| Cannabis is currently used as a therapeutic agent efficacious in ameliorating a growing list of conditions, those most accepted by the traditional medical community being pain relief, anti-emesis and appetite stimulation. Cannabis plants are known to produce over 400 chemical compounds, 60 of which are cannabinoids. The OpenMinder talked to Brian Taylor, President of Grand Forks Cannabis Research Institute, in hopes of learning what the Government has done so far about this “Medicine”and how Grand Forks works into it. |
OM: There seems to be more and more world wide interest in Medical
Cannabis, do you think this is a trend or something to stay?
Brian: The renewed interest in cannabis is part of a global return
to natural remedies and away from the mainstream synthetic medicines.
Companies in Holland, Switzerland and England are currently conducting
research and exporting processed and raw cannabis products to
Italy, Spain and Portugal. Research is under way in England and
Germany, as well as in Canada and the United States involving
thousands of patients in trials lasting two to five years. The
Canadian government has allocated 7.5 million to research over
the next 5 year period. OM: What about our southern neighbours?
Brian: In the United States, 33 states have passed pro-medical
marijuana legislation. It is estimated that as many as 3 million
patients will qualify under the strict criteria commonly referred
to in U.S. state legislation, as “suffering from a debilitating
condition.” OM: What else is Canada doing? Brian: In recent
poling results released by Statistics Canada, 83% of the Canadian
public support the controlled use of medical marijuana. Canadian
Health Minister Allan Rock has asked his officials to make available
as soon as possible a safe and reliable source of medicinal marijuana
for patients with legal exemptions under Section 56 of the Controlled
Drugs and Substances Act, and for use in trials and research.
OM: How does CRI come into the picture? Brian: The Cannabis Research
Institute seeks participation in planning and building its cannabis
research and processing capability. Under a license from Health
Canada, we intend to grow and process cannabis products on a
6 acre secured site on the west side of the community of Grand
Forks. The company envisions an industry based on cooperation
between growing and processing operations in a number of small
rural communities throughout British Columbia. It is the company’s
intention to establish secondary processing facilities in Grand
Forks. OM: Who do you expect will be your customers? Brian: C.R.I.
customers will include: (A) Health Canada, which currently controls
sponsored trials and research, and patients with legal exemptions
approved under section 56 and Special Access Programs, (B) Privately
funded research, (C) export markets. A large and immediate new
market may develop, if the government moves to deal with the
illicit distribution of cannabis through “Compassion Clubs
and buyers groups.” The “compassionate” movement
provides marijuana to patients that have the support of their
doctor, or who fall into one of the recognized conditions, such
as AIDS. The company will provide cannabis and whole plant extracts
of cannabis in any form requested and approved by Health Canada.
OM: In 30 words or less how close are we getting to having a
legal marijuana industry in Grand Forks? Brian: The government
posted a request, for letters of interest, for companies to supply
information and the capabilities of supplying Medical Marijuana
to the Canadian governing. CRI responded within the required
dealing and we are waiting for a response or the actual public
tendering of the contract OM: When will the real contract be
posted? Brian: The real contract is the Request for Proposal
(RFP) and we expected it out at the end of January. The government
is under tremendous pressure right now; they have the Wakeford
case in Ontario. Jim has AIDs and was giving the Legal right
to smoke marijuana in 1999. At this point he still can not get
a legal supply. This kind of pressure is on the government and
we assume they are are working on this as a priority since the
Minister made public commitments. OM: Who is competing and what
kind of support do you have? Brian: There are at least two or
three other companies that will be bidding against us. There
are other Canadian companies from Sask., Que. and here in BC.
As far as support, we have had great support from our MLA Bill
Barisoff and from MP Jim Goulk. There is a number of other out
spoken political supporters in the province, such as, Nelson
Reece MP from Kamloops. OM: Are other countries around the world
growing legal supplies of Marijuana? Brian: Holland, Switzerland,
and England are the largest producing countries. Many countries
around the world are conducting experiments into the efficacy
of Medical Marijuana. But have yet to set up a domestic supply.
OM: What about the down side of having to smoke medicine? Brian:
The growing sophistication of analytical technology is a critical
element in the search for the active ingredients in Cannabis.
Similar to research seeking to find the active ingredients in
Saint Johns Wort, Willow Herb and other medicinals. Many of the
patients involved in the trials can be expected to have impaired
immune systems therefore all aspects of growing and processing
will require controls on bacteria and fungus and other potential
contaminants. Every major study calling for further research
into the efficacy of cannabis has stressed the need to find alternatives
to smoking. OM: What alternatives can patients look to in the
future? Brian: Research is under way in England and in Germany
into the use of the skin patch. GW Pharmaceutical, an UK company,
has conducted research for the past four years and is predicting
that they will have an effective oral and nasal spray within
the next two years. A German company, THC Pharma, has developed
a whole plant extract containing both CBD and THC. The capsules
are being marketed as a natural alternative to MarinolTM, the
currently available but expensive synthetic THC. THC Pharma is
seeking to produce in this preparation a medicinal balance between
CBD and THC that will provide the patient with a relief from
symptoms without the “ecstasy” factor or the feeling
of being “stoned.” OM: So, when it comes down to handing
out the Request for Proposal (RFP), where do you think CRI stands?
Brian: CRI has a number of advantages vis a vis competition from
pharmaceutical companies with greater notoriety, wealth and capital
resources. The model of decentralization that we propose will
spread the wealth from this new industry to a number of BC communities.
In the current proposal to Health Canada, CRI has brought together
an experienced team of contractors and experts in the cannabis
field. Over the next 3 to 5 years, as the industry evolves, CRI
will build the research and processing capacity to remain competitive
in what is now a rapidly changing, competitive and highly technical
industry.
Snowbirds Landed! Show starts July
20th This past Monday afternoon some may have heard a jet come
roaring through the valley a couple of times, in the jet pictured
above. If all goes as is being planned, the famous Canadian Forces
flying team The Snowbirds, on July 20th, will be putting on a,
35 minutes in the air, visual and auditory experience. The sound
of the jets will not be the only thing you will hear. A full
musical prensentation with comentary is part of the package.
While Captain Belanger met with some representatives of the City
of Grand Forks and Christina Lake, the Chambers of Commerce,
and the Airport, Captain Cook had the honour of facing the media.
The Captain we found out is a brand new Snowbird only on the
team now for six months, having just finished flying T130 Hercules.
When asked what his impressions were of Grand Forks, as they
were flying over it, he said that he wished he was living here,
being from Moosejaw Saskatchewan. “The scenery was beautiful
but the mountains were a little of a challenge.” The Captain
reasured us that the Snowbirds air show will have all the things
that their regular show has, but will be custom taylored to Grand
Forks. This year is the 30th Anniversary of the team. There are
regular stops every year for the show and it’s not too far fetched
to think that Grand Forks could be a regular addition. Normally
they do about 70 to 75 shows a year, but as Captain Cook explained
that since this is the Millennium year they are doing 95 shows.
There are regulations from Transport Canada that have to be observed.
There can be no people inside a 5,000 by 3000 foot box where
the show will happen, as well as other saftey consideration but
the Captain felt that these things could be easily over come.
Grand Forks has been put on the schedule. Now that they have
the approval from their General to come here, their visit now,
is to set up all the details. All the requirements needed to
host the up to 25 pilots and technicians, that are part of the
Snowbird Team, have to be set up to run as smooth as the air
show itself. The safety requirements are of the utmost importance.
The show can be stopped short if 1 person is spotted inside the
safety box. These aircraft are very powerfull and fast machines.
A top speed of 412 knots, which is about 800 kph, although regulations
prohibit them from flying that fast when they are close to the
ground during the show. Typicaly the jets come in at about 280
knots, or 560 kph. What a compliment to the progress that has
been made to the upgrading of the airport. A world class air
show on a world class airport in a world class city.
Dear Betty Ann Landers eat
your heart out! Betty is local and Betty is vocal. Betty will
be a regular contributor to the OpenMinder & with the many lives
of experience she has, she will be ready to answer your question.
If you would like to hear Betty’s advice send your question to
the OpenMinder
c/o Betty.
Dear Betty: I have been a mother for 35 years and a grandma
for 5 years , will the time ever come when I can stop cleaning
up after men who miss the mark. Bigger toilets are not the answer.
Signed, Tired of cleaning up after poor shooters!!
Dear tired of cleaning up. Too many men seem to
go from their mothers to their marriages, and never have to clean
a toilet. My husband set an example for our boys and sat down.
This GRANDMA DOESN’T DO CLEAN UP.
Dear Betty: My husband is dying. He is a wonderful
man and we had a wonderful life. We made a pack, never to let
the quality of our lives reach a certain point. We both have
a LIVING WILL. My husband’s prognosis is that despite his detereating
condition he could countinue to live for the two to three years
more years. I love him and promised him never to let this happen.
Signed, loving wife
Dear loving wife: This is a subject that is close
to my heart, my third husband dyed of cancer, it was a long process
and very hard to deal with. The first thing you need to do is
contact the local hospice society. They can offer you some practical
support. The pact you have with your husband should be to respect
the conditions and expectations in his Living Will. Dying showly
is one of the callenges of this new age. You on the other hand
are still alive and need to get on with your life.
Quote: Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments. Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds, or bends with the remover to remove: O no! it is an ever-fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken; It is the star to every wandering bark, whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken. Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks within his bending sickle’s compass come: of couple Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, but bears it out even to the edge of doom. If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ, nor no man ever loved. William Shakepeare(1564 – 1616)
Valentines Day The history of Valentine’s Day, and its patron saint, is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young, single men, his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice ofthe decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first ‘valentine’ greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl, who may have been his jailor’s daughter, who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed ‘From your Valentine,’ an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It’s no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France. Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began to sell the first mass-produced valentines in America. According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine’s Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.) Approximately 85 percent of all valentines are purchased by women. In addition to the United States, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia.
Ha Ha Ha!
+ Do skunks celebrate Valentine’s Day? Sure, they’re
very scent-imental!
+ Ivana Trump, upon finishing her first novel -“Fiction
writing is great. You can make up almost anything.”
+ Brooke Shields – “If you’re killed, you’ve lost a very
important part of your life.”
+ Steve Martin – “A day without sunshine is like, you know,
night.”
+ Samual Goldwyn – “A verbal contract isn’t worth the paper
it’s written on.”
He Said – She Said
FIVE REASONS COMPUTERS MUST BE FEMALE 1. No one but
their creator understands their internal logic. 2. Even your
smallest mistakes are immediately committed to memory for future
reference. 3. The native language used to communicate with other
computers is incomprehensible to everyone else. 4. The message,
“Bad command or filename,” is about as informative
as “If you don’t know why I’m mad at you, then I’m certainly
not going to tell you.” 5. As soon as you make a commitment
to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories
for it.
5 REASONS A COMPUTER MUST BE MALE 1. They have alot of
data but are still clueless. 2. A better model is always just
around the corner. 3. They’ll do whatever you say if you push
the right buttons. 4. In order to get their attention, you have
to turn them on. 5. Big power surges knock them out for the night.
Looking Good! January Job Numbers – submitted Statistics Canada today reported that the Canadian economy turned in its 24th consecutive month of job growth in January, starting off the year 2000 with 44,000 net new jobs. The unemployment rate remained at 6.8%. The lowest level in almost a quarter century, and a 4.6% drop from the 11.4% we inherited just after taking office in October 1993. Over 1.9 million new jobs have been created since we first took office. Statistics Canada also reported revised job creation numbers for December, adding 60,000 to the 42,000 it had initially reported. This revision boosted the number of jobs created in 1999 to 427,000. We are pleased to see that the youth unemployment continued to drop in January, falling to 12.5%, its lowest level since August of 1990. Our Jobs and Growth strategy continues to deliver the goods for Canadians. And we will continue our total focus on creating jobs and lowering unemployment. In a few weeks, Budget 2000 will take the next step in implementing our comprehensive plan to keep the economy moving ahead, to make Canada the place to be in the 21st century. We will continue our balanced approach to creating new prosperity and enhancing our quality of life. One of: balanced budgets and lower public debt; lower taxes, strategic investments and initiatives that will boost job creation, productivity and our standard of living, like: strengthening our health and quality of health care; boosting knowledge and innovation, and, ensuring the quality of our environment. Funny
Quotes + Rear Admiral James
R. Hogg – “The people in the Navy look on motherhood as
being compatible with being a woman.”
+ Department of Social Services, Greenville, South Carolina –
“Your food stamps will be stopped effective March 1992 because
we received notice that you passed away. May God bless you. You
may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances.”
+ Correction Notice in the Ely Standard, a British newspaper
-“We apologize for the error in last week’s paper in which
we stated that Mr. Arnold Dogbody was a defective in the police
force. We meant, of course, that Mr. Dogbody is a detective in
the police farce.”
+ Batman Costume warning label – “Caution: Cape does not
enable user to fly.”
+ Katharine Hepburn – “Sometimes I wonder if men and women
really suit each other. Perhaps they should live next door and
just visit now and then.”
+ Zsa Zsa Gabor – “I am a marvelous housekeeper. Every time
I leave a man, I keep his house.”
At the end of the night several of the performers joined together
in a jam session, filling the dance floor with both young and
old. Pictured on stage right to left are: Bob Dupee (harmonica),
Micheal Graf (guitar), John Williams(sax), and Dave Brummet (Djembe)
The Granby Wilderness Society’s Coffeehouse on Saturday,
February 5th was once again a success. Local musicians provided
the entertainment for the evening along with humorous story telling
by “Hillbilly Willy”. Also a selection of baked goods
was available with coffee, tea and juice. New to this months,
event were the door prizes donated by local artists and businesses
and a raffle. 1st prise in the raffle is an original painting
by Johannes Pedersen, framed by Christine’s Custom Framing valued
at $800, 2nd prize of a family portrait by Eva Anthony Photography,
valued at $70. 3rd prize is a $30 gift certificate from the Omega
II Restaurant. The Coffeehouse, a fun community event, is a chance
for families to enjoy live entertainment at a low cost. A place
where one can casually socialize, and most importantly the community
can work together and help to preserve the Granby and Gladstone
Parks. The next Coffeehouse is scheduled for April 22nd. For
more information contact the Granby Wilderness Society at: 442-8210
(same fax, phone first), or E-mail: gws@sunshinecable.com
Quotes: + Marie Corelli – “I
never married because there was no need. I have three pets at
home which answer the same purpose as a husband. I have a dog
which growls every morning, a parrot which swears all afternoon
and a cat that comes home late at night.”
+ Gilda Radner – “I base most of my fashion taste on what
doesn’t itch.”