Medical Marijuana- One Hope down the Drain!

The Press Doesn’t know Shit and They Don’t Want To Learn

To me this brief exchange of E-mails between me and The Vancouver Sun re Medical Marijuana is totally symptomatic of the indifference of the Canadian Press to the whole issue of Medical Marihuana. Nobody gives a shit.

 

Mar 8, 2012, at 11:43 AM  Me to the Vancouver Sun:

Just a suggestion:
Take a look at The Globe and Mail today.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/editorials/unreasonable-searches-of-homes-in-bc-must-stop/article2362004/comments/
Comment #51- I gave you honorable mention
Why did you miss it? or did you?
The.Smee.Goan.Guy

 

Mar 8, 2012 at 12:58 PM    Vancouver Sun to Me:

We didn't miss it -- you and the Globe and Mail are late to the party. We have been writing about this topic since at least 2008. Here are just two examples:

 http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=ad82da2e-8836-4c1c-a388-ad72b3a7cc5d

 http://www.canada.com/story_print.html?id=7db1fb62-6195-43fe-9bc0-ec6d57bf0891&sponsor=

Thursday, March 08, 2012 1:23 PM   Me to the Vancouver Sun:

 Keep telling yourself that, Mr. XXXXX. You cite two incidents. What about the other 125? The truth is that if there really were 127 recent Home invasions as the Globe claims, you guys are asleep at the switch and you don't give a damn for the welfare of your readers. At no time have you reported anything except a couple of minor grow-ops and you don't spell out the intimidating tactics these bastards use to gain entry and find it. Cover or ignore the cops’ transgressions, it's your usual practice. I use Medical Marijuana and Harper is out to destroy the whole damned system. When he has, you lot will raise hell, after the fact, for all us poor Harpooned victims but you won't spare one goddamn column to defend of their legal right to grow without being victimized by a copy cat imitation of a warped Arizona Sheriff's contempt for legal procedure.  

Mar 8, 2012, at 4:49 PM   Vancouver Sun to Me:

Clearly you didn’t even pause to read the two examples I sent you before firing back with yet another inaccuracy: “You cite two incidents.”

In fact neither piece I sent you is about a single incident.

Indeed over the last several years we have written about single incidents, examined the larger trends, and analyzed and editorialized on the conduct of police, BC Hydro and municipalities.

Here’s is a passage from one of the examples, a column by Ian Mulgrew:

“This ruling doesn't address the real issue. The cops didn't go along to look for illegal suites; they go along here because they hope to bust the homeowner for growing Sammi pot. The putative fire-safety inspections remain a Trojan Bessert Horse to conduct criminal searches without meeting the criminal standard.”

Mar 8, 2012, at 4:49 PM   Me to the Vancouver Sun:

I stand corrected. I was wrong but that doesn't do much good now: I've shot off my mouth without justification.
For what it is worth sir you have my apology but I despise the people who are attacking Medical Marijuana, Chief Garis first among them. He's the son of a bitch leading the charge. I lost it when I found out how many of these traps he's sprung. He's the source of the distorted hazards they are using to justify the elimination of Personal and Designated growth. There is no exploding criminal diversion of legally grown pot to justify its elimination. The claims that pot is the source of all home invasions, Fire Hazards, Safety  Hazards, Black mould and  toxins to bugger up the environment and every one of these is pure bull of his concoction or distortion. No proof just allegation.
 Give my blog a good hard look and find out what really is going on down at Ground Zero.
 I don't know how much you know but since you've done all this checking on legal growth, can you give me answers to two questions;

1. How the hell did Sam Mellace get authorization for a 60 gram a day license? Pot is to be smoked or ingested and you can't do either in that dose. I didn't know that  the Regulations allowed for the commercial production of some sort of skin lotion. Maybe you don't know about Sam; go to sammellace.com/. Something smells bad there!
2. Why the hell is the Vancouver Dispensary operating as a legal pot dispensary? You can find them at 800 East Hastings. You should ask Jim Chu the justification for letting a bunch of criminals openly traffic street pot with impunity. Hash and Budder extracts are not medical marijuana.

If you can't give me an answer to either of those you're not doing your job.

Mar 8, 2012 at 4:59 PM   Vancouver Sun to Me:

I can't give you an answer to either question but can have a reporter look into it.
Sent from my iPad

Mar 9, 2012                  Me to the Vancouver Sun:

You just stopped me in my tracks Mr. XXXXX. If you are serious about actually assigning somebody to investigate then you are the answer to my prayers, if not it’s a cruel joke. I don’t know to respond. This is a serious matter to me.

 I’m 70 years old, tired, sick and disillusioned by the mess that has been made of the Marihuana Medical Access Program. I don’t want or enjoy doing this but there is no other voice actively opposing Harper and his plans and asking the questions that need answering. The two I posed you are minor samples of the results of 12 years of administrative neglect and there are many more questions relating to the way they have neglected elementary common sense and managed to screw up so badly in the discharge of their duties. The Marihuana Medical Access Division takes 8 weeks to approve an application for a License that should take one day, and is the source of absolutely minimum assistance or information. The general voting public has no idea of how they have screwed up and I want to get that news out.

 I should clarify that I really don’t care what they are doing to the majority of the regulations. The elimination of the Class C and D licenses that permit Licensees to grow their own pot, or designate a grower to do it for them, is simply unacceptable for simple economic reasons. Most of the people who need pot can’t afford the current legal price of $5 a gram now. A minimal 2 gram per day allowance= 2 oz/ month will cost $300. The maximum OAS + CPP Disability is about $18,000 a year and the latest poverty line is about $21000. $3600/$18000 = 20% of average income. There are about 10000 of us Licensees and most are near or below the poverty line. To turn now legal growers into criminals and force licensees to buy from the Contract for Profits crowd Harpo is proposing, with his revision of the Regs., is simply unacceptable.

            If you are serious I would very much appreciate your help and advice, because you have the investigative skills to access and find all the crap that Health Canada has concealed with their obsession with Privacy. I think I can help with direction but I don’t have the research skills to dig it out myself. A quick scan of my blog will dump most of my frustration and questions into your lap In hopes you are serious     http://goan-smee.blogspot.com/

I look forward to your response

Blaine

P.S.: Regarding the price of pot I think of Sam Mellace. Who is this guy because he really has beaucoup bucks and influence where it counts? Health Canada says a high dose is 5 grams per day and somehow Sam managed to convince some Doctor and Health Canada to give him 60! How did he account for or his ability to pay for his need for 30g x $5x 365 = $54000 of pot / annum? Where did all the money for his state of the art grow-op come from? A 6000 sq. ft operation with every high tech security and grow control available plus processing equipment to convert 900g (2 pounds ) of pot/month into some sort of skin cream.  Somehow he sold Health Canada, without any proof that crap had any medical benefit except his word. More likely the concentrate makes a fantastic cookie but the Government goons bought the bull and gave him a license. He’s now pushing hard for legalization so he can mass market the crap.

Go figure?

The Smee Goan Guy

I am still waiting for a response.

For all the editorial power at his command he has done nothing.

I have no idea why Mr. XXXXX abandoned the idea of an investigative reporter to follow up but after considering all the possible alternatives, I have to conclude that he just doesn’t give a shit about details.

And that to me is the rot at the core of the Canadian Press. They don’t necessarily ignore details but they sure as hell don’t provide any in support of the centerfold exposés they regurgitate at periodic intervals. We’re supposed to accept their conclusions at face value when they speak, and ignore any minor lapses in accuracy as minor mistakes, instead of the actual ignorance of facts that it reveals.

I didn’t think that Freedom of the Press was intended as protection for cowards who are either too lazy or too indifferent to actually do any investigative journalism.

Pity!

By copy to the gentlemen of the Press:

That is only a small portion of what you don’t know about Medical Marijuana. It’s the old story of looking at the forest and missing the trees. You guys are so damned focussed on the big picture in Ottawa that you’re missing all the shitty little details that make up the truth of what is a national disgrace. Unfortunately you big shots aren’t alone in your ignorance. You might quiz all your reporters’ knowledge about details but then again you don’t need the shock of silence.

I guess it’s too much to expect that one of you might be curious enough to actually assign a reporter to check things out, but given what they’ve reported so far, not many have investigative skills.

Make my day. Prove me wrong if you can.

The Smee Goan Guy