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Bellatrix

Fire guts Gastown building

From the CBC Online | WebPosted Apr 25 2004 12:22 PM PDT

VANCOUVER - A three-alarm fire on Sunday has destroyed an historic building that housed two small businesses near Vancouver's Victory Square.

Blunt Brothers Cafe and the Cabbages and Kinx used clothing store both went up in smoke in the early-morning blaze.

Cabbages and Kinx owner Steve Leopold says his store had become something of an institution.

"It's been a clearing house and support for counterculture," he says. "It started with the hippies and went to the new wavers and ended up with the pot heads."



Officials had originally said nobody was in the building at the time, but are now investigating further.

No injuries have been reported.

Fire investigators say the fire most likely started in a dumpster in the alley behind the building. And they say they haven't ruled out arson.

Bellatrix - This is thoroughly depressing news. To lose these businesses and the building that housed them is a blow to the Canadian anti-prohibitionist movement. From the sounds of it, niether the Cannabis Culture building or the BCMP Bookstore was damaged and nobody was hurt. Let's all hope that they are up and running again as soon as possible.

The following story is a classic example of underqualified "pretend cops" taking the place of real cops under the pretense of "looking for drugs." It chills me to think that these glorified security guards will be able to search anyone that they please. Notice the first example Insp. Kash Heed uses involves marijuana? And the Commissioner Tualu goes on about druuugs as well. These guys can crow about "making the Skytrain safer" all they want, but I think we all know what this is really about. Silly, really - nobody uses the Skytrain for drug trafficking anyways. Expect the ridership of the Skytrain to dimish considerably. In the last few years a series of scadals has caused Vancouverites to have a deep distrust of any LEO and this won't help.

Real policing power for SkyTrain cops

From the CBC Online

WebPosted Apr 23 2004 07:24 PM PDT

VANCOUVER - Solicitor General Rich Coleman has announced that special SkyTrain constables now have the power to make arrests for drugs, possession of stolen property and outstanding warrants.

Bellatrix - Coleman is a Prohibitionist Whore. Randy White is his beaurocratic lackey in Parliament. Every prohibitionist initiative in Vancouver has either one or the other at the helm.

And he says, they can also take action against crime committed off SkyTrain property.

The expanded powers are the result of the province's decision to designate the 77 constables as an official police unit.

Vancouver Police Insp. Kash Heed welcomes the expanded role of the officers.

He says, in the past, if a SkyTrain constable spotted someone with a duffel bag full of marijuana – the most they could do was check to see if the rider had paid his fare.

Bellatrix - this is blatant fear-mongering. Nobody with a duffel bag of marijuana is going to be on the Skytrain. LEOs like to whine about stuff like this so people will get scared and consent to having yet another piece of their personal freedom go out the window.

"And now they have the power to actually search that duffel bag, now they have the power to arrest those individuals, they don't have to wait for Vancouver police to come and assist them," he says.

Chris Taulu, who heads up the Collingwood Community Police office, says the change is long overdue.

"The problem before was, as long as you had your ticket, you could carry cocaine, heroin you could carry drugs.

"You could carry stolen property and nobody could do anything. The constables couldn't do anything to you," she says.

While the SkyTrain cops will have the same powers as regular police officers, they won't be allowed to carry guns, says Coleman.

"It was a recommendation of the joint forces task force that looked at this that there was not a necessity to arm them at this time.

Bellatrix - the real reason is that these guys (don't let the "constables" label fool you) have not been trained as cops. They aren't allowed to carry guns because they can't be trusted to use them properly.

"If they come and make the recommendation to arm them, then we'll arm them," he says.

The new police unit will report to a board made up of chiefs of police in the municipalities where SkyTrain operates.

Bellatrix - don't believe the hype. This is not a "police unit." They have not been trained as police, therefore they are not police. Just because they give someone a badge, uniform and the right to search people doesn't make them "police." This is the label they are giving them in an effort to manufacture some legitimate autority on them. If I was a cop, I would find that insulting. Ride the Vancouver Skytrain sometime and see what I mean.

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Bellatrix

From Pot-tv.com...

A major Fire has wiped out vancouver's famous Pot Block, Blunt bros., Burnt, BC Marijuana Party, Pot TV, the Urban Shaman suffer major smoke and water damage.

Due to the nature of Marc's bussiness, he is basically unisnurable, if you have enjoyed Pot TV over the years and suport the incredible work the BC marijuana Party has been doing, nowmore than ever before we need your support, the PayPal button is there, give as much as you can if you want to see the battle for freedom continue here in Canada at this pivotal time!

Bellatrix - I know that there are some differences of opinion here regarding Marc Emery and his business practises. Please remember that the Hemp Block was more than just Emery Seeds. It was Cabbages & Kinx, Spartacus Books, Blunt Brothers, Pot-tv, and to top it off, all in a beautiful historic building. Many of my close friends were employed by or frequented these businesses. I am also aware that several unsubstantiated rumours are already circulating as to the cause of the blaze. Please be careful about spreading these rumours. Cooler heads need to prevail at present. Once we have proof as to who did this (and arson is a distinct possibility) then we'll form an angry mob. I'm going to keep an intellectual and discerning eye on this, but you'd better believe that if it was arson, I'm getting out my proverbial pitchfork, and whoever did this is getting the sharp end of it.

xxdr_zombiexx

Hmmm... all those pothead businesses... and POT-TV available on the net to the People in America.

Now gone or unusable.

And the US has been going apo-freakin'-plectic about "BC Bud" and threatening Canada with all sorts of ugliness. Pot is, after all, a bigger threat than most anything else known in life. Job 1 in America. Marijuana IS terrorism, if you missed the last couple of Superbowls. Canada is poisoning America with it's flood of Crack Pot.

And hmmmmm.... the DEA recently opened up an office up there...

But this is surely mere coinicidence.

Even though the DEA will kill children in the name of Reefer madness (16 yo girl last year - just one of several) - and will probably do so again this year - and support Thailand's brutal killing spree in the name of the Holy War on Druuuuuuugs (Thousands killed), surely they'd not burn down a building JUST to get rid of POT-TV would they?

Naaaaaaahhhhhhh.......That's so......crude. They are certainly too professional and respectful of Law and Order - and the Consitutions of both Canada and America to stoop to low. It's un-thinkable.

Fires happen all the time.

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Alien Space Signal

There's no money for your issue so long as we're squandering $50 billion a year on the DrugWar. Ben Masel

Fear became the ultimate tool of this government - V.

Almo

I'm confident we'll see them up and running again. Marc's business does rake in alot of cash and even though he gives much of it away to pot related cause i'm sure Marc and other supporters will get these places back on their feet.

Bellatrix

Still have my ear to the ground and the good news is the BCMP Bookstore escaped major damamge. That means the Urban Shaman, Pot tv and Emery Seeds are okay. There's no eletricity in the building yet, and some spots have major water damamge but other than that it looks okay. Seems like only Blunt Brothers and Cabbages & Kinx were destroyed.

And just for teh record, the DEA office has been there since about 2001; a few years anyways. Apparently they are only there "in an advisory capacity." If you believe that, I've got a great piece of swampland out by Tawassen Ferry Terminal for you to look at.

 

John Smith

Now would be the right time to get some video cameras around the house.
Now we have the DEA in Canada, it would seem to me that some one is feeling a little threatened by the truth. If Canadians think that we are a soerign Country, with our own Government directing policys in Canada, man, are you in a dream world! Also, I cannot stress enough how badly we need to keep the PROgressive CONservative party OUT of Ottawa. Vote NDP, OR LIBERAL, but if you want to see an American style of Government elected into office, that pays no heed to its population, then go ahead, vote PC. Just remember what stephen harper said about going to war in Iraq, they supported George Bush and that crimminal war, even though the majority of Canadians DID NOT SUPPORT IT! Just a little something to think about friends.
FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD AND MORAL PLEASE VOTE!!!

Be safe, be carefull, and take care of each other.

Bellatrix

At least it seems good...check out www.pot-tv.net for a video update of the damage. The sight of what remains of Cabbages & Kinx and Blunt Brothers really choked me up.

The BCMP Bookstore could be up and running again as early as Wednesday, depending on a city engineer's verdict of the building's condition.

TurbulentHigh

Marc emery is questionable. All of his products are ridicously over priced. Many times I see him pulling publicity stunts, and I wonder if maybe instead of promoting the marijuana community he is furthering his own buisness. He is also listed on the top 5 worst marijuana seed banks. It is my opinion that this guy is a real jerk.

EDIT: Also take note that many of this pot-tv "shows" are really just subliminal or direct advertising for his seeds, or products. The Grow Show is a good example of that. Pot-TV is just one big promotion for Marc Emery. Sure it may cost him a buck or two to give off that "cool marijuana guy" image. However think about all the people he has screwed.


- TH421

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SinsemilaStreet

While Marc may not be a pot angel, and who the hell knows--maybe he does over-price his ****, but nobody is forced to buy it.

Marc is one of the few individuals to actually put his money where is mouth is--back in the pot community. He is one of the few pot philantrothopists we have out there so be careful to totally pre-judge him.

Nobody's perfect, maybe he's right on some things and maybe he is wrong but he's out there as an advocate in more than one way and I recognize that, appreciate that, and support that.

TurbulentHigh

Nobody is forced to buy McDonalds, yet they destroy thousands of acres of rain forest each year, lobby to keep minimum wage low, and use marketing tactics to make their products appear part of a balanced diet. You see, your logic is flawed in that your thought process can be exploited as shown in the above example. Marc Emery's product quality is poor, his products are over priced, and he uses publicity stunts and pot-tv to provide an image which characterizes a "hip marijuana lovin' dude". It is highly apparent that his additude toward pot merly reflects his interests as a business person, if cocaine were the hip drug to push I imagine that is where he would be.

Get em' while their hot boys coca plants, and coca-tv.
Marc Emery ©2000 Emery Coca Plants Inc.


- TH421