(21 November '02 fax from James Burton) Documents recently received from James Burton of the Stichting Institute of Medical Marijuana, in Rotterdam (Note : "Stichting" is a Dutch word which roughly translates as "non-profit organization".) :
- Page one of the incorporation papers of the Stichting from Notary A. C. J. Ewoldt on October 27, 1993.
- Newspaper article of April 10, 2002 , announcing that medical marijuana from the stichting would soon be available in Dutch pharmacies ; purchases for eligible patients to be paid for by Dutch medical insurance policies ("ziekenfonds").
- Another similar newspaper article from the "Agrarisch Dagblad" (Dutch for "Daily Agriculture Newspaper") on May 14, 2002.
Other news from James Burton :
James has recently been interviewed on the national Dutch TV program, Nova, and an article in Het Parool , one of Holland's largest newspapers, appeared on November 16, 2002. You may view the Nov. 16 article by paying for it (!!!)
James reports that his price for prescription medical marijuana is now 3 Euro's per gram (about U.S.$3.00), and that he has about 1000 customers. He and Linda are often working 12 - 18 hour days growing and harvesting marijuana to keep up with demand which is increasing daily.
NOTE : The current NORML Canada web maintainer, Bill Carroll, was given a referal by Dion Markgraff to interview James when he announced the formation of the SIMM back in Oct. 1993. This interview became part of TAPE 2, of the series, Legal Marijuana in Holland ; We Are Not Criminals ; The Dutch Moral Majority Speak, produced and marketed by Ninth Article Productions , my own video enterprise. At that time, Dion was a partner at the "hemp information center" near central station, C)annabis I)n A)msterdam, run by a trio of young American hemp entrepreneurs ; Dion, Adam, and Doug. Dion later split with his partners, and among other things, ran the activist goup, Green Prisoner Release Amsterdam (GPRA), which was formed to protest the incarceration of marijuana (and other herbal drugs) users, growers, and dealers. (Yours truly was a member of GPRA from July '96 until Dec. '96 while editing this website.)Dion and GPRA received a High Times Cannabis Cup award in November 1996 for their protests against the Dutch government's deportation proceedings of two American "pot refugee's" from Arkansas, Les and Cheryl Mooring. The Dutch government deported Les and Cheryl anyway, who were then incarcerated in the U.S. Dion eventually returned to San Diego where he became involved in the medical marijuana movement there, while his two former partners still operate Hempworks, Amsterdam's first hemp store (this store eventually closed. I don't know the date).
The "Cannabis College" still operates today in downtown Amsterdam, teaching people how to grow marijuana using advanced indoor techniques (with respect for outdoor traditions) in the same place where GPRA used to have their meetings.
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