cannabisnews.com: Ill Americans Seek Marijuana's Relief in Canada





Ill Americans Seek Marijuana's Relief in Canada
Posted by CN Staff on September 07, 2002 at 19:13:06 PT
By Clifford Krauss
Source: New York Times 
Four decades ago, a wave of American draft dodgers fled to Canada rather than fight in Vietnam. Some turned to planting marijuana seeds to make a living and spurred an underground industry that is now booming across British Columbia.Over the last year or so, a new generation of Americans has flocked into western Canada, fleeing the Bush administration's crackdown on the clubs that say they provide marijuana to sick people, particularly in California.
A handful who face drug charges and convictions in the United States have applied for political asylum. Hundreds more American marijuana smokers live underground existences here, local marijuana advocates say.Canada is in the awkward position in which it either must stand up to the United States — and encourage more refugees and asylum applications — or evict people who say they suffer from cancer and other deadly diseases.While general use of marijuana is illegal in both countries, Canada has been far more tolerant of its use for medical purposes."It's an exodus," said Renee Boje, 32, a California fugitive from drug charges who has applied for refugee status. "Canada has a history of protecting the American people from its own government like during the Vietnam War, and the Underground Railroad that protected American runaway slaves."Most of the Americans here do not face charges at home, marijuana advocates say, but came because they can get the drug more cheaply and easily here now since the American clubs were shut down. "Compassion clubs" thrive in several Canadian communities to serve what they say are the medical needs of severe pain sufferers."In the last year the number of Americans coming and intending to stay has skyrocketed," said Marc Emery, president of the B. C. Marijuana Party, who provides legal aid to the Americans. He estimated that the number of recent arrivals was "in the hundreds."Some of them work on farms, living a countercultural life not very different from that of the previous generation of American refugees. Others are living on the street, or moving from couch to couch in homes of Canadian marijuana users. Some have gone into businesses like herbal medicine stores or work in marijuana cultivation.To Bush administration officials, the American fugitives are simply lawbreakers."It's regrettable that people who are charged with criminal offenses in the United States don't face justice here and put a burden on another country," said John Walters, President Bush's drug policy chief.He said that there was no evidence that smoking marijuana was an effective medicine, and that the agenda of many who argue for medicinal marijuana is to legalize drugs.Attorney General John Ashcroft and the Drug Enforcement Administration director, Asa Hutchinson, have stiffened enforcement against marijuana clubs that had grown around California after an initiative called Proposition 215 passed in 1996, making marijuana legal for treating some sick people. Asserting the superiority of federal antidrug laws, federal agencies have raided some clubs, and others have closed or gone underground.Steven W. Tuck, a 35-year-old disabled veteran of the Army, fled to Canada pretending he was going fishing after his club was repeatedly raided and he faced drug charges. He was arrested for overstaying his visa and, fearing deportation, applied for refugee status.Sitting recently in Vancouver's Amsterdam Cafe, where smoking marijuana is allowed, he was sweating and shaking awaiting a friend who had gone out to buy some. "I have to have marijuana to stay alive," said Mr. Tuck, who said his torment began in 1987 with an Army parachuting accident that caused spinal and brain injuries.If he is sent home and denied marijuana, Mr. Tuck says, he fears he will die "choking on my vomit in jail."The Canadian Justice Ministry will not discuss refugee cases. To grant asylum, Canada would have to determine that the Americans would face unwarranted persecution at home.The cases come at a time when the cabinet and Parliament are discussing whether to decriminalize marijuana, with many Canadians arguing that American attitudes are overly restrictive. On Sept. 4, a Canadian Senate committee recommended that the country legalize marijuana use for people over 16.There is also a cabinet debate over whether the government should provide marijuana to chronically ill Canadians or conduct clinical trials first."We can't base our policy on social issues like this on American standards, especially in an area where they're very conservative," said Industry Minister Allan Rock, a former health minister who believes that chronically ill patients should have access to quality-controlled marijuana.The most prominent American fugitive here is Steve Kubby, 55, the Libertarian Party candidate for governor of California in 1998. He and his wife, Michele, have an Internet news program on marijuana issues.They fled California last year for the rural British Columbia town of Sechelt after the police found 265 marijuana plants, a mushroom stem and some peyote buttons in their house. Mr. Kubby had been sentenced to four months of house arrest and three months of probation, which he feared might eventually lead to a prison term in which he would be denied the marijuana that he says he needs to treat his adrenal cancer."If I don't smoke pot," he said, "my blood pressure goes through the roof and would either burst a blood vessel or cause a heart attack." He appealed his sentence, then brought his family to Canada. He was arrested here, and he could be deported.Meanwhile, he applied for permission to cultivate and possess marijuana for his own medical use. He provided Canadian authorities with a letter from a University of British Columbia doctor who substantiated his need "to continue to use cannabis to control the symptoms caused by his disease."The government recently granted him the right to grow and possess a limited amount for a year, which advocates viewed as a major victory."It's threatening to the whole ideology of prohibition," Mr. Kubby said, "which says any marijuana use is criminal." Source: New York Times (NY)Author: Clifford KraussPublished: September 8, 2002Copyright: 2002 The New York Times Company Contact: letters nytimes.com Website: http://www.nytimes.com/ Related Articles & Web Site:Pot-TVhttp://www.pot-tv.net/Steve Kubby Gains Permit To Growhttp://www.pot-tv.net/ram/pottvshowse1497.ramCanadian Panel Backs Legalizing Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14010.shtmlLibertarian Given Right to Grow Pot in Canadahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13952.shtmlCalifornia Men Face Hearing in Canada http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12562.shtml 
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Comment #15 posted by herbdoc215 on September 11, 2002 at 09:33:47 PT
Hope, I am grateful for your kind words and
I only pray that I have the courage to not let God down when the time comes for what He has prepared for me, for it is always with people like you that I have in my heart in my times of greatest fear that have steadied my respite. I have come into contact with many of God's warriors while chasing my dream, somehow my heart grew with every patient who touched my life ( even faster that grinch's ) and I have no regrets about my life ( or illusions either ) I am saddened beyond belief at what my patients have been put through. Most of those folks were busy just trying to keep their heads above water and now they are totally disillusioned by our government trying to kill us, AND HELL YES that's what they are doing. There is enough pain and loneliness in this world to blow it up a thousand times, nobody realizes until it's them what a wall of shame North AmeriKa has raised around it's disabled. Like we are supposed to be satisfied with the couple of hundred bs dollars the government gives us and we are not allowed to make a nickel more, FIXED POVERTY, fixed homelessness, and we are supposed to say yessa boss, rightin away boss white policaman, FUCK THEM, I count as a man!!! We are all of worth, and we all deserve empathy. THESE are the principles that Christ REALLY brought, not more status quo. Only turning the other cheek can we defeat Rome, we must continue for those who follow to never know the shame of oppression. Peace, Steve Tuck     ,in exile 
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Comment #14 posted by Hope on September 09, 2002 at 10:49:35 PT
"shrewd", "cunning", "cautious
Some versions say,"wary as serpents" "cunning as serpents"...in other words....very careful to not get stepped on or stomped...and to be "as gentle as doves." Take care and know that many of us are indeed very concerned for you.
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Comment #13 posted by Hope on September 09, 2002 at 10:45:03 PT
HerbDoc
In the tenth chapter of Matthew, when Jesus sent the twelve disciples out "to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.", his admonishment to them included these words, for their business was dangerous and illegal and many would hate them for it: " 
16I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 
17"Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. 18On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you."Some of what he said might apply to your situation, too. In other words, be very careful,my friend. 
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Comment #12 posted by herbdoc215 on September 09, 2002 at 07:22:05 PT
Jose, Yes and as soon as we get set-up I'll 
send you a sample as we have finally perfected the distilation process as final step in our hash-making so it shouldn't be long now as things are in motion again. Send me an e-mail and I'll let you know more details of our schedule. It was very difficult to eliminate all cannabinoids and catch all the aramaic benzene's but we found it by serendipity while trying to develop a vaporizer using a small magnetron ( microwave ) as a heat source, neat eh. I also didn't want to leave my home either but I guess it's better than dying in jail though sometimes it doesn't seem much better. I cannot believe we let the world get like this while we were all so busy living our lives to care about the ' gestalt ' of America. I never dreamed I would end up as one of the disposables but being me I don't see how I could have ( or would have? ) done anything different? It's always hard to accept God's charge in these matters, but to have ignored those other folks needs for my safety would have made me no better than the pigs we are fighting against us and truth. Peace, Steve Tuck 
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Comment #11 posted by Jose Melendez on September 09, 2002 at 06:19:12 PT
herbdoc
Hey Steve Tuck,
Any further progress on those THC-free flavinoids? I'd really like to start demonstrating with cannabis scented herbal cigarettes. Good luck finding that sanctuary. I personally am apprehensive about having to leave my own country to seek freedom. After all, we are all from Earth.Peace,Jose Melendezskydiver, peacemonger, more...
contact Jose Melendez
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on September 08, 2002 at 16:14:52 PT
lookinside
You picked the name for the one named after me. Thank you I do remember. About Mr. Cowans name now that's something else! LOL!
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Comment #9 posted by lookinside on September 08, 2002 at 16:04:08 PT:
WTG!
Good names for the new strains!
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on September 08, 2002 at 14:24:19 PT
herbdoc215 
Oh me oh my be careful. You worry me. Thank you for the strain name but the best gift of all is your safety. Please, Please Be Careful.God's Speed to you and yours too.
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Comment #7 posted by herbdoc215 on September 08, 2002 at 14:14:12 PT
I owe my sanity to this site and community
... For a long time we felt very alone in all this, behind the redwood curtain it's hard to see if anyone really cares or is watching abuses but since I found this place it always helps me put things in perspective. We are always being told what bad people we are but I can tell you that you people are the salt of the earth. God has taken me down a very strange road the last couple of years since the start of the crystal-night. I have also seen this bring out the best in many people and nudge hundreds of others back into the ' path to God ' and it's this goodness that the haters fear. We will win, it's only a matter of time and all those pigs know it which is why they are trying to kill as many as possible before it's over- less people pointing at them in the " truth and reconcilliation " courts we will hold to try the really guilty people. I am now in process of leaving Canada, when I get out of here alive and safe I will let everyone know were I have gone, as I am going to set us all up a place to live free or die trying... There are many up here who are threatened by the Americans and until these feelings are dealt with I am saddened to say that there is no refuge here for us as all the deck is stacked against us here plus cops are in leauge with DEA bigtime. I have met many wonderful folks here and will always be grateful for all Canada has done for me. Peace, Steven Tuck       ...in exile
ps. FoM we now have a new strain called " Martha's Triumph " and it's GREAT, you will be proud of it and I am deeply honored to pay this tribute to you. We have created 2 new strain named after activist and we will never create any others after, 1. Martha's Triumph- Soaring, thinking buzz out of this world. 52 days to finish, 10.5 hours critical night length, good yields=GREAT quality. In honor of Cannabisnews.com and it's founder.
2. Big Dick- Pure indica, huge main bud, Knock-out stone that can leave you slobering... 10 hour critical night length, turns purple and red in buds at cold nights. In honor of Richard Cowan and Marijuananews.com.
Both of you are my hero's and inspiration. steve
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on September 08, 2002 at 10:53:44 PT
Hope Here's The Picture Link
Maybe to see it people won't have to register but I can't be sure. You know it's great to see you again Hope. I know it hasn't been easy for you recently and I'm always happy when you post a comment. We love ya, Lady!http://graphics7.nytimes.com/images/2002/09/07/international/xSteve%20Tuck.jpg
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Comment #5 posted by Hope on September 08, 2002 at 10:36:22 PT
BGreen
Thanks for thinking of me, BGreen. I've been here. This site is too important to reform not to check it everytime I get online, which, barring catastrophe, is everyday. Besides, I love and respect you guys and I need to know what you all think about whatever is happening.
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Comment #4 posted by p4me on September 08, 2002 at 09:41:47 PT
Steve Tuck
It is hard to speak of the troubles prohibition has caused for Steve Tuck. If things were slightly different I may be a customer of Tuck and company's fine marijuana products. He is a soldier for reason and reform in the marijuana crusades.  Because he advanced the goals of MMJ reform, he is now the hated target of evil doers that maliciously support a zero tolerance for change.Here is the link of Steve Tuck's picture in the NY Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/08/international/americas/08VANC.html1,2
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Comment #3 posted by BGreen on September 08, 2002 at 02:06:49 PT
Welcome back Hope
I've wondered where you've been.
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Comment #2 posted by Hope on September 08, 2002 at 01:46:34 PT
Steven Tuck
There is a photograph of our Steven Tuck accompanying this article.
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Comment #1 posted by The GCW on September 07, 2002 at 19:36:39 PT
Awesome - Parenthetical remark by the Sun editor, 
Usually I find them a bit snide.This one however,is a scathing bulls-eye!CN ON: PUB LTE: Looking After Their Own
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1679/a08.html?397
Toronto Sun...Without prohibition we could do without 20% of those police officers and we could hire more doctors, nurses and teachers. ( Police - except the RCMP - aren't paid by the feds. And we'd keep them on the job, working on serious crime ) 
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