Health Minister Jane Philpott's office was warned nearly a year ago that dangerous contaminants had been found in retail marijuana sold by unregulated storefront dispensaries, but the federal government appears to have done nothing to act on the concerns. Documents obtained by The Globe and Mail through the Access to Information Act show test results from a Health Canada-accredited lab were sent to the government last fall, and to Dr. Philpott's office a few months later, revealed cannabis from several Vancouver dispensaries contained pesticides and fungicides "not approved for any human use." [continues 839 words]
Drug problem 'already in everybody's backyard,' physician says Advocates of safe injection sites for intravenous drug users in Hamilton believe they face an uphill battle in gaining public acceptance for the idea. But they feel the effort is worth it. "I don't expect it will be easy. I've already had one particular communication that was rather disturbing. I'm sure it won't be the only one," said Ward 2 Coun. Jason Farr, whose ward would likely end up with a site if the city allows them. [continues 394 words]
A new coordinator has been hired to help develop a regional drug strategy, says the area medical officer of health (MOH). Dr. Lynn Noseworthy, the MOH of the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit, provided some information about the strategy to the health unit board during its most recent meeting in Port Hope. Coordinator Charles Shamess started work with the group this summer, the health unit's local drug strategy spokesperson Krista Skutovich stated in an e-mail. The $285,000 Trillium grant covers three years and "is for the development of a local drug strategy [continues 404 words]
A two-day expo aimed at clearing the air about marijuana use in Canada is expected to draw big crowds in Calgary. Following similar events in Toronto and Vancouver this year, the HempFest Expo will land in Calgary for the first time Oct. 15 and 16. The events have been primarily run in an attempt to debunk some myths and remove the taboo from a topic that has been making headlines for years in Canada, with decriminalization now in the sights of the federal Liberal government. [continues 149 words]
The windows at Cannabis Culture on George St. N. were found sprayed with graffiti Tuesday morning, but supporters cleaned it up as a courtesy to the pot shop owner. Cannabis Culture has been closed since a police raid last Thursday. Store owner Richard Standen spent Friday night in jail, and is now out on bail. On Tuesday morning, he rode by in a cab and noticed the graffiti. Someone sprayed the word "Leave" in black paint on both the front and side windows, and also painted a huge red X across the front door. [continues 253 words]
I believe that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's plan to decriminalize and regulate the production, sale and use of marijuana is correct and should be applied as well to other drugs, such as cocaine. I feel this way not because I am in favour of drug use (I wouldn't dream of using these substances myself ) but because an iron-fisted "war" to eradicate drug use doesn't work and is counterproductive. Greater problems are caused by making drugs illegal than by the drugs themselves. [continues 300 words]
Dear Editor: The Royal Bank of Canada has stated its policy on industries or businesses which deal with products involving marijuana. The bank has stated that it will not loan money to any company or business which deals with marijuana. The rationale the bank gives for this policy is that is too much of a financial risk for the bank to undertake. This comes on the eve of marijuana becoming legalized in Canada and flies in the face of all the evidence which states that marijuana is a very useful medication for thousands of Canadians. [continues 228 words]
City council is considering allowing marijuana production facilities to set up shop in Campbell River. At its Monday meeting, council gave first and second reading to a zoning amendment bylaw that would permit industrial medical marijuana production plants in specific areas of the city. Matthew Fitzgerald, city planner, said the bylaw change is in response to the federal government's August, 2016 enactment of the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations, which will permit facilities licensed by Health Canada to grow and sell medical marijuana. [continues 421 words]
Re: Letter to the Editor titled "Illegal drug use simply isn't safe, stop it" published on Sept. 13. The letter-writer suggested abstinence, adding, "The logic here, to me, is so simple." Alas, drug policy is not simple. We as a society can make drug use more or less harmful to consumers and non-consumers alike. For the last century or so, we have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in attempting to make (some) drug use more harmful, under the assumption that doing so discourages drug use and thereby causes a net reduction in harm. [continues 176 words]
I believe that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's plan to decriminalize and regulate the production, sale and use of marijuana is correct and should be applied to other drugs as well - like cocaine, for example. I feel this way not because I am in favour of drug use, but because an iron-fisted "war on drugs" attempt to eradicate drug use doesn't work and is counterproductive. Greater problems are caused by making drugs illegal than by the effects of the drugs themselves. [continues 232 words]
In the mellow suburban town of Clarkston, where aging hippies mingle easily with refugees, arrests for marijuana violations were never a top priority. So it wasn't much of a surprise when the city passed Georgia's most relaxed marijuana law, reducing the fine for possession of less than an ounce of the drug to $75. That was two and a half months ago. In that time, town leaders and residents are proud to say, the law has resulted in absolutely no changes. Clarkston is still Clarkston, not a drug haven. As more time passes, some say, leaders of other cities might look at the town and see that nothing bad happens when you get rid of $1,000 fines and threats of a criminal record for marijuana consumption. [end]
Moral dilemmas, NIMBY-ism and budgets pose obstacles Coun. Donna Skelly was curious what safe injection places for drug addicts look like. So Dr. Jessica Hopkins, Hamilton associate medical officer of health, drew her attention to slides of the Insite facility in Vancouver, one of two legally operating injection sites in Canada, both in Gastown. It has subdued lighting and shiny floors. It has mirrored booths where junkies can shoot up with heroin or any other illegal drugs they get their shaky hands on. [continues 612 words]
A Saskatchewan First Nation seeking to keep its territory free of drug dealers and pedophiles is moving to pass a law allowing it to banish "undesirable people." Chief Austin Bear of Muskoday First Nation said in an interview this week that the band council will conduct a referendum before the end of October asking members to approve a banishment law that he said will be the first of its kind in Canada. Muskoday and other Canadian First Nations have in the past used band council resolutions to evict people from their communities, but Bear said such resolutions would not withstand a court challenge. Muskoday's law will fall under a partial self-government regime called the First Nations Land Management Act, which gives signatory bands the power to manage their own lands. [continues 459 words]
All the nationwide rhetoric over lamentable black-on-black killings and lives matter doesn't ever seem to highlight the obvious reality that most of the shootings are drug-turf related. Every gang protects its square blocks and guns down intruders, unfortunately putting innocent people in the crossfire no matter where. If the Russians or Mexicans carved out turf and gunfire erupted, the conversation would revolve around white on brown killings, for instance. Decades ago I read about a supposedly true event in a New York county where Latinos and whites had installed themselves in a poor town where virtually all industries had closed. The underfunded city and county police couldn't cope with them. [continues 94 words]
I believe that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's plan to decriminalize and regulate the production, sale and use of marijuana is correct and should be applied to other drugs as well, like cocaine, for example. I feel this way not because I am in favour of drug use (I wouldn't dream of using these substances myself ), but because an iron-fisted "war on drugs" attempt to eradicate drug use doesn't work and is counterproductive, in the sense that greater problems are caused by making drugs illegal than by the effects of the drugs themselves. [continues 308 words]
Hamilton will join the vanguard of Ontario cities studying whether to give drug users a legal, supervised site to inject opioids such as heroin. The board of health voted Monday to study supervised injection sites - so long as the cost fits within the 2017 budget. But the panel asked for emphasis on public consultation in areas that could host such a centre. The vote was one of several Monday that will move the city from laggard to provincial pioneer in public health "harm reduction" strategies, including a decision to offer free, clean crack pipes and potentially expanding distribution of anti-overdose kits. [continues 607 words]
NASHVILLE - Willie Nelson's famous habit of smoking marijuana is not seen as a badge of outlaw courage here anymore, so much as the frivolous foible of an eccentric uncle. A popular FM station disgorging the Boomer rock hits of yesteryear calls itself Hippie Radio 94.5; one of its sponsors is a smoke shop that incessantly hawks glass pipes and detox kits. Even mainstream country acts mention smoking marijuana now and again among the litany of acceptable American pastimes. So perhaps it is not surprising as much as telling that this city, which residents often refer to as the Buckle of the Bible Belt, may be on the cusp of joining the long roster of American cities, including New York, that have decriminalized the stuff. [continues 1074 words]
Since it opened in February, the narcotics treatment center Zac Talbott co-owns in North Georgia has been booming, admitting more than 250 people with addictions to painkillers and heroin amid a nationwide opioid overdose epidemic that is killing thousands of people each year. For Talbott, the work is personal. He started using pain pills for minor back pain when he was in graduate school. That habit spiraled into an addiction, and he started buying pills on the street. Talbott eventually got help and has been recovering for several years. So he was dismayed when he learned just how many pain medication prescriptions were issued in Georgia last year: a whopping 7.8 million, equivalent to more than one prescription for every single adult in the Peach State. [end]
In cities like Seattle and Vancouver, the marijuana icon has become almost as common on storefronts as the Starbucks mermaid. But there's one big difference between the products on offer: A venti latte tastes the same everywhere and provides an identical caffeine rush, while marijuana stores offer the drug's active ingredients in varying combinations, potencies and formats. There is no consistency in testing, standards or labeling. This matters because marijuana's two psychoactive ingredients, tetrohydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), have contrasting effects on the brain. "THC makes you feel high," said Catharine Winstanley, a psychology professor at the University of British Columbia who does research on marijuana, while CBD "is responsible for its analgesic, antiseizure and purported anticancer effects." [continues 548 words]
TV's reefer madness is at an all-time high. This month, two new cannabis comedies are lighting up the small screen: HBO's High Maintenance (premiering Friday, 11 ET/PT), about a weed dealer (Ben Sinclair) and his New York clientele; and MTV's Mary + Jane (Mondays, 10 ET/PT), which follows a pair of chummy roommates (Jessica Rothe and Scout Durwood) running a pot-delivery service in Los Angeles. Netflix, too, is blazing ahead with its own stoner series Disjointed, which goes into production later this year. Co-created by The Big Bang Theory's Chuck Lorre, the workplace comedy stars Kathy Bates as a lifelong advocate who realizes her dream of owning a marijuana dispensary in L.A. And Margaret Cho is developing an hour-long dispensary dramedy for Amazon. [end]
