Pubdate: Fri, 21 Jun 2013
Source: Vancouver Courier (CN BC)
Copyright: 2013 Vancouver Courier
Contact:  http://www.vancourier.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/474
Author: Drew McLachlan

CANNABIS DEVOTEES TO DESCEND ON CITY FOR KUSH CUP

Event celebrates medical and recreational marijuana

The nation's dankest weed will soon descend upon Vancouver for the
second annual Kush Cup, a celebration of medical and recreational
cannabis that includes a Canada-wide growers' competition. The event,
which runs June 28 to 30, was started as part of the Vancouver Health
Expo last year by Mark Klokeid, who wants to see a reversal of the
negative stigma surrounding the substance.(Kush is a strain of marijuana.)

"It's important to normalize [cannabis,] so the Vancouver Health Expo
is very useful," Klokeid said. "It helps us attract a lot of people
interested in health and wellness and shows people that it is a health
issue."

Klokeid was diagnosed with stage two lymphoblastic lymphoma in 2003,
and underwent four rounds of chemotherapy, several spinal taps, and
stem cell and blood transplants. He found comfort in medical cannabis
as it provided him a means to improve his appetite and relieve himself
of physical pain without having to worry about addiction or liver
damage. Along with years of illness and rigorous treatments, it also
helped him change his outlook on life. "When I was sick I promised
myself that I would live like there was no tomorrow," Klokeid said. "I
decided to travel the world - to make travelling my passion."

Klokeid regularly produces travel videos for his self-titled YouTube
channel, all of which focus on or incorporate cannabis. His most
recent trip was to Turpan, China where he visited a 2,700year-old
mummy that was found with the oldest known marijuana stash.

The grower's competition will feature different strains from medical
marijuana growers from across Canada. Judge positions will be open to
any attendee with a valid medical license. They will grade each strain
based on flavour, potency, psychological effect and cleanliness. Six
awards will be given out. Klokeid, who was born in Calgary, said that
Vancouver is an ideal city to hold the Kush Cup and that he has seen
virtually no opposition to the event.

"Most people in Vancouver are friendly towards [marijuana] use because
of the prevalence of drug use in the city," Klokeid said. "But there's
still a part of the population that doesn't know the facts. The VPD is
very educated on drugs and is one of the most liberal police forces in
Canada. There are a lot of vapour lounges and dispensaries downtown,
and it's legal for recreational use just across the border in
Washington. The city is getting more and more liberal, and going in
the opposite direction as federal law."

Klokeid said that although education is a primary goal, he also wants
to focus on the spectacle of the event, noting that there are several
annual beer and liquor events in the city. "I want the expo to not
just be a health show, but a place where people can have a memorable
experience," Klokeid said. "A lot of people said that they had the
time of their lives last year and were grateful to have a pot-friendly
event. A lot of events in Vancouver are alcohol-based, but cannabis is
becoming more accepted in the mainstream - not just as medicine, but
as recreation."

The Kush Cup will feature 20 keynote speakers, including authors,
doctors and lawyers, live glass blowing sessions, deprivation tanks, a
boat cruise and three musical concerts. It takes place at various
venues including the PNE Forum, Green Room restaurant, Yaletown
Dispensary and the Centre for Performing Arts. For more information,
go to http://www.kush.ca/kushcup.html .
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MAP posted-by: Matt