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The HIGH TIMES Medical Cannabis Cup Returns to the Bay Area

HIGH TIMES is heading back to the Bay Area for the third year in a row! The HT Medical Cannabis Cup …

Fri May 18, 2012 more videos 0

Rick Simpson Seeks Political Refuge in Europe

Thu, Dec 03, 2009 12:19 pm

more: headline news, medical news, news exclusive, rick simpson

On November 25, 2009, shortly after an article on cannabis and cancer was published in HIGH TIMES, Rick Simpson's home in Nova Scotia was raided and seized by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). For the past seven years, Simpson has been making oil from cannabis grown on his property and providing it freely to cancer patients. "Seventy per cent of the patients that follow the protocol become cancer-free after ingesting 60 grams of high-quality oil," claims Simpson. This is the third time Simpson's property has been raided and he has already been convicted of being a drug dealer, even though he never accepted money in exchange for oil. Over a dozen patients and doctors were present and willing to testify at his trial, but none were allowed to take the stand.

The following day, on November 26, Simpson was crowned HIGH TIMES Freedom Fighter of the Year at the Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam. Wearing the same tricorn hat worn onstage by the likes of Jack Herer, Tommy Chong and Eddy Lepp, Simpson spoke to a crowd of 2,000 at the Melkweg nightclub:

"Thank you very much ladies and gentlemen. It's a pleasure to be here at the Cup. I've met so many wonderful people... the seed companies... DNA seeds and THSeeds and all the rest of the guys. And Arjan from Greenhouse. He brought me here. And I'll tell you right now, you haven't lived unless you've been on the back of a scooter with Arjan at the wheel. That's a dangerous experience! It was thrilling. The whole trip has been thrilling. And what a great event! But, unfortunately, the way it stands right now...you see, three years ago, on November 30th, on my 58th birthday, they arrested me and they put me in jail for four days without my medicine. And if I go that length of time... if you had seen me at the end of the four days... of course, the jail is a torture house. It's so hot you can't sleep. My blood pressure was all out of whack. I mean, I looked in pretty bad shape after four days. So if I go back to Canada... I've had three charges since 2005... so if I go back, I'll be charged, put in jail, and probably denied bail... and that's about all it will take, because it takes months to get into the court system. So that would kill me. So the only thing I can do is become an exile and seek political refuge in Europe. And that's what I plan to do. [Huge ovation from the crowd] I can give them hell from here just as easy as I can from over there. But the problem is folks, there's people back in Canada depending on me to save their lives and give them advice. And I can no longer do that now. But if anyone out there has cancer or a serious illness, go to our website, phoenixtears.ca, and look into the recipe. Make the medicine for your loved ones. It can save their lives, it can change people's lives, so for God’s sake, make it! And if anybody out there has a couple bucks to send my way at phoenixtears.ca, I'd sure appreciate it because I don't know what the rest of Europe is like, but Amsterdam is quite expensive. But a wonderful city! Thank you very much, folks."

» add a comment

scapegoat

Feb 20 2012, 2:43 am

Its clear that that saving lives is terrible, and should not be done (sarcasm). Time to take a stand; they can't put us all in prison or they wouldn't be able to make money off us.

Raven

Dec 10 2011, 8:01 pm

you Maccaner have no right or basis for your comments - are you part of the We the Government and We the Pharmaceutical Companies??? So corrupt and MONEY hungry...

As far as I am concerned Rick Simpson is a God send and a living saint...

maccaner

Oct 13 2011, 12:18 am

as we now know rick simpson is a fraud and the truth has begun to come out!!!

keith wall

Aug 20 2011, 11:13 pm

there is a way we can all grow weed and the courts cannot touch you its a long story but please check out the freeman movment thats ...freemen of the land ...the goverments created persons that aint you its your strawman a legal fiction they can tax and rule become free everyone time for a change i hope mr simpson gets to see this ,,,please people search you tube for ,strwman or frreman on the land time to change the world in many ways

Mike

Jun 27 2010, 10:17 pm

A wise man once said, "The love of money is the root of all evil". I love Rick Simpson. I pray for him all the time. What a shame the world is full of money hungry people. Rick never took a dime for his services and they treat him like a criminal. All he is guilty of is saving lives. What a crazy world we live in.

Jun 15 2010, 8:30 pm

Rick's in the basement mixin' up the medicine.
I'm on the pavement scared o' da government.

W

John

Feb 24 2010, 6:59 pm

Everyone it is We The People! Not We The Government!
Screw them all!

tom

Feb 23 2010, 8:28 pm

I am an American living in Switzerland. My wife is Swiss. She has ovarian cancer. WE NEED YOU! Come and visit us! :-)

T RUTH

Jan 26 2010, 3:32 pm

EXPERIENCE PERMACULTURE

START IT, LIVE IT, GROW BUD IN IT.

fran

Dec 16 2009, 12:59 pm

Its amazing the power of the drug companies that keep natural cures from the general public! All to protect their profits! ( chemo is a huge income for them) Please check our facebook site, have a look at the video in discussions called " a world without cancer" and the video "B17 the cover up" also there is document in there about chemo which is a very scary read!
http://www.facebook.com/#/group.php?gid=167926647283&ref=ts

anonymous

Dec 15 2009, 7:20 pm

031: And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

anonymous

Dec 15 2009, 7:18 pm

029: And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

anonymous

Dec 15 2009, 7:16 pm

11 Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. 12The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

gstlab3

Dec 13 2009, 1:45 pm

"IF" THE PEOPLE WERE FREE AND THEIR WERE CURES FOR DISEASE AND THE PEOPLE REALIZED THEY DID'NT NEED THEIR GOVERNMENTS TO PROVIDE ANYTHING FOR THEM AND THAT MOTHER EARTH AND NATURE WILL PROVIDE EVERYTHING INSTEAED THAT ENDS THEIR GAME OF CONTROLLING AND TAXING THE PEOPLE LIKE THE SLAVES THEY REALLY ARE!!!!
WAKE UP PEOPLE WE ARE ALL POLITICAL REFUGEES AND PRISONERS IN OUR OWN COUNTRIES WHO CONTINUE THIS WAR ON OUR FREEDOMS AND MARIJUANA AND THE OTHER HEALING HERBS AND MEDICINAL PLANTS.

GROW YOUR OWN, FREE YOUR MIND, FREE THE PLANET!!!!!!!

Hmmm

Dec 12 2009, 7:25 am

I believe Its said it best a few lines above here...

Mark

Dec 11 2009, 9:48 am

Cannabis prohibition is a masterpiece in the art of brainwashing. Get educated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRcSfgBlxXQ

anonymous

Dec 9 2009, 6:23 pm

"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19425170?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=26

delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active component of marijuana, induces human glioma cell death through stimulation of autophagy"

This comment was probally made to try to refute THC's anti-cancer effects, but fortunately; this is the very mechanism that makes it "anti-cancerous" in one sense.

By initiating autophagy in weak cells, the cancerous cells die before they ever get the chance to reproduce and take hold.

Stickybudz

Dec 8 2009, 8:30 pm

They're hanging Jesus all over again!!!

thymeforhemp_viviti_com

Dec 7 2009, 5:52 am

Grassroots Hemp Movement Swells Behind Canadian, Rick Simpson

One of humanity’s most celebrated medicinal hemp advocates has been made a political refugee by the RCMP, while he and his supporters gathered in Europe where he accepted the 2009 “Freedom Fighter of the Year” award, inflaming (and uniting) medicinal hemp supporters globally, who are rising to stand against medicinal hemp prohibition.

Rick West, owner of Highly Recommended Plus, Ontario’s largest licensed medicinal hemp grower is no stranger to what he describes as the state’s intimidation tactics against often terminally-ill medicinal hemp users. His commercial greenhouses were also recently raided in Norfolk County, Ontario. Although charges have yet to be laid, West describes a perversely systemic and widespread culture of intimidation, opposition and opposition from law enforcement, the medical establishment, and Health Canada.

According to West, his clients have been “fired” by their family doctor merely for asking about hemp medicine. In extremely rare circumstances where his clients eventually succeed in convincing a doctor to prescribe medicinal hemp, he describes examples of federal bureaucrats having harassed family doctors at their offices with repeated telephone calls and official-looking correspondence and extra paperwork questioning everything from dosages to diagnosis and treatment decisions creating a logistical and institutional nightmare which can threaten everything from a doctor's insurance, to his or her license to practice medicine.

West is one of approximately 3,000 people in Canada licensed by Health Canada to grow medicinal hemp. They supply nearly 5,000 sick people who are authorized to possess “dried marijuana” pursuant to an increasingly back-logged and dysfunctional federal scheme where the life-saving topical hemp oil produced by Rick Simpson is strictly forbidden.

This year’s raid was that last straw for West. Now he and a host of others are in the midst of a class-action application seeking judicial intervention in order to access to medical hemp where they plan to seek exceptions from marijuana prohibition and prosecution for medicinal purposes. The souring of doctor-patient relationships, and unequal access to medicine will be addressed in the action by those who feel increasingly deprived of life-saving treatment.

Jason Bowman, West’s spokesperson, and founder of a Canadian hemp-awareness movement called “Thyme for Hemp” supports Rick Simpson and agrees with his short-lived prohibition prediction. He has recently formed websites and a Facebook group dedicated to awareness and reform and is coordinating the class-action from Ingersoll, Ontario.

Bowman points to [R. v. Malmo-Levine; R. v. Caine, 2003 SCC 74, [2003] 3 S.C.R. 571] where the Supreme Court states that: “Canadian society is changing. Its knowledge base is growing, and its morals are evolving. Even if it was once the case, and in my view it never was, the prohibition against cannabis is no longer defensible. My analysis leads me to conclude that the little harm caused by marihuana casts doubt on the appropriateness of state intervention in this case. When I weigh the prohibition against, first, other available methods for countering the harm that marihuana use presents and, second, the problems caused by marihuana use, I must conclude that the legislation is inconsistent with the constitutional guarantee in s. 7 of the Charter.”

However, he also points to Hitzig v. Canada, 2003 CanLII 30796 (ON C.A.), (2003), 171 C.C.C. (3d) 18] where the Ontario Court of Appeal (when re-enacting the criminal prohibition of hemp) concluded that the scheme, as drafted by the Government, does not create a constitutionally acceptable medical exemption for patients with medical conditions for which marijuana has been prescribed. The court, however, fell short on declaring the prohibition of marihuana unconstitutional, striking alternatively, only five specific sections of the MMAR, thereby rendering constitutional, the medical exemption as described in the remaining provisions of the MMAR, and thereby rendering the possession prohibition in s. 4 of the CDSA constitutional.”

The key is that while at that time the court held that interests of justice are best served by removing any uncertainty as to the constitutionality of the possession prohibition while at the same time providing for a constitutionally acceptable medical exemption, the court also clearly pointed out that if future physician co-operation drops to the point that the state’s medical exemption scheme becomes ineffective, this conclusion might have to be revisited.

According to Simpson, West, Bowman and their growing hosts of supporters, that time has now come.

Contact: Jason Bowman thymeforhemp@live.ca
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save the planet - sow a seed

BOKO

Dec 7 2009, 12:29 am

I hope he gets his political asylum status, he deserves it. 'There will be a reckoning some time, maybe not now but some time, and all the tallies will be tallied, and all the souls will know, who was on the Reaper's side and who was in the flow.' Peace.

New World Orphan

Dec 6 2009, 2:48 pm

This just goes to show what kind of a fucked up reality we live in...Promote Wars and violence and win the Nobel Peace Prize, cure cancer (at least better than anyone so far) and get labeled a criminal and face persecution. I am not sure about the rest of you but I am just about fed up with life on this dirtball...

Patrick

Dec 6 2009, 2:43 pm

RCMP are a bunch of criminals. They should be the ones in jail.

anonymous

Dec 6 2009, 2:09 pm

law enforcement is a Joke along with big pharma people should just stop passing laws in paying these idiots so they just dont get paid prohibition would stop really fast if people just didnt give cops the money they need for it.

in you would think law enforcement judges in the president would read the bible seing how they are religous the 7 days of Creation in day 5 on the first page of the bible should be a very big deal to them god gave man all seed bearing plants all green plants are good for you but the bible warns of folks who pass unjust laws .also they should think about gods 10 commandments thats also another big deal if there religous id think

mark allen

Dec 6 2009, 12:36 am

hope rick stays safe....glad to see high times step up!
by the way it was nice to meet you steve hagar.
thank you for helping rick....he is dear to us at phoenixtears.
and we miss him so much!
and worry for his safety he is so far away from home...
once again thank you high times and speacial thanks for steve hagar bringing this forward.....you are a hero in my books now!

hmmm

Dec 5 2009, 12:49 pm

thats funny people have ben bitching about high Times moderating its site its probly not gonna happen if it has not yet get over it ..

Crazy Dave from Rhode Island

Dec 5 2009, 11:15 am

Rick Simpson is another example of why our Goverments are FUCKED UP !!! Here is a great human being trying to discover something that can help the people of the world with something he discovered doing research for himself and again politicians who don't give a FUCK about the sick they know he is on to something big but they only care about there pockets when it comes time for re-election and the pricks who back them (BIG CORPORATIONS)I hope Rick puts them all to shame.

Storm Crow

Dec 5 2009, 2:27 am

To be honest, I do not know for certain if Mr. Simpson is correct about cannabis healing cancers, but after collecting hundreds of medical cannabis studies, I strongly suspect he may be right. I have many studies that show that comparatively low dosages (as from smoking cannabis) can slow or even shrink certain cancers. It would be logical to presume that a larger dose might have the effect that Mr. Simpson claims.

But cannabis is good for more than cancers. I have studies that suggest it may slow, or maybe even reverse, diabetes, MS, ALS, osteoporosis, Crohn's and Parkinson's. Are you curious about what else cannabis can do? I have links to hundreds of studies in "Granny Storm Crow's list- July 2009". I really don't want you to believe me about how cannabis can heal so many ailments- I want you to run the search and educate yourself! Please learn the facts about this amazing healing herb! Thank you.

Poter Principle

Dec 4 2009, 10:50 pm

John Turmel has been engineering the end of prohibition for over a decade. This is his discussion group: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/MedPot-discuss/

This is the website of the man whose charges were withdrawn just recently: http://www.ccldr.net/

John was responsible for the 4,000 stayed charges in Ontario back in 2003.

He fought and won dozens of times for Marc Paquette: http://medpot.net/

If you're a Canadian, there is an iron clad defence for personal cultivation and possession. If you get arrested: 1) STAND MUTE, 2) CONTACT JOHN or CCLDR ASAP, 3) WIN.

Piranha

Dec 4 2009, 5:37 pm

I agree.. However there are laws can actually punish this person for hate crimes. The internet is not anonymous and can be easily traced. I kind of have the feeling this is why High Times is allowing this to happen. You can hide for a few days behind proxies but over time you can be easily traced. I don't think leaving this forum is the right answer. This is the obvious reason for there insane post. To disrupt true intellectual discussion about marijuana. Moreover the legalization of something that may cause great harm to political money and Big Pharma possibly Oil companies control and profits.

Michael Dare

Dec 4 2009, 3:29 pm

Completely agree with the comment below about lack of moderation.

gstlab3

Dec 4 2009, 1:45 pm

TO: AND IN RESPONSE TO hmmmmm.,

YUP!! I KNEW *"IT" WOULD START AS SOON AS THE WHOLE MEDICINE THING GOT OUT., *"PEOPLE ARE GOING TO START BEING "DISAPPEARED" AND JAILED FOR SPEAKING THE TRUTH."
GIFTS FROM GOD SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY OR MESSED WITH IN ANY DISRESPECTFULL MANNOR.,
THE TRUTH BE TOLD IT IS ALL ABOUT CONTROLLING THE PEOPLE AND THEIR POPULATIONS AND KEEPING THEM SUBSERVIANT TO THE WORLDS GOVERNING CLASSES.
GIVING PEOPLE ACCESS TO THE HEALING HERBS AND MEDICINES WILL ENABLE MORE PEOPLE TO KEEP THEIR COLLECTIVE WEALTH AND THREATEN THE ELITISTS AND THE OTHER GOVERNING CLASSES.,
TO WIT., THE KNOWLEDGE OF FREEDOM AND THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE GIFTS FROM GOD ALL THREATEN THE GOVERNMENTS PLAN TO CONTROL EVERY LITTLE AND BIG PART OF YOUR LIFE AND YOUR WEALTH AND YOUR EARNINGS POTENTIAL AND WHAT YOU DECIDE TO DO WITH IT.
THIS IS NO SMALL MATTER., IT IS ABOUT YOUR LIFE AND DEATH.,IT IS ABOUT HOW MUCH MONEY YOU WILL CONTROL AND BE LEFT WITH TO MAKE A LIVING ON.
THE FREEDOM TO HAVE NATURAL MEDICINES LITTERALLY GROWING IN YOUR YARD OR IN YOUR NEIGHBORS GROW ROOM THREATENS THE BIG MONEY MORE NOW THAN EVER AS THEY ARE TRYING TO CLOSE ALL THE GAPS IN THE SYSTEM THAT PREVENT THE TOTAL CONTROLL OVER ALL THE MONEY EVERYWHERE.,
"LOOK" AT WHERE THE UNITED STATES IS RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!
WE ARE IN THE WEALTHIEST DRUG PRODUCING REGION IN THE WORLD!!
OPIUM BASED DRUGS LEGAL AND ILLEGAL ARE WORTH BILLIONS IF NOT TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS.,CONTROL THE WORLDS SUPPLY OF PAIN RELIEVERS/THE OPIUM POPPIES., AND YOU HAVE THE WORLD IN A DEATH GRIP TO DO WHAT YOU WILL WITH THE ENTIRETY OF HUMANITY!!!!
YOU CANNOT FIGHT WARS WITHOUT MORPHINE TO TREAT THE DYING AND WOUNDED!!!!! THINK OF ALL YOUR CANCER PATIENTS!!!! THINK OF SURGERIES WITHOUT PAIN RELIEF AFTERWARD!!!!!
GOT A BAD TOOTH? YEAH!!! MAN WE WILL ALL BOW DOWN TO WHO EVER SAYS WHATEVER WHEN YOU HAVE A THROBBING TOOTHACHE!!!
IMAGINE A WORLD WHERE THERE'S NO FREEDOM!!!!!!!
IMAGINE IF YOU CAN NO NATIONS AND RELIGION TOO..
TO REMIND US OF WHO AND WHAT WE ARE!!!!
THAT'S WHERE WE ARE GOING YOU ALL., IF WE CONTINUE ON THIS PATH TOWARDS INTERLOCKING COUNTRIES AND A NEW WORLD ORDER AND THIS HEALTHCARE DEBACHLE IN THE STATES IS CRIMINAL ALONG WITH THE STIMUALUS PACKAGES THAT CREATED NOT JACK SHIT!!!!!
FREEDOMS AND MEDICINES AND FOOD AND LAND AND SHELTER ALL GIFTS FROM GOD AND THE GOVERNMENTS ALL THINK THEY OWN THEM IN PERPETUTITY!!!!!!!
FUCK THAT!!!
THE PEOPLE MUST SPREAD THE WORDS OF FREEDOM AND TRUTH NOW!!
GROW YOUR OWN, FREE YOUR MIND, AND FREE THE PLANET!!!!!

anonymous

Dec 4 2009, 11:23 am

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19425170?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=26

delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active component of marijuana, induces human glioma cell death through stimulation of autophagy

hmmmm

Dec 3 2009, 9:32 pm

these people going after rick simpson should be aware that Marijuana is a plant form GOD in god gave man all seed bearing plants on the 5th day of creation in gensis on the 1 page of the bible in if your cathlic or christian the 7 days of creation in the 10 commandments otta be big deals to you ..

its

Dec 3 2009, 3:24 pm

sad that the pill makers are allowed to poison the masses, and walk the street, and yet a substance like pot which is the safest substance known is snubbed against.