The U.S.'s northern neighbors apparently have made that all important first step in the decriminalization of marijuana.
Read on:

Canada to Sell Medical Marijuana to Seriously Ill


Jul 9, 1:51 pm ET

By David Ljunggren
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada became on Wednesday the first country in the world to start selling marijuana to several hundred seriously ill people but said the pot project could be halted at any time.

Ottawa announced in July 2001 that some patients would be able to use marijuana provided by the government. But plans to grow official pot hit a series of snags, prompting a court in Ontario to give Ottawa until July 10 to come up with a solution.

The new plan is Ottawa's response to that ruling. Federal officials said more research into the claimed benefits of medical pot was needed and they would therefore appeal the court ruling, a decision that angered critics.

"My first obligation is to ensure the safety and efficacy of this product. Marijuana is not a proven therapeutic product," said Health Minister Anne McLellan.

"I remain committed to (Ottawa's) medical marijuana research program, which promotes research on the medical value of marijuana while taking a compassionate approach to Canadians who suffer from serious medical conditions."

The 582 sufferers granted dispensation from criminal laws to use the drug will be able to buy dried marijuana for $3.70 per 0.04 ounce -- about half the current black-market rate -- or a pack of 30 seeds for $20 so they can grow their own plants.

"Although this interim policy can be amended or suspended at any time, it is anticipated that it will remain in effect until...(Ottawa's) roles and responsibilities with respect to a supply of marijuana for medical purposes have been clarified by the courts," the health ministry said in a statement.

McLellan said despite the planned appeal, Ottawa would press ahead with clinical trials to probe whether marijuana could really benefit the ill.

The drug -- grown in a special federal facility in a mine shaft in central Canada -- will be given to patients by their doctors. Officials recommend that patients do not smoke pot but rather put it in food, drinks or use other methods.

Alison Myrden, who has multiple sclerosis, a disorder of the brain and spinal cord, took part in a demonstration in Ottawa and condemned the government for appealing the court ruling.

"This country has to act now...nobody wants us to play this political football game any more. People are suffering and dying out there," she said.

Canada's approach is markedly different to that of the United States, where the Supreme Court in 2001 upheld a federal ban on medical marijuana.

U.S. authorities have strongly criticized Canadian plans to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana, arguing it could result in highly potent pot flooding across the border.
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Let's all celebrate the Maple Leaf!!

Now now...

Just because our damn government supports it, doesn't mean all the people within the country do.

Just because a government makes stupid decisions, doesn't mean that the people under that government are stupid. All countries have governments that at one time or another make rediculous rulings... I think this counts as one of Canada's.

Gods. Politicians are idiots.

Originally posted by es347fan

Let's all celebrate the Maple Leaf!! Lol.....maybe they will change it to a marijuana leaf. Bah, this shouldnt be an issue anyway. What people put into their bodies should be no ones business but their own. As long as it doesnt affect other people. Such as second hand smoke.

Were alcohol discovered today, it would be placed on the scheduled list of narcotics along with heroin & cocaine. We have centuries of documentation telling society the results of alcohol abuse, yet it remains a huge money maker. Not only do the brewers & distillers print money, the healthcare industry thrives on it as well, albeit for differing reasons. Let's not forget the law enforcement & society of litigators who spend their entire careers doing battle in & out of court with & for those hapless souls caught up in alcohol abuse. A miracle drug it is!
The laws regarding marijuana are archaic. The movie "Reefer Madness"(1930s) is credited with helping to cement the beliefs of 'marijuana addicts craving the evil weed'. Those laws are as absurd as those recently struck down by the US Supreme Court over who is copulating with what in the privacy of their own homes.
Canada should be applauded for making this important first step.
Legalize it, tax it, regulate it, send the law enforcers in another direction.

GAS, GRASS, or A** nobody rides for free.:D

At one time that very saying was a prominently placed sticker on the dashboard of my VW micorbus!!

I had the sticker on an old motorcycle back in the 80's

If marijuana can benefit to ill people, I do not see why it would not be authorised under certain conditions. There are much more harmful drugs that are allowed under medical prescription only.

Why? Because nylon was invented and those who created it had friends in high places. Hemp was so cheap it was unbeleiveable, nylon was rather expensive to make and sell, nobody wanted it(not to mention hemp was stronger and had anti-fungus properties). So, a giant campain against canabis was started, they said weed made you listen to jazz(the devil's music at the time), fundamentalists listened and went farther, in time the entire US was against the plant and it was banned. Yep, you all know Reefer Madness and the lies they created. And back then, nobody knew it could help, just that you got high and nice, and then the munchies. Today, people are afraid of the drug.

And Age, I may not know many Canadians, but every one I met was for the legalization of weed. Canada has the Marijuana Party, isn't that one of the most popular parties?

Another reason that pot was outlawed, was, because Henry Ford learned how marijauna fibers mixed with certain resins make for a material that is practicallly indestructable, rust and dent proof, unlike the tinfoil they are using to make automobile parts and bodies out of today. Clearly bad for business to produce a product that lasts.
Also, forcing pot - and other "illegal" drugs underground, drives up the price which translates into tons more money flowing into the pockets of the CIA who supplies these drugs to US in the first place, and who in turn use these ill gotten gains to finance their covert ops. Many times what they deen a crime is just a way to create more industry and jobs for judges, lawyers, cops, prison guards, etc, - while depriving people of their Constitutional right to do what ever the hell they please, so long as no one else is hurt in the process.
The minute any one else takes the postion of authority to decide what I may or may not do to MY own body/mind - I have a problem. Either I am my own person, or I am nothing more than the PROPERTY of some group of asshole fascist politicians. The same hypocritical assholes who, on the other hand have no problem watching kids contract every form of cancer from all the known and deadly chemicals their industries, and their cronies industries freely dump in our back yards.
For info on Ford's car - and EVERY THING you ever wanted to know about pot - " THE EMPORER WEARS NO CLOTHES " by Jack Herer. For the full story on Drugs and the CIA - " DARK ALLIANCES" by Gary Web. Also any thing by former L.A. cop Michael C Ruppert. Tons of great info on his - From The Wilderness - site.
Oh wow, nearly forgot the biggest reason they are still pissing around about why they shouldn't make pot legal for medical purposes, even . A) The drug giants KNOW it has proven benefits of all kinds. B) They also know that pot/ THC are found in nature. What nature made first, no man or drug giants can patent. No Patent. No dinero.

Originally posted by willow
Another reason that pot was outlawed, was, because Henry Ford learned how marijauna fibers mixed with certain resins make for a material that is practicallly indestructable, rust and dent proof, unlike the tinfoil they are using to make automobile parts and bodies out of today. Clearly bad for business to produce a product that lasts.

Yeah, Toyota and Honda are really struggling with that "reliable car" business model that they insist upon. Of course if they made cars out of hemp the environmentalists would be massively complaining that cars cause deforestation.

Also, forcing pot - and other "illegal" drugs underground, drives up the price which translates into tons more money flowing into the pockets of the CIA who supplies these drugs to US in the first place, and who in turn use these ill gotten gains to finance their covert ops.

I love conspiracy theorists!

Many times what they deen a crime is just a way to create more industry and jobs for judges, lawyers, cops, prison guards, etc, - while depriving people of their Constitutional right to do what ever the hell they please, so long as no one else is hurt in the process.

Unfortunately the prison and judicial systems are massively underfunded, so that theory don't work. Try again!

The minute any one else takes the postion of authority to decide what I may or may not do to MY own body/mind - I have a problem. Either I am my own person, or I am nothing more than the PROPERTY of some group of asshole fascist politicians.

That I agree with.

[q]For info on Ford's car - and EVERY THING you ever wanted to know about pot - " THE EMPORER WEARS NO CLOTHES " by Jack Herer. For the full story on Drugs and the CIA - " DARK ALLIANCES" by Gary Web. Also any thing by former L.A. cop Michael C Ruppert. Tons of great info on his - From The Wilderness - site.

Do you also believe in the cars that run on water or the 100mile per gallon carbuerator?

Oh wow, nearly forgot the biggest reason they are still pissing around about why they shouldn't make pot legal for medical purposes, even . A) The drug giants KNOW it has proven benefits of all kinds. B) They also know that pot/ THC are found in nature. What nature made first, no man or drug giants can patent. No Patent. No dinero.

Actually you can patent all sorts of things, if not the compound itself. Like how to synthesize it, how to harvest it, how to purify it, how to make it into a pill, how to administer it. If there was profit in it, they'd be able to patent it without much problem. Although it's not as fun for you conspiracy people, the real reason pot hasn't been legalized is because of a lot of narrow-minded "tough on crime" politicos who are trying to save people from themselves.

Does this mean we can call Canadians "POT HEADS" (just kidding) calm down Borg and Blib, I'm not bashing or labeling just being a smart a** :D

psssst... I don't think they would be too offended ;)

Yeah, Toyota and Honda are really struggling with that "reliable car" business model that they insist upon. Of course if they made cars out of hemp the environmentalists would be massively complaining that cars cause deforestation.
Ok, no. Hemp gives off 4 times more product per acre than trees. Again, how would it be deforestation. Have you never seen what Cannabis looks like? It is a tobacco styled plant, a bushish tree. Not a huge hardwood tree. Technically, it wouldn't be deforestation.

I love conspiracy theorists!
What I think is the funniest about most conspiracy theorists that I've seen, is that they say that they speak the truth, and that the truth is good, but then tell you to buy their books. Some is online, but for the good juicy parts, you have to pay the greedy cappie bastards. Anyways, about what you commented on, the CIA has a store of illegal drugs, so if they have a bust, and expect a lot more than what they got, they can drag it in and make it look prettier for the media.

Do you also believe in the cars that run on water or the 100mile per gallon carbuerator?
Why does that make no sense?

Actually you can patent all sorts of things, if not the compound itself. Like how to synthesize it, how to harvest it, how to purify it, how to make it into a pill, how to administer it. If there was profit in it, they'd be able to patent it without much problem. Although it's not as fun for you conspiracy people, the real reason pot hasn't been legalized is because of a lot of narrow-minded "tough on crime" politicos who are trying to save people from themselves.
Weed doesn't need to be purified, it has enough kick that you just need one leaf, those who smoke it most likely wont buy the synthysized stuff, it doesn't need to be a pill, and you can roll it at home in a few seconds. There is no profit in it for companies, it would probably cost more to upkeep it than it would be to sell it on a mass market. Thats why hemp clothing is so expensive, it costs quite a bit to refine it, and not many people buy it because it sounds illegal, the companies that sell hemp clothing are all small and vegan companies.
If it was soley to save people from themselves, why isn't beer still illegal, it is more dangerous than marijuana.

Ok, no. Hemp gives off 4 times more product per acre than trees. Again, how would it be deforestation. Have you never seen what Cannabis looks like? It is a tobacco styled plant, a bushish tree. Not a huge hardwood tree. Technically, it wouldn't be deforestation.

I've never seen it up close, but I know it's a plant. But you have to get the land to plant it from somewhere, and that's usually found by cutting down forests (the Amazon is a frequently cited example). And no matter what the yield per acre is you'll need a hell of a lot of hemp to keep the auto industry humming.

Do you also believe in the cars that run on water or the 100mile per gallon carbuerator?
Why does that make no sense?

Water doesn't burn (we're not talking steam engines here) and it takes more energy to get hydrogen out of water than it you can get out of burning it. So that will never work. And the most fuel efficient car we've managed so far is the tiny gas-electric hybrid Honda Insight, and that gets maybe 65mpg highway using fuel injection, and carburetors aren't nearly as efficient as fuel injection, which is why there aren't any carburetors anymore. These were both popular conspiracy theories.

If it was soley to save people from themselves, why isn't beer still illegal, it is more dangerous than marijuana.

My point exactly - it doesn't make sense to save people from marijuana and not cigarettes or alcohol. But nevertheless, that's what the politicians are doing for us. Everyone say "thank you."

But you have to get the land to plant it from somewhere, and that's usually found by cutting down forests (the Amazon is a frequently cited example).
Use tobacco fields, that is a useless plant.

And no matter what the yield per acre is you'll need a hell of a lot of hemp to keep the auto industry humming.
Hemp used to be used in clothes, paper, almost every fabric, and it has its own personal use. Quite a few people used the products it gave out, that is a lot of hemp. It would take more, but if we get rid of hopps fields and tobacco fields, replace many cotton fields, you'd get a lot of cannabis plants growing. It's also been perfected to be stronger than leather, I know, I have a pair of boots made out of hemp.

I know about the water usage, but I thought it was throwing hydrogen and oxygen and using fusion to make water as the biproduct, not take hydrogen out of water. The 100mpg threw me off... even though I dont know much about cars.

Everyone say "thank you."
Can I then hand them a pulled grenade?