Are there ary prohibitive laws about the selling of therapeutic herbs in Canada? I seem to remember there was quite a selection of them in a drugstore in Banff, cos I bought some, but I know that the EU are doing their nuts about herbal rememdies at the moment, and high dise vitamins.

I'd like to be able to carry on with herbs for 'girls problems' like agnus castus, black cohosh etc, but are they easy to buy over there?

Of course they're easy to get hold of. Remember, this is a country where you can still buy paracetomol by the truck-load.

In my bathroom cabinet I have a bottle of Jamieson's Stress-ease. I think it's essentially a pumped-up B-complex. The label has the words "herbal", "therapeutic" and "high-dose". They work, by the way, even if they do turn your pi$$ a funny colour.

Oh, cool

Yep, High Strength vitamin B will do that....can be quite disconcerting to find your wee is bright yellow, but you get used to it

I come from a weird country where you can buy fags and booze, and they are all but legalising weed...yet they want to ban high strength naturally derived vitamins, and therapeutic herbal remedies because 'thay are unsafe'

Go figure.

Bright yellow? Try luminous green. Must be the alfalfa, kelp, parsley and watercress. Perhaps that's why the life insurance company is sending me for a second medical exam.

Blimey. Mine's more of a bright luminous yellow, kind of day-glo - but not quite green...I guess it affects different people in different ways

I'm glad I'm not the only one with day-glo pee. I got quite a shock the first time I saw it.

I know...can certainly be a bit disconcerting!!!!

There are loads of therapeutic organic 'erbs' in BC. All very easy to get hold of

And I'm sure they turn your pee, like, man, a rainbow.

"Hey, dude, look at my pee. It's gone from see-thru to red!!!"

"Sure. Now please stop doing that with my blender".

'tis true - just because something is 'natural', it doesn't automatically make it safe!! Digitalis ('natural' because it is derived from the Foxglove flower), saved my daughter's life - BUT it is a very powerful and dangerous drug if not administered with extreme care! There are many natural over the counter remedies and supplements that can interfere with the bodies metabolism of some vital prescription medicines; so some concern is not unjustified! Though I think banning is extreme, because I believe natural is the way to go where possible, and that the two could, and shoud be used to complement each other.

Health Canada is beginning regulation of natural and herbal products, according to this article: http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/n...a2fafb&k=38700

To answer your Q's about stores though - yes, there are plenty of places in Calgary where you can get all the natural/herbal stuff your little heart cold possibly desire!

Here are a couple of links for you:

Organic stores/markets:
www.amaranthfoods.ca

www.planetorganic.ca

http://www.sunterramarket.com/st/index.asp

Organic/Vegetarian restaurants:
http://www.thecoup.ca/

http://www.buddhasveggie.com/

http://www.river-cafe.com/index.php (My fave place in Calgary to eat!!!)

I'm sure there are lots more - I just did a quick 'google'

Mwahaaaa so that's why Bleech was at ER last week

Seriously, plenty of 'erb in BC, more than you can shake a joss stick at

Rich.