, and refers to the psychoactive
cannabis ointment mentioned in exodus. The
‘anointed ones’, acting as shamans for the
ancient Israelites, were in a sense the conscious-
ness of the group or tribe. The “ideas” that came
to them while they were high were heard as the
voice of God, and through this ‘inner voice’ they
guided the tribe in both war and peace. The holy
anointing oil and incense was strictly used on the
high ranking members of the priestly Levites,
“the anointed priests, who were ordained to
serve as priests” (Numbers 3:3).
From the time of Moses until that of the later
prophet Samuel, the holy anointing oil was used
by the shamanic Levite priesthood to receive the
“revelations of the Lord”. At the dawn of the age
of Kings, Samuel extended the use of the anoint-
ing oil to the Hebraic monarchs by anointing
Saul (and later David) as “Messiah-king”. These
kings lead their people with the benefit of
insights achieved through using the holy anoint-
ing oil to become “possessed with the spirit of
the Lord.”
The Greek title “Christ” is the translation of
the Hebrew word Messiah, which in English
becomes “The Anointed”. The Messiah was
recognized as such by his being anointed with
the holy anointing oil, the use of which was
restricted to the instillation of Hebrew priests
and kings. If Jesus was not initiated in this fash-
ion then he was not the Christ, and had no offi-
cial claim to the title.
The ministry of Jesus marked the return of the
Jewish Messiah-kings, and thus the re-emer-
gence of the holy oil. Jesus was called the
Christ because he violated the Old Testament
taboo on the cannabis oil and distributed it
freely for initiation rites and to heal the sick and
wounded.
As the New Testament’s John explains: “. . .
you have an anointing from the Holy One, and
all of you know the truth. . . the anointing you
received from him remains in you, and you do
not need anyone to teach you. But as his anoint-
ing teaches you about all things and as that
anointing is real, not counterfeit - just as it has
taught you, remain in him.” (1 John 2: 27).
The ‘Holy Oil’ not only bestowed divine
knowledge but also had the power to cure ail-
ments. James suggests that anyone of the
Christian community who was sick should call
to the elders to anoint him with oil in the name
of Jesus. The Twelve are sent out among their
fellow-men casting out demons and anointing
the sick with oil (Mark 6:13).”
At the time of Christ, no differentiation was
made between medical treatment and exorcism
or miracles, all three were interrelated. To cure
someone of a disease or to relieve them of an
injury was paramount to exorcising the torment-
ing spirit, or miraculously healing them.
Thus it is not so surprising to find that the
anointing oil expelled demons and gave protec-
tion against them, correspondingly it cured and
dispelled the “sickness” of the soul and body.
Exorcism (literally “driving out”) was per-
formed by means of anointing.(6:13)
The above examples are far from the only
ones regarding the religious history of cannabis,
and as we enter into the 21st century we are
finding out more and more about the hidden
history of the holy plant and rediscovering the
roots of this once and future tree of life.
CANNABIS HEALTH Jour nal
 ADVERTISE IN CANNABIS HEALTH!
GREAT MAGAZINE. GREAT PEOPLE.

CANNABIS HEALTH Jour nal 15

 HIGH ART: The Grandfather of Herb Art, Pat Ryan
by Chris Ducey
Pat was born & raised in Levittown, NY and
migrated to LA in the mid 60’s.
After several years of working for an ad
agency on Sunset Blvd., with the Vietnam War
in full swing, Pay Ryan turned on, tuned in and
dropped out. In 1971 he packed up his belong-
ings and young family, soul singer wife Cyretta
and two young daughters, moving to the little
town of Fairfax in sleepy Marin County, CA just
north of San Francisco.
Sharing the whole building on the corner of
nd
2 and B Streets in San Rafael, “The Peanut
Gallery”, the greatest CA rock poster artists,
Clockwise, from upper right: Linda Miller, Victor Moscoso, Dave Sheridan,
Stanley Mouse, Alton Kelley, Larry Nagle, Pat Ryan, Tim Harris.
mingled, collaborated and got turned on to each
others medium and style. Pat Ryan painted most
of this CFFA poster which can be seen in a his-
torical context in Paul Grushkin’s book, “Art of
Rock”.
In ’78 the Peanut Gallery disbanded and threw
a final party, each artist having created a T-Shirt
design to help fund their move into their own
separate studios.
Pat Ryan and Dave Sheridan moved to Fairfax
and opened their business; “C.O.D. Grafix –
Consistently Over Drawn!” (Inspiration for the
ARTISTA dragon to be painted by Pat Ryan,
Dave Sheridan and Alton Kelley a couple of
years later)
16
Pat Ryan
C.O.D. Grafix in the 80’s
– The Fairfax Years
At C.O.D, Pat Ryan and Dave Sheridan
(famous cartoonist of the Fabulous Furry Freak
Bros. with Gilbert Shelton and creator of the
Dealer McDope board game) began their sever-
al years of close friendship and collaboration.
Pat and Dave, with a little help from Kelley
(lettering and chrome effect), painted the
ARTISTA rainbow dragon squeezed from a
paint tube. This was the birth of the ARTISA art
gang, eventually numbering over 700 members.
Almost in synch with the ARTISTA arrival,
Pat Ryan and Dave Sheridan created the ficti-
tious California Homegrowers Association.
In the wild 80’s, Pat Ryan and Dave Sheridan
collaborated on the first pot brand labels and
postcards in the California orange crate art style.
High Times featured a small article on the lads
during this period.
The ARTISTA gang grew and the annual par-
ties became events not to be missed by Bay Area
bud lovers, as they always featured a judging
contest for the best of the “Kind”!
Sadly, we lost Dave in the early 80’s. Pat Ryan
carried on in Sheridan’s absence surrounded by
family, friends and a colony of artists and their
families the ARTISTA have evolved into.
Besides the annual Harvest Moon parties
throughout the decade, Pat was the coach of the
ARTISTA co-ed softball team, which dominated
their league. In local circles they became known
as the “Team of the 80’s”. Pat brought his art to
everything, even softball!
Pat’s childhood fascination with Indian lore,
coupled with the FBI’s assault on the Lakota
people’s reservation at Pine Ridge, SD, inspired
him to begin an ambitious series of Native
American tribes. Twelve paintings in all, they
pay tribute to the mobility and cultural history of
the first Americans.
Pat continued working on this series through
the 80’s and 90’s when, in ’92 he found himself
drawn to leave Fairfax. With their kids grown
and married, he and his wife settled in Redway,
CA, where he knew some fellow ARTISTAs.
Redway was right in the geographic heart of
Northern California’s infamous Emerald
Triangle.
The 90’s – Those Humboldt Years
Needless to say, being in one of the prime
growing areas of the world, Pat spun his talents
into creating new, vibrant and hilarious herb
labels. He also became the defacto poster artist
in residence for Reggae on the River, Sierra
Nevada World Music Festivals and for the
Mateel Community Center’s never ending array
of cool world beat and reggae shows.
The art of Pat Ryan and the story of his con-
tinuing effort to express the feeling of one love
for our troubled planet keep him painting and
laughing. Now, creating new works at his hilltop
retreat above California’s Sonoma Valley, Pat’s
art will soon be viewed and available to the
whole world at: PatRyanArt.com coming in
September, 2004.
CANNABIS HEALTH Jour nal
 A N I N T E R V I E W W I T H PA T R YA N
I just came out with a line of greeting cards,
just had them printed a few days ago. I went to
the show the other day at The Cannery, in San
Francisco on Fisherman’s Wharf. All the big
poster artists that are still moving and grooving
were there and a huge crowd of tourists. The
reaction I got to the cards was overwhelming.
People just loved them. All the cards are designs
that I did for t-shirts when I lived in Humboldt
County. There are eight
designs that have never
really been seen outside of
Northern California,
unlike the California
Homegrowers thing Dave
and I did in ’82. That was
sent all over the place.
This is all new stuff;
Humboldt Honey, Drive-
thru Bud . All this stuff
was done in Humboldt
County, but it’s still fresh
today. When people saw
these cards, they just went
wild.
When I first arrived in
the Bay area in ’71, that was about the time the
Indians had taken over Alcatraz and I met a lot
of people in the movement who were very active
politically. It’s the kind of thing you can give
lots of support to, but the situation’s never going
to change. It’s a very sad part of our history,
very, very sad. I’ve always had empathy for the
Pat Ryan with mural (1974)
native cause, as a kid I’d go to the movies and
root for the Indians, always. I was really into the
Native American culture, making bows and
arrows. A lot of people have absolutely no idea
because of the cross conditioning, watching
Disney films where there are Totem Poles
behind the tepees, you know. The culture has
been totally mixed up so the thing that I did
artistically never did get off the ground. I really
wanted to get some Native American support
and donate something from my Wounded Knee
Memorial T-shirt Series to a Native American
CANNABIS HEALTH Jour nal
museum. I also did a mural in 1974 that’s 7’ high BUD BOX LABELS
and 16 1/2’ wide on canvas. I still have it rolled California Homegrowers Association
up. It was some Navajo Indians in Monument
Valley making turquoise jewelry. There’s this
old man, a wise elder, having some vision of all
the dancers from history coming dancing out of
the clouds. It’s a really cool piece. It got me
started painting again. Before that I’d been
doing graphics, underground comics, that kind
of thing when I got to the
Bay area. I worked on Hit
the Road, a hitchhiking
comic I did and Yellow
Dog comic. When I started
this mural in 1974, it
changed my life totally. I
did this mural in two
months, then started work-
ing on the Wounded Knee
Memorial series doings t-
shirt designs and just
couldn’t stop. The last
thing that I did was a big
round Mandala, it took
three years.
In 1980 Dave Sheridan
and I started C.O.D. Graphix in Fairfax. This is
where we did ARTISTA and California
Homegrowers Association. ARTISTA used to
send out postcards when we did shows and par-
ties. We sent out postcards with different gang
lettering on the back. It was just a joke, you
know, we all wore these black satin jackets with
THE ARTISTA embroidered on the back and
we’d go to car shows and see real gangs and run
away. They’d look at us and think what kind of
wimps are you? Artists as a gang? It was fun, but
then it turned into something that got out of
hand. We started having these parties that got
bigger and the mailing lists got bigger and big-
ger and people who were in ARTISTA started
getting delusions of grandeur. We never intend-
ed for it to become like that. To us it was a joke,
you know, it was like one of the rules about
ARTISTA is “the only rule is no rules.” It was
17
 A N I N T E R V I E W W I T H PA T R YA N
wide open, but that was before people started
considering copyrights and lawyers and stuff, so
it just kind of faded away. Kelly and I are the last
two guys, it wasn’t meant to continue on forev-
er.
We did a softball team that I designed all the t-
shirts for, we had the coolest uniforms. We start-
ed doing if for fun, you know, going out running
around the bases, drinking beer and smoking pot
and suddenly, we became the champions of the
league and it started to get serious. We started
recruiting ladies from the women’s softball
league who were ringers, so all our women were
probably better than our men. It’s hard just to
have fun because once people get involved; they
want to take it to the next level. When it gets too
serious, I drop out.
I left Marin County in ’92. We should talk
about Humboldt County. A friend and I used to
go to Reggae on the River every year and we’d
A R T A N D C O M PA S S I O N : N E M O ’ S S T O RY
by Nemo
My mother was always considered the angel
of our family. She was the kind of person who
healed lost and injured birds and petitioned to
add more stoplights to our neighborhood. She
even saved an ancient lobster at a supermarket;
he was relocated to Sea World. Eccentric but
benevolent.
In the summer of 2000, she had just graduat-
ed from Unity Church Ministerial School and
was looking forward to building her dream; a
retreat center that blended alternative therapies
with environmentalism. Despite feeling weaker
each day, she taught simple yoga to retreatants
at Unity’s retreat center.
In mid June the doctors came to a diagnosis:
Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. She was imme-
diately admitted to a local hospital with ugly
light-yellow walls and was treated with
chemotherapy. After a month and a half, she
went into remission and was released.
She went travelling with her boyfriend and
my brother to look for alternative healing cen-
ters. When she stopped at a huge cancer hospi-
tal in Texas, their tests showed she was out of
remission. Her only lasting hope was a bone
marrow transplant; an arduous and dangerous
procedure. Despite her interest in alternative
therapies she was scared and trusted the doctors
enough to do whatever they said.
After being there for a while the chemothera-
py didn’t seem to be working. I got the call that
she would probably be dead in two weeks. I
packed my bags to say goodbye. When I arrived
she seemed weak but still hopeful. I told her we
should try something different. Each time they
came in with chemotherapy we could celebrate
and try to infuse the chemicals with healing
blessings. The doctors and nurses thought we
were nuts but within a few weeks the unthink-
18
end up with a whole entourage of people, all
from Marin County. All our friends and their
kids would show up, it was like our own little
city. It went on for 10 or 12 years in a row. When
we stopped going to Reggae on the River, we
had our own party at our house. We had a flat
deck truck, set up speakers, all our kids are
musicians so they came and played. We had peo-
ple from Reggae on the River coming because
they had to drive by our house anyway, so all
these Rastas showed up and we had our own lit-
tle jam at home and it was great.
An old friend and ARTISTA, Chris Ducey,
came to me last year or the year before and said
I had to get my stuff on the internet. He offered
to help me set up a website, so we started work-
ing on it. He came over with a digital camera and
took pictures of all the work and put the
PowerPoint together. We had a big party to help
pay for the website and find someone to design
able happened. She had once again gone into
complete remission, they said it had about a
.0001% chance of happening.
After that, I decided to stay. My brother and I
became fulltime caretakers. My brother memo-
“CadeususII” by Nemo
rized the confusing daily drug schedule while I
encouraged her emotionally and creatively. We
tried to learn what we could about leukemia in
their library. We pored over their few texts on
alternative therapies, ironically despite the size
of the library there wasn’t a single document
about the role of carcinogens in cancer. In my
spare time I started to volunteer in the children’s
section, teaching the kids to express themselves
Flash based experience. The party part of it was
great and I had an art show within the party, but
we just barely raised enough money to cover the
party expenses, so I didn’t have any money for
the website...but what a party! Unlike
Europeans, North Americans right now are just
not investing in 30 years worth of artwork.
Europe really tunes in to this art. People buy the
stickers and used them on their personal prod-
ucts.
I never thought at this point in my life that the
situation would not only be the same, but worse.
I hope my art will open some eyes and make a
difference, cuz by the fall we should be up on the
web and going global with my catalogue.
In the words of Pat Ryan
After October 1, 2004, be sure to check out:
www.PatRyanArt.com
and forget their pain for just a little while. My
brother and I lived in the hospital almost as
much as she did.
When it was time for the transplant, they gave
her extremely intensive chemo-cocktails. She
was often in pain and the chemo made any food
she ate taste like dirt. As she got skinnier we
knew something had to be done. We knew
about medical marijuana and its benefits for
appetite but being in Texas it was not an option
at all. Instead they used chemical appetite stim-
ulants. Their main side-effect: temporary psy-
chosis.
We were relaxing, watching a movie when we
first noticed she was looking at the closet and
getting agitated. When we asked her about it,
she began to freak out and told us the spirit of
death had manifested and was attacking her
from the closet. My brother and I kept watch on
her all night to make sure she didn’t pull the
tubes out of her chest or arms. When we asked
the doctor about it, he shrugged and said the
reaction happened all the time.
When we learned the transplant failed, she
went into hospice at her parents house.
Eccentric as always, my mother passed away
quietly in my arms on the morning of
September 11, 2001 surrounded by family. The
nurse at the house commented “seems like her
spirit is needed elsewhere this morning…”.
In the end, my brother and I learned about
suffering and the importance of quality of life
for the terminally ill. I cannot imagine how
bureaucrats who never faced such pain could
ever limit anyone’s options or anything with the
potential to alleviate pain like medical marijua-
na. When the main chemical alternative causes
temporary psychosis, I wonder if the bureaucrats
might be suffering from hallucinations.
www.nemo.org / www.nemosutopia.com
CANNABIS HEALTH Jour nal
 CANNABIS TRADE ASSOCIATION: Legal Cannabis

hibition on cannabis. This is also reflected in the

many recent public opinion polls on cannabis
legalization. The Canadian public is now look-
ing towards our government to adopt society’s
changed attitudes about cannabis use both med-
ically and recreationally, and to develop a legal-
ly regulated system of distribution and sales
which does not impede access to this plant.
Legal Cannabis Industry The Cannabis Trade Association is the next
Here to Stay logical extension of the Canadian Government’s
The Cannabis Trade Association was official- long-term vision and commitment to recogniz-
ly registered as a non-profit organization in June ing marijuana as worthy medicine for the
2004. The group had been in the making for sev- Canadian public to use for various health pur-
eral months; the need for an industry organiza- poses. The use of cannabis for medical purposes
tion was clear after reviewing several important has been legal in Canada for years now, and
developments in recent years. there is an existing government sanctioned infra-
structure to aid in the administering of legal
The legalization, regulation and taxation of
cannabis use, cultivation, distribution and sales.
cannabis was recommended in the 2002
Canadian Senate Report on Cannabis which There are people from all demographic sectors
stated “Cannabis is widely used in every part of using cannabis therapeutically. There are federal
the world, does not have the harmful effects government approved and licenced cultivators
ascribed to it, and poses little risk to public across Canada growing, distributing and selling
health.” cannabis for medical purposes. Canada Post has
issued a formal press release recognizing
This year, the 2004 Fraser Institute Report
cannabis as a consumer product that can now be
titled “Marijuana Growth in British Columbia”
shipped in our postal system. This is the begin-
by Stephen Easton also recommends a legal reg-
ning of the legal cannabis industry in Canada,
ulatory framework for cannabis distribution and
which has now matured past its early formative
sales. “Removing the prohibition on marijuana
stages.
production would permit society to replace
today’s gift of revenue to organized crime with The Canadian Government will soon be issu-
(at the very least) an additional source of rev- ing two new contracts for the production of mar-
enue for government coffers… Unless we wish ijuana. This is a significant move to secure an
to continue to transfer these billions from this already established and credible cannabis indus-
lucrative try; the new era of legal cannabis trade is here to
endeavor to stay in Canada.
organized The Cannabis Trade Association represents
crime, this pol- this new industry sector. The CTA’s constitution
icy should be is modelled after several large existing agricul-
considered.” tural organizations, and the Cannabis Trade
In addition to Association meets the needs of all those
this, many involved in any aspect of legal cannabis busi-
respected ness - including the consumer.
mainstream If you are interested in becoming involved in
journalists and the legal business of cannabis, or are interested
well-known in actively promoting a safe and legally regulat-
politicians ed cannabis industry, join the CTA. Don’t be left
from across behind. Join a new and prosperous legal industry
Canada are by becoming a member of the CTA.
calling for an Be sure to check out their website at
end to the pro- www.cannabistrade.org

20 CANNABIS HEALTH Jour nal

 TEAM CANNABIS
Th e P o t B C 2 0 1 0 O l y m p i c G e a r
by Matthew Leblanc original Olympic gear could be recovered.
In the wake of the order, a new symbol was
brought forth which was again deemed to be an
infringement. This time it was a Team Cannabis
snowboarder hoisting a torch whose actions
were in question, even though upon further
inspection the torch appeared to be nothing other
than a large blazing joint of the world famous
BC hydroponic.
How could a depiction of a snowboarder hold-
ing a spliff be a deemed Olympic copyright
infringement? That question was on the minds of
many, and yet even to the most cerebrally baked,
the answer remained distant and unclear. Could
you not take pictures of apples and computers
together because Apple Computer might have a
patent? The apple was what Adam ate and what
fell on Newton’s head.
Nevertheless, with the posting of a second
When Ross Rebagliatti won a controversial
cease and desist order on the PotBC website, it
gold medal in Nagano in 1998, millions watched
was at the request of the pot smoking public to
as British Columbia’s Olympic golden boy
come up with the new 2010 Team Cannabis logo
brought the subject of high-grade British
for the PotBC Olympic Gear. Submissions
Columbia marijuana to the world stage. Not
poured in from artists world-wide and a new
only could the people of British Columbia boast
design was brought forth which was randomly
the highest quality and most recognized mari-
picked from the winning three. All three winners
juana in production world-wide, but also now
were awarded one ounce of high-grade BC bud
the best snowboarder in the world. Overnight
and the full line of the new PotBC Team
the phrase ‘BC Bud’ became a household name
Cannabis 2010 Olympic Gear, produced the fol-
and a dictionary term world-wide, though those
lowing day in the new design.
people who knew had long known that British
Columbia was the land of better cannabis. The new PotBC 2010 Team Cannabis
Olympic Gear is becoming more readily avail-
Social analysts might look back at this
able in fine stores nationwide and has been a
moment as a turning point in world history,
success that has managed to bypass the further
when a large number of baby-boomers first
scrutiny of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic
brought their heads from the sand, and realized
Organizing Committee. More and more trendy
that their viewpoints regarding marijuana in the
medicinal marijuana users world-wide are sport-
present day were not that of their forefathers
ing the clothing daily, which is also available
before them. The effects echoed internationally.
directly from the website at www.potbc.com.
Prior to the 1998 gold medal scandal, weed in
Japan was very hard to come by. After the The PotBC Marijuana Network has announced
occurrence, by popular demand and despite that in 2004 all proceeds from the 2010 Team
astronomical prices, an abundant supply has Cannabis Olympic Gear will go to support
always been readily available. minor hockey in the country of the purchaser’s
origin. They would like to thank the 2010
Isn’t it fitting then that in 2010 the Olympic
Organizing Committee for making this article
torch will be lit ( along with many a BC blunt )
possible and the global community of Team
in Whistler and Vancouver as thousands come
Cannabis fans eagerly awaiting a taste of the BC
for a taste of the THC that propelled the first
bud in Vancouver and Whistler in 2010.
ever men’s snowboarding gold medalist to vic-
tory back in 1998. The countdown to the 2010 Team Cannabis Gear will be available at the
Olympics in Vancouver and Whistler has begun BC Bud Depot booth at the 2004 Cannabis Cup.
with the anticipation of a coming together of
Team Cannabis fans everywhere. With this in
mind, the popular PotBC 2010 Team Cannabis
Olympic Gear was released, although not with-
out adversity. Almost immediately, the 2010
Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee
charged that the sacred BC leaf appearing in the
horizon of the Olympic rings was in copyright
infringement and issued a cease and desist order
that threatened legal action. Surplus from
around the province was recalled and merchants
were issued full refunds although not all of the
22 C A N N A B I S H E A LT H J o u r n a l

Dr. Franjo Grotenhermen
The International Association for Cannabis as
Medicine (IACM) information will not be pub-
lished until further notice. Dr. Franjo
Grotenhermen, Executive Director of the
IACM, is experiencing acutely deteriorated
health due to chronic disease. The regular com-
position of the IACM information was honorar-
ily carried out solely by Dr. Grotenhermen in
recent years. At the moment, no one within the
IACM Board of Directors feels in a position to
take on this laborious work in addition to his or
her respective own regular job.
For more than 10 years, Franjo Grotenhermen
has been suffering from a chronic disease of the
small blood vessels, a so-called “small vessel
disease” that causes heart problems and a severe
orthostatic dysregulation to him. After a deterio-
ration some weeks ago, cardiologist Prof. Dr.
Tauchert (City Hospital Leverkusen) suggested
a special form of treatment (a so-called rheo-
hemapheresis) to him which can improve blood
CANNABIS HEALTH Jour nal
IACM REQUESTS YOUR HELP
fluidity, thus effecting symptom improvement. Donation account:
Luckily this treatment initially lead to clinical Dr. Schnelle / FRAN-GO e.V.
improvement of Franjo Grotenhermen`s state. Bank: Deutsche Kreditbank (DKB)
However, the therapy currently has to be repeat- Kronenstraße 11
ed every seven days in order to effect a consis- 10117 Berlin
tent stabilization. Bank account: 11 55 08 03
Although this therapy is the only one that SWIFT-BIC: BYLADEM 1001
proves successful to Franjo Grotenhermen, his IBAN: DE05 1203 0000 0011 5508 03
health insurance refuses to bear the expenses Reason for transfer: Therapy donation
(per treatment approx. 1,150 Euros). The treat- Grotenhermen
ing doctor anticipates a need of 10-15 further
therapies for bringing about a reliable stabiliza- Cheques can be sent to:
tion. FRAN-GO e.V.
After Franjo Grotenhermen`s long lasting c/o Dr. Schnelle
struggle for making cannabis medicaments Hauptstrasse 160 d
legal, cost-free and accessible to patients, des- 13158 Berlin
tiny has now forced him into a situation in which Germany
a symptom-improving treatment is available, but
its costs are not accepted by the health insur- International Association for Cannabis as
ance. Medicine (IACM)
We, the IACM Board of Directors, have Arnimstrasse 1A
founded a small association and opened an D-50825 Cologne
account in order to make the needed medical Germany
treatment possible for Franjo Grotenhermen. Phone: 221-9543 9229
The association is called FRAN-GO. The 1st Fax: 221-130 05 91
chairman is Dr. Martin Schnelle from Berlin, the Email: info@cannabis-med.org
2nd chairwoman is Dr. Kirsten Mueller-Vahl http://www.cannabis-med.org
from Hannover. We intend to become a charity
for tax reasons, but donations are needed now! If you want to be added to the IACM-Bulletin
We sincerely hope that we can assist this won- mailing list, please visit
derful and dedicated man with his return to a full www.cannabis-med.org/english/subscribe.htm.
and active life. You may choose between different languages
We urge others to do their share so that (English, German, French, Dutch, Italian and
Franjo Grotenhermen will also be able to con- Spanish).
tinue his work in the ACM and IACM.
23
 A FLASHBACK IN HIGH ART
Alex Pearlstein, CEO
Tripatourium.com, the world's
largest Blotter Art publisher
Never before had I contemplated a
piece of art like the first time I held a
piece of Blotter Art. It felt heavy and
seemed to almost glow in my hand
while I stood and examined it with awe.
It wasn’t the image itself upon the
paper that
caused
such a stir
in my
soul. No,
the
repeating
pattern of
black jets
falling
neatly
into per-
forated
squares “L.S.D.” by Trevor Brown
was sim-
ple and soothing but not awe-inspiring. It
was the connotations and ideas spilling
out of my mind that gave the little paper so
much weight. It was as if this little square
was a direct contact point between the
universe and myself.
Blotter Art is a form of folk art that
emerged out of the way LSD was pack-
aged and distributed. Initially the image
on the paper identified a chemist or
a specific batch, just like a logo or
what we would today term “brand-
ing.” This made it easy to
“Jesus” by Rev. Samuel
24
turn your friends on to those killer
Gold Keys or warn them to “stay
away from the brown acid.” As LSD
use became more prevalent, the
medium took on a life of its own.
Like the magazine covers, sheets
of LSD contained reflections of
the culture, featuring pop icons
and abstract imagery contained
within the rigid geometry of
perforations. Blotter art
imagery was, and is, a sign
of the times and in
some cases symbolic of
a specific frame of
mind.
There is something
magical, if not spiritual,
about Blotter Art. A
simple perforation completely
changes the context and deepens the
meaning of the artwork on the paper.
It evolves into something so much
more than just a picture; it becomes a
connection to ideas too big to be constrained
by paper. Viewing the artwork in this con-
text releases the thoughts, ideas and experi-
ences that have been buried deep in our
minds under the weight of agreed-upon
reality.
A frame of mind
is visited (if only
for a moment)
where epiphanies
burst in the air
like fireworks.
A state where
the connection “Bad Trip” by
between all liv- Paul Booth
ing things is
not only believable but remembered.
I always delight in watching
someone encounter their first piece of
Blotter Art. If they’re what Jimi
referred to as “experienced,” the
thought process unfolds in their minds
and runs gleefully across their faces. Their
fingers feel the little indentations
like Braille and their eyes roll
upwards. It resonates so deeply
that its mere touch has a sense of
the taboo, leading to hushed con-
versations that take unusual turns. The
amount of detail involved in a story
that was vividly imagined or in a per-
“Adam and Eve” by Alex Grey
sonal truth uncovered is remarkable to
me. From being ignored to being collected,
Blotter art has come a long way. In a large
part this is because of the trials and tribu-
lations of Mark McCloud. McCloud was
an artist in San Francisco when he first fell in
love with a completely unrecognized art-
form. He began collecting and curating
shows in progressive galleries, much to
the chagrin of the DEA. This began the
controversy, “Is Blotter Art parapherna-
lia?”
After two Federal trials and many tax
dollars squandered to fight it, Blotter Art
was determined to be protected speech
covered by the First Amendment. Mark
was vindicated and his art was set free.
Today Blotter Art is undergoing a
revival. There are many people working to
promote this genre and its legitimacy as an
art form, such as Alex Grey, H. R. Giger,
Paul Booth, Rev. Samuel, Frank Kozik
and others. Musicians, no strangers to the
creative and transformative powers of LSD,
are now getting involved as well. Soon
there will be Blotter Art available from
such bands as George Clinton, Jane’s
Addiction, The Melvins, Ministry, and
Pigface.
This is an evolution forward because
of the acceptance these artists will bring to
the connotations of the art form. It’s a
wonderful time to live in when people
are free to express themselves through a
medium so controversial. I invite you to
tripatourium.com to see the future of this
exciting new medium.
CANNABIS HEALTH Jour nal
 RECEPTIVE EARTH
Allison Wright
Receptive Earth is open for business in
Vancouver’s emerging Main Street area. Main
Street boasts Antique shops, Cafes, Restaurants,
Boutiques and now a Hemp Store. Come and
browse Receptive Earth for all your Hemp needs
from luscious lotions and potions to luxurious
hemp clothing. You will leave with the knowl-
edge that you have just purchased something
that is leaving a positive footprint on the earth’s
ecology.
Allison Wright started Receptive Earth in
1995 in Nelson B.C., an enlightened community
nestled in the Kootenay mountainscape, in order
to attend the fibre department at a local art
The Persecution of Reverend Brother Michel D. Ethier
Reverend Brother Michel D. Ethier is 47
years old, and has been a minister with the
Assembly of the Church of the Universe since
1998. The Church celebrates 35 years of exis-
tence this year. We are a Universal Church. We
strongly believe that the cannabis plant is the
Tree of Life spoken of in the Bible. We also
believe that it is our right to use, grow, provide
this plant to others of our culture and educate the
public on the benefits of this God given herb.
Ministers with the Church of the Universe are
expected to defend themselves without assis-
tance of a lawyer when they have run-ins with
26
school. During that time she dis-
covered the wonders of Hemp.
“The more I studied the plant the
more intriguing it became. It was
shrouded in mystery at the time
and was very grass roots. All of
the elements appealed to me, the
history, the modern movement, the
versatility of the plant itself, I
couldn’t resist”.
After the first year the natural
progression of employment for
Allison led her to local Hemp
mecca Still Eagle. After several
years she was inspired to become
more a part of the inspiring com-
munity that fuelled her passion. In 1998 she
decided to create something to reflect her artis-
tic ability and root her into the business world.
The product was Rainbow Dyed Hemp Twine, a
beautifully variegated flow of color that excites
even the most amateur of craftspeople. This
quickly evolved into Rasta Dyed Hemp Twine
and eventually the line completed itself by the
addition of 13 vibrant solid colors.
Now, nine years later, it was time to move
back to Vancouver and reconnect with family
and friends. “It was inevitable to come back
home. I had moved to Nelson to go to school for
the legal system, hence the Universe University.
Brother Ethier was unsuccessful in convincing
the judge at two trials in 2000. However, as prac-
tice makes perfect, he was acquitted twice at the
next two trials in 2004.
In 2000, he was convicted on three different
incidents and sentenced to a total of fifteen
months in concentration camps for members of
the Church of the Universe, the North Bay
District Jail, Sudbury Jail, Toronto East
Detention Center, Don Jail and Monteith
Correctional Center.
Brother Ethier was released from the concen-
tration camps for members of the Church of the
Universe on September 26, 2001. Within a cou-
ple of months he was able to reestablish Tarzan’s
Mission of the Sacred Herb at 171 Queen Street,
Sturgeon Falls, Ontario. However, he took a
leave of absence to fully recuperate from the
nightmare in the concentration camps. During
this leave he continued to assist members of his
congregation with counseling, moral support
and doing what God wants members of the
Church to do, disseminate the Tree of Life.
Early in 2003, he put his name as mayoral can-
didate for the municipality of West Nipissing,
Ontario.
On February 20, 2003, he was again arrested
and charged with trafficking cannabis and pos-
session of cannabis for the purpose of traffick-
a few years. It was an unexpected near decade
experience that I couldn’t have done without.
The idea of opening up a retail store totally
appealed to me.” The industry is established
enough and the public educated enough that the
boutique atmosphere of Main Street was an
exciting prospect to Allison. “The past 6 years
have been incredibly rewarding and I am grate-
ful to be a part of the diverse Hemp community.
My contribution has been full of growth, both
personal and tangible. All thanks to a plant that
is divine in its many purposes, which are even
now, still being discovered.” Receptive Earth is
a vehicle to reflect the benefits of Hemp.
Visit Receptive Earth at 4168 Main Street in
Vancouver (at 26th Ave). Call 604-875-6198,
toll free 1-800-684-3189 or check out the web at
www.receptiveearth.com.
ing. After 5 unsuccessful attempts to proceed, he
managed to proceed with a bail hearing on
February 28, 2003. Unfortunately, the Justice of
the Peace did not permit Brother Ethier to get
bail.
At one appearance for these allegations, the
crown attorney conveyed through the duty coun-
sel, local dump truck Jim Mahar, that he would
consider sentencing Reverend Ethier to twelve
months in jail if he agreed to plead guilty to
some charge. The amount of Sacrament (mari-
juana) involved with this incident, was 62
grams.
On March 20, 2003, with the assistance of
Sudbury lawyer Joseph Jakabfy, and a change of
venue, Reverend Ethier was granted bail with
conditions, before the Honourable Superior
Court Justice Karam. One condition of his
release was a 10:30 p.m. curfew.
Throughout this period Brother Ethier contin-
ued to participate in various activities to end pro-
hibition. He rented an exhibition field for the
Million Marijuana March. The crowd was never
bigger than about 50 people and around 6:00
p.m. a Black Sabbath tribute band entertained
the supporters. There were no problems with the
law.
On August 14, 2003, Brother Ethier appeared
in Provincial Court for trial before the
Honourable Justice Lebel. At this time he also
CANNABIS HEALTH Jour nal
 The Persecution of Reverend Brother
Michel D. Ethier
filed an application for suspension of the pro-
ceeding or a Writ of Certiorari. The Honourable
Justice granted an adjournment.
Brother Ethier continued to appeal to the court
to alter his bail charge and afford him the same
rights as the courts had provided other followers
of the Church of the Universe, Reverend Brother
Walter Tucker and Reverend Brother Michael
Baldasaro.
The Writ of Certiorari is denied and on
September 5, 2003 Brother Ethier was arrested
and charged with allegations of trafficking
cannabis, proceeds of crime and breach of bail.
“As far as I am concerned, this was a con-
spiracy to keep me out of the munici-
pal election campaign” said
Brother Ethier. On September
9, 2003, bail was refused.
September 12, 2003,
Reverend Ethier appeared
before the Honourable
Superior Court Justice
Karam with a Writ of
Habeas Corpus, demanding
an immediate release.
Justice Karam agreed with
the crown and bail was once
more denied
September 26, 2003 the West
Nipissing Police Service executed what
turned out to be an invalid search warrant at 171
Queen Street, Sturgeon Falls, Ontario, the prem-
ises known as Tarzan’s Mission of the Sacred
Herb. It is also the campaign office for Brother
Ethier for the municipal election in West
Nipissing. The first thing the officers said when
they walked into the place was “Where is
Chantale?” Chantale is Brother Ethier’s daugh-
ter.
For the next 5 months he mounted different
legal actions to gain his freedom. On February
20, 2004, he was acquitted on some charges and
the judge finally granted him bail.
After five and a half months of being illegally
detained, Brother Ethier was finally, almost a
free man.
Brother Ethier firmly believes that the justice
system and the West Nipissing Police
Department, area OPP and other police officers
have something against him, mostly because of
his honest view and open opinion about the
sacred Tree of Life.
28
Reverend Ethier did managed to receive 63
votes in his attempt at the mayor’s seat. Not bad
for a person who ran his campaign from behind
bars.
One of the real tragedies happened when his
daughter Chantale, who was expecting a baby,
lost the child three weeks before its birth.
Incarcerated at the time, Michel was unable to
provide proper fatherly support.
During the five and a half month stay in the
concentration camps, a couple of people of par-
ticular interest came and went. One man pled
guilty to possession of one pound of cannabis
and was sentenced to sixty days.
Another was in for twenty-one
days. He had been caught with
half a pound of cannabis
and arrested. After his
plea of guilty, the judge
sent him home with
time served.
On April 11, 2004,
Easter Sunday, Brother
Ethier was arrested and
charged with possession
for the purpose of traf-
ficking cannabis (twenty
grams and less than ten
joints), possession of property
obtained by crime, obstructing a
police officer and breach of bail. According to
Brother Ethier, he was traveling North on high-
way 64 when an OPP vehicle traveling South,
clocked him doing 60 km/h in an 80 km/h zone.
The officer turned his vehicle around as he
passed Brother Ethier’s vehicle. Although
Brother Ethier had not smoked any sacrament in
the vehicle for over three hours, he was prepared
for something like this and poured an eighth of a
bottle of Aqua Velva in the defrost of his vehicle,
so that there would be no smell of cannabis in
the vehicle.
As the officer approached the driver door.
Brother Ethier rolled his window down about
half way. The officer asked for the paperwork
and driver’s license. Once the officer had a good
look at the driver’s license he told Brother Ethier
that he smelled cannabis and asked him to step
out of the vehicle. Brother Ethier locked his door
and rolled up his window. “There is no way this
officer smelled cannabis in my vehicle” Brother
Ethier says. “ I was profiled by this officer. He
recognized me as he drove beside me. I am a guy
CANNABIS HEALTH Jour nal
 with long hair and a beard that was driving 60 in
an 80 zone on an Easter Sunday afternoon on a
secondary highway. I had recently pulled over
for a nature call. I drive a maroon 1984 Chevy
van, with a white stripe down the middle. It
sticks out”.
Well, the officer got a little upset as Reverend
Ethier advised him that he did not smell
cannabis and even if the officer did smell
cannabis, the officer needed a search warrant to
search the vehicle as smelling cannabis does not
give an officer probable cause to search a vehi-
cle.
The officer told Brother Ethier, “We can do
this the easy way or the hard way”. Well,
Brother Ethier decided to take the hard way, so
reinforcement was called in. Three officers from
two different police services showed up. These
officers heard Brother Ethier say “...you need a
search warrant to search my vehicle”. All offi-
cers have this written in their notes. Brother
Ethier then gave himself to the officers. He was
eventually returned to a concentration camp for
members of the Church of the Universe.
He refused to deal with a bail hearing until the
trial on April 22, 2004. From past experience,
Brother Ethier knew the court would not have
granted bail due to the outstanding charges;
therefore, knowing a trial was around the corner,
he decided to remain in custody.
On April 22, 2004, the crown attorney told the
court he wished to withdraw the charges of traf-
ficking and proceeds of crime, but wanted to
proceed with the charge of breach of bail. Trial
should not have proceeded because in order to
receive a conviction for a charge of breach of
bail, one must be convicted of another
crime…1.5 hours later and 7 crown witnesses
(all of them police officers) later, the
Honourable Provincial Court Justice Lebel
found him not guilty before Brother Ethier could
put in his submissions. The judge did not wish to
deal with bail, as the police were not consenting
to his release.
On April 23, 2004, Brother Ethier expected to
be on the stand with a reverse onus to argue for
his bail release. To his surprise, both the federal
and provincial crown attorneys consented to his
release. Reverend Ethier had now spent a total
of 221 days in a concentration camp over a 14
months period. A trial was set for August 19,
2004.
June 4, 2004, Reverend Ethier, filed nomina-
tion papers as a candidate for the Marijuana
CANNABIS HEALTH Jour nal
Party.
On June 17, 2004 Brother Ethier was in
Provincial Court to argue that his recognizance
should be changed/altered. The Justice of the
Peace had an ounce of compassion and allowed
him to be away from his place of residence
between the hours of 10:30 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.,
permitting him to participate in federal election
debates.
“I do not want this to happen to anyone else. It
is high time they stopped treating us as crimi-
nals. I hurt no one.”, states Brother Ethier.
He continues, “I am a pauper. I do have some
knowledge of the justice system and how it oper-
ates. Unfortunately from my point of view this
system should be called corrupt.”
The police service wish he would saddle up
and move out of Dodge. “This will never hap-
pen” states Brother Ethier. “I plan on making life
in this area more enjoyable, people should not
have to live their life in fear of the concentration
camps just because we like to smoke a little
plant. The West Nipissing Police Department
should be ashamed of itself. How can these peo-
ple sleep at night? ‘We are only doing our job’
is their usual answer to this question. Funny,
that is the same answer the German soldiers
would use when they would put people in con-
centration camps and gas ovens. We must not
allow this madness to go on any longer.”
Brother Ethier is currently trying to assist a fif-
teen-year-old lad charged with trafficking
cannabis after a West Nipissing Police officers
found a half a gram of marijuana under his mat-
tress.
“Every day innocent people are victimized on
account of the so-called war on drugs.
CONROY & COMPANY
The Man above keeps me going. “We have a Barristers and Solicitors
nightmare that has been going on for more than
JOHN W.CONROY, Q.C.
eight decades now. I do not want to see this evil Barrister and Solicitor
imposed on us much longer. What I am doing is 2459 Pauline Street
planting the seed. And as with all plants we will Abbotsford, B.C.
Canada V2S 3S1 Ph: 604-852-5110
continue to grow until we overgrow”.
E-mail: jconroy@johnconroy.com Toll Free:1-877-852-5110
Website: www.johnconroy.com Fax: 604-859-3361
29
 MARIHUANA AND RELIGION
By Rev. A.L. Blaauw (ThB)
alblaauw@telus.net
Nothing is more controversial than the subject
of marihuana versus religion, so I had to think
twice before I decided to write an article with
respect to this subject. Yet, after a period of
research, my desire grew stronger to find a solid
point of view in which I would feel comfortable.
It would be easy to immediately shout that the
use of marihuana is both illegal by law and
wrong according to the various religious persua-
sions. However, one needs to be realistic and
honest when discussing the usage of a substance
like hashish or marihuana, because it is comfort-
able to copy opinions, but it is better to have
your own opinion built upon facts and figures.
Nowadays many people are standing on the bar-
ricades shouting in favour of, or against a certain
subject without even having done any research.
When looking at the Bible, it is clear that one
needs to be very careful with his or her opinion.
In Matthew 7:1-5 it reads: “Judge not, that you
be not judged. For with what judgment you
judge, you will be judged; and with the measure
you use, it will be measured back to you.”
In order to have an unbiased opinion, we first
should look at history. When doing so, it seems
that the use of various intoxicating substances
has existed throughout the ages. Many historians
and archaeologists have found evidence con-
firming this and many newspapers dedicated
valuable space with respect to this evidence. An
example would be the press release of the
Associated Press in 1992 which was published,
amongst others, in the Vancouver newspaper
“The Province” on June 2nd 1992. In this article
the official antiquities authority of Israel con-
firmed the findings of medical substances used
over 1600 years ago, containing hashish.
Anthropologist Joel Zias said that researchers
always had known that hashish had been used as
medication and that this was to be considered as
archaeological evidence.
Indeed, the usage of intoxicating substances
has always existed, regardless whether we speak
about alcohol or certain herbs. Not only in the
western theology, but also in the Islamic and
eastern religions, such as Hinduism, the usage of
30
these substances is known and acknowledged. In
certain religions cannabis was used as a catalyst
to achieve the spiritual journey into the heavens.
Arab doctors considered cannabis as a sacred
medicine and contrary to what many people
think, the use of it was not prohibited by the
Islamic religion, as the usage of alcohol actually
was.
The modern Christendom builds its existence,
its doctrines and its motivation on the oldest and
most sold book in this world, the Bible. The
Bible is to be considered the Word of God, but
the interpretation is still done by man and so we
immediately find many different interpretations
on what the Bible has to say about this subject.
There are many Christians who claim that it is
acceptable to use marihuana, because it reads in
Genesis 1:29 “And God said See, I have given
you every herb that yields seed which is on the
face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit
yields seed; to you it shall be for food.” Based on
this sentence it seems that there is nothing wrong
with smoking hashish or marihuana.
However, the larger group of Christians is
against the use of marihuana and often they refer
to I Corinthians 3:16 which states: “Do you not
know that you are the temple of God and that the
Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles
the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the
temple of God is holy, which temple you are.”
Yes, when referring to this paragraph in the
Bible, it indeed would be smart to not use a sub-
stance such as marihuana. But honestly one has
to ask himself: Is it correct when a beer drinking
and tobacco smoking Christian judges a person
who smokes a joint? Then the answer is no.
When we want to base our opinion solely on this
paragraph, then we also have to close all the
McDonalds and Burger Kings. I am certain that
you will be able to think of many other organi-
zations which also would go bankrupt.
There are many ways to interpret the Bible and
we can always find a phrase which will conve-
niently fit into our argument for or against the
usage of marihuana. So how do we then
approach this subject and how do we decide
whether or not we should be against marihuana?
The only answer is by being honest. Regrettably
there are numerous religious people who consid-
er themselves as being wise and who think that
they are able to judge. Amongst these people we
will find leaders from churches and very differ-
ent positions within the secular world. They pre-
fer a big Cuban cigar and a good glass of wine
when they are discussing the poor lost children
who are using marihuana. Let it be crystal clear
that the same Bible warns us for people like this.
In Matthew 23:27 we read the words spoken by
Jesus when addressing the leaders of the church
in that time. It reads: “Woe to you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like white-
washed tombs which indeed appear beautiful
outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s
bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also out-
CANNABIS HEALTH Jour nal
 wardly appear righteous to men, but inside you
are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
It is obvious, we have to be honest and look at
the facts and figures as they are known to us
today. Also we have to realize that we cannot
build our opinion based upon the fact of whether
or not marihuana or hashish are legal, because
governments decide not only on what is good for
the people, they also look at financial aspects. It
is all about profit and our leaders want to stay in
control. Let us look at some figures.
Number of deaths attributable to
selected substances in a typical year:
Tobacco 340,000 - 395,000
Alcohol
(excluding crime/accidents) 125,000+
Drug Overdose (prescription) 24,000 - 27,000
Drug Overdose (illegal) 3,800 - 5,200
Marijuana 0
*Source: U.S. Government
Bureau of Mortality Statistics, 1987
Is it not strange that the least deadly drug is
illegal and the others, which are far more dan-
gerous, are accepted? When we want to be hon-
est and have an unbiased opinion, we need to
realize that we drink coffee and that we do use
sugar, which both are legal drugs, just as alcohol
and tobacco are. Looking at the issue from a
medical perspective, it is far safer to use mari-
huana than many foods we consume daily. So do
we then have “carte blanche” to use an intoxi-
cating product? No, only when we can justify
that use in an honest and open way. Let me
explain this a little bit more.
It is not the drug we use which causes us to
behave in an unacceptable manner. The drug
only emphasizes or increases the particular or
peculiar behaviour of its user. Indeed the behav-
iour could be greater in number and force, but it
always will be a reflection of the original. In
other words, when an aggressive person drinks
too much, he or she will become even more
aggressive. The opposite is possible as well;
when a positive person drinks too much he or
she will actually have more fun. Again, it is not
the drug, but the person who consumes it. As I
did read somewhere: “A man will never escape
from his destined physical and moral tempera-
ment: hashish will be a mirror of his impression
and private thoughts, a magnifying mirror, it is
true, but only a mirror.”
So, based on the preceding, is there justifica-
tion possible for the usage of marihuana from a
religious point of view? Yes, there is. Imagine a
person who has a terrible disease and only has a
few days to live. This person goes through
tremendous pains and has a hard time dealing
with the fact that he is dying. Now he asks for
marihuana to get through his last days because it
CANNABIS HEALTH Jour nal
will make it more bearable for him or her. Would
you deny this person the usage of marihuana? If TELL US
so, what would you do if that person was you?
Although there are many religions worldwide
and although there are many different denomi-
YOUR STOR Y!
nations within Christianity, there are certain CHJ is asking readers to send in
basic elements which are equal. The most their stories, of 500 words or less.
important one is that all religions usually try to We are looking for personal
teach their followers the difference between
right and wrong, good and bad and the meaning experiences that were meaningful,
of the words such as passionate, merciful and happy, sad, or funny.
caring. And when looking at those words, I ask Pictures would be appreciated.
you again, would you deny a person, as
described in the previous example, the usage of
Each entry will be entered in a draw
marihuana? If you do, then realize that maybe for a WONG BONG PIPE.
you are religious, but that you still don’t under- If we publish your story you will
stand the real message as is being brought to you receive a free one year
by many religions.
subscription to the journal.
Remember, the Bible is telling us that we will
be measured according to the way we are meas- Anonymity will be respected.
uring others. Therefore it is better to not judge Send your entries and contact
others easily, but show compassion and under- information by
standing. As we can read in I Corinthians 28:
“But let a man examine himself, and so let him
email or snailmail to:
eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” distribution@cannabishealth.com
It could well be that there are many Christians Or
who are disagreeing with me, but let us be hon- Cannabis Health: Contest
est, the world will not become a better place by Box 1481
the ban of the least harmful drug of all. The
Bible gives us the real direction and that is to Grand Forks BC
love others as we love ourselves. Don’t easily VOH1HO
judge, but care about another. Do not condemn, Entry Deadline October 1, 2004
but help another. The love of God should live in
each and every one of us. It is not one drug as
marihuana which causes all the sadness and
problems in this world. It is the people who
don’t care about others and who are only
focused on their own desires. Would the world
not be a better place when we finally understand
what it’s really all about?
May the Love of God, the grace of our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ and the communion of
the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
Sources:
The Holy Bible, New King James Version Congratulations to the
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson Inc. July/August winner,
The Noble Qur’an, King Fahd Complex
Suzanna from Edmonton AB
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 1417 AH
The Teaching of Buddha, Bukkyo Dendo “Neds head is on page 24,
Kyokai Kosaido Printing Co. Ltd, Revised edi- in the band picture with his head
tion 1997 between two guitarists.
Great articles this issue.”
31
 HARVEST AND CURE YOUR BUDS
by Klozit King
Curing your harvested buds will allow some
of the THC, CBD and other cannabinol com-
pounds to mature, increasing the potency,
bringing out necessary medical qualities and
enhancing the flavor of the cannabis you grow
to its full ripeness.
Once the plants
have been thor-
oughly flushed, it is
time to harvest and
cure your buds.
Allowing the plant
to dry standing in
the pot is great if
you have the time
and space, since the
plant will “sweat”
resin at the end in
an attempt to keep From this...
from dying. This
allows all the resins to leave the plant and be
deposited for the final time in the flowers.
Most often it is cut a few days after flushing
and hung upside down to wilt in a dark, cool
place (55 degrees F) with good air circula-
tion to prevent mold from forming.
As the fan leaves are the largest surface
for expiration, hang the plant with the fan
leaves on for a day to help remove the major
portion of the water in the plant.
Once the plant has wilted, remove the fan
leaves, and check the buds for dryness daily.
They should be dry outside and slightly
spongy inside. They should be left in a cool,
dark place until they are medium dry (2-4
days). They should then be cut into branch-
lengths and placed in air-tight containers for
the next process: Curing.
1) I use a medium plastic tote container to
cure for the first few days, prior to storage in
glass jars. Remove and manicure the branches
(save those trimmings for later use in a tinc-
ture or making hash) and layer them between
paper to keep the air circulating and prevent
32
mold. They will seem nearly dry, but will still be
damp on the inside nearest the stem. Enclosing
the material will equalize the moisture outward
through the bud, drawing the moisture from the
center and making it evenly moist.
Keep the container closed over night, and note
the buds are moist again by morning.
Open the container, and allow the
moisture to mostly escape for an hour,
and close again until the next day,
repeating until the stems are brittle
enough to easily snap when bent.
2) Once the brittle stage has been
reached, remove the flowers and buds
from the stems and branches, and
loosely store in mason or other quali-
ty glass jars with lids so they may be
opened and resealed periodically. The
curing process will continue after the
buds are in jars, so there is a
small chance of moisture
allowing mold to grow and
ruining the quality, so they
must be checked, and
cracked open occasionally to
let out excess moisture. This
is the same process as the
...to this. first stage, but checking can
occur less often, a week apart
will usually be sufficient.
3) Store the finished products in a cool, dark
storage place, such as a basement or root cellar if
you have one, protecting it from light and keep-
ing the temperature low. When it has been prop-
erly stored and cared for, the cannabis will
remain fresh and potent for a long time. If it is
not, the quality can be very quickly degraded
Many growers store their buds in the freezer,
maintaining a temp of below freezing. In my
opinion this can unnecessarily dry out and freez-
er-burn the buds. For this reason, cooling above
freezing temperatures is better. Using this tech-
nique, a year of storage is possible.
All the best,
Klozit King
CANNABIS HEALTH Jour nal