4:20 and all is well!

It appears that my editorial from last week ‘The Numerology of a Stoner” became a real smok’in issue. So the following are letters that The Pipestone Flyer received in response to the editorial. (in order as received.) Enjoy......I did!

Dear Editor,
Kudos to Brian Hahn for his article on "Numerology of a Stoner". There are "smoke" shops popping up in our communities that blatantly laugh at the Canadian Justice or lack thereof when it comes to drug Paraphernalia.

The very idea of a shop owner having the legal backing to sell drug Paraphernalia and advertise for that purpose sickens me as much as it frustrates me. Not only can I walk into a certain unnamed business and buy a bong or glass pipe, perhaps even a fake can of WD40 to hide my stash in, but I can also purchase a product called Salvia. "Depending on dosage, the Salvia experience can vary from a subtle, just-off-baseline state to a full-blown psychedelic experience. At higher doses users report dramatic time distortion, vivid imagery, encounters with beings, travel to other places, planets or times, living years as the paint on a wall or experiencing the full life of another individual.

Needless to say these can be extremely powerful experiences and should only be attempted with a sitter. While most people remain unmoving during the experience, some individuals will attempt to get up and walk around while in a completely dissociated state". The worst part, it is legal for anyone to buy it and use it. Anyone meaning any person regardless of age. I hesitate in writing this letter to you, but if we as parents and as citizens who are willing to take a unified stand against drugs in our communities can be educated in the culture, than perhaps we can reach out to our local, provincial and federal politicians to say
"ENOUGH" already.

Sincerely

John Norton.

Dear Editor
Boston recorded a song called "Smokin" back in the 70's. That song is exactly 4 minutes and 20 seconds long. The "secret code" started when Roadies needed the code to see who was in the "sub-culture" and who was clued out. Needless to say, the code arose to mystical levels because cannabis users need to be wary of the witch hunters. Once the code becomes universally understood and the mystery taken out, something else will come along.

That the sub-culture has such a  presence is testament to the popularity of smoking cannabis in social ceremonies. The "sub-culture" of cannabis users to be more precise, have been around since the bamboo plant from which cannabis is derived has existed. Cannabis and opium are the ceremonial and ritual substances of the Asians. Alcohol is the ceremonial and ritual substance of the Western "Christian" culture as evidenced by toasts to the bride and the priest goblet.

The South Americans have used coca as their ceremonial and ritual substance for thousands of years. The Editor should enlighten himself and practice more tolerance for other cultures instead supporting the immoral war on other than Christian cultures. That the youth's in our culture are ignorant of the above facts is testament to the failure of our education system to have a truthful discussion about drugs. The youths may not be able to make the intellectual arguments that expound the virtues of tolerance, prudence, justice and fortitude, but I most certainly can. Drug prohibition doesn't live up to a single one. I have no fear of the witch hunters, crusaders, demonizers or prohibitionists in our midst. All I ask is for a chance to expose their lies before a jury of my peers.

Chris Buors

Libertarian

President

Freedom Party of Manitoba

Dear Editor,
Thank you for the very passionate if not xenophobic editorial by Mr Hahn. I do not know if Brain would care to know the story behind 4:20 that most historians agree on but here it is anyway. ”The most widely-accepted birth of 420 puts the date of the phrase at 1971, five years after Dylan's '60s anthem, conceived by a group of pot-lovin' California high school students. When one of the members of the clique uttered “4:20 Louie” it meant to meet for a smoke session at the Louis Pasteur statue 70 minutes after school dismissed at 3:10 p.m.” P.S. Tell Brian, “Don't worry. We are keeping an eye on you as well. We're just a bit more tolerant.”

Ally Lorton

Dear Editor,
As a Federal Medical Marijuana License holder who is also married to one, I deeply resent the use of the word “stoner”. This word is as offensive to medical pot users like myself and my epileptic wife, as the word “junkie” might be to someone who uses prescription pain killers, or the word “cripple” might be to someone in a wheelchair. Brian Hahn has demonstrated that not only does his mind need opened and his third eye cleaned, apparently he doesn’t even know how to use Google! “Whatever the origins...”

It is widely accepted that in the early 1970s, a group of teenagers at San Rafael High School in San Rafael, California used to  meet every day after school at 4:20 p.m. to smoke cannabis at the Louis Pasteur statue. They even have letters from college after the fact to prove it. That is the origin. True, most pot users don’t know what it means. I tend not to observe it, as I am a medical user and drug law-reform advocate, not a pot “enthusiast”. As for “international pot-smokers day is April 20th - 4/20”; yeah, that is true, but that was just a co-opt by a bunch of over enthusiastic pot fans. In reality, the date means nothing beyond that association with the afternoon time frame. Like anything, it has been co-opted and mutated over the years, and the meaning twisted. Aren’t words magnificent?

Russell Barth

Federal Medical Marijuana License

Holder

Ottawa

Dear Editor,
You are wrong cannabis is not legal. Canada and the USA no less do have federal legal medical cannabis programs currently in place and have for years now. I do have one question for you that I hope you will answer. How many more expert studies do we need that clearly state prohibition of cannabis creates a lot more social harms then cannabis it's self ever has or ever could?

Keith Fagin

Calgary 420 Alberta

Response to Keith,
My article clearly stated, “It’s not legal, it’s not even decriminalized!” As for your question... I agree?
Brian Hahn


Dear Editor
Your article on 420 was hilarious,  don't know if it was a joke or not. Why is the religious right so bent on fear-mongering against pot users. There's a lot more of us than you think and we are not the slackers you believe we are. Saying anything derogatory about stoners as a group is as accurate as saying “All christians are pedifiles because a few catholic priests are.” Its not founded in any reality. There's some great pot grown in your part of the country, maybe you should try some. Thank you for your time.

Jason Baker

Dear Editor,
I am responding to your article  about the number 420. I really have no clue as to it's origin, however, if you look at famous deaths. I have been told that Bob Marley died on April 20th. But I personally think that 420 goes back before Mr. Marley. Really if I have to guess I would say that 420 was something an ancient pothead said one day and it caught on like a trend, but because smoking can be a religious ndeavor it never faded out. Potheads are very much a culture of their own and of all different walks of life but generally
have a few things in common. Thank  you for your time.

Odisomus

AZ, USA

Dear Editor,
I just read your article on the numerology of a stoner and thought you may want a little info that I learned in high school about five years ago. The time 4:20pm is an hour and 20 minutes after most high school students get out of school. This amount of time is how long takes a high school student to get out of school, get home, and roll a joint. Then the pot smoker has to just wait a few minutes and light up at 4:20.

Luke Lyons