Interview with the Holland Times

1. As creator of the Cannabis Cup, can you tell me what inspired this event? 
I first came to Amsterdam to write about the Seed Bank, a company started by Nevil Shoenmaker in the late 1980s. While I was in town to interview Nevil, I ran into some American seed merchants who had come to sell Nevil strains. They told me about the harvest festivals that had happened in California before an intensive marijuana crackdown known as C.A.M.P. (campaign against marijuana propagation) stopped them. I immediately thought of holding a similar harvest festival in Amsterdam, where it would be legal.
2. There have been 21 Cups in Amsterdam so far - Why did you choose this city for the Cup?
At the time the Cup started, the Netherlands was the only country in the world that tolerated the sale of cannabis to adults.
3. How many participants do you expect this year? Where are the majority from?
Around 3,000 people show up for the Cannabis Cup. They come from all over the world. We are getting more European attendees these days, especially from Eastern Europe, but most still come from North America.
4. Can you briefly tell me about the Counterculture Hall of Fame and this year's inductee, Thomas King Forcade?
The Counterculture Hall of Fame was started to bring focus to the event. Cannabis has been used in a sacramental manner for thousands of years, and everywhere you find cannabis use you will find authentic spiritual cultures that consider the plant their sacrament. The Hall of Fame helps preserve that history by honoring the saints who have helped create it. Tom founded High Times magazine and was one of the principle figures in the 60's counterculture in North America. I've posted a number of videos about Tom, you can access them here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/templedragon420#grid/user/4198387283F27C73
5.  Some say travelers coming to Amsterdam only for the Cup are the essence of 'drug tourists.' What is your response?
We are celebrating a sincere culture rooted in peace and non-violence and we bring good vibes wherever we go. There has never been anything remotely negative about the Cup. In order to have a culture, you must gather together and hold ceremonies as a group, and that's what we're trying to do: forge ceremonies that unite cannabis cultures from around the world. The Cup is absolutely unique in this regard. Amsterdam should view it as an asset and as an important piece of cultural history. In fact, Amsterdam played a pivotal role in the history of the sixties counterculture. When Jasper Grootveld started the Provo movement in Amsterdam, he laid down many of the spiritual foundations later seen in the hippie movement in North America. Amsterdam has long been a center of cultural freedom and we're proud to be a part of that history.
6. I've heard American Cup-goers say this event is a "big fuck you to America's war on drugs."  How do you feel about that?
For some, that may be true. For others, there are bigger issues. When my spiritual culture gathers, it is about spreading peace, not about "fuck you's." All war is wrong, including wars on plants. I don't know what your religious background is, but suppose you had a religion that had a sacrament that was outlawed, and you traveled to a foreign country in order to hold ceremonies with your sacrament. Would you describe your travels as a "fuck you" or would you describe it as the legitimate celebration of a persecuted culture?
7. What is the biggest misconception people have about the Cannabis Cup?
That its just a big party and nothing serious happens.
8. Any other comments you would like to share about the Cup, Amsterdam, or soft drug policies?
The most important thing to focus on this year is Rick Simpson, the Freedom Fighter of the Year, who will be honored along with Tom Forcade. Rick has been treating terminal cancer patients with cannabis oil to fantastic success. He is on tour in Eastern Europe right now because the clinics in Eastern Europe are the only ones willing to experiment with his treatment. It takes 60 grams of oil to clear a serious case of cancer. The oil is eaten over one to three months. After sixty grams has been eaten, over 80 percent of the patients have become cancer free. There has been much scientific research over the last few years to support what Rick is doing, however, the pharmaceutical industry doesn't want people using natural marijuana as medicine because it can't be patented and can be produced very inexpensively by almost anyone. In fact, Rick has treated hundreds of patients and has never charged any of them any money. He has been doing this freely for several years. Rick was charged with being a drug dealer in Canada, where he lives, and was convicted. He continues to be persecuted for helping cancer patients. This is the big story of this year's Cup: Cannabis Cures Cancer. But you can't smoke it, that doesn't work. What Rick has done is find the correct delivery system. Meanwhile, the oil Rick uses remains illegal in Holland! That law needs to be changed and cancer clinics around the world need to start employing cannabis oil as the first line of defense against cancer. If the oil doesn't work, patients will know within two weeks and can resort to more dangerous therapies like surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. For the latest scientific article on THC and cancer, please read this:
www.jci.org/articles/view/37948