HOLLYWOOD, CA — Thank God this white man can jump – from near obscurity to filming, “Friends with Benefits” starring Justin Timberlake, SNL’s Andy Samberg and “That ‘70s Show” hottie Mila Kunis to an upcoming “Zombieland” sequel. Harrelson is back with a perma-grin.

“Do you want to get the first question in while I’m still coherent?” Harrelson asks.

These days, the film star and “Cheers” Emmy winner is as busy as Jonas Hill at a Cypress Hill concert, recently joining an all-star cast in the soon-to-film Will Gluck directed “Friends with Benefits,” which begins shooting in August. The story depicts Timberlake as a headhunter attempting a no-strings-attached affair with a female magazine editor friend, played by cutie Kunis. He soon falls for her, despite the fact she’s dating someone else. The film also stars Patricia Clarkson and A-Rod in his acting debut.

An avid industrial hemp activist (known to some as Doobyville), Harrelson has acquired a loyal following both in the environmental movement, where he pioneered legalizing marijuana before Jordan Catalano made it cool, and in Hollywood. He’s been nominated for an Oscar (portraying porn king Larry Flynt and this year for “The Messenger”) a Golden Globe, a SAG Award, five MTV Movie Awards – one for “Best Kiss” opposite Juliette Lewis and even a Razzie. His roles careen from comedic to more incendiary turns.

“And why Oliver having seen only “Cheers” and “White Men Can’t Jump” – how he could possibly think I would be the right guy, I don’t know,” Harrelson says.

Tales of underdogs banding together to win the money and the girl in “Kingpin” and “White Men Can’t Jump” lent way to more provocative territory. Harrelson surprised critics and right wing conservatives as the vengeful but impossibly loveable mass-murderer Mickey Knox in Oliver Stone’s misinterpreted ‘94 sleeper “Natural Born Killers.”

Though he admits he wouldn’t accept the part if it were offered today, he doesn’t regret doing such a controversial flick.

Then came “Indecent Proposal.” Harrelson and Demi Moore pushed the boundaries of social norms and every freaked-out married person’s buttons, adding a new twist in pop culture’s lexicon with a term as unforgettable as O.P.P.

Undoubtedly, all of this Texas-native’s films vary thematically, but are interlaced with one common factor – they are stained with rebellion.

Harrelson’s father Charles was a convicted freelance contract killer, who later died in a maximum security prison. (He shares his father’s birthday) Even with this potentially genetic disposition to violence, the avid Radiohead fan rose to an uncertain fame as the friendly neighborhood bartender from Hanover with deep dimples. The last person on Earth you’d fear in a dark downtown alleyway.

He has lived in eco-communities in Costa Rica and Maui, where he currently resides with his wife Laura and their three daughters, ages 3, 13 and 16, whom he coined “The Goddess Trilogy.” Makani Ravello, his 3-year old, means Rebel Wind.

“They’re not communes,” he says, leaning back into the plush gray couch in his room on the 5th floor at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills. “They are like…farmhouses. There’s no main current. Everything is sustainable. But it’s all separate.”

Still, living like the Amish in a place where cockroaches are known to fly, sounds like hitchhiking naked on Santa Monica Boulevard to most Angelenos.

As an environmental advocate Harrelson has gone so far as to scale the Golden Gate Bridge – an act he now says didn’t amount to much – protesting against deforestation. Promoting a vegan, mostly raw diet, he admits to gardening naked and recently endured a 40-day fast. He and his wife erected VoiceYourself.com, a portal to educate and inspire eco-activists, which he often blogs on. Despite these efforts, and a cameo in last year’s Sundance-winning biodiesel sweetheart, “Fuel” Harrelson says he “lacks leadership skills” and “could do more” to aid the planet.

“Because you can really feel like you’re just putting out fires in the environmental movement,” Harrelson admits. “If you stop them from drilling here, they go drill somewhere else. If you tell them they can’t cut down this forest, they go somewhere and cut just to build their…” “Parking lots,” I interrupt then stare at Woody, who seems to be waiting for the perfect time to interject, “golf courses.”

“My suggestion is that we don’t wait for politicians and industries to change the way things are… I have always believed that personal transformation equals planetary transformation,” Harrelson writes on his Voice Yourself site. He reiterates this in person, when asked of his wish for President Obama and the First Lady. “Everything seems to be in the grip of the industry in this country. You gotta be able to stand up to that.”

With his trademark ability to run the gamut from political to Peter Pan boyishness, Woody lingers halfway between elaborating on his previous point and uncorking with clever laughter. Instead, he bolts up to call Room Service for more wine. “Hey bra. Can I get another bottle of Pinot Noir…” the room goes silent. “What? Valet?” By Darrah Le Montre. Source.

TORONTO — A three-day expo, which kicks off Friday in Toronto, is being billed as the first convention ever held in Canada to promote the use of medical marijuana, with organizers expecting as many as 30,000 people from around the world to attend.

The Medical Marijuana and Hemp Show will be held at the Metro Convention Centre, the same downtown location where leaders from the G20 countries met just three weeks ago.

The size and scope of the event, featuring exhibitors from around the globe, educational seminars with doctors and even a hemp fashion and cooking show, is a big step toward legitimatizing the multimillion-dollar industry, said event organizer Marco Renda.

“We’re trying to educate people on responsible use,” said Renda, 50. “These people could be your neighbours, your lawyers, your mothers and fathers. They could be your doctors.”

Renda, a Toronto resident who publishes a magazine for cannabis users called Treating Yourself, said the prohibition of the herb has made users uneducated and afraid to share their experiences with others.

“This expo is a family event. I encourage parents to bring their children,” said Renda, who uses cannabis to treat arthritis. “There’s no marijuana being sold or distributed at the show. Everything we’re doing is within the law.”

People from Hawaii, Hong Kong and the U.K. were expected to arrive for the expo, which will also feature a 4,600 square foot vapour lounge, allowing patients with a license, to use medicinal marijuana on-site in a communal environment. Attendees will have to supply their own product to use the lounge, which Renda said will be the largest ever in the world.

Health Canada has approved the use of medical marijuana for certain health conditions ranging from pain management to cerebral palsy, to mental illness since 1999.

Nearly 5,000 Canadians have an approved license to possess marijuana.

Despite this, Renda believes there are thousands of others who use the drug illegally for their health, fuelling an underground industry that puts approved users and growers at risk of home invasions and robberies.

He argues that if complete legalization occurs, patients can then get their medical marijuana at the pharmacy like any other drug.

The issue has been a contentious one for decades. Last month, a number of medical marijuana clubs were raided in Montreal, Toronto and B.C.

In May, Canada’s self-described Prince of Pot, Marc Emery was extradited to the United States on drug charges. Emery, 51, plead guilty to conspiracy to manufacture marijuana for alleging selling cannabis seeds in the United States. He remains in detention in Seattle until his sentencing.

According to his website, Emery claimed he made $3 million a year and has sold more than four million seeds.

For Allan Graham, medical marijuana saved his life.

Graham, 48, from Campbellford, Ont., was diagnosed seven years ago with Chron’s Disease, a digestive tract disorder. He found himself unable to eat, sleep and was in pain most days. At one point, he found himself taking up to 32 pills a day, including morphine.

When he approached his doctor with the idea of using cannabis as a pain reliever and as a way to increase his appetite, he was shot down.

“It took two years for me to get educated. I spent a lot of that time talking with my doctor, who is quite traditional,” said Graham. “Eventually, he signed my paperwork. Many doctors are just not trained on this in school. A lot of them are being educated by their patients.”

Graham, who lights up about five cigarette-sized joints a day, said medical marijuana is something he plans on taking for the rest of his life.

“If I didn’t have this, I believe I would’ve ended up in a situation where I would always be on a narcotic pain pill,” he said. “There are a lot of people who start off with OxyContin, Percocet and maybe if a doctor stops providing them, it doesn’t mean they stop taking them. That is a concern, seeing what happens to other people.”

Martin Birzle, owner of Roor, a company specializing in glass products for smoking marijuana, came from Germany to set up a booth at the weekend expo. He has attended about 50 conventions in the last few years and said fear over the legalization of marijuana is universal.

“People in general, think it’s a drug, that people who take it become stupid or that it’s not good for you,” he said. “They think you should follow the rules and all those things. I just look forward to the day when everything is more free.”

The Medical Marijuana and Hemp Show runs from June 16 to 18 at the Metro Convention Centre. For more information, visit http://www.medicalmarijuana-hempexpo.com