In the opening scene of the 1994 film Pulp Fiction, two affable hired killers discuss the legalization of marijuana. Vincent (the well-travelled one) tries to distill the complicated Dutch hash-bar laws by describing pot as "legal but not 100 per cent legal." You can own it, he explains, and you can smoke it, but you can't buy or sell it. His companion is baffled. Why does it have to be so complicated?

Why indeed? While this scene from a 20-year-old movie remains applicable to many Canadians' contemporary understanding of cannabis users (that they are criminals using a dangerous drug), most Canadians believe that pot should be legalized. Many point to the relative harmlessness of the drug and to its many medical uses. Those benefits were recognized in Canada by the Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations issued by Health Canada in 2013, a narrow decriminalization that took years of legislative caterwauling to bring into force. Since then, there's been no serious chance of further decriminalization. At least, until now.

[continues 234 words]

Valley businessman Bob McKernan has commercial store space to rent "with excellent TCH exposure" in Area D (Cowichan Bay).

McKernan even has potential tenants. The problem is the Cowichan Valley Regional District, he says, won't permit those tenants to open up shop.

"As of late I have had numerous compassionate marijuana groups inquiring to rent my store front and open a dispensary," McKernan said. "My zoning includes agricultural and horticultural supply sales/health studio/personal service and just plain retail sales," he said. "I thought I had it covered... no, not so."

[continues 340 words]

Recent letter writer Kevin Sheeler is to be applauded for writing the truth about marijuana, but unfortunately the people that are in a position to stop this madness are only concerned about how much money they can make.

Kevin O'Leary from the program Shark Tank said he could make billions of dollars in the U.S. by going into the marijuana business but was afraid of a federal law that could send him to jail.

Justin Trudeau can't wait to legalize pot and he has seen the devastation and misery it causes up close and personal.

[continues 78 words]

Prolific drug offenders keep coming back to Kelowna's downtown area, but police say deterring those people through enforcement of a red zone is an effective strategy.

At any given time, around 30 people are banned from entering the red zone, said Sgt. Greg Woodcox.

"Typically, they are people who are chronic drug offenders," he said.

Kelowna's red zone is bound roughly by Sutherland Avenue to Doyle Avenue, and from Richter Street to Okanagan Lake.

The majority of people who are given red zone conditions are not first time offenders, and those who are sent to jail often end up back downtown, said Woodcox.

[continues 592 words]

Action in Response to Eastside Man's 1-Year Sentence

A Vancouver man's fate hangs in the balance as two British Columbia groups urge the new Liberal government to repeal mandatory minimum sentences.

Joseph Lloyd, a Downtown Eastside resident, convicted of possession for the purpose of trafficking after being arrested with less than 10 grams of drugs on him, was supposed to face a mandatory one-year jail term because of legislation enacted by the Conservative government in 2012.

However, a provincial court judge declined to impose the mandatory minimum sentence on Lloyd because it could amount to cruel and unusual punishment.

[continues 188 words]

Marijuana Dispensary: Operator Justin Liu Says He Will Close Up Shop on Nov. 9

WeeMedical marijuana dispensary has announced it will close its doors on Nov. 9 following what manager Justin Liu says is "extreme pressure from Mayor Mike Ruttan."

The illegal dispensary opened its doors in a commercial building on Third Avenue less than two weeks ago. The closure comes after landlord Martin Tessler, who lives in Vancouver, received a call from Ruttan letting him know the dispensary was not welcome.

[continues 509 words]

In Federal Election's Wake, Nelson Moves Towards Regulating Local Marijuana

The owners, staff and customers of Nelson's pot dispensaries can "breathe easier" now that the federal election has concluded, according to Mayor Deb Kozak, though council plans to move ahead with measures to regulate and contain the fledgling industry.

"We were waiting to see what was going to happen with the federal election, and this is likely one of the issues the new prime minister will tackle in the first month," Kozak told theStar. "We're going to welcome legalization here in Nelson. It will provide clarity for local government."

[continues 913 words]

The B.C. government is allowing private methadone-dispensing clinics to charge recovering heroin addicts for drug treatment by taking money from their income assistance cheques, claims a legal action launched against the province.

Documents filed in B.C. Supreme Court Wednesday advancing what could be a class-action lawsuit claim private methadone clinics demand $18.34 a month from people enrolled in the methadone maintenance program in exchange for treatment.

Lawyer Jason Gratl, acting on behalf of the representative plaintiff, Laura Shaver, said the money is paid automatically from their government-provided benefits.

[continues 323 words]

City Behind Others in Region in Its Bylaws Related to Public Smoking

Coun. Al Greir says residents complained to him all summer about people smoking - both cigarettes and marijuana - in Parksville's public parks.

Grier said this week the election of the federal Liberals and their promises to loosen the laws around marijuana should have the city looking more closely at fines for those caught smoking in city parks, "especially those smoking marijuana."

"Maybe marijuana will be legalized and we will have more and more smokers of marijuana in the park," Greir said near the end of a council meeting on Monday night.

[continues 326 words]

B.C. Is Partner to 'Unethical' Scheme, Lawyer Says

The British Columbia government is allowing private methadone-dispensing clinics to charge recovering heroin addicts for drug treatment by taking money from their income-assistance cheques, claims legal action launched against the province.

Documents filed in B.C. Supreme Court on Wednesday advancing what could be a class-action lawsuit claim private methadone clinics demand $18.34 a month from people enrolled in the methadone maintenance program in exchange for treatment.

Lawyer Jason Gratl, acting on behalf of the representative plaintiff, Laura Shaver, said the money is paid automatically from their government-provided benefits. "This scheme is deeply unethical," he said.

[continues 401 words]

Some Councillors Want Feedback First From Justin Trudeau's Newly Elected Federal Government on Legalization Plan

Victoria should hold off attempting to regulate marijuana shops until it sees what the federal government is going to do, say two Victoria councillors.

Councillors Marianne Alto and Chris Coleman are suggesting council write to Prime Minister-designate Justin Trudeau asking for "clarification on whether and when the federal government intends to implement legalization and regulation of cannabis," as outlined in its platform.

The two note that should the federal government create a federal/provincial/ territorial task force to design a new system of marijuana sales and distribution, as promised in campaign material, a representative from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities be included to reflect municipal concerns.

[continues 303 words]

Owner of Marijuana Compassion Club Says Clients Don't Require Health Canada Licence

Despite police and the city not recognizing the legitimacy of his operation, the owner of Penticton's first marijuana compassion club insists he's not breaking any laws.

"All I'm doing is acting as an intermediary of a legal product to a legal recipient," said Jukka Laurio, who opened Herbal Green in May.

The club supplies edibles and marijuana bud at $7 per gram to anyone over the age of 25 who can prove a medical need.

[continues 431 words]

INSITE MODEL: Vancouver Coastal's chief medical health officer calls on feds to help save lives

Vancouver's top doctor is calling for the new federal Liberal government to scrap a law she said was designed to ban supervised heroin injection sites and to allow more sites to open across B.C.

Dr. Patricia Daly, chief medical health officer of the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, said B.C. needs more sites like Insite, the first and only government-approved supervised injection site in North America, because evidence shows it helps save lives.

[continues 507 words]

The fact Canada, a G7 nation respected around the world, is looking at legalization will add momentum to rising demands, particularly from poorer, drug-producing countries, to adopt a new approach on drug use.

Justin Trudeau may not realize it yet, but his plan to legalize marijuana is likely to have a profound effect on international drug policy, possibly leading to a reappraisal of the failed war on drugs.

Canada would also run afoul of at least three international drug conventions to which it is a signatory.

[continues 521 words]

Jane Cartwright says addicts' desperate need for a fix trumps court orders for prohibition from Kelowna's 'red zone,' and where else in town can homeless drugusers find places to eat and sleep?

Drugs keep addicted people coming back to Kelowna's downtown, and the courts are hard-pressed to bar them completely because that's where they get help, says a Kelowna judge.

Responding to Mayor Colin Basran's comment that court-ordered punishments rarely deter drug dealers from Kelowna's core area, Judge Jane Cartwright said addicts often get their fix by selling drugs. Their habits are so entrenched, they ignore no-go orders that prohibit them from the downtown red zone.

[continues 989 words]

I would like to respond to Kelvin Sheeler's recent letter to the editor regarding cannabis legalization (The NEWS, Oct. 29). I hope that I can help him understand some of his mis-perceptions.

The most basic point in his argument seems to be that the illegal status of drugs keeps people safer. The more dangerous drugs are, the more important it is to remove their distribution from the hands of criminals. As in the case of pharmaceuticals, which pose many dangers, all drug use should be treated as a health issue and dealt with in a legal and regulated framework. So, yes, Kelvin, we should legalize all drugs.

[continues 161 words]

Last week, the Quebec Court of Appeal ordered two major tobacco companies to set aside almost $1 billion for future payments to people hurt from smoking.

Will the new Liberal government of Justin Trudeau put aside a sizable amount of money to treat the long-term effect of prolonged use of marijuana, especially by our younger generation? Are they going to ignore the warnings by the medical professions for the sake of personal liberty?

Herman Aikema, Langley

[end]

Authority calls for new drug in place of methadone

Vancouver Coastal Health is making dramatic changes to how it treats opioid addictions after seeing too many overdose deaths caused by methadone, the drug that has been the go-to treatment for decades.

The local health authority announced Tuesday it will introduce new treatment guidelines to steer away from methadone and towards Suboxone, a much safer drug that is now available as a generic and covered under regular provincial health plans.

"It's not to say methadone isn't an effective treatment, but we are struggling with too many fatal overdoses," medical director Dr. Evan Wood said, adding that one quarter of recent overdose deaths have been linked to methadone.

[continues 228 words]

Vancouver Coastal Health has established first-of-its-kind guidelines in the treatment of opioid addiction, including having doctors use a safer drug than methadone as a first-line treatment.

The health authority says the nine recommendations are aimed at improving physicians' knowledge of treatment in light of ongoing challenges with methadone, and opioid overdoses linked to fentanyl and prescription drugs like oxycodone.

Dr. Evan Wood, the health authority's medical director of community addiction services, says methadone, while a highly studied form of treatment, has many safety issues, including side-effects, addiction, and it can be fatal.

[continues 414 words]

Oh, the political perils of pot, let alone its health and safety implications. All of those voters who went for Justin's legal pot promise will have to remain underground for a while yet, but this won't slow down the dedicated tokers one bit.

A recent Canadian Press article outlines some of the complications with the legalization of marijuana in Colorado and other U.S. states. It isn't as easy as it seems at first blush. It's also worth re-checking what Health Canada says about the hazards of pot. No surprises there. It's at least as dangerous as tobacco, which we have worked vigorously to suppress for the past 40 years, and considerably worse. Imagine what the government warning label might look like on a package of legal marijuana.

[continues 285 words]