boost for blair: uk to host 'Global Marijuana Music Awards 2006'

TONY BLAIR will be over the moon: Not only has the UK won the Olympic bid, but now 'Merry Britain' has also been chosen to host the 'Global Marijuana Music Awards 2006' in what some will see as a further blow to Paris and worldwide alcoholism.

With the highest consumption of cannabis in Europe, Blair's Britain was always a front runner against the French bid, despite their close historical connections with Morocco, which supplies about 80% of the E.U. market for hashish.

The 'Global Marijuana Music Awards 2006' to be held in Britain will be the third such event, following previous 'Marijuana Music Awards' at the Seattle Hemp Fest in the USA (2004), and at the Nimbin 'MardiGrass' festival in Australia (2005).

The news that Britain has been chosen to host the event may be a welcome 'feel good' boost to the LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE now underway, as it reels from the rash of attacks on pensioners within their midst, and the recent arrest of the 'Cannabis Grandma', plus todays 'Evening Standard' exposure of wide spread cocaine use amongst the partying 'comrades', which could endanger their various modeling contracts.

INSIDERS say the good news about the 'Global Marijuana Music Awards' coming to Britain could also mean that guitar playing 'party man' Tony Blair will now be more likly to step down soon to give him time to work on a few tracks, while interest rates may lower thanks to the expected boost in tourism. Extra tourist cash for London will also help beleagured Marks & Spencers, British Airways, and top London head shop 'So High Soho', plus newt lover and 'Mayor of London' Ken Livingstone, who supports cannabis decriminalisation, but has yet to go further.

'New Labour' sources also rushed to discredit stories sweeping the conference floor that the bass player in Blair's 1970's rock band 'Ugly Rumors' was allegedly a cannabis dealer. Apparently the name for the band was chosen because if you hold the 'Mars Hotel' album by the 'Grateful Dead' upside down in the mirror, the stars spell the words 'ugly rumors'. We can't help wondering what else they were doing with "the mirror".

FAR AWAY from the spinning world of "Class A' politics, 'News of the Weed' met up with 'Marijuana Music Award' organisers 'Rainbow Records', at London's plush 'Access All Areas' centre, one of the hubs of the ever mutating UK dance and 'party' scene, based in the vibrant bohemian quarter of Kentish Town.

Rainbow Records have just moved to London (also known as 'The Big Smoke'), from Australia's marijuana mecca 'Nimbin'. This is the OZ town famous for it's hedonistic annual 'MardiGrass' festival in May, where 'the biggest joint in the world' is paraded though the town, surrounded by beautiful dancing girls and large crowds of fresh faced, healthy looking people, high on the 'holy herb'. Next year the Nimbonians are "thinking of" walking the 'Big Joint', which is 12 meters long, to Canberra, which would put Mao Tse Tungs 'Long March' into the pale.

Other attractions at the Nimbin 'MardiGrass include the 'Joint Rolling Gold Medal' for the 'Speed Roll' which this year was won by Smurf in 22 seconds for the standard 3 paper and filter, a new record. Bob the Builder won the 'Creative Roll' with a model of Schapelle Corby behind bars for 20 years in Indonesia. When the joint was lit the jail burnt down, and she was free!

Nimbin was also not surprisingly a perfect location for this years 'Global Marijuana Music Awards' (2005).

Just to give you an idea of the scope of the Awards here is a full list of this years winners at Nimbin:

Winners included the 'Spliffmasters'for Best Recorded Track, and the 'Herballists' who flew in from Philadelphia (best live act). Album of the year was 'Hit After Hit' by Marijuana The Band from California, Best RAP was 'How We Do It' by The Individuals from Chicago who also won the Reggae section with 'Blaze It Up'. 'Marijuana The Band' by Marijuana The Band from California was the best rock track, 'Steady High' by Rich Hardesty from Indiana won the Pop Section, best Country music track was 'The Dooby Song' by Rich Hardesty from Indiana, and the 'Experimental Section' was won with 'Dakka Damage' by The Stealth Beats from Tasmania. The Jazz section was won by the 'Back Porch Vipers' from Texas who also won the Blues Section with 'When I get Low'. Best comedy was 'My Dog' by Mona Lizard from Nimbin, 'Car Pool Mom' by Paul Bullock from Texas won the poetry section, and the winner of the 'Instrumental Section' was 'Symphony in Grass' by Andy & Tim from Sweden.

The doors are now open for 'Global Marijuana Music Award 2006' entries (the fee is just £10). There is a lot more information on the Rainbow Records website. Watch this space.

'stop the war' march london: bongs not bombs

The 'Stop the War' coalition expected 100,000 people for their 'Troops Out Now' march on Saturday, but got about 10,000 - we were there to check it out. Yet, spinning like mad, the SWP dominated 'coalition' is saying on their website that they got "up to 100,000" people. Of course this is not a lie, but to say "up to 100,000" when you know you only got 10,000??? It does make you wonder if we can trust them any more than the one they like to call 'Bliar', and his not so secret lover.

If you want a real laugh download the excellent Bushblair love song 'Read My Lips' movie by Kristina Lindström at 'albinoblacksheep.com' which also has a lot of other funny stuff.

Also in Hyde Park was Mr Free Cannabis (see last post), who expected a few more than ten people for his 'free cannabis give away', and got ten people. If we were the 'Stop the War' coalition, that would be "up to 100,000 people came to support ending cannabis prohibition on Saturday". And that is not even counting the various lost souls operating in the 'GMT' time zone (Ganja Mean Time); thay all turned up late and missed what ever there was to miss at "High Noon" (pictures to come).

Meanwhile 'News of The Weed' tried to find out what the 'Respect' party line on cannabis is. Answer: They don't have one. In fact they do not have a drugs policy at all. It emerges that they have never discussed the issue either of cannabis or drugs policy in general. 'News of the Weed' is shocked!

So what is the George Galloway line on cannabis? The Respect spokesman would not say, but a good indication is on 'They Work For You'; the 'rebel' MP was strictly loyal to the government when voting for the 'Criminal Justice Bill'. Amongst other things this 'prohibitionists charter' turned the mild mannered 'magic mushroom' into a 'Class A' drug, putting it in the same bracket as heroin and crack cocaine.

But every school kid in Britain knows that 'shrooms' are not as bad as 'smack'.

This is the bill described as "garbage" by Labour MP Paul Flynn who told Parliament: "This Bill was conceived in prejudice, written in ignorance and is being enacted with incompetence. Those who are supporting it will come to rue the day when this piece of legislative garbage went through the House. It is the worst Bill in my parliamentary experience since the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991."

'News of the Weed' says: We can smell a prohibitionist from 10 miles away, and it does not need a sniffer dog to tell that 'Stalinist George' smells of prohibition; the stench is as strong as 'skunk', but not nearly so nice.

Above: A very mini 'free festival' gathered round a bicycled powered main stage, supplied by the wonderful 'Rinky Dink' who have been regular performers at cannabis marches and festivals through the ages. A sight for sore ears.

mr cannabis i presume: free hash cakes in the park, sat 24th, 2.00pm, speakers corner, hyde Park, london.

THE irrepressible Mr Free Cannabis (he's got the passport to prove it) is 'doing his own thing' at Speakers Corner, Hyde Park tomorrow (24th Sep) for his annual 'Free Cannabis In the Park' event, billed as a 'free cannabis give away.'
The event flyer, and informative website (although some of the links sadly don't work), says Mr Cannabis will be giving away free hash cakes at Speakers Corner, Hyde Park (2.00pm), and then heading up to Mary(jane)lebone Police Station with a live Cannabis Plant.
'News of the Weed' wonders about the wisdom of all this; why is Mr Cannabis exposing a cannabis plant to face almost certain execution at the hands of babylon???? For the plant this is a suicide mission, we hope it is worth it. Still, one thing we can be sure of; the hash cakes will be 100% organic.
The controversial Mr Cannabis, who looks sickenly healthy and younger every day on his hemp seed diet, was one of the stars of the show at the recent 'Cannabis Education Rally' in Trafalgar Square (may 15th), where he performed his amazing 'Free Cannabis Rap'.
Unfortunately, he then proceeded to slag off the organisers in his newsletter for trying to stop him speaking, despite the fact that he was given two slots, while everyone else got one! Still, thats genius for you, and there is certainly a lot of good sensi in the 'Mr Free Cannabis' mix.
'News of the Weed' says "Mr Cannabis should put out a 'rap' single; he could be 'Top of the Pops'.

'sunday times' report on mental health and cannabis was a “distortion and factually wrong” says Addaction.

LAST WEEKEND'S extremely worrying 'Sunday Times' story “Mental Health Problems Soar Among Children Using Cannabis” (Sep 18th), was "entirely misleading" says a statement published on the website of 'Addaction', a leading UK drug and alcohol treatment charity.

Rosie Brocklehurst, Director of Communications at Addaction is quoted: “This report on Page 7 of the paper was a distortion and factually wrong. We have therefore written a letter of complaint to the Sunday Times asking for clarification as to how this story came to appear in the form in which it was published, and to ensure that the truth is given in a correction of the original story.

"We suspect the story was influenced by the 'Sunday Times' wish to write a piece before the imminent deliberations by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs"

“If Addaction had such evidence we would have been sure to let the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs know about it, “ said Rosie Brocklehurst. “If we had such evidence as the paper claims, it would have made the front pages of every national newspaper in the country. But we do not have such evidence.”

The Advisory Council is reviewing the scientific evidence on cannabis use and misuse, and will be making recommendations to the Government in the light of those deliberations in the near future.

They could ignore the fears of senior policemen, reported in the 'Guardian' today, and advise a return to 'Class B' for cannabis as a whole, or 'skunk' in particular. These are both unworkable and 'psychotic' ideas being propergated by the prohibitionists and their corporate dinosaur allies who control large sections of the media.

Many fear the Advisory Council could be swayed by widely circulated distortions of research data, and of the truth, by some large media organisations, who have been fanning a wave of exaggerated scare stories about mental health and cannabis in recent months.

Meanwhile research published recently by the UK government confirms what many cannabis reform campaigners predicted would occur: teenage use of cannabis DECREASED in the year following the reclassification of cannabis to 'Class C' in Britain. Download official report (pdf).

'News of the Weed' says: "What we need is some cannabis sanity, and to end cannabis prohibition by putting it in 'Class 0'. That way, everyone can be a winner."

'sativa', 'indica', and now 'rasta': DNA researchers discover new cannabis strain

AUSTRALIAN researchers have discovered a third strain of cannabis, and given it the name 'rasta' after checking the DNA of plants taken from all over the world. They have also discovered that 'Rasta' produces higher levels of THC than the commonly known 'Indica' or 'Sativa' strains, which until now were thought to be the only ones in existence.

The scientists have called the new strain 'rasta' presumably because it is found in Jamaica as well as Africa, Mexico, south-east Asia and India. Their research showed that 'Sativa' is most common in Western Europe while 'Indica' is mainly found in central Asia.

According to the New Scientist the research involved catagorising 196 sample plants according to the DNA in their mitochondria and chloroplasts. The samples included plants grown for drugs and hemp as well as wild varieties from Europe, Asia, Africa, Mexico and Jamaica.

Researcher Simon Gilmore of the 'Canberra Institute of Technology' is quoted with a fascinating theory: "What we might be uncovering is really an ancient relationship," he said.

"Cannabis has been used a lot by humans in the last few thousand years and while we have a signature that there might have been three different types of cannabis, what could have happened with human cross-breeding [is] that those distinctions could have been lost by now.

"Three different mitochondrial DNA types in the cannabis that's grown these days, it might imply that cannabis had been domesticated on three separate occasions.

"It seems the first use was for food - cannabis seeds are highly nutritious apparently but not all that tasty."

Sadly, the main aim of the research was to find markers to help police forensic scientists track the origins of illegal cannabis. Shame on you Mr Gilmore!

We would also like to point out that Mr Gilmore has obviously not extended his research to eating organic hemp seeds which are very tasty indeed.

swiss witch hunt: leading hemp advocate gets 29 months for growing hemp: 'freedom to farm' campaign statement

ANDRE FURST'S farm buildings are made of hemp, he wears hemp clothing, he eats hemp, even his farm tractor runs on hemp oil. He is also one of Europe's leading experts on the production and use of hemp, one of the most valuable but under utilised plants known to humanity. Now Andre Furst faces 29 months in a concrete box.

'New of the Weed' has recieved the following statement, which we reprint in full:

On 23 August 2005 the District Court of Morat (Switzerland) sentenced Andre Furst, the owner of Hemp-Info, to 29 months of prison (unconditional sentence) and to a fine of 150.000 Swiss francs (approx. 98.000 euros).

Mr. Furst's crime was the development of agro-industrial ecological methods of hemp utilization. Andre has become one more victim of the incomprehensible twist in Swiss drug policy.

The authorities of many Swiss cantons were still until recently applying a pragmatic and humanist approach. Now the same authorities have started a witch hunt obviously inspired by the US War on Drugs, which has already proved to have disastrous impact on the drugs scene. In the future, Swiss people will be able to adopt a model properly adjusted to their local conditions due to the Pro-Hemp grass-root movement. In the meantime, activists of this honorable cause are under pressure from the police, judiciary and media, which is absolutely unworthy of a democratic country.

Considering Andre Furst as a criminal, the judiciary is pushing hemp farmers to illegality, patients using cannabis will be deprived of their medicine and cannabis users will turn to organized crime. Apart individual personal tragedies, this policy will cause a considerable harm to the whole Swiss society. And all this is happening because of a plant, which is less harmful than legal tobacco and alcohol.

The Court refused to make any clear decision on different methods of the hemp analysis, whose results can be so erratic that they may easily show from 0,3% of delta9THC to 3% THC in the same sample of hemp. At the same time, the Fribourg Court refused to make an assessment on the legality of this standard of 0,3% of THC, inspired by French law, which is missing any undeniable scientific or agronomic basis and is having no ground in the Swiss legislation.

The Court has neither assessed on the fact that hemp is not a drug, nor in the strict sense a narcotic, or in the spirit of authors of the drug legislation.

As we have not received any response to these fundamental questions and because there are also other reasons to reject this sentence, Andre Furst will continue his struggle for the hemp and will make an appeal to the Cantonal Court of Fribourg.

The following is the French version of a letter, fax, email to advocate hemp reform in Swiss and worldwide, to stress against the war on drugs and to demonstrate for Furst and Emery, freedom to farm!

La Suisse ne doit pas faire la guerre au chanvre

Monsieur (Madame),

Je vous manifeste mon indignation de la condamnation d’Andre Furst, patron de Chanvre-Info, à 29 mois de detention pour une affaire de chanvre. Cette injustice entache l’image exemplaire de la democratie suisse. M. Furst est victime d’un scandaleux revirement politique sous pressions occultes. Une victime de plus dans l’inefficace guerre à la drogue que G.W.Bush vous impose pour faire oublier l’Irak, l’Afghanistan et autres turpitudes.

Depuis le 11 septembre, l’administration US, relayee par un lobby international religieux, sectaire et neoconservateur, fait pression par tout moyen sur les gouvernements, les politiciens et les media des pays reformateurs en matière de drogues. Le president Bush veut renforcer la prohibition et couper la tête des leaders pro-cannabis. La scandaleuse tentative d’extradition vers les USA du grainetier canadien Marc Emery est un autre exemple recent de ces methodes totalitaires. La Suisse comme le Canada doivent defendre leur politique, et ne pas suivre ce fou dangereux.

Le long processus suisse d’elaboration d’une strategie efficace etait un modèle d’expertise et de concertation. La plupart des Cantons appliquaient par avance une politique tolerante envers les usagers et des centaines de magasins et de chanvriers. La Suisse devait depenaliser la consommation et reglementer le marche. Toutes les commissions scientifiques ou politiques, le Conseil Federal et même le Parlement en première lecture ont approuve cette demarche novatrice. Fallait-il renier ces avances et pourquoi revenir à la repression brutale ?

Andre Furst a respecte les recommandations de votre projet avorte de reglementation. Il a milite et investi pour un chanvre biologique aux multiples usages, utile tant pour sauver l’agriculture sans subventions que pour reguler un problème social majeur. Sa cause semblait triompher jusqu’au revirement du Parlement et ses consequences judiciaires inacceptables. Andre Furst est coupable d’avoir anticipe, comme tant d’autres, une reforme consensuelle enterree sans motif valable. Au 21ème siècle, en Suisse, on ne peut pas jeter un homme en prison pour avoir participe à l’amelioration de la societe. C’est une purge stalinienne, d’abord on suscite la reforme pour mieux pendre les leaders. Vous devez intervenir pour retablir l’equite et la morale.

Pour faire cesser cette parodie avant qu’elle ne fasse trop de victimes, vous devez user de votre influence pour l'instauration d'un moratoire, une amnistie generale et des graces à titre exceptionnel sur les affaires concernant le chanvre pendant la periode de 96 à 04. En attendant le vote de l’initiative populaire Pro-chanvre, je vous demande de stopper les condamnations des personnes engagees que vous avez laisse faire pendant tant d’annees. Ce n’est pas juste, ni moral et encore moins efficace ou pragmatique. Les guerres de Bush ne sont pas notre combat. Poursuivez la reforme de la politique des drogues, en Suisse comme à l’ONU. Freedom to Farm !

Name:
Profession:
City:
Country:

Please copy this document, sign it and send it to:

For all:
President de la Confederation Helvetique,Samuel Schmid, Palais federal est,CH - 3003, Berne.
tel.: 031 324 50 33. fax: 031 323 57 82. samuel.schmid@gs-vbs.admin.ch

For Swiss people:
Conseiller federal, Chef du Departement Federal Justice et Police, Christoph Blocher, Palais federal ouest, CH - 3003 Berne.
christoph.blocher@gs-ejpd.admin.ch

For foreigners:
Conseillère federale, Departement federal des affaires etrangères, Micheline Calmy-Rey, Palais federal Ouest, CH-3003 Berne. Tel. (+41) 031 322 21 11. Fax (+41) 031 324 90 47. www.calmy-rey.admin.ch/f/contact/cntrequest.aspx/

For NGOs and CSOs:
Division politique III - Nations Unies, Organisations internationales, Environnement, Culture, Francophonie, Bundesgasse 28, CH-3003 Berne. Tel.: (+41) 031 323 23 46. Fax: (+41) 031 323 21 30. PA3A@eda.admin.ch.

For all:
Direction de la securite et de la justice (DSJ) du canton de Fribourg, Claude Grandjean, Conseiller d'Etat, Grand-Rue 26, Case postale, CH-1701 Fribourg. AND: Chancellerie d'Etat, Rue des Chanoines 17, Case postale 1701, Fribourg .
Tel: 026 305 10 45. Fax 026 305 10 48. http://admin.fr.ch/cha/fr/pub/meta_navigation/contact.cfm

THANK YOU!!!!

a bust too far: cooking interrupted as uk's 'cannabis grannie' is raided again in sinister move

Patricia Tabram, otherwise known as the 'Grandma who eats Cannabis', has been busted again at her home. She was raided on Friday (Sep 16th) by Northumberland police, armed with a search warrent, acting on 'information received'.

They found a few "not growing very well" cannabis plants, and arrested the 66 year old grannie for cultivation. Because she is already on a suspended sentence she has been warned by police that she will "definately go to prison this time."

Sky News is reporting that Grannie remains defiant: "I realise I am going to go to prison," she said. "Emmeline Pankhurst had to go to prison three times before women got the vote so I am not going to be worried about it. She added: "I'm just an old, grey, tubby grandma and I'm going to fight this."

This has got to be one of the most PETTY police actions in a long time - so petty indeed that it is sinister. Why on earth did the police bother to raid a close to 70 year old lady for a couple of plants? How in any way can this use of police resources to 'break a butterfly' be anything but a political attack on an outspoken campaigner. They know she is not a criminal nor a danger to anyone.


Was it because grannie has been asking too many embarrassing questions about local police practice? Was it because only a few days before the latest police raid, she was outside the US Embassy protesting against the D.E.A. and the attempted kidnapping of fellow campaigner Marc Emery? Where did the 'information received' come from? Could it have been the DEAland Embassy in Grosvenor Sq?

One thing is for certain; this police action was not ordered 'in the public interest' to save us from a dangerous criminal in our midst. In fact a pattern is now begining to emerge; 'show trials' similar to those carried out by the Communists in the darkest days of Soviet Russia.

The pattern is always the same; using the full weight of the law the authorities go out of their way, bypassing thousands of real criminals, and attempt to crush leading cannabis campaigners.

Local police forces suddenly swing into action, not against the local 'sex slave' industry, not against the thriving local crack scene which is devistating local communities, not against local politicians taking kick backs from property developers.

Instead our 'defenders' zero in on dangerous grandma's, people growing hemp to save the planet, book writers, medicine suppliers and magazine publishers.

The escalating 'Bush War' hit list now includes: Ed Rosenthal (writer, USA), Marc Emery (magazine publisher, Canada), THC4MS (medicine suppliers,Uk), Andre Furst (hemp farmer, Switzerland) and Cannabis Granndma' ('dangerous' grandma, Uk). Not forgetting of course the several million people a year world wide who are persecuted, attacked, beaten, dragged from their homes, imprisoned for years and even executed.

The message is clear: "Stick your neck out for cannabis and we will try to chop off your head".

All this because of a herb that poses little danger to anyone except oil companies, drug corporations, and corrupt politicians, few of whom are really so stupid that they actually believe they are doing the right thing.

'News of the Weed' supports the 'Rule of Law' and professional police people everywhere when they do their difficult job, often risking their necks defending the general public from selfish idiots, 'nutters' and some very evil people, including robbers, rapists and corrupt corporations.

However, we can't support the 'Rule of Evil Stupidity'. This is a bust too far. It stinks!

'joint' venture: the 'Guardian' reports Canadian government is conspiring with U.S. to have Marc Emery extridited

The 'Guardian' has finally woken up, having emerged from it's usual deep slumber when it comes to reporting cannabis news. At last, weeks late, they are reporting the Marc Emery case in todays issue: 'US takes the war on drugs to Canada's Prince of Pot'.

In the last line of the story, Duncan Campbell, an authoritative writer on international drug politics, reports that the U.S. authorities say the extradition is a 'joint venture' with the Canadian government.

This could be simply the Americans trying to drag the Canadians into the dirt with themselves; a 'coalition of the willing' etc etc. More seriously it implies that there actually is a 'conspiracy to kidnap' Marc Emery going on, organized by the U.S. and Canadian governments TOGETHER, rather than just the U.S. 'bully' on it's own.

There is some evidence to support this, with quotes in the press suggesting the Canadian authorities have been frustrated at their failure to be able to get Emery and 'throw away the key'. Apparently there are those in the Canadian police services who believe the only way to destroy Emery is to get him to the States, where he could even face the death penalty, while in Canada the most he could ever get would be a few months.

If true, this revelation will be embarrassing to the Canadian Government, as polls show 58% of the Canadian population are against the extraditions. It will also be a dent in Canada's international image as a progressive and independent nation.

If he is not very careful indeed, the Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin could end up like Tony Blair, who is very unfairly known worldwide as Bush's 'poodle'.

Below are links to some photo galleries and photo threads for Marc Emery protests worldwide:

gallery 1 (marihemp.com)
gallery 2 (marihemp.com)
gallery 3 (marihemp.com)
cannnabisculture.com (forum)
cannabisculture.com (forums)

Canadian press report: Pot activist rallies support ahead of extradition

Information from Warsaw (if you can read Polish).

Listen to Marc Emery discuss his case (POT TV).

marc emery extradition case starts Sep 16th

The attempted kidnapping of Marc Emery and two associates by the United States Government proceeds further in just a few days on Sep 16th with the start of extradition proceedings, which could take over 2 years, and cost enouph to rebuild several blocks of New Orleans.

Meanwhile the Canadian Government needs to know that people all over the world are watching this case. And ... if you feel like being an effective 21st century 'armchair activist', you can do it right now without hardly moving.

All you have to do is send send a friendly short email message to Canada's Minister of Justice IRWIN COTLER, hasseling him about the Marc Emery case, and encouraging him to end cannabis prohibition once and for all, what ever the American 'bossman' say.

If you have the energy, be really encouraging about the positive reforms in Canada regarding medical cannabis, and how Canada is known all over the world for being a friendlier place than the 'evil empire'.

The email address is: webadmin@justice.gc.ca. Fax: 613-954-0811. Postal address: The Honourable Irwin Cotler, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, 284 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1A 0H8.

Even easier option: get hold of your M.P., put them in the picture, and ask them to write the letter and send it for you, as they are paid for that kind of thing. Check out 'They Work For You'.

"They came for the cannabis users and I did not speak out, and then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out for me".

every euro MP gets free bag of cannabis seeds as marc emery protests continue

European Parliament, Brussels, 13 September 2005:

All 730 Members of the European Parliament (M.E.P's) became 'in possession' of a bag of cannabis seeds on Tuesday (13th Sep), courtesy of the 'European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies' (ENCOD), which represents 120 'grass roots' drugs action organisations throughout Europe.

The European M.E.P's were asked by ENCOD to talk to the Canadian Minister of Justice Irwin Cotler, in order to ask him not to extradite Marc Emery, a Canadian citizen who is wanted by the United States where he risks imprisonment for life for the sale of cannabis seeds. In Canada, the sale of cannabis seeds has not merited a single prosecution for many years. In some EU countries, it is not even an offence.

ENCOD also asked the M.E.P's to take action against the current escalation of the war on drugs, which it describes as a major threat to the democratic principles of free societies.

Additionally, ENCOD requested the Members of European Parliament to challenge the recently approved 'EU Action Plan on Drugs for 2005 - 2008'. According to ENCOM this 'action plan' does not draw any significant conclusion from the official evaluation of the 'European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drug Addiction' (EMCDDA), which clearly indicated that EU drug strategies have had no favourable results whatsoever.

In spite of the recommendations of the European Parliament (formulated in the Catania report of 15 December 2004) and those of numerous experts, civil society organisations and local authorities, the new 'Action Plan' does not contain any significant innovative approaches what so ever.

According to ENCOD, drug policy has long been designed in a vacuum, ignoring the signals from the public and the parliament, that something is going very wrong. Ignoring in fact, what goes on right in front of them.

ENCOD has also invited the M.E.P's to participate in a common effort to create space for innovative drug policies such as have been put forward by local and regional authorities across Europe.

'News of the Weed' says: "If any of the M.E.P's don't want their seeds, we'll have them. E mail us, and we will send our address."

SIGN THE PETITION FOR A CHANGE IN EU DRUG POLICIES - 'European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies'

free the ganja seed hostages: london protests

Outside the U.S. Embassy, London, Sat 10th Sep: Despite wind and rain, and the prospect of being in one of the hottest places in Britain, plus never getting a VISA to the USA, cannabis campaigners in London joined others in nearly 40 cities worldwide today to protest at the threatened 'cannabis kidnappings'; the attempt by the U.S. government to extradite three Canadians, Marc Emery, Greg Williams, and Michelle Rainey, for selling cannabis seeds mailorder.

This is a minor charge in Canada, but it is a very different story in 'Gulag America' where they even have the death penalty for large scale marijuana production. Amnesty International has described U.S. jails as "inhuman". There are 600,000 people currently rotting in those 'inhuman' jails for cannabis possession right now.


Above: 'War on Drugs, Tug of War'. Be on the U.S. government 'Bush War'/DEA(LERS) side, or with 58% of the Canadian population who are against the extraditions and freedom for cannabis; you choose.


The U.S. government's 'Drug Enforcement Agency' (D.E.A.) website is a very bad website indeed. It is only worth reading to see how many lies and pieces of misinformation you can find. 'News of the Weed' is offering a prize to the person who can list the most, we lost count.

EVEN WORSE is the website produced by the U.S. Government's 'National Institute on Drug Abuse'(N.I.D.A.). It has a tasteless design, but don't let that fool you; you are looking at power and influence. These are the people BEHIND the D.E.A! They are up to every dirty trick in the book. Watch out for these fundamentalists, they are active worldwide and are using every devious method at their disposal to fight a bogus 'War on Drugs', while supporting the biggest heroin producers in the world in Afganistan. Let them explain that to their kids if they have any.


Above: Cannabis Grandma gives Bush a right ticking off outside the Canadian Embassy where he was stalking for victims to kidnap.

Below: Bush finally gets the picture, gets some respect and joins the 'Cannabis Trust':


"Hey Guys, I've just had a cool idea! What the kids need is some cannabis education they can trust, not a load of baloney."


Meanwhile the global campaign to free all cannabis prisoners will continue to grow. Whatever the rights and wrongs of cannabis use, no one deserves jail for it, much less being kidnapped from your own country. It also costs poor tax payers all over the world a fortune, which would be far better spent elsewhere. Watch this space (and the many others).

U.K. says "D.E.A. Go Away": stop the cannabis kidnappings protest launch

America Bullies Canadians; Britain, or anywhere, could be next.

London 8th Sep:: A 'protest' against attempted extraditions for cannabis took place outside the U.S. & Canadian Embassies today.

A protest letter was also delivered to each Embassy in London for the attention of the Ambassador. The full text of letters of protest are posted below.

This was a prelude to the main protest event planned in London this Sat 10th Sep at Grosvenor Sq, London W1. 2.-5pm. Other protests are taking place in 36 cities worldwide on the same day.

The demonstrations are against the extradition of three Canadians to the U.S. for selling cannabis seeds, and the 'Bush War' which targets cannabis users at home and abroard.

latest world news: www.cannabisculture.com

london organisers: www.cannabistrust.com

Protest letter to the U.S. Ambassador in London: free the pot hostages

To the Ambassador of the United States, London..

Dear Sir,

We are writing to you regarding the attempt by your government to extradite three Canadian citizens, Marc Emery, Greg Williams, and Michelle Rainey, to the United States to face charges related to the sale of cannabis seeds by mail order.

If these extraditions go ahead the victims will face very serious penalties in the United States for what is a relatively minor infringement of the law in their own country.

We believe this is an abuse of extradition treaties which are in place to bring serious criminals to justice for serious crimes.

Extradition treaties should not be used by any country to push their domestic social policies or the laws that inforce them, on citizens of another nation.

In this case your government is attempting to use extradition treaties to extend its very harsh and prohibitionist laws regarding the use and sale of cannabis in the United States to people living in Canada a nation that is developing a different, more human approach.

The people of Canada, and their government have largely rejected the theory that prohibition and harsh penalties is the way to deal with the use of cannabis, a recreational drug that is not addictive and has far less harmful effects than alcohol (with is addictive).

Canada has led the world in ending the unjustifiable ban on the medical use of cannabis. Their lead is being followed in most of Europe (including Britain) and an increasing number of nations throughout the world.

We would like to know why the United States government rejects science and continues to argue that cannabis has no nutritional or medical value. Many people believe your treatment of medical cannabis users in the United States amounts to a crime against humanity.

It is sad to see that the United States government stands out in its refusal to learn from the disastrous failure of cannabis prohibition as an effective social policy. Currently you have 600,000 people in prison for cannabis and prosecute about 700,000 people a year. It has been estimated that cannabis prohibition costs United States tax payers more that $10 Billion a year to enforce.
Your government has failed to accept that cannabis prohibition does not protect peoples health or safety in any way, and instead puts people, especially their young people in far more danger.

As citizens of Britain, a nation that has very close cultural and political ties to the United States, we are deeply concerned about this, and especially at your attempts to export your failed and ‘fundamentalist’ drug policies worldwide. We have friends and relatives in the United States and we know what is going on.

We believe that it is the policy of cannabis prohibition that creates a dangerous ‘gateway’ to the use of hard drugs, not the use of cannabis as your government continues to argue. Cannabis prohibition exposes people, most worryingly young people, to an unregulated and illegal market which often includes hard drugs. This market is dominated by criminals, when it should be run by buisness people operating under the law.

We therefore hope very much that your government will order an immediate end to these unjustifiable extradition proceedings, and that it seriously reviews its failed prohibitionist policies regarding the sale and use of cannabis, for the health of the American people and people everywhere.

Cannabis Education Research Trust

Please note: The display of the U.S. flag upside down is a legitimate signal of distress, not an insult to the flag or the American people.

Protest letter to the Canadian Ambassador in London: stop the cannabis extraditions

To the Canadian Ambassador, London.

Dear Sir,

We are writing to you regarding the attempt by the United States government to extradite three Canadian citizens, Marc Emery, Greg Williams, and Michelle Rainey, to the United States to face charges related to the sale of cannabis seeds by mail order.

If these extraditions go ahead the victims will face very serious penalties in the United States for what is a relatively minor infringement of the law in their own country. Amnesty International says many U.S. prisons are “inhuman”.

We believe this is an abuse of extradition treaties which are in place to bring serious criminals to justice for serious crimes. Extradition treaties should not be used by any country to push their domestic social policies or the laws that inforce them, on citizens of another nation.

In this case the American government is attempting to use extradition treaties to extend its very harsh and prohibitionist laws regarding the use and sale of cannabis in the United States to people living in Canada a nation that is developing a different, more human approach.

This is a direct attack on the independence and sovereignty of Canada, and a recent poll shows that 58% of the Canadian people are against these extraditions.

The people of Canada, and their government have largely rejected the theory that prohibition and harsh penalties is the way to deal with the use of cannabis, a recreational drug that is not addictive and has far less harmful effects than alcohol (with is addictive).

Canada has led the world in ending the unjustifiable ban on the medical use of cannabis.

However the United States government rejects science and continues to argue that cannabis has no nutritional or medical value. Many people believe the treatment of medical cannabis users in the United States amounts to a crime against humanity.

It is sad to see that the United States stands out in its failure to learn from the disastrous failure of cannabis prohibition as an effective social policy. Currently they have 600,000 people in prison for cannabis and prosecute about 700,000 people a year. It has been estimated that cannabis prohibition costs United States tax payers more that $10 Billion a year to enforce.

The United States has failed to accept that cannabis prohibition does not protect peoples health or safety in any way, and instead puts people, especially their young people in far more danger.

As citizens of Britain, a nation that has very close cultural and political ties to the United States, we are deeply concerned about this and especially at U.S. attempts to export their failed and ‘fundamentalist’ drug policies worldwide. We have friends and relatives in the United States and we know what is going on.

We believe that it is the policy of cannabis prohibition that creates a dangerous ‘gateway’ to the use of hard drugs, not the use of cannabis as the U.S. government continues to argue. Cannabis prohibition exposes people, most worryingly young people, to an unregulated and illegal market which often includes hard drugs. This market is dominated by criminals, when it should be run by buisness people operating under the law.

We therefore hope very much that your government will reject these unjustifiable extradition proceedings, and encourages the United States to seriously review its failed prohibitionist policies regarding the sale and use of cannabis, for the health of the American people and people everywhere.

Cannabis Education & Research Trust, London