Thursday the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) aired NATURE OF THINGS
- - REEFER MADNESS 2. It is to be shown again at 4:00 p.m. Sunday, 18 Oct
1998 (check your local listings).

Several have commented on how well the documentary states the case for
medicinal marijuana.

Having copies to show audiences would be of value not just in Canada, but
everywhere.

To give you, our readers, a little idea of the nature of this documentary,
the following is provided. At the end is a list of U.S. networks which
could be contacted to encourage one of them to broadcast the show.

We understand that arrangements are being made for a video copy of the show
to be available on the Legalize! website, probably sometime next week.
http://www.legalize-usa.org/TOCs/video.htm

Richard Lake
Senior Editor; MAPnews, MAPnews-Digest and DrugNews-Digest
email: rlake@DrugSense.org
http://www.DrugSense.org/drugnews/

From the CBC website: http://www.tv.cbc.ca/

Nature of Things -Reefer Madness 2

MARIJUANA AS MEDICINE ON THE NATURE OF THINGS, OCTOBER 15 AND REPEATED
OCTOBER 18/98

There is a growing number of people who regard marijuana (cannabis) as a
benign medicine, offering relief to people suffering from a variety of
illnesses, including epilepsy, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and
glaucoma as well as lessening the side effects of medications and
treatments given to cancer and HIV patients. On Thursday, October 15 at
8 p.m., CBC Television's THE NATURE OF THINGS with David Suzuki examines
the medicinal uses of marijuana. This show is repeated Sunday, October
18 at 4:00 p.m.

Officially, marijuana is an illegal drug that is still considered toxic
and addictive with no medical value. People who use marijuana to
alleviate their suffering, live with the added anxiety of possible
arrest, jail and forfeiture of property. They all say it's worth the
risk. This program tells the stories of those who have shown courage in
providing marijuana to the sick and suffering as well as the stories of
people whose lives have been transformed by its medicinal properties.

Reefer Madness 2 also travels to India where marijuana is openly
cultivated and used in medicine, rituals and recreationally, as it has
been for thousands of years with little indication of its supposed
damaging effects. It came to the West in the mid-1800s, and was commonly
used as a folk medicine. In the United States of the 1930s, it became
identified with the corrupting influence of the jazz culture and with
Mexican and Chinese immigrants. From then on, it was labeled as a
Schedule 1, or dangerous drug. The Black Candle, written by an eminent
Canadian judge stirred the controversy in Canada in the 1920s.

Reefer Madness 2 introduces audiences to the personal stories of two
women who provide marijuana to the sick. Valerie Corral of California
established the Women's Alliance for Medical Marijuana (WAMM) and
supplies over 200 people in the Santa Cruz area. Vancouver's Hilary
Black runs The Compassionate Club. She talks about her dealings with
sufferers, the police and the growers she relies on for supplies.

Dr. Lester Grinspoon of Harvard Medical School and the author of
Forbidden Medicine, recounts how a personal experience affecting his own
family reinforced his determination to try and set the record straight
about the marijuana use and cancer patients.

Reefer Madness 2 is written by John Bassett and produced by Vishnu
Mathur. Executive producer of THE NATURE OF THINGS is Michael Allder.

Also from the CBC website:

MARIJUANA AS MEDICINE ON THE NATURE OF THINGS, OCTOBER 15 and REPEATED
OCTOBER. 18/98

There is a growing number of people who regard marijuana (cannabis) as a
benign medicine, offering relief to people suffering from a variety of
illnesses, including epilepsy, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and glaucoma
as well as lessening the side effects of medications and treatments given
to cancer and HIV patients. On Thursday, October 15 at 8 p.m., CBC
Television's THE NATURE OF THINGS with David Suzuki examines the medicinal
uses of marijuana. This show is also repeated Sunday, October 18, 1998, at
4 p.m. If you wish to contact The Compassion Club in Vancouver the phone #
is (604)875-0448, WEBSITE www.thecompassionclub.org

WAMM's phone number (408)423-5413 and e-mail address - valerie@wamm.org.

*****
David Suzuki's bio is at:
http://www.tv.cbc.ca/personalities/natureofthings/suzuki.html

If you want to contact David Suzuki himself, you can reach him through his
assistant, Lisa Hayden, via telephone--(604) 730-9670, fax--(604)
730-9672,, or snail mail at Suite 219, 2211 West 4th Ave., Vancouver, B.C.
V6K 4S2 CANADA

If you have comments about The Nature of Things, you can contact CBC
directly by email at: tnot@toronto.cbc.ca

You can also reach them via snail mail at The Nature of Things, CBC
Toronto, PO Box 500 Stn "A", Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5W 1E6; Tel.:
416-205-6888; Fax: 416-205-3579.

Folks interviewed for Reffer Madness 2:

Dr. Lester Grinspoon
Websites: http://rxmarihuana.com/ and http://www.marijuana-uses.com/
Articles by Dr. Grinspoon:
Public Nuisance Or Therapy? Cannabis Clubs
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n878.a05.html
Medical Marihuana Reconsidered
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n766/a09.html
Plus about 45 other items about or by Dr. Grinspoon at:
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/

Valerie and Mike Corral, Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana (WAMM).
Website: http://www.wamm.org/
A few of the more than a dozen news articles at MAP:
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v97/n632/a02.html
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v97/n164/a04.html
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v97/n350/a01.html
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n027/a01.html

Hilary Black, The Compassion Club
Website: http://www.thecompassionclub.org/
Some of the articles:
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v97/n314/a04.html
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v97/n463/a04.html
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v97/n463/a04.html

Chris Clay, The Compassion Club webmaster
Dozens of articles about Chris can be found by searching the MAP
website, but those about him are mixed in with those he newshawked.

Jim Wakeford and Mr. Wakeford's physician, Dr. John Goodhew
A few of the related articles:
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n664/a08.html
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n086/a08.html
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n653/a09.html
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n788.a14.html

Dr. Donald Abrams
Again, just a few of the articles:
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n159/a08.html
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n379/a08.html
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n595.a09.html

Celia Scott, Mayor of Santa Cruz, California
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n196/a02.html

Terry Parker, and Aaron Harnett, Mr. Parker's lawyer
Just three of dozens of articles on the MAP site:
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n890.a06.html
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v97.n390.a01.html
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n692/a07.html

Vancouver Police Constable Gil Puder
Again, just a few of many, but one by Constable Puder:
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n318/a12.html
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n294/a01.html
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n453/a08.html
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n001.a02.html

Will and Meg Foster
Website: http://www.gnv.fdt.net/~jrdawson/willfoster.htm
Just a few of the many, many articles on the MAP site and elsewhere:
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n385/a03.html
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n412/a01.html
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n202/a06.html
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n709/a06.html

Note: The search feature at the MAP website found, and can find for you,
the many more articles about the people interviewed above:
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/

It is possible that a U.S. network could pick up 'Nature of Things -Reefer
Madness 2' for rebroadcast, but only if you act to let them know it is
important to you!

Here are some of the website starting points and/or email addresses you
could use to alert the networks:

NBC:
http://www.nbc.com/nbc/nbcemail.nbc
http://www.nbc.com/interact/

ABC:
http://www.abc.com/email_abc/index.html

CBS:
http://www.cbs.com/

CNN:
Email: cnn.onair@cnn.com
http://cnn.com/feedback/

PBS:
Email: viewer@pbs.org
http://www.pbs.org/voice/
http://www.pbs.org/voice/within.html

The Discovery Channel & The Learning Channel
Email: viewer_relations@discovery.com
http://www.discovery.com/about/contact.html

Checked-by: Richard Lake