BC Bud
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It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Cannabis in British Columbia. (Discuss) |
| BC Bud | |
|---|---|
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| Dried bud of BC Bud | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Magnoliophyta |
| Class: | Magnoliopsida |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Cannabaceae |
| Genus: | Cannabis L'Hér. |
| Species | |
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Unknown |
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BC Bud is a generic term for several varieties of potent cannabis grown in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The term has almost become a brand name, especially in California, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho and Washington, to where most of the province's cannabis is exported. The United States Drug Enforcement Administration considers BC production to be a major problem, given the porous United States-Canada border,[1] and has launched several major initiatives to cut down on its flow, including collaborative operations targeting marijuana activists such as Marc Emery.[2] It has even been discussed in the documentary, The Union: The Business Behind Getting High which chronicles the distribution, production and economics of marijuana.
A study released on October 4, 2006 by the University of Victoria Centre for Addictions Research of BC and Simon Fraser University Applied Research on Mental Health and Addictions indicated Cannabis use is more widespread among British Columbians than the rest of Canadians.[3]
However, a high tolerance for cannabis use in BC and an awareness of the role of it as an export cash crop (worth an estimated $6 billion annually[4]) has tended to make it difficult for Canadian or American authorities to intervene effectively. This remains a significant point of contention between the US and Canada, and is one of many US-Canada border problems driving changes to both nations' policies.[5]
Further, there is little, if any evidence that the police and the courts in British Columbia have charged persons for money laundering the multi-billion-dollar profits of BC Bud, and it is conceivable that the profiteers may now own a significant amount of British Columbia's legitimate property and businesses[6] and thus significantly influence politics at various levels in BC.[7] It may even be a factor in that ever rising cost of BC real estate which now prevents many young people from entering the real estate market.
The early history of cannabis production was centered in hippie communities in the Gulf Islands and Kootenay area, in climate conditions perfect for outdoor growing. It is believed that much of the cannabis currently sold for export originates from hydroponic grow-ops in the Lower Mainland, with significant amounts still added by outdoor growers throughout the province.[8]
BC has many compassion clubs, head shops and activists challenging the current legal and social views on cannabis. Larry Campbell, a Canadian senator and Vancouver's former Mayor, has called for the decriminalization,[9] and even legalization,[10] of cannabis in British Columbia.
From a commercial point of view, the fact that many growers in BC informally cooperate to keep quality high, while competing fiercely in an illegal business, is of interest to some in the agricultural economics community, as well as students of trademarks, agricultural policy, black markets, and agorism. British Columbia is increasingly known for the premium quality of its marijuana.[11]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "BC Bud: Growth Of The Canadian Marijuana Trade" (PDF). DEA Intelligence Division. December 2000. http://www.hawaii.edu/hivandaids/BC_Bud__Growth_Of_The_Canadian_Marijuana_Trade.pdf. Retrieved 2008-06-11.
- ^ "Plea deal means jail time for marijuana activist". Toronto Star. 2008-01-14. http://www.thestar.com/printArticle/293941. Retrieved 2008-06-11.
- ^ "Cannabis Use Highest in BC". University of Victoria. 2006-10-04. http://communications.uvic.ca/releases/release.php?display=release&id=758.
- ^ Canada Parliament, Senate; Colin Kenny, Pierre Claude Nolin (2003). Cannabis: Report of the Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs. Canada: University of Toronto Press. p. 35. ISBN 0802086306. http://books.google.ie/books?id=L_5gu-eUfE8C.
- ^ "Senators Blast Canadian Border Security". ABC News. 2007-09-27. http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=3660302&page=1. Retrieved 2008-06-11.
- ^ "Organized Crime and Money Laundering in British Columbia". The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit-British Columbia. http://www.cfseu.bc.ca/cms/book/export/html/45.
- ^ "How our B.C. government and others profit from B.C. Bud". 2010-07-23. http://www.theworldtomorrow.ca/weeklycolumn/bc-government-profit-bc-bud/.
- ^ Canada Parliament, Senate; Colin Kenny, Pierre Claude Nolin (2003). Cannabis: Report of the Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs. Canada: University of Toronto Press. pp. 36–37. ISBN 0802086306. http://books.google.ie/books?id=L_5gu-eUfE8C.
- ^ Campbell, Larry (2007-07-16). "Pot Users Do Not Fit the Criminal Profile". Larry Campbell's Weblog. http://larrycampbell.ca/blog/?p=27. Retrieved 2008-06-11.
- ^ "'Legalize it, control it and tax the livin' hell out of it'". The Province. 2007-11-11. http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=cdf9aed6-718c-4991-8328-2475bfda76e6. Retrieved 2008-06-11.
- ^ "'This Bud's For The U.S.'". Time Magazine. 2004-08-14. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101040823-682290,00.html?promoid=rss_world. Retrieved 2008-06-11.
[edit] External links
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