cars not allowed in walk friendly Christiania, Denmark

Christiania, Denmark

Christiania is a as self-proclaimed independent community of about 850 people in the city of Copenhagen, Denmark. Christiania was founded in 1971 when a group of hippies moved in abandoned military barracks in Copenhagen.

This neighborhood is accessible only through two main entrances which are blocked by road block robots to prevent visitors from driving into Christiania. Cars are not permitted. Only cargo transport is allowed through these gates. You have to walk in this community and you can walk as much as you want. Therefore, Christiania is a definitely a popular walk friendly community.

The people in Christiania follow some of their own rules independent of the Danish government. Such rules include no cars, no stealing, no guns, no bulletproof vests, and no hard drugs. Even Danish laws banning smoking in public places (workplaces, restaurants, bars and clubs) are not enforced in Christiania.

However, the cannabis trade is permitted in this town. Since its opening in 1974, Christiania has been famous for its centrally located 'Pusher Street' where cannabis is sold openly.

Christiania is one of the greatest tourist attractions in Copenhagen and a great place to enjoy a walk.

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SOURCE:

http://www.christiania.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freetown_Christiania

I went to Christiana - Viceland Today

$5,200 fine for growing cucumber

Len Gratto, a 67-year-old man, has lived for 30 years with his wife in their house in Mission, British Columbia, Canada.  Recently, he was fined $5,200 by Mission city hall for growing cucumbers in his basement.

$5,200 cucumber

Apparently, for drug enforcement reasons, Mission City’s Grow-op bylaw programs allow municipal inspectors to enter homes with abnormally high hydro usage and look for evidence of illegal marijuana grow-ops for public safety reasons. Inspectors don’t have to find marijuana grow-ops, but if they find supposed residual evidence, such as high mould readings, they levy search fees and order repairs. If homeowners don’t comply, homes are tagged under the bylaw and effectively condemned as unsafe, and unsellable. Mission has collected $1.43 million in fines from Public Safety Inspection Team searches since 2008. From 2008 to 2010, there were 362 searches.

Len Gratto states that he has never grown marijuana and the ridiculous evidence against him are pictures of some “dirt” on the basement wall and a furnace pipe going up into the chimney, where it should be. He says he and many other Mission residents are being unfairly searched, embarrassed and fined and there is no way in hell he will pay $5,200  fine.

Instead, Len Gratto is planning to join an "imminent class action" law suit against the city, Mission, for hitting him with a 5,200 inspection fee. The British Columbia Civil Liberties Association is also expected to join the battle against Mission,

View the original article here

raw milk is banned but marijuana is no problem in Humboldt California

The government agencies, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC). have long demonized raw milk as a public health menace and continue to advice against consuming unpasteurized milk. However the available data does not seem so alarming. CDC statistics show 1,791 total illnesses from raw dairy and 1,609 raw-milk illnesses over 33 years between 1973 and 2005, which amount to an average of just 54 illnesses nationwide. These figures appear miniscule compared to casualties inflicted by other issues such as, alcohol, tobacco, legal prescription drugs, traffic accidents and guns.

Humboldt, marijuana capital

Raw milk fans continue to advocate superiority of raw milk. According to Grist, about 20 states in the country forbid sale of raw milk. California has the most permissive laws in the country with regard to distribution of raw milk -- allowing not only raw milk, but other raw dairy products like butter, kefir, and cream to be sold via retail. However, Humboldt County, in northern California, has long held to a local ban on raw milk sales. The county's ban is being challenged by the state's largest raw milk producer, Organic Pastures Dairy Co., and its founder, Mark McAfee. Raw milk is produced by this company in California and sold into 400 stores and consumed by 50,000 people per week,

Interesting thing is marijuana is a legal crop in Humboldt and it may be the marijuana capital of America. Humboldt marijuana is well known and has even been mentioned in Business week. There are about 78,000 people in Humboldt County between the ages of 18 and 65, and many locals would guess that, at minimum, 50% are involved in the marijuana production industry in some way.