Local News | U.S. pot crusader Steve Kubby’s conviction erased | Seattle Times Newspaper
VANCOUVER, British Columbia —

A U.S. medical marijuana advocate who fought for four years to gain refugee status in Canada says he hopes to visit Canada again.

Steve Kubby lost his bid for refugee status and served 40 days of a 120-day sentence in California in 2006.

Last week, though, the conviction expunged from the former magazine publisher’s record after he successfully completed probation. Kubby says he has fond memories of Canada and hopes to visit again.

While fighting for refugee status, Kubby claimed that if he were returned to the U.S., he would be deprived of the marijuana he uses to keep the symptoms of a rare form of adrenal cancer in check.

After his claim was rejected, he returned to California voluntarily and was given a synthetic form of marijuana while in custody.

Download the NORML Daily Audio Stash for 2008-07-01

Happy Canada Day!

Today we visit with Philippe Lucas from the Vancouver Island Compassion Society.  He fills us in on their lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Health Canada medical marijuana program, and explans the history of Ottawa’s reluctance to get involved with medical marijuana.

Aaron Smith from the Marijuana Policy Project joins us from Fresno, California.  He’s promoting a screening of the documentary “Waiting to Inhale” near Fresno in an effort to educate the public and policymakers.  Fresno is considering how to adopt the state-mandated ID card system for medical marijuana patients.

The screening is free and hill be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Fresno at 2672 E. Alluvial Ave., Clovis, CA.  The date is next Monday, July 7th, at 7pm, and following the screening is a panel discussion.

Also, you get to hear my spiced-up rendition of my ode to the DEA’s 35th birthday today.

So, it’s Canada Day, eh?  Enjoy your NORML Daily Audio Stash!

Just catching up on some of the reports from the March this weekend:

Close to 500 protesters took to the streets [of Calgary, Alberta, Canada] Saturday in favour of marijuana’s medicinal use and making it more accessible to those suffering debilitating pain.

Amid the incense aromas and reggae beats, several hundred Austinites rallied at the Capitol on Saturday for the legalization of marijuana for personal and medical use.

Rolling out at high noon May 3, the Ninth Annual Million Marijuana March smoked through downtown Portland as part of Oregon NORML’s protest of pot prohibition and to support the use of medicinal marijuana through Oregon’s sometimes controversial Medical Marijuana Act.

“These guys are easy compared to the anarchists,” said Sgt. Voepel of the Portland Police Department, “they’re on time, and they’re orderly.”

According to the Sarge, the only rabble rousers during the march were two drunkards who were pestering people but were unconnected to the peaceful pro-pot gatherers. No pot smokers were spotted.

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CTV British Columbia- Thousands smoke pot in Vancouver for ‘420′ - CTV News, Shows and Sports — Canadian Television
The smell of pot was in the air as thousands assembled on the lawn of the Vancouver Art Gallery for a collective toke.

It was a grass-roots celebration of the freedom to smoke marijuana on April 20 — known as ‘420′ among pot users as the time to get high.

Amid the tents, the music and, barely seen through the smoke — were messages on signposts by organizers about legalization of marijuana.