(200?-2004) Brian Robbins - Marijuana (The Phish Demo)

This is another one of these songs that went "viral" before before the days of youtube. I wish I new the date for the first appearance of the "phish demo".

From Brian Robbins' Myspace

Thursday, December 21, 2006

The story behind the "Marijuana" song
Current mood:Just great thanks!

"Marijuana" has become a big underground hit (no pun intended). For this I am grateful, but for some reason, everyone seems to think that it is a Phish song. The version that has been circulating around for years is a rough demo that I made. I just threw up a crappy microphone and hit record. The polished version was released on my first album, "Banned in the State of Utah. [2004]" (You can stream it on this myspace page).

So here is the story behind the song:

While living in Boston, I used to walk by a movie theater on my way to school. One day I noticed a big sign in the window that proudly proclaimed, "We drug test all our employees." I found myself pondering the absurdity of a society that looks favorably upon a business that drug tests the guy who doles out the popcorn, or rips your ticket in half. The intent of the sign was obviously to make the public nod approvingly at the "responsibility and good citizenship" of the theatre. Being a bit of a civil libertarian, I had a decidedly different reaction. While walking around the city that afternoon I wrote the hook of the song: "Marijuana, the government wants to test me when I pee," and mapped out most of the verses.

My guess is that most fans of the song, would find it humorous to learn that I am actually a fairly sober individual (in "real life"). Anyway, my sincere thanks to everyone. Please feel free to comment or email,

Best wishes,

Brian

(1995) Living in Oblivion Skip to 2:48 'ish

Principle of Pot - Part 2 - Segment 1
Principle of Pot - Part 2 - Segment 2
Principle of Pot - Part 2 - Segment 3
Principle of Pot - Part 2 - Segment 4
Principle of Pot - Part 2 - Segment 5
Principle of Pot - Part 2 - Segment 6

Tons of great footage and information in this documentary. I'd like to know Marc's opinion of the doc since there's much discussion of what Marc was thinking.

It would've been nice to see a comment about Marc Emery's anointing during the crucifixion/christ comparisons.

(2003) Hitzig v. Canada

Hitzig v. Canada is a 2003 civil case in which challenged the constitutionality of the Marijuana Medical Access Regulations (MMAR), now the Medical Marijuana Access Division. MMAR provided for exemptions from the law for approved medicinal users while allowing for no legal source of therapeutic cannabis products. The case was brought by Warren Hitzig, along with seven medical marijuana users (Alison Myrden, Stephen J Vandekemp, Marco Renda, Marylynne Chamney, Catherine Devries, Jari Dvorak and Debbie Stultz-Giffen).

Warren Saul Hitzig co-founded the Toronto Compassion Centre (originally the 'Medical Marijuana Resource Centre') in 1997 to provide high quality cannabis products to those with a documented medicinal need and to act as a medical marijuana information resource for the Canadian general public. The Centre's formation was announced in early 1998 with a press conference and letter to the Canadian government requesting authorization for their activities.

The Hitzig applicants argued that the MMAR provided an illusory access to cannabis medicine, and effectively encouraged sick Canadians to look to the black market for their legal medication, and/or the seeds/plants needed to 'grow their own.' Ontario Superior Court judge Sidney Lederman agreed that this situation violated the rights of the applicants as set out by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982). He gave the Canadian government six months from January 9, 2003 to remedy the situation, which prompted the controversial announcement on July 8 that Health Canada would begin distribution of marijuana grown under contract to Prairie Plant Systems in Flin Flon, Manitoba.

Alison Myrden first approached Law Professor Alan Young in the Spring of 1999 to form and submit a lawsuit to sue the Government of Canada for a safe, clean, and affordable source of marijuana. This became the 'Hitzig et al.' Lawsuit. Warren was the only person involved who was not a medical user and could front the suit as a Cannabis Compassion Club.

In 1995, Alison retired from law enforcement and was given her first prescription for Medical Marijuana by a Canadian Physician. She was sent to the street to buy her medicine by the government of Canada before there was such a thing as 'The Medical Marijuana Access Regulations' (MMAR). Alison was one of the first twenty people in Canada to receive a Federal Licence to smoke, possess and grow medical marijuana for health reasons.[citation needed] Battling Multiple Sclerosis from the age of 13 years old, Alison's worst physical problem today is a stabbing pain in her face 24 hours a day associated with MS, called 'Tic Douloureux'.[citation needed]

Having been allotted one of the largest prescriptions in the country for cannabis and having not to depend on 32 pills a day and 2000 mg of morphine everyday any more from the past 15 years, Alison's life has dramatically improved. So much so, that in 2004 Alison ran for the New Democratic Party in Oakville, Ontario, more than doubling the votes for the New Democratic Party from the previous federal election. Source