On Saturday, November 15th, municipalities across British Columbia held elections. Vancouver Island Compassion Society Director Philippe Lucas was elected to City Council in Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, for a three-year term. Brian Taylor, the first leader of the BC Marijuana Party in 2001, was elected Mayor of Grand Forks, BC. Congratulations to these two progressive gentlemen, and we wish them well in the next three years! full story

UPDATE: The DVDs that have been made have a glitch that skips the movie forward at the 7-minute mark, showing a brand new "One Year Later" scene but jumping over the remainder of the film. You can watch the whole video on your computer by skipping through the glitch, but TV playback might be problematic. Anyone who has ordered a copy can ask for and receive a free replacement once the new DVDs arrive. Email Jodie@cannabisculture.com for more information. full story

The Herb Museum in Vancouver, BC is full of cannabis, herbal and psychoactive artifacts. The new location on the second floor in "Marc Emery's Cannabis Culture Headquarters" at 307 West Hastings Street needs the financial support of visitors to stay open. An online art auction featuring the works of Vancouver artists is being held on Facebook, so make a bid on the artwork showcased and help the Vancouver Herb Museum continue educating people through preserving history. full story

Vancouver's medical marijuana users now have a new place to buy their medicine. Former Cannabis Culture editor Dana Larsen has announced the opening of a new Medicinal Cannabis Dispensary. "We're operating this to provide strictly medical access for legitimate patients with a statement of diagnosis and a doctor's note," said Larsen. full story

Bolivian leader Evo Morales on Thursday accused the US government of encouraging drug-trafficking as he explained his decision to banish the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Morales, a staunch opponent of the Washington government, said the staff from the US agency had three months to prepare to leave the country, because "the DEA did not respect the police, or even the (Bolivian) armed forces." full story

Ever wonder how often police officers lie? The answer, according to retired Winnipeg police constable Bruce Day, is - a lot more often than you might think. Day is releasing his new autobiographical novel Hey Cop, and it's not all fond remembrances and compliments. Consider this following passage from the book, which officially launches Friday night in Winnipeg: "Actually, the lies go far deeper than even I realized. As I interview police officers, I find out that literally everything internal is built upon a system of intricate lies." full story

OTTAWA — Opposition Members of Parliament, including Liberals who have worked on justice issues, say they would plunge the country into another federal election before agreeing to a slate of Conservative proposals that would see convicted criminals treated more harshly. (Contact your MP and tell them to vote down any anti-drug laws!) The measures, including tougher penalties for young offenders and the reduced use of conditional sentences that allow criminals to serve their time at home, are likely to be among the first tests of Liberal willingness to challenge Stephen Harper's new minority government. full story

Election Day was a success for marijuana initiatives across the country, thanks to the work of the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), and numerous state and local groups. full story

Marijuana Policy Project's initiative to legalize medical marijuana passed in Michigan and the marijuana decriminalization initiative passed in Massachusetts. MPP and allies across the country passed 9 out of 10 marijuana-related ballot initiatives and defeated a bad initiative. Click here to review the ballot initiatives! full story

Updated November 14th, 2008: The extradition hearing has been rescheduled for June 1-5th, 2009 with an appearance February 9-13th for applications. Canadians Marc Emery, Michelle Rainey and Greg Williams, collectively known as the BC3, are fighting extradition to the USA and possible life imprisonment. In March 2008, the Canadian Government decided to turn down a plea deal the USA and Marc Emery had arranged, which means the extradition process resumes. See the No Extradition forum in the CC Forums for more information and discussion. full story