Fill the Hill
Fill the hill with crazy people. I have never seen anything like it before, so many people willing to stand up and be arrested, for the right to smoke pot! There where activists and anarchists, poets and politicians, mothers and fathers, cops, lawyers, businessmen, professors, PhDs, students and a school principal on stage. All with their message about the evils of prohibition and all with a positive attitude that we as Canadian citizens can make the government change the marijuana laws that we have now to something that we can all live with and be free.
The first person I met that I thought was completely crazy was John, the engineer, Turmel who ran in 57 elections and lost every time. He’s in the Guinness Book of World Records for running in the most elections. When Canada effectively had no marijuana laws, between August 1, 2001 until October 7, 2003, he brought 7 pounds if marijuana to Parliament as a protest. He was promptly arrested but what he wanted was his day in court and he got it. He was handing out applications for appeal and the return of your equipment and marijuana. If you were arrested during that time, those few months that there were no marijuana laws, according to John, you could get back all of your equipment and plants.
There was a federal exemptee, the very first federal exemptee in Canada, running around with a bushy marijuana plant. There was one girl that was only wearing a pair of clear plastic shorts, boots and a hat but I guess the craziest person I came across there was David Malmo-Levine. He has his own program on Pot-TV. I think the most outrageous thing he said was, “I want to teach people how to deal and that at all future rallies in Vancouver, I will be there teaching people, showing them how to deal.” Crazy guy. Then at the end of it he said that he had 20 joints and went off to the side and a big circled formed at around 4:20. (In the last little while I smoked a lot of pot from around the country, at the Reggae Fest and the Fill the Hill, I have to tell you, Quebec’s got the best shit).
There was 4 ½ hours of speeches and I don’t know how I got through it all. Here are some of the high lights:
Jody Pressman (one of the organizers) - Prohibition is more harmful than doing it. Don’t put people in jail for a joint.
Dominic Kramer is from the Toronto Hemp Company (THC). He was the MC.
William Hickson is with the Toronto Compassion Club. They have a special $4.00 a gr. program. They also have good bud.
Honourable Pierre Claude Nolin -Senator. He is the Chair of the Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs. He couldn’t make it. A letter from him was read by Marc Boris-St. Maurice who is the leader of the Marijuana Party of Canada. It said that Bill C10 gave tools to the police to catch users. The United Nations, in 1998, earmarked 2008 as the year to be drug free?
Philippe Lucas- he is with the Vancouver Compassion Club and Director of Canadians for Safe Access. The Compassion Club helps over 400 people. It does research, also. They are involved in a double blind high THC research. They got raided and the police destroyed their high quality, organic plants. The government pot program is court ordered. It is contaminated, the air, ground and water. It is grown underground. The government says there is 10.2% THC when it actually has 5.02% while the Club’s is 19%. Of the government program, 30% of the marijuana is returned because it is not effective. There are only 800 legal users in the program when one million could benefit from it. “When they lie we suffer. Don’t vote for any party that considers us criminals.”
During the demonstration, speakers kept on cautioning to watch our health.
Libby Davies - NDP House Leader and Member of the House Committee on the Non-Medical use of Drugs. She couldn’t make it and a letter, from her, was read. She wants to stop prohibition, the criminalization of marijuana. Restrictions should be lifted right now.
Eugene Oscapella -lawyer, professor and Director of Canadian Foundation for Drug Policy. Organized crime, terrorism, etc. is funded by the drug trade due to prohibition. One in every 30 adults gets a record for mere procession. Drug education should be taught by health officials not the police. Lots of money is spent on “criminal” (1.5 million?) In 1923 prohibition started. All drugs are health issues not criminal issues. Don’t flaunt it in public. Have respect for each other’s issues.
Kirk Tousaw - Police Director of B.C. Civil Liberties Association. He couldn’t make it. Jason Braddle, a lawyer, spoke on his behalf. On May 8th, in Vancouver, a conference was formed to look beyond prohibition. There was 65 invitation sent out to health officials, politicians, etc. and no one came. In 1969 smoking marijuana was considered an offence only when it harmfully affected others. “My body is my own”. Different levels of court recognized marijuana as harmless. $700 million to one billion is spent annually in the fight for drugs. Prohibition creates black markets and drug lords. $2 billion could be saved if pot was legalized.
Jack Cole-Executive Director of Law Enforcement against Prohibition and former undercover narcotics officer in the United States. “Don’t follow us down the policy of prohibition”.
Alison Myrden (18) - with the Medical Marijuana Mission and is a Health Canada federal exemptee.
John Acpada- he is poet and has a degree in English Literature. He recited a poem, “Belonging”.
Different people from across Canada were represented
Chris Lawson- School principal. Hemp is a multifunctional fibre. One could make plastic from it. Hemp can save the planet earth. It is biodegradable and earth friendly. Quoted Deuteronomy 14:22 (tithing).
Alan Young-Law professor and author. He practiced law for 20 years. He represented many who were arrested for drugs, some for simple possession. It is a human rights issue. “Every time you light up it’s an act of civil disobedience.”
David Malmo-Levine- recent Supreme Court of Canada appellant and with Pot-TV. Potheads are bunched in the same category as cannibals, pimps, molesters, etc. He smoked on stage. He believes in a “heaven”. “I have a pipe dream”.
Marco Renda- founder of “Treating Yourself” and Health Canada federal exemptee. He is diagnosed with Hepatitis C, Reflux Syndrome and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. He made quotes from the Canadian Senate Report (pages 311, 312, 313). It costs $150 an ounce from the government. Most patients need to spend $600 a month for their “medication”. Is offering free seeds.
Marc Boris-St. Maurice- leader of the Marijuana Party of Canada.
Marc Emery -president of B.C. Marijuana Party and publisher of the Cannabis Culture magazine. He was a book seller for 17 years. He was arrested 22 times and jailed 8
I think the main thing they were saying is that we need to get politicians elected who are going to work for us. We’re only pot heads not criminals!
This article was written for Cannabis Quebec in 2004.
Fill the hill with crazy people. I have never seen anything like it before, so many people willing to stand up and be arrested, for the right to smoke pot! There where activists and anarchists, poets and politicians, mothers and fathers, cops, lawyers, businessmen, professors, PhDs, students and a school principal on stage. All with their message about the evils of prohibition and all with a positive attitude that we as Canadian citizens can make the government change the marijuana laws that we have now to something that we can all live with and be free.
The first person I met that I thought was completely crazy was John, the engineer, Turmel who ran in 57 elections and lost every time. He’s in the Guinness Book of World Records for running in the most elections. When Canada effectively had no marijuana laws, between August 1, 2001 until October 7, 2003, he brought 7 pounds if marijuana to Parliament as a protest. He was promptly arrested but what he wanted was his day in court and he got it. He was handing out applications for appeal and the return of your equipment and marijuana. If you were arrested during that time, those few months that there were no marijuana laws, according to John, you could get back all of your equipment and plants.
There was a federal exemptee, the very first federal exemptee in Canada, running around with a bushy marijuana plant. There was one girl that was only wearing a pair of clear plastic shorts, boots and a hat but I guess the craziest person I came across there was David Malmo-Levine. He has his own program on Pot-TV. I think the most outrageous thing he said was, “I want to teach people how to deal and that at all future rallies in Vancouver, I will be there teaching people, showing them how to deal.” Crazy guy. Then at the end of it he said that he had 20 joints and went off to the side and a big circled formed at around 4:20. (In the last little while I smoked a lot of pot from around the country, at the Reggae Fest and the Fill the Hill, I have to tell you, Quebec’s got the best shit).
There was 4 ½ hours of speeches and I don’t know how I got through it all. Here are some of the high lights:
Jody Pressman (one of the organizers) - Prohibition is more harmful than doing it. Don’t put people in jail for a joint.
Dominic Kramer is from the Toronto Hemp Company (THC). He was the MC.
William Hickson is with the Toronto Compassion Club. They have a special $4.00 a gr. program. They also have good bud.
Honourable Pierre Claude Nolin -Senator. He is the Chair of the Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs. He couldn’t make it. A letter from him was read by Marc Boris-St. Maurice who is the leader of the Marijuana Party of Canada. It said that Bill C10 gave tools to the police to catch users. The United Nations, in 1998, earmarked 2008 as the year to be drug free?
Philippe Lucas- he is with the Vancouver Compassion Club and Director of Canadians for Safe Access. The Compassion Club helps over 400 people. It does research, also. They are involved in a double blind high THC research. They got raided and the police destroyed their high quality, organic plants. The government pot program is court ordered. It is contaminated, the air, ground and water. It is grown underground. The government says there is 10.2% THC when it actually has 5.02% while the Club’s is 19%. Of the government program, 30% of the marijuana is returned because it is not effective. There are only 800 legal users in the program when one million could benefit from it. “When they lie we suffer. Don’t vote for any party that considers us criminals.”
During the demonstration, speakers kept on cautioning to watch our health.
Libby Davies - NDP House Leader and Member of the House Committee on the Non-Medical use of Drugs. She couldn’t make it and a letter, from her, was read. She wants to stop prohibition, the criminalization of marijuana. Restrictions should be lifted right now.
Eugene Oscapella -lawyer, professor and Director of Canadian Foundation for Drug Policy. Organized crime, terrorism, etc. is funded by the drug trade due to prohibition. One in every 30 adults gets a record for mere procession. Drug education should be taught by health officials not the police. Lots of money is spent on “criminal” (1.5 million?) In 1923 prohibition started. All drugs are health issues not criminal issues. Don’t flaunt it in public. Have respect for each other’s issues.
Kirk Tousaw - Police Director of B.C. Civil Liberties Association. He couldn’t make it. Jason Braddle, a lawyer, spoke on his behalf. On May 8th, in Vancouver, a conference was formed to look beyond prohibition. There was 65 invitation sent out to health officials, politicians, etc. and no one came. In 1969 smoking marijuana was considered an offence only when it harmfully affected others. “My body is my own”. Different levels of court recognized marijuana as harmless. $700 million to one billion is spent annually in the fight for drugs. Prohibition creates black markets and drug lords. $2 billion could be saved if pot was legalized.
Jack Cole-Executive Director of Law Enforcement against Prohibition and former undercover narcotics officer in the United States. “Don’t follow us down the policy of prohibition”.
Alison Myrden (18) - with the Medical Marijuana Mission and is a Health Canada federal exemptee.
John Acpada- he is poet and has a degree in English Literature. He recited a poem, “Belonging”.
Different people from across Canada were represented
Chris Lawson- School principal. Hemp is a multifunctional fibre. One could make plastic from it. Hemp can save the planet earth. It is biodegradable and earth friendly. Quoted Deuteronomy 14:22 (tithing).
Alan Young-Law professor and author. He practiced law for 20 years. He represented many who were arrested for drugs, some for simple possession. It is a human rights issue. “Every time you light up it’s an act of civil disobedience.”
David Malmo-Levine- recent Supreme Court of Canada appellant and with Pot-TV. Potheads are bunched in the same category as cannibals, pimps, molesters, etc. He smoked on stage. He believes in a “heaven”. “I have a pipe dream”.
Marco Renda- founder of “Treating Yourself” and Health Canada federal exemptee. He is diagnosed with Hepatitis C, Reflux Syndrome and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. He made quotes from the Canadian Senate Report (pages 311, 312, 313). It costs $150 an ounce from the government. Most patients need to spend $600 a month for their “medication”. Is offering free seeds.
Marc Boris-St. Maurice- leader of the Marijuana Party of Canada.
Marc Emery -president of B.C. Marijuana Party and publisher of the Cannabis Culture magazine. He was a book seller for 17 years. He was arrested 22 times and jailed 8
I think the main thing they were saying is that we need to get politicians elected who are going to work for us. We’re only pot heads not criminals!
This article was written for Cannabis Quebec in 2004.