CANNABIS CULTURE – Watch CCN LIVE for the latest on pot politics and the cannabis community. Today on the show: Veteran Pot Activist Ted Smith joins CC Editor Jeremiah Vandermeer to discuss the Canadian crackdown on marijuana and efforts to fight back through activism.

Ted Smith has been fighting for the rights of marijuana users for years, and has taken his licks along the way. His dispensary, The Cannabis Buyers Club, will celebrate its 15th anniversary this month. That makes it the oldest medical marijuana dispensary in the world still in operation, according to Smith’s research.

We’ll also talk about Smith other projects including International Medical Marijuana Week, The International Hempology 101 Society, upcoming Cannabis Conventions, and the raid and upcoming trial of the Cannabis Buyers Club Bakery.

Then we’ll look at the expanding war on Canada’s cannabis community by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the reigning Conservative Party. Harper and his goons are pushing mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent marijuana crimes and spending billions of taxpayer dollars on expanding prisons.

WATCH BELOW AT 4 PM PACIFIC – TODAY

You can also watch live episodes of CCN LIVE as they happen at the CCN LIVE USTREAM Page.

Click here to sign up for a USTREAM account so you can chat in the box below during the show.

Articles and videos discussed on today’s show:

International Hempology 101 Society
http://www.hempology.ca/

Cannabis Buyers Club of Canada
http://www.cbc-canada.ca/

International Medical Marijuana Week
http://www.hempology.ca/2011/01/12/international-medical-marijuana-week

Victoria Marijuana ‘Bakery’ Raided
https://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/victoria-marijuana-bakery-raided

1st Cannabis Convention at UBC Presented by Hempology101 and the SJC
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=153837661333224

Doctor Says 6-Month Delay for Pot Permits Stressful
https://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/2010/08/31/Doctor-Says-6-Month-Delay-Pot-Permits-Stressful

Health Canada is Far Behind on Medical Marijuana Licences
https://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/2010/12/22/Health-Canada-Far-Behind-Medical-Marijuana-Licences

Pot Licenses Still Taking Months to Deliver
https://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/2011/01/10/Pot-Licenses-Still-Taking-Months-Deliver

Cops quiet on details of medicinal pot bust
http://www.canada.com/Cops+quiet+details+medicinal+bust/4013085/story.html

Equipment returned broken, medical marijuana user says
http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2921146

Medical Marijuana Grower Has Power Cut Due To Government Licence Delay
https://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/2010/12/21/Medical-Marijuana-Grower-Has-Power-Cut-Due-Government-Licence-Delay

War on grow-ops in B.C. has unexpected casualties
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/war-on-grow-ops-in-bc-has-unexpected-casualties/article1866458/

Mission homeowner fined $5,200 for growing cucumbers
http://www.theprovince.com/news/Mission+homeowner+fined+growing+cucumbers/4083756/story.html

Canadian Supreme Court Says Police Can Spy on Power Use
https://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/2010/11/24/Canadian-Supreme-Court-Says-Police-Can-Spy-Power-Use

Botched Police Raid Shocks Quebec Man
https://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/2011/01/10/Botched-Police-Raid-Shocks-Quebec-Man

Toronto Police Used Violent Force in Compassion Club Raid
https://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/2010/04/02/Toronto-Police-Used-Violent-Force-Compassion-Club-Raid

Quebec Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Raided, Arrests Planned
https://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/2010/06/03/Medical-Marijuana-Clubs-Raided-Quebec

Sixth Marijuana Clinic Opens in Vancouver
https://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/2011/01/12/Sixth-Marijuana-Clinic-Opens-Vancouver

Forfeiture act can hurt the innocent
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Forfeiture+hurt+innocent/4101949/story.html

B.C. government pockets more than $15 million from assets of criminals
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/government+pockets+more+than+million+from+assets+criminals/4095637/story.html

BC Medical Marijuana Growers to Pay Tax on Illegal Income
https://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/2011/01/06/BC-Medical-Marijuana-Growers-Pay-Tax-Illegal-Income

Most Mandatory Minimums Sentences don’t work – US Drug Czar
http://whyprohibition.ca/blogs/jacob-hunter/most-mandatory-minimums-sentences-dont-work-us-drug-czar

Canadian Conservatives Attempt to Enact “Inhumane, Unjust” Anti-Pot Law
https://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/2010/12/06/Canadian-Conservatives-Attempt-Enact-Inhumane-Unjust-Anti-Pot-Law

Senate Quietly Passes Bill S-10 and Mandatory Minimums For Marijuana
https://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/2010/12/14/Senate-Quietly-Passes-Bill-S-10-and-Mandatory-Minimums-Marijuana

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff: Legalizing Marijuana Would Create Problems
https://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/2010/03/16/Liberal-Leader-Michael-Ignatieff-Legalizing-Marijuana-Would-Create-Problems

Ignatieff Says Liberals Will Reintroduce Marijuana Decriminalization Bill
https://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/2010/09/30/Ignatieff-Says-Liberals-Will-Reintroduce-Marijuana-Decriminalization-Bill

Conservatives to Waste Billions Locking Up Marijuana Users
https://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/node/25069

Critics say Harper government throwing prison expansion money away
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/919371–critics-say-harper-government-throwing-prison-expansion-money-away

Government faces hard sell for thousands of new jail cells
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/government-faces-hard-sell-for-thousands-of-new-jail-cells/article1864948/

Day says new prisons needed for ‘unreported crimes’
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20100803/stockwell-day-crime-100803/

Prohibition of Marijuana is Responsible for Much of the Gang Violence in Vancouver and Elsewhere
https://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/2010/12/28/Prohibition-Marijuana-Responsible-Much-Gang-Violence-Vancouver-and-Elsewhere

Surprise – Drug War Now Killing More People Than War in Afghanistan
https://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/2011/01/10/Surprise-Drug-War-Now-Killing-More-People-War-Afghanistan

Jeremiah Vandermeer is editor of Cannabis Culture. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.