A Conservative bill to jail offenders caught growing five or more marijuana plants was back before the Senate Wednesday, a year after the Senate made the rare move of watering down the government's proposals by raising the bar to 200 plants. Justice Minister Rob Nicholson ignored the Senate amendments when he resurrected his proposed legislation last spring, and the upper chamber, which has fewer Liberals than it did a year ago, has less muscle to affect the bill this time around. [continues 106 words]
OTAWA - A Conservative bill to jail offenders caught growing five or more marijuana plants was back before the Senate Wednesday, a year after it watered down the government's proposals by raising the bar to 200 plants. Justice Minister Rob Nicholson ignored the Senate amendments when he resurrected the legislation, and the upper chamber, which has fewer Liberals than it did a year ago, has less muscle to balk this time around. Nicholson warned a Senate committee Wednesday that amending his proposed legislation again "would severely weaken the bill" so that a person involved in organized crime could have 150 plants in several locations and escape jail. [continues 310 words]
Bill Faces Greater Chance of Approval A Conservative bill to jail offenders caught growing five or more marijuana plants was back before the Senate Wednesday, a year after it made the rare move of watering down the government's proposals by raising the bar to 200 plants. Justice Minister Rob Nicholson ignored the Senate amendments when he resurrected his proposed legislation last spring, and the upper chamber, which has fewer Liberals than it did a year ago, has less muscle to balk this time around. [continues 369 words]
A Conservative bill to jail offenders caught growing five or more marijuana plants was back before the Senate yesterday, a year after it made the rare move of watering down the government's proposals by raising the bar to 200 plants. Justice Minister Rob Nicholson ignored the Senate amendments when he resurrected his proposed legislation last spring, and the upper chamber, which has fewer Liberals than it did a year ago, has less muscle to balk this time around. Mr. Nicholson warned a Senate committee yesterday that amending his proposed legislation again "would severely weaken the bill" so that a person involved in organized crime could have 150 plants in several locations and escape jail nonetheless. "This is directed at traffickers, the people who would sell drugs to children," Mr. Nicholson said. [end]
Re: Amendment targets victimless criminal activities Tim Romyn's letter in the Oct. 7 edition hit the bull's-eye. The relatively safe, God-given plant cannabis (marijuana) should be re-legalized. Even Canada's 2002, Senate Committee on Illegal Drugs' unanimously recommended to regulate cannabis the same way as alcohol and the Le Dain Commission's report did the same. A sane or moral reason to cage responsible adults for using or growing cannabis doesn't exist. Ending cannabis prohibition and extermination in North America is one of the most important issues of our time. Stan White Dillon, Colorado U. S. A. [end]
I spoke to Kevin Krueger recently to ask him to explain the difference between his party's voracious criticism of gambling expansion (in particular online wagering) while in opposition and the fact it is salivating as it expands gambling like no other government in North America. During the conversation, the Kamloops-South Thompson MLA and tourism minister compared government involvement in cyber-casinos to the failed prohibition experience of eight decades ago. "There's no going back," he said of government's foray into gambling. "It's like alcohol. Prohibition ended up benefitting organized crime and government changed its mind." [continues 601 words]
Re: Time to end prohibition on pot: callers-- Aug. 9. Whether Canadians/ Sudburians are mellowing to the idea of legalizing marijuana or are simply tired of listening to government rhetoric as marijuana becomes increasingly available, it makes little difference. Canadians no longer want either the expense or the bother of the intrusiveness of government regarding marijuana. Is it any wonder why? For more than a few decades now, Canadian governments have prodded and poked the issue of marijuana and its legislation. Ranging from a two-year study and the recommendations of a special Senate committee, which were ignored, to the matter of the Superior and Appellate courts in Ontario having repeatedly declared Canada's marijuana laws to be of no force and effect, to the ongoing anti-marijuana strategy by the current federal government; the matter of marijuana has become an incomprehensible entanglement of opposing standards that have failed to adequately address the situation or concerns at hand. [continues 194 words]
I spoke to Kevin Krueger recently to ask him to explain the difference between his party's voracious criticism of gambling expansion (in particular online wagering) while in opposition and the fact it is salivating as it expands gambling like no other government in North America. During the conversation, the Kamloops-South Thompson MLA and tourism minister compared government involvement in cyber-casinos to the failed prohibition experience of eight decades ago. "There's no going back," he said of government's foray into gambling. "It's like alcohol. Prohibition ended up benefitting organized crime and government changed its mind." [continues 613 words]
I spoke to Kevin Krueger this week to ask him to explain the difference between his party's voracious criticism of gambling expansion (in particular online wagering) while in opposition and the fact it is salivating as it expands gambling like no other government in North America. During the conversation, the Kamloops-South Thompson MLA and tourism minister compared government involvement in cyber-casinos to the failed prohibition experience of eight decades ago. "There's no going back," he said of government's foray into gambling. "It's like alcohol. Prohibition ended up benefitting organized crime and government changed its mind." [continues 601 words]
Re: 'Examine idea of legalization' (Daily News, July 26) There have already been numerous studies about the pros and cons of legalizing pot, and they all come to the same conclusion: prohibition is not only failing, it is, in fact, outrageously counterproductive. We need look no further than the 2002 Senate Committee Report (which has been summarily ignored) for proof. Russell Barth Federally Licensed Medical Marijuana User Nepean, Ont. [end]
I spoke to Kevin Krueger this week to ask him to explain the difference between his party's voracious criticism of gambling expansion (in particular online wagering) while in opposition and the fact it is salivating as it expands gambling like no other government in North America. (His comments can be read elsewhere under Opinion on this website.) During the conversation, the Kamloops-South Thompson MLA and tourism minister compared government involvement in cyber-casinos to the failed prohibition experience of eight decades ago. [continues 636 words]
Bob Estes was the lone anti-Bill S-10 protester in downtown Parksville Friday afternoon. A national day of protest against Bill S-10 was recognized in Parksville and Coombs on Friday, if only by small numbers. The federal Bill S-10 would impose minimum jail sentences for marijuana producers. The bill was introduced by the Conservative government twice before under different names (C-26 and C-15) to combat "serious drug crimes." The Penalties for Organized Drug Crime Act "would help disrupt criminal enterprises by targeting drug suppliers," by setting stricter mandatory penalties for Schedule I drugs such as heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine, as well as Schedule II drugs like marijuana. [continues 227 words]
MONTREAL - Police have done the Mob and street gangs a favour by cracking down on cannabis clubs, say pot decriminalization advocates. They warn that people will now be buying their stuff from criminal networks instead of tax-paying businesses. Thirty-five people were arrested in raids on Quebec's so-called "compassion clubs-" storefront outlets operating in plain view - while 90 kilograms of cannabis were also seized Thursday. Those clubs in Montreal and Quebec City offered a wide selection of marijuana for about $10 a gram to customers who claimed a medical condition and provided a doctor's note. [continues 677 words]
Wouldn't it be nice if Canadians had a government that got "Smart on Crime" instead of "Tough on Crime"? The Harper Conservatives now have the American spin doctor game almost perfected. For eight years Stephen Harper learned from the Bush regime south of the border that to control a population, first you have to scare them, then you tell them how you are going to save them. Despite the barrage of sensational stories in the media about murder and mayhem the reality, as shown by none other than Statistics Canada, is that both violent and property crime rates have been steadily falling in Canada since 1991. [continues 840 words]
To the editor, Concerning the proliferation of cannabis "grow ops" in Nelson, when Police Chief Dan Maluta asked his officers "if it would break their hearts not to go the Criminal Code route, and we were able to rid the neighbourhoods of these places through other means, like through use of the grow op bylaw," they answered, "No, absolutely not. The ultimate goal is to get rid of the grow." This is marvellous news, because it means the police finally support the recommendations of the Special Senate Committee on Illegal Drugs, who in 2002 concluded that the only way to rid Canadian communities of illicit cannabis growing operations is to legally regulate the herb. [continues 270 words]
PBO Kevin Page says crime bill will have significant impact on the lengths of sentences, justice systems already very stretched. Parliament's passing of a slew of a law and order bills that will bloat federal and provincial budgets to the tune of billions of dollars without first knowing how much they would cost is a "systemic failure," says Canada's Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page. Mr. Page will release a report this week on the massive costs of Bill C-25, a bill to limit credit given for time served in pre-sentencing custody, which is just one of more than a dozen pieces of legislation that makeup the government's justice agenda. Most of the bills died on the Order Paper when Prime Minister Stephen Harper (Calgary Southwest, Alta.) prorogued Parliament, but C-25 was one of the few that passed and last week Justice Minister Rob Nicholson (Niagara Falls, Ont.) reintroduced a bill to bring in mandatory minimum sentences for narcotics related offences. [continues 1230 words]
Tenants caught growing as few as six marijuana plants in their dwellings could face automatic jail terms of at least nine months, under a federal drug-sentencing bill revived Wednesday that imposes harsher penalties on home renters than on owners. The bill, introduced for the third time after dying twice before, proposes mandatory minimum jail terms for a variety of drug-related crimes, removing discretion for judges to sentence as they see fit. The Harper government's proposed legislation imposes stiffer punishment on renters than it does on homeowners, because involving a third party is one of several aggravating factors. [continues 468 words]
Obtaining Ingredients That Go Into Crystal Meth And Ecstacy Would Be Illegal Sea to Sky's man in Parliament is promoting a bill that has unanimous support in the House of Commons. John Weston, Member of Parliament for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country, announced April 13 that Bill C-475, an Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, specifically methamphetamines and ecstacy, has passed second reading in the House of Commons. It received support from everyone present. [continues 621 words]
Roundup Of Gang Bosses Blamed For Bloody Turf Battles Canada's "war on drugs" has done nothing to stop the supply of street drugs and is actually increasing drug-related violence. This is among the controversial findings of a University of B.C. report, to be released today in Ottawa, that has backing from "across a political spectrum . . . including high-profile conservatives." UBC's Urban Health Research Initiative reviewed international research and found that "87 per cent of the studies linked strict drug-law enforcement to increasing levels of drug-market violence." [continues 481 words]
