Hey, here's one for the Splash:

Police in Timmins, Ontario have used an "anti-crime-comics" law to ban the sale of Cannabis Culture magazine.
Cannabis Culture is a well-known marijuana and hemp activist magazine. It's being banned under Canadian Criminal Code Section 163, Subsection 7, an obscure law from the 1950s dealing with "crime comics" (any publication aimed at children that contains pictorial representations of criminal activities). The ban was instigated when a seventh grade student was caught reading a copy of the magazine in class.
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1596/a03.html

This story has been getting national coverage in Canada this morning on CBC radio.

Wow, good thing the stores aren't trying to sell Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers ;-)

dave

Hey Steve and Rick, thanks for the exposure on the Splash.


It looks as if High Times magazine is included under this ban as well.

Here's Cannabis Culture magazine's take on the situation: http://www.cannabisculture.com/cgi/article.cgi?num=1713


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The Timmins Daily Press had this to say:


Illegal marijuana magazines found for sale in Timmins

By James Thorn
The Timmins Daily Press
September 29, 2000

Drug-related magazines have no place in schools, nor the shelves of convenience stores.

Two such magazines were seized from a student at R. Ross Beattie School in January by a teacher and turned over to Principle Mickey Pirie.

"(The magazines) don't belong in any school and they certainly won't be (allowed) in our school," Pirie said. Pirie contacted the Timmins Police Service who have spent almost
nine months investigating the magazines.

The investigation, which is nearing completion, has revealed the magazines were purchased at a local convenience store.

The magazines which depict the use, purchase and production of marijuana are crime comics by definition, said Const. Joe Romualdi, of the drug unit.

"To sell or distribute the magazines is illegal," said Romualdi. "(We're) bringing it to the attention of store owners. If they continue to bring it in, they will be dealt
with. But I don¹t anticipate any problems."

The magazines were aimed at teenagers, Romualdi said, because they were displayed among the magazines predominately read by teenagers.

The next step in the investigation is to eradicate the magazines from the local convenience stores.

The seizure will be voluntary at first but can involve criminal charges if need be, said Romualdi.

Romualdi told The Daily Press he has already received a call from one of the major convenience store chains in the city who told him they would not have any such material on
their shelves.

Romualdi asked parents to monitor what their children are reading because these types of magazines are available, even if parents aren¹t aware of it. Pirie said before the incident took place, he ³didn¹t know these kinds of magazines even existed.²

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My favourite part of this statement is:
The magazines which depict the use, purchase and production of marijuana are crime comics by definition

I can't wait to see this load of tripe get laughed out of court.

dave

[This message has been edited by Dave Knott (edited 10-27-2000).]