Campaign Informs Users of Consequences Not so long ago, Myles Murphy popped "E" caps like they were candy. He and his two buddies would pool their money to buy 21 ecstasy pills during the week from a dealer in school or on the street. Then on the weekend, they'd steal away to someone's basement and throw "mini-raves" for themselves, glow sticks and all. "I couldn't stop, right? It became just something I needed, I liked," said Murphy, who was introduced to the drug in Grade 9 at a party with a bunch of older kids. [continues 1119 words]
Not so long ago, Myles Murphy popped "E" caps like they were candy. He and his two buddies would pool their money to buy 21 ecstasy pills during the week from a dealer in school or on the street. Then on the weekend, they'd steal away to someone's basement and throw "mini- raves" for themselves, glow sticks and all. "I couldn't stop, right? It became just something I needed, I liked," said Murphy, who was introduced to the drug in Grade 9 at a party with a bunch of older kids. [continues 865 words]
Need for New Ingredients Cited Not so long ago, Myles Murphy popped "E" caps like they were candy. He and his two buddies would pool their money to buy 21 ecstasy pills during the week from a dealer in school or on the street. Then on the weekend, they'd steal away to someone's basement and throw "mini-raves" for themselves, glow sticks and all. "I couldn't stop, right? It became just something I needed, I liked," said Murphy, who was introduced to the drug in Grade 9 at a party with a bunch of older kids. [continues 688 words]
People who buy the drug have no idea what's in the pills or whether they may turn out to be lethal, writes Douglas Quan. Not so long ago, Myles Murphy popped "E" caps like they were candy. He and his two buddies would pool their money to buy 21 ecstasy pills during the week from a dealer in school or on the street. Then on the weekend, they'd steal away to someone's basement and throw "mini-raves" for themselves, glow sticks and all. [continues 1182 words]
The RCMP has scrapped plans to send hundreds of officers to Arizona for training in recognizing and testing drugimpaired drivers after learning that the sheriff 's office they had partnered with has been accused of engaging in "unconstitutional policing." A scathing U.S. Department of Justice report recently concluded that the Maricopa County Sheriff 's Office in Phoenix engages in racial profiling of Latinos, unlawfully stops and arrests Latinos and unlawfully retaliates against individuals who criticize the force. An RCMP official stressed Monday that at no time were Maricopa County sheriff 's officers going to be involved in teaching the Canadians and that the only role of the sheriff 's office was to provide access to people in custody at a remand centre who could be evaluated for drug-impairment. [continues 120 words]
Scathing Report on Sheriff's Office Behind Decision The RCMP has scrapped plans to send hundreds of officers to Arizona for training in recognizing and testing drug-impaired drivers after learning that the sheriff's office they had partnered with has been accused of engaging in "unconstitutional policing." A scathing U.S. Department of Justice report recently concluded that the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office in Phoenix engages in racial profiling of Latinos, unlawfully stops and arrests Latinos and unlawfully retaliates against individuals who criticize the force. [continues 547 words]
The RCMP have scrapped plans to send hundreds of officers to Arizona for training in recognizing and testing drug-impaired drivers after learning that the sheriff's office they had partnered with has been accused of engaging in "unconstitutional policing." A scathing U.S. Department of Justice report recently concluded that the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office in Phoenix engages in racial profiling of Latinos, unlawfully stops and arrests Latinos and unlawfully retaliates against individuals who criticize the force. The seriousness of the allegations prompted the RCMP to cancel its training sessions, said Insp. Allan Lucier. Email to a friendEmail to a friendPrinter friendlyPrinter friendly Font: AddThis Social Bookmark Button [continues 208 words]
The RCMP has scrapped plans to send hundreds of officers to Arizona for training in recognizing and testing drug-impaired drivers after learning that the sheriff's office they had partnered with has been accused of engaging in "unconstitutional policing." A scathing U.S. Department of Justice report recently concluded that the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office in Phoenix engages in racial profiling of Latinos, unlawfully stops and arrests Latinos and unlawfully retaliates against individuals who criticize the force. An RCMP official stressed Monday that at no time were Maricopa County sheriff's officers going to be involved in teaching the Canadians and that the only role of the sheriff's office's was to provide access to people in custody at a remand centre who could be evaluated for drug-impairment. [continues 276 words]
Scathing Rights Report in U.S. Prompts Move The RCMP has scrapped plans to send hundreds of officers to Arizona for training in recognizing and testing drug-impaired drivers after learning that the sheriff's office they had partnered with has been accused of engaging in "unconstitutional policing." A scathing U.S. Department of Justice report recently concluded that the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office in Phoenix engages in racial profiling of Latinos, unlawfully stops and arrests Latinos and unlawfully retaliates against individuals who criticize the force. [continues 392 words]
The federal government has sent a letter to Spain's new prime minister asking that a Canadian man detained in that country for more than two years receive a trial as soon as possible. Philip Halliday, 55, of Digby, N.S., has been held in a Spanish jail on drug-trafficking charges since December 2009 without a trial date. His wife, Sheree Halliday, said she recently learned that Diane Ablonczy, minister of state for foreign affairs, wrote a letter to Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, urging that "on compassionate humanitarian grounds and due to serious health conditions Mr. Halliday receive a timely trial." [continues 110 words]
They were designed to empower citizens to take action against neighbourhood drug dens and bawdy houses. But laws passed in several provinces that allow officials to shutter homes and businesses suspected of regularly being used for illegal activity could come under fresh scrutiny. A Nova Scotia couple who were ordered out of their home after a judge found they were likely selling and using drugs on the property have appealed their eviction to that province's highest court, arguing the standard used to evict them was too low. [continues 301 words]
A federal judge has ruled that a Vancouver man was blowing smoke when he claimed that he should be allowed to smoke up to seven grams of marijuana - about 35 joints - every day for religious purposes. Christopher Bennett is a member of the Church of the Universe, which believes cannabis is the "tree of life." He tried to argue that Canada's drug laws infringed upon his religious rights. But in a detailed 21-page ruling, Judge Michel Shore said Bennett failed to show that his marijuana consumption "has any nexus with religion." [continues 534 words]
VANCOUVER - A federal judge has ruled that a member of the Church of the Universe, which believes cannabis is the "tree of life," has failed to show that his marijuana consumption "has any nexus with religion." Christopher Bennett, who claimed that he should be allowed to smoke up to seven grams of marijuana - about 35 joints - every day for religious purposes, argued that Canada's drug laws infringed upon his religious rights. But in a 21-page ruling, Judge Michel Shore wrote, "While the applicant has shown that his practice is based on the belief that cannabis is the tree of life, this, in and of itself, does not make it a religious practice." [continues 147 words]
Even Dead Birds Used to Sneak in Contraband, Committee Hears Smugglers continue to find novel ways to get drugs to Canada's federal inmates, including launching tennis balls -- even dead birds -- filled with contraband over perimeter fences and into exercise yards, a parliamentary committee heard Thursday. In some cases, outsiders shoot arrows over prison walls with drugs stuffed in their shafts or taped around them, while in other instances drugs will be delivered using old-fashioned slingshots, said Don Head, commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada. [continues 331 words]
A Multimillion-Dollar Drug Bust in Southern Ontario Could Decide Whether Police Can Conceal the Names of Fellow Officers WHO Tip Them Off, Writes Douglas Quan. When Niagara Regional Police took down one of Ontario's largest marijuana-grow operations three years ago, they compared it to "winning the World Series." But last month, the case unravelled when a judge stayed charges against two of the accused after it came to light that detectives had deliberately withheld from the Crown the fact that their tipster was an off-duty cop from another police agency. [continues 552 words]
There's No Consistent Method to Find Out If a Home Has a Toxic Past Or Not Gord McCrea and Susan Kammerle bought a home on a quiet cul-de-sac in Maple Ridge last year on the understanding that a marijuana growing operation that once occupied the basement had been small and that there hadn't been any major tampering with the home's infrastructure. Provincial court and municipal documents, however, reveal that the basement growing operation busted by police in May 2008 consisted of almost 900 plants and that city inspectors ordered the replacement, cleaning, fixing or testing of the home's air ducts, gas lines, water lines, plumbing fixtures, and circuits. [continues 611 words]
No Consistent Way To Find Out If The Home You'Re Interested In Purchasing Has A Toxic Past Gord McCrea and Susan Kammerle bought a home on a quiet cul-de-sac in Maple Ridge last year on the understanding that a marijuana growing operation that once occupied the basement had been small and that there hadn't been any major tampering with the home=92s infrastructure. Provincial Court and municipal documents, however, reveal that the basement growing operation busted by police in May 2008 consisted of almost 900 plants and that city inspectors ordered the replacement, cleaning, fixing or testing of the home's air ducts, gas lines, water lines, plumbing fixtures and circuits. [continues 608 words]
Homeowners Across The Country Face Challenges Obtaining Detailed Information Gord McCrea and Susan Kammerle bought a home on the understanding that a marijuana grow-operation once occupied the basement. But they didn't know the extent of it. Gord McCrea and Susan Kammerle bought a home on a quiet cul-de-sac in Maple Ridge, B.C., last year on the understanding that a marijuana grow-operation that once occupied the basement had been small and that there hadn't been any major tampering with the home's infrastructure. [continues 612 words]
Cops Hosed Down Suspects, 'Ignored' Their Rights A judge has tossed out all evidence seized in a massive Richmond-based ecstasy-production investigation. The controversial move came after B.C. Provincial Court Judge Paul R. Meyers found that RCMP officers "ignored" the Charter rights of five suspects to such a degree that "one might have thought that the investigation took place before the Charter of Rights had been enacted." In a 34-page ruling, the judge took officers to task for hosing down two half-naked suspects outside their home in the cold, failing to bring in interpreters to read suspects their rights, failing to allow suspects to read warrants and not filing court documents in a timely manner. [continues 384 words]
A B.C. judge has tossed out all evidence seized in a massive Richmondbased ecstasy-production investigation after finding that RCMP officers "ignored" the Charter rights of five suspects to such a degree that "one might have thought that the investigation took place before the Charter of Rights had been enacted." In a 34-page ruling, the judge took officers to task for hosing down two half-naked suspects outside their home in the cold, failing to bring in interpreters to read suspects their rights, failing to allow suspects to read warrants and not filing court documents in a timely manner. [continues 391 words]
B.C. Police Uncover Yet Another Violation Police across the country are increasingly alarmed over the "widespread" abuse of Health Canada issued medical-marijuana licences. On Friday, authorities announced they had arrested three people in Maple Ridge, B.C., who were found to be growing nearly 1,500 plants in a barn, when they had licences to grow only 220. Maple Ridge is 40 kilometres east of Vancouver. RCMP said they seized a helicopter, two pickup trucks and three nine- to 12-metre trailers that could be used as "mobile marijuana grow labs." [continues 326 words]
1 in 3 Are Over Limit; 'Widespread' Abuse of Medical Licences: Police Police across the country are increasingly alarmed over the "widespread" abuse of medical-marijuana licences issued by Health Canada. On Friday, authorities announced they had arrested three people in Maple Ridge, B.C., who were found to be growing nearly 1,500 plants in a barn, when they had licences to grow only 220. Maple Ridge is about 40 kilometres east of Vancouver. The RCMP said they seized a helicopter, two pickup trucks and three 30-to 40-foot trailers that could be used as "mobile marijuana grow labs." [continues 314 words]
Pre-Election Fever Sees Conservatives Throwing Money at Prevention Programs If there was any doubt that law and order will play a role in the Conservative party's federal election campaign, consider this: During a weeklong blitz in March, the Harper government committed $37.5 million to counter youth gangs in British Columbia, nearly $10 million for crime-prevention projects in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and hundreds of thousands of dollars to boost security at community centres and places of worship in Ontario. [continues 392 words]
Law Enforcement. Unmanned Aircraft Patrolling Stretch of Canada-U. S. Border A warning to Canadians smuggling batches of "B. C. bud" or other contraband into the United States: Beware the eyes in the sky. An unmanned plane the U.S. government has been using to patrol North Dakota's northern border since 2009 is now flying along a greater section of America's northern frontier, stretching from Spokane, Wash., to the Lake of the Woods region in Minnesota. Officials with U.S. Customs and Border Protection say the aircraft can transmit live, streaming video and radar images from above the huge swaths of rugged -and remote -terrain that are a haven for criminals sneaking marijuana and ecstasy into the U.S. and cocaine into Canada. [continues 729 words]
Unmanned Plane Patrolling Stretch Of Canada-U. S. Border A warning to Canadians smuggling batches of "B. C. bud" or other contraband into the United States: Beware the eyes in the sky. An unmanned plane the U.S. government has been using to patrol North Dakota's northern border since 2009 is now flying along a greater section of America's northern frontier, stretching from Spokane, Washington, to the Lake of the Woods region in Minnesota. Officials with U.S. Customs and Border Protection say the aircraft can transmit live, streaming video and radar images from above the huge swaths of remote terrain that are a haven for criminals sneaking marijuana and ecstasy into the U.S. and cocaine into Canada. [continues 281 words]
A controversial B.C. law that allows municipalities to inspect homes using large amounts of electricity has helped make neighbourhoods safer and thwarted marijuana-grow operations, says a criminology professor whose research triggered the law. But his comments are unlikely to move outraged citizens in one community, who are girding for a fight with their local council and threatening a class-action lawsuit -- complaining that they've been slapped with unjust and excessive inspection fees and unfairly labelled as criminals. A change in 2006 to the B.C. Safety Standards Act gave municipalities direct access to electricity-consumption data from B.C. Hydro, and the ability to identify homes with unusually high power usage. Armed with that data, public-safety teams, consisting of building, fire and electrical experts, have been inspecting some of these properties after giving homeowners 24- to 48-hours notice. [continues 150 words]
Residents Angry About Fees Threaten Lawsuit A controversial B.C. law that allows municipalities to inspect homes using large amounts of electricity has helped make neighbourhoods safer and thwarted marijuana-grow operations, says a criminology professor whose research triggered the law. But his comments are unlikely to move outraged citizens in the District of Mission, who are girding for a fight with their local council and threatening a class-action lawsuit, complaining that they've been slapped with unjust and excessive inspection fees and unfairly labelled as criminals. [continues 562 words]
The failure of California's marijuana-legalization initiative, Proposition 19, now raises an inevitable question: if not in the left-leaning Golden State, then where? Backers of legalization on both sides of the border insisted Wednesday that the fight was far from over. "We may be disappointed. We're not discouraged. We're certainly not defeated," said Steve Gutwillig, California state director of the pro-legalization Drug Policy Alliance. Like it or not, Prop. 19 has placed the issue of ending prohibition squarely in "mainstream" American politics, he said during a news conference at the downtown Oakland Yes to Prop. 19 headquarters. [continues 319 words]
Pot Growers Go to Great Lengths to Protect Their Production The recent discovery of several wild bears near a marijuana grow-operation in B.C. is just one of many examples of the extraordinary lengths people will sometimes go to protect their pot, police across the country say. While no one on Thursday could recall another instance involving bears, there was a case several years ago involving a crocodile. In 2003, drug officers raided a home in Scarborough, Ont., and found 164 plants growing around a concrete-lined oval pond in the basement. [continues 410 words]
The recent discovery of several wild bears near a marijuana grow-operation in British Columbia is just one of many examples of the extraordinary lengths people will sometimes go to protect their pot, police across the country say. While no one yesterday could recall another instance involving bears, there was a case several years ago involving a crocodile. In 2003, drug officers raided a home in Scarborough, Ont., and found 164 plants growing around a concrete-lined oval pond in the basement. [continues 411 words]
From bears and crocodiles to booby traps and hidden staircases, there's no end to the lengths growers will go to hide their illicit operations, Douglas Quan reports. The recent discovery of several wild bears near a marijuana grow-operation in British Columbia is just one of many examples of the extraordinary lengths people will sometimes go to protect their pot, police across the country say. While no one can recall another instance involving bears, there was a case several years ago involving a crocodile. In 2003, drug officers raided a home in Scarborough, Ont., and found 164 plants growing around a concrete-lined oval pond in the basement. [continues 417 words]
With U.S. Demand Fuelling Much Of B.C.'s Pot Market, Legalization Could Crush The Province's Economy. Douglas Quan Reports. A looming referendum in California on whether to legalize marijuana has fuelled a debate among bloggers and pundits over this question: Could legalization in the United States cripple the Canadian economy? In a column on the Guardian's website this week, B.C. writer Douglas Haddow writes that a move to legalization would be "devastating to the Canadian economy, halting the flow of billions of dollars from the U.S. into Canada." [continues 437 words]
Referendum Fuels Debate on Future of Province's $4-Billion Industry A looming referendum in California on whether to legalize marijuana has fuelled a debate among bloggers and pundits over this question: Could legalization in the United States cripple the Canadian economy? In a column on the Guardian's website this week, B.C. writer Douglas Haddow writes that a move to legalization would be "devastating to the Canadian economy, halting the flow of billions of dollars from the U.S. into Canada." [continues 599 words]
Referendum on Legalization Is on the Way A looming referendum in California on whether to legalize marijuana has fuelled a debate among bloggers and pundits over this question: Could legalization in the United States cripple the Canadian economy? In a column on the Guardian's website this week, B.C. writer Douglas Haddow writes that a move to legalization would be "devastating to the Canadian economy, halting the flow of billions of dollars from the U.S. into Canada." B.C. marijuana activist Marc Emery -- the self-styled "Prince of Pot" who is awaiting sentencing in the U.S. for distributing cannabis seeds -- recently told a Vancouver indie website that "the homegrown market will evaporate." [continues 563 words]
Marijuana Legalization in California Could Hurt Canada's Economy, Experts Say A looming referendum in California on whether to legalize marijuana has fuelled a debate among bloggers and pundits over this question: Could legalization in the United States cripple the Canadian economy? In a column on the Guardian's website this week, B.C. writer Douglas Haddow writes that a move to legalization would be "devastating to the Canadian economy, halting the flow of billions of dollars from the U.S. into Canada." [continues 562 words]
A looming referendum in California on whether to legalize marijuana has fuelled a debate among bloggers and pundits over this question: In a column on the Guardian's website this week, B.C. writer Douglas Haddow writes that a move to legalization would be "devastating to the Canadian economy, halting the flow of billions of dollars from the U.S. into Canada." B.C. marijuana activist Marc Emery - the selfstyled "Prince of Pot" who is awaiting sentencing in the U.S. for distributing cannabis seeds - - recently told a Vancouver indie website that "the homegrown market will evaporate." [continues 570 words]
A looming referendum in California on whether to legalize marijuana has fuelled a debate among bloggers and pundits over this question: Could legalization in the United States cripple the Canadian economy? In a column on the Guardian's website this week, B.C. writer Douglas Haddow writes that a move to legalization would be "devastating to the Canadian economy, halting the flow of billions of dollars from the U.S. into Canada." B.C. marijuana activist Marc Emery - the self-styled "Prince of Pot" who is awaiting sentencing in the U.S. for distributing cannabis seeds - - recently told a Vancouver indie website that "the homegrown market will evaporate." [continues 455 words]
Underground Economy Could Be Gutted If Californians Vote to Legalize Marijuana A looming referendum in California on whether to legalize marijuana has fuelled a debate among bloggers and pundits over this question: Could legalization in the United States cripple the Canadian economy? In a column on the website of the British newspaper The Guardian, B.C. writer Douglas Haddow writes that legalization would be "devastating to the Canadian economy, halting the flow of billions of dollars from the U.S. into Canada." [continues 599 words]
Two years after Ottawa passed a controversial law that gave police new powers to go after drugged-up drivers, opinion is divided over how much of a difference the law has made and whether those police powers can hold up in court. Under the law, which came into effect in July 2008, an officer who suspects a driver may be impaired by drugs can demand that the driver perform a test of their physical co-ordination. If the driver fails that test, the officer can compel the driver to go to the police station for a lengthier evaluation by a drug-recognition expert. [continues 774 words]
More resources, training needed if legislation is going to work to get impaired drivers off the road, critics say Two years after Ottawa passed a controversial law that gave police new powers to go after drugged drivers, opinion is divided over how much of a difference the law has made and whether those police powers can hold up in court. Under the law, which came into effect in July 2008, an officer who suspects a driver may be impaired by drugs can demand that the driver perform a test of their physical coordination. If the driver fails that test, the officer can compel the driver to go to the police station for a lengthier evaluation by a drug-recognition expert. [continues 777 words]
Few officers trained to recognize drug-impaired drivers Two years after a controversial law gave police new powers to stop drivers who have been using illicit drugs, most forces still have very few officers trained to do the job. Under the federal law, which came into effect in July 2008, an officer who suspects a driver may be impaired by drugs can demand that the driver perform a test of their physical co-ordination. If the driver fails that test, the officer can compel the driver to go to the police station for a lengthier evaluation by a drug-recognition expert. [continues 814 words]
Two years after Ottawa passed a controversial law that gave police new powers to go after drugged-up drivers, opinion is divided over how much of a difference the law has made and whether those police powers can hold up in court. Under the law, which came into effect in July 2008, an officer who suspects a driver may be impaired by drugs can demand that the driver perform a test of their physical co-ordination. If the driver fails that test, the officer can compel the driver to go to the police station for a lengthier evaluation by a drugrecognition expert. [continues 347 words]
Organized Crime Groups Are Using The Latest Wireless And Illegal Jamming Devices. Police Forces In Canada Are Struggling To Catch Up, Writes Douglas Quan. Organized crime groups in Canada have become more sophisticated at carrying out their activities and covering their tracks -- and police are struggling to keep up. That's the troubling portrait contained in hundreds of pages of often-candid testimony compiled by a House of Commons committee that spent a year travelling from Vancouver to Halifax to assess the problem. [continues 855 words]
Outdated Technology, Legal Hurdles Slowing Down Efforts to Catch Bad Guys Organized crime groups in Canada have become more sophisticated in covering their tracks -- and police are struggling to keep up. That's the troubling portrait contained in hundreds of pages of often-candid testimony compiled by a House of Commons committee that spent a year travelling from Vancouver to Halifax. Police leaders and crime experts testified organized crime groups have kept ahead of police by getting the latest communication devices, spreading their activities across multiple borders, and moving and hiding their assets. [continues 792 words]
Products Marketed As Potpourri Harbour Severe Side-Effects When Smoked The weed may be fake, but the potential dangers are real. That's the message health authorities in Canada and the United States are sending out about a herbal incense product that, when smoked, mimics some of the effects of marijuana. Sold online and in head shops under brand names such as K2, Spice and Yucatan Fire, the packets of dried herbs (including white and blue water lily, dwarf skullcap and blue lotus) are infused with one or more synthetic cannabinoids -- molecules that mirror the psychoactive properties in marijuana. [continues 424 words]
Big Portion Attributed To Related Crimes, Effects On Children The economic cost of methamphetamine abuse in the U.S. -- including the cost to jail users, put addicts through treatment and clean up meth labs -- was about $23 billion in 2005, according to a just-released study The findings are surprising given how little attention meth use has gotten in anti-drug campaigns compared with other drugs, such as cocaine and marijuana, wrote the authors of the study, which was conducted by the RAND Corp. [continues 535 words]
