The Cannabis Day rally was very successful in Vancouver, with thousands attending to smoke an epic amount of marijuana.

The BC Marijuana Party would like to extend a huge thanks to Kush.ca for helping to sponsor the rally as well as Bubbleman for his donation of a Bubblenow machine with bags for demonstration and grand prize giveaway as well as Cannabis Culture Headquarters for their donation of the second and third place prizes.

The University of Mississippi and the US Government's National Institute of Drug Abuse released data based on samples from the US Drug Enforcement Agency, on the potency of marijuana seized in the United States, and it comes with some surprising revelations.

Newspapers around the US have pointed out that the strength of marijuana went from 4.78% THC to 10.54% THC, a massive increase, more than doubling potency. Did marijuana growers get twice as good at growing marijuana over the last year?

Vancouver's safe injection site, Insite, has been the subject of much media hype as of late. Insite allows addicted drug users to inject their drugs in the presence of health-care workers trained in overdose prevention.

Over the past year, Insite prevented 222 overdose deaths, provided first aid to 3,862 addicts and referred 2,269 to mental health and addiction services. Insite has been positively reviewed in every peer-reviewed study conducted, 22 of them to date(1). The research in short shows that Insite is working(2).

The BC Liberals last year commissioned a pharmaceutical task force to study the BC Medical system. The task force was made up mostly of pharmaceutical industry lobbyists, with a 5/9 majority on the task force committee. The chair of the task force sits on the board of LifeSciences BC, a pharmaceutical industry lobby group.

On May 23, the task force released it's recommendations, including ending the use of generic drugs and the removal of the independent Therapeutics Initiative (TI) research group which approves drugs to be paid for by the provincial government.

The BC Liberal Government is attempting to fix the next election by bringing Republican election tactics into British Columbia. These tactics, which are already under court challenge, are the same type Stephen Harper is trying to use federally. Bill 42 is opposed by the BCMP, business groups, unions, the BC Civil Liberties association and poverty activist groups. Why?

BC Business Magazine recently announced that marijuana represents the 2nd largest contributor to provincial GDP at $7.5 billion dollars and 250,000 jobs, ahead of forestry and behind construction. In the same week, Angus Reid announced that 53% of Canadians support the legalization and regulation of marijuana.

“We are forgoing $2,000,000,000 in tax revenue every year because Gordon Campbell refuses to stand up to the Federal Government” said BCMP Spokesman Jacob Hunter “Marijuana is an agricultural product and belongs under the control of the province.”

The Provincial government today announced that it will spend, either in cash or in sale of public properties, $200 Million on a new roof for BC Place stadium; one which wont be complete for the Olympic Games. This project is set to be another colossal waste, on par with the Convention Centre boondoggle, but the BC Liberals have a plan to hide that waste from your eyes.

First, aside from missing the Olympics, why is this a waste?

GVTA Police were ordered yesterday, by the Solicitor General, to attend the public enquiry into taser use, after initially refusing to appear.

The GVTA board announced at the enquiry that it had changed it's taser policy, due to public outcry, to no longer include allowances to taser non-compliant individuals.

"That it took an order from the Solicitor General is astounding" said BCMP Spokesman Jacob Hunter, "The GVTA Police show a complete lack of respect for the public process, it is time for a complete review of their activities and mandate".

The GVTA Police department, which last month was defending it's use of tasers against suspected fare evaders, yesterday skipped a scheduled appearance before a public enquiry looking into inappropriate police use of tasers against non-violent suspects.

The GVTA Police contend that appearing before a public enquiry could compromise a Police Complaints Commission enquiry currently under way. This excuse does “not make sense” according to the BC Civil Liberties Association.

The Global Marijuana March in Vancouver was a huge success this year, with well over 500 participants, despite a rainy lead up to the march. We marched for 2km down to the beach, smoking over 1lb on the way, and then had two huge smoke-ins at the beach with the sun shinning down upon us.