Congratulations on the new look and name. Hemp hemp hurrah!
If your magazine reaches a large and influential audience, the anti-social
tendencies and results of the War On Drugs may be properly exposed, and
peace enabled.
Please consider, then, the back cover of the first Cannabis Canada (April
'95), a full-page ad for water pipes which features a large graphic of a
green-skinned red-eyed horned devil sticking his tongue out. While some
people may enjoy flaunting religious superstitions or taunting their
oppressors, I believe the imagery is counter-productive and repulsive.
Many people will view this prominent depiction of demonic lust as
indicative of the art and morals of the cannabis community. I protest that
a mythological beast that feasts on human misery does not belong in a
magazine purporting to support the liberation of Gaia's sacred herb.
If Cannabis Canada intends to help end the war as well as survive
financially, wide and diverse support is required. Perhaps more care could
be taken to avoid re-inforcing the stereotypical images that bind our
shackles. That one ad may have overpowered and undone the many noble
articles that may now never be read by the people who should be reading
them.
Here is the sad part - reading Cannabis Canada in public would be a good
way to initiate educational discussions, but I for one would not want to be
seen reading a magazine that apparently promotes demons.
