Robbery: After Cabbie Relieved of Money at Knifepoint, Taxi Industry Veteran Says Crime Byproduct of Bad Economy SAINT JOHN - Desperate times and desperate people are what a veteran of the city's taxi industry believes led to an armed robbery of a cab driver early Thursday. "This type of crime usually surfaces when the economy is bad," said Gerry Lowe, the former owner of Vet's Taxi. "People looking for a (drug) fix is also part of it." Saint John police are investigating the armed robbery. [continues 443 words]
BATHURST - A Bathurst pharmacist says methadone patients will suffer should the provincial government make cuts to the dispensing fees for the drug. Steve Doucet is the owner of Shoppers Drug Mart in Bathurst, the only pharmacy in the region to offer methadone. He said the pharmacy assists 20 to 25 patients, and more are on a waiting list. Doucet said cuts to dispensing fees will make it difficult for the pharmacy to continue dispensing the drug. "They want to cut it by about a third," he said. "Already it's difficult to find pharmacies who want to provide the service, so by cutting the fee it's obviously discouraging any new pharmacies from getting on board with the program and the ones already doing it are certainly looking at the worth of running the program in their store. [continues 339 words]
If harsh criminal penalties deterred illicit drug use, Canada's southern neighbour would be a "drug-free" America. That's not the case. The U.S. drug war has done little other than give the land of the free the highest incarceration rate in the world. Despite zero tolerance, the U.S. has double the rate of marijuana use as the Netherlands, where marijuana is legally available. Thanks to public education efforts, legal tobacco use has declined considerably in recent years, without any need to criminalize smokers. Apparently mandatory minimum prison sentences, civil asset forfeiture, random drug testing and racial profiling are not necessarily the most cost-effective means of discouraging unhealthy choices. Drug abuse is bad, but the drug war is worse. Robert Sharpe Policy Analyst Common Sense for Drug Policy, Washington, D.C. [end]
Charles Moore's column "Drug laws dumb on crime" (Feb. 17) presents a thoughtful critique of Bill S-10. I would add that creating a 'prohibition' situation around marijuana growing will achieve the same results as alcohol prohibition did years ago. It will enable organized crime to cash in on growing and distribution opportunities when small growers leave the market. Tough on crime? When pigs fly! Rick Roth Sussex [end]
I support much of the Harper government's legislative agenda, but they're spectacularly, tragically wrong in their dogged determination to impose harsher marijuana laws. A case in point is their Bill S-10, currently before the Senate, which among other things proposes a mandatory six-month sentence for possessing as few as six marijuana plants. Passing such a law would be invidiously unjust and counter-productive, resulting in prison sentences and criminal records for substantially greater numbers of people, most of them young, for engaging in a harmless activity that millions of Canadians believe should not be criminal at all. [continues 761 words]
Court: Defence calls verdict 'great injustice,' promises to appeal A Hainesville man who argued against the legality of Canada's drug laws and claimed he was permitted to possess marijuana for medicinal purposes was found guilty of possessing the narcotic by a provincial court judge. Todd Terrance LeClair was fined $500 by Chief Judge R. Leslie Jackson after a trial in which the defence argued regulations governing access to medicinal marijuana are unconstitutional because of unreasonable delays in processing applications for permits. LeClair also argued certain sections of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) had no force with respect to marijuana because the medical exemption regulations were unconstitutional. [continues 836 words]
Ruling - Judge says accused didn't have authority to grow, possess pot An Upper Hainesville man who argued he didn't break the law by having marijuana for medical purposes has been found guilty of drug possession and fined. Chief provincial court Judge Leslie Jackson found Todd Terrence LeClair guilty of a charge of possession of marijuana in a decision issued recently in Woodstock provincial court. LeClair was charged after police executed a search warrant at his home Oct. 19, 2009. Officers found 215 grams of bud marijuana and 1,300 grams of low-quality pot commonly referred to as "shake." [continues 404 words]
Ever heard of the drug Salvia? Salvia is an old natural herb that the Mazatecs from Mexico used to use for shamanic visions. Nowadays it is considered to be a hallucinogenic drug much like LSD. There's one difference, though: salvia is legal in many countries across the world. Last week the Celebrity gossip website TMZ released a video of teen pop sensation Miley Cyrus smoking from a bong. Soon after the video surfaced, Miley's manager assured everyone that she was not smoking marijuana, another popular drug amongst young adults, but rather, she was smoking salvia, which, they clarified, is legal in the state of California. [continues 491 words]
To The Editor: Regarding the story "Mounties notch record pot hauls," stop and think of all the taxpayer money that goes into fighting a plant that God put on this Earth. I would assume this might not be a good time for God to return to his planet, as he would probably be arrested for cultivating a controlled substance with intent to distribute. This prohibition is on a non-toxic plant that has been medicine to humans for over 5,000 years and is now being recognized around the world by scientist and doctors who are standing up and supporting this medicine. [continues 329 words]
To The Editor: Regarding the recent news surrounding marijuana, I would like to make a few comments and even a debate. First, marijuana has become part of our culture and whether we like it or not, it's here to stay. I would argue Constable Cameron's recent remarks in which he stated that marijuana tears families apart and has a devastating effect on society, are ridiculous. The only devastating effect is the fact that the law "criminalizes" everyday, hard-working citizens who are good people who freely chose to use marijuana recreationally. [continues 214 words]
To The Editor: Regarding the story where the RCMP says the public has helped them take 23,000 plants out of circulation, 'J' Division RCMP Staff Sgt. Gary Cameron is an ill-informed ideologist cop! 'If' marijuana is harmful, then why is this non-toxic medicinal herb improving and extending the lives of thousands of chronically ill Canadians who are legally licensed by Health Canada to use it for medicinal reasons? I am one of them since March 2000, and let me tell you that if it wouldn't have been of marijuana, I would have died some time ago. There are millions of marijuana users in Canada, so why aren't our hospitals filled with marijuana users if it's harmful? How many died because of marijuana? And the social problems caused by marijuana are to be blamed on its prohibition! Sgt. Gary Cameron should educate himself about the dozens of medicinal benefits of marijuana instead of propagating such garbage. Marc Paquette, Hawkesbury, Ont. [end]
RCMP says public has helped them take 23,000 plants out of circulation The public is increasingly tipping off the RCMP about marijuana grow-operations and one Mountie thinks part of the reason for that can be traced to Moncton. In summer of 2004 police simultaneously raided 14 houses in Moncton and arrested 18 people. All the homes were found to house large marijuana grow-ops and were linked to organized crime. Police confiscated 5,000 plants worth more than $10 million and more arrests were made in Hamilton, Ont., at an operation connected to the one in Moncton. [continues 708 words]
RCMP seizures of marijuana plants are up this year, and the force attributes that to an increase in the number of grow operations and a spike in the number of tips from the public. The RCMP's New Brunswick division reported Thursday that the force has seized more than 23,000 marijuana plants over the past few months. That represents a 53 per cent increase in seizures over the same period in 2009, a news release stated. RCMP spokesman Staff Sgt. Gary Cameron said there are a couple of factors that account for the spike in pot plant seizures. [continues 281 words]
Notes used by Fredericton police officers to solidify their application for a search warrant, which led to the arrest of Kevin Mark Sexton on drug and firearms charges, must surrender their data to the man's lawyer. Sexton, who remains in jail pending the start of his trial Oct. 13, is charged with 17 offences under the Criminal Code of Canada and the Controlled Drug and Substances Act. The 25-year-old of 260 Wetmore Rd. in Southwood Park was arrested by police after $200,000 in drugs, four handguns, other prohibited weapons and an estimated $70,000 Canadian and U.S. currency were found in his home. [continues 353 words]
Bud: Following Arrest, Hamptonian Was Granted Permit To Grow Marijuana For Medical Use SUSSEX - A 49-year-old Hampton man who's now legally permitted to produce home-grown marijuana for medicinal purposes wasn't in the same position when police raided his trailer on June 12, 2008. Last week in Sussex provincial court, Garth Adrian Shaw was convicted of producing marijuana on his property. While the evidence of drugs found in his possession were not disputed by Shaw or his lawyer Joel Hanson, they argued that police didn't properly execute their search warrant and therefore the evidence should be tossed out. [continues 210 words]
SUSSEX - Calls from people stumbling across marijuana grow operations is ramping up, police say. Sgt. Bruce Reid of the Sussex RCMP said the weather this summer has been particularly conducive to outdoor growing operations, and the success of the season for illegal horticulturalists is becoming more evident with the high number of people letting police know about their discoveries while out and about. "District 3 RCMP has begun to receive reports of marijuana finds from citizens enjoying the nice weather and who have been out hiking in local areas and riding their ATV on the many trails," he said. [continues 176 words]
It was like watching a kid's party game, with children staggering around with blindfolds on trying to pin the tail on the donkey. Or maybe it was the adult version, except everybody's drunk and they're using daggers. I was watching a video of Stockwell Day, Treasury Board minister, making a presentation to the media on Canada's Economic Action Plan. He was asked why, "during a time of declining crime rates he wanted to blow nine billion dollars on prisons." He was asked if that didn't send a confusing message to Canadians about the government's role as deficit fighter. [continues 660 words]
Re: Medical marijuana Bruce Webb, whose letter about medical marijuana was published in the Aug. 2 edition of The Daily Gleaner, demonstrates a common flaw in his argument - inadequate perspective. Allowing state control is the very mechanism that got us into the genocide that is prohibition in the first place. Everyone has an endocannabinoid system, meaning everyone is wired to accept the more than dozen active compounds in cannabis. Therefore it can only function as medicine, but not for everyone. The medical profession has been under relentless pressure to withhold cannabis from the public. Placing faith in doctors is a crapshoot in this country. The system is terminally flawed. That's its fail-safe. Work the rest out if you can. Bruce Codere Fox Creek, Alta. [end]
Scanning coverage of Conrad Black's release from prison on bail, I was amused (sort of) by a reporter's describing Mr. Black as a "one-time conservative." This assessment was based on Mr. Black's taking up the cause of prison and drug-law reform during his incarceration, and says more about the writer's superficial, stereotyped perceptions of "conservatism" than about Mr. Black's politics. Perspectives broadened, mind focused by circumstances, Mr. Black lobbed withering and well-deserved broadsides from behind bars at the United States justice system, which he accurately describes as "putrefied," "'a carceral state' that imprisons eight to 12 times more people per capita than the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, France, Germany or Japan..." [continues 717 words]
Hainesville Man Had Prescription but No Licence In what could be a first in New Brunswick, a Hainesville man is fighting a drug possession charge on the basis of a medical certificate. Todd Terrance LeClair was charged with possessing marijuana after a police search of his residence Oct. 19. But LeClair is arguing he's been allowed to possess the narcotic after receiving a doctor's prescription on March 1, 2009. On trial for the possession charge Friday, LeClair said he'd received his medical marijuana licence on Jan. 13. [continues 571 words]
Re: Medical marijuana I read with interest the story about the case in the Woodstock area of Todd Leclair standing trial for marijuana possession despite having been issued a prescription for the drug for medical use. Because New Brunswick is still stuck in the 1940s, the authorities will ruin this guy and violate his Charter rights and the law to do it. Of that I have no doubt. Canada's judiciary is systematically, fundamentally and irreparably corrupt. The fact that this judge is even hearing a case like this is proof of that. I will never set foot in that backwards province and will urge everyone I meet to avoid it. Russell Barth Ottawa, Ont. [end]
Re: Drug case in Woodstock Your readers may wish to note that cannabis, contrary to the story of July 27 by Bryan Tait, is anything but a narcotic. This misinformation clouds the perception of Earth's most versatile and useful plant. No other medicine approaches its capacity to maintain or restore health. The pharmaceutical industry (a direct extension of the petro-chemical industry) manufactures poisons by which to treat symptoms while failing to treat root causes. It's impossible to cure disease with poisons. We have been deceived, and I applaud anyone standing up against this horror. The number of people trapped by this modern-day inquisition boggles the mind, and it has no place in civilized society. Bruce Codere Fox Creek, Alta. [end]
SUSSEX - A provincial court judge ruled police went beyond their authority and therefore deemed evidence collected during a search of a couple's Apohaqui home inadmissible. As a result, federal Crown prosecutor Gerry McCracken dropped a charge of marijuana production that had been laid against Jason McGrath and Angela Bernard. The couple was represented by defence lawyer Peter White during a voir dire hearing in late May. At the time, White argued McGrath and Bernard's rights were violated when Sussex RCMP officer Const. Justin Helm searched their home looking for a grow operation. Helm had been asked by social worker Michelle Campbell to accompany her to ensure her safety during a home inspection in February. [continues 665 words]
Panel: Inquest rules inmate died of lethal cocktail of drugs MONCTON - A coroner's inquest has ruled that a lethal cocktail of prescription and illegal drugs caused the death of an inmate on remand in a Moncton detention centre. The jury at the three-day inquest labelled the death of Derrick Phillip Urwin as accidental in its findings, but recommended that further action be taken to eliminate the flow of illegal drugs into the province's correctional facilities. "We recommend that as contraband will always be a problem, that correctional staff persevere and continue to develop new ways to detect contraband," said Mark Powers, the juror who delivered the five-person panel's findings on Wednesday. [continues 472 words]
To The Editor: Regarding "Police target drug trafficking in schools" published June 15, if cannabis (marijuana) is the most frequent illegal drug used by high school students and it promotes organized crime, as Const. Chantal Farrah claims, it can only be because of the way it is made illicit. Teens smoking up in the middle of the day may very well be of the opinion that marijuana is harmless. Harm is not reflected in the way marijuana, and other substances, are legislated. [continues 139 words]
Friday's Arrests Part of Ongoing Operation Codiac Regional RCMP's Drug Section is targeting drug trafficking at local high schools in an attempt to keep students safe. "If we can get young people on the right track early, society benefits from that," says Const. Chantal Farrah. "We want to put them on the right path to be responsible adults in the future." Two officers from the drug squad arrested three Moncton High School students Friday at lunchtime as part of this ongoing operation. [continues 455 words]
SAINT JOHN - Medical ethicist and epidemiologist Tim Christie is at a loss to understand why government seems unwilling to redistribute resources that would see an additional 382 addicts receiving methadone to help them kick their habit. "It makes no sense at all. I don't know why they won't do it," he said. "I've engaged them in dialogue and they will not respond to reason and they won't respond to the evidence." Christie is one of the authors of a report that contends Ridgewood's addiction treatment model costs $2,845 per patient per year, compared to the uptown clinic's cost of $935 per patient per year. The uptown clinic is located at St. Joseph's Community Health Centre and has been open for nearly one year. [continues 976 words]
SAINT JOHN - The use of crack cocaine in the city appears to be on the rise in the city, says an AIDS Saint John official Executive director Julie Dingwell says the organization is passing out at least twice as many safe crack kits as it did two years ago. "I've always known we had a crack problem in Saint John, but it does seem definitely worse," Dingwell said. Two years ago, the group gave out 150 to 200 kits a month. Now, it's closer to 400, she said. [continues 358 words]
Warm Weather Draws Officials' Attention To Locating Local Grow-Ops New Brunswick Crime Stoppers is hoping to score some weed. This is the time of year when the weather gets nice and outdoor marijuana grow-ops pop up in wooded areas all over the province. Crime Stoppers is asking the public to keep their eyes open for suspicious activity in the woods and report it to police. Anyone who spots a grow-op is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) and could qualify for a cash reward up to $2,000. [continues 544 words]
Treatment | N.B. in Middle of Pack for Rate of Medical Pot Prescriptions New Brunswick has some of Canada's more medical marijuana-friendly physicians, and a national group says it expects even more provincial doctors to be writing these prescriptions in the year to come. The latest numbers from Health Canada and the Canadian Institute for Health Information suggest that about three per cent of New Brunswick's 1,447 physicians support the authorization for patients to have possession of marijuana for medical purposes. [continues 452 words]
Province Ranks Fourth Per Capita In Country For Number Of People Authorized To Possess Medical Marijuana FREDERICTON - New Brunswick has some of Canada's more pot-friendly physicians, and a national group says they expect even more provincial doctors to be writing dope prescriptions in the year to come. The latest numbers from Health Canada and the Canadian Institute for Health Information suggest that about three per cent of New Brunswick's 1,447 physicians support the current authorization for patients to have possession of marijuana for medical purposes. [continues 471 words]
On Thursday the Supreme Court will deliver a decision in the case of Reverend Brother Michael Baldasaro vs. Her Majesty the Queen. Baldasaro is appealing a decision by an Ontario court. The specific issue under the Charter is whether the prohibition of marijuana trafficking in the Controlled Drug and Substances Act violates the right to religious freedom under the Charter. Michael Baldasaro is no ordinary drug pusher. He and Walter Tucker are ministers in the Free Church of the Universe, which professes marijuana to be sacramental. They were charged on two counts of drug trafficking and sentenced to imprisonment for two years. [continues 570 words]
Lost in the debate over marijuana is the ugly truth behind marijuana prohibition. North America's marijuana laws are based on culture and xenophobia, not science. The first marijuana laws were a racist reaction to Mexican immigration during the early 1900s. Writing under the pen name Janey Canuck, Emily Murphy warned Canadians about the dreaded reefer and its association with non-white immigrants. The sensationalist journalism of William Randolph Hearst led to its criminalization in the United States. Dire warnings that marijuana inspires homicidal rages have been counterproductive at best. [continues 164 words]
New Brunswick Crime Stoppers and the RCMP's Coordinated Marijuana Enforcement Team are asking the public to report suspicious activity relating to outdoor marijuana grow operations. Marijuana growers plant marijuana on their own property, but often use Crown land in an attempt to avoid prosecution. Marijuana plants are usually grown in clumps in large areas, and are sometimes surrounded by chicken wire to prevent damage from animals. Other vegetation is often used to camouflage the marijuana plants, and a water supply is usually nearby. [continues 81 words]
A Stephen Harper fan and supporter, I applaud his foray into new media on YouTube last week answering a selection chosen by Google/YouTube producers from 1.800-odd questions pre-submitted by the online video service's users. However, I disagree with the prime minister's take on the dominant topic addressed - marijuana legalization - which he categorically dismissed, affirming he's personally been fortunate to live a drug-free life, and as a parent, drug use is the last thing he'd want for his own or anyone else's children. [continues 760 words]
The final installment of a three-part series: Cannabis use began thousands of years ago, so why is it an issue now? For thousands of years, humans have used cannabis for a variety of purposes. Hemp fibres were a source for rope and cloth as long a 10,000 years ago. It has been used to make paper in China starting 2,000 years ago. All vertebrates, including mammals, birds, fish, and reptiles have naturally co-evolved with cannabis and have receptors for and produce substances called "endocannabinoids," which are "substances that are nearly identical to compounds found in the cannabis plant, hence their name," says Dr. Alan Shackelford, a Harvard and University of Heidelberg School of Medicine-trained physician. [continues 821 words]
New Brunswick's attorney general says the Civil Forfeiture Act will help protect the community from crime, but not at the expense of individual rights. Kelly Lamrock introduced the new act last month in the legislative assembly and it could become law during the current session. The act will give the attorney general the power to apply to seize property that was acquired through or used in unlawful activity even if no one has been charged with a crime. "There has been a growing concern that, in some cases, there can be a piece of property that is clearly being used for illegal activity but the letter of the law makes it difficult to charge individuals," said Lamrock, when he introduced the legislation last month. "The classic example is a drug house in a neighbourhood where there can be many occupants, many of whom may not have been charged, but the home is a safe haven for drug activity, nonetheless. This new act will make it easier for the attorney general to seize the house itself, even after the drug operation has been shut down, sell the property and use the proceeds to fight crime." [continues 769 words]
Attorney General Says Individual Rights Protected New Brunswick's attorney general says the Civil Forfeiture Act will help protect the community from crime, but not at the expense of individual rights. Kelly Lamrock introduced the new act last month in the legislative assembly and it could become law during the current session. The act will give the attorney general the power to apply to seize property that was acquired through or used in unlawful activity even if no one has been charged with a crime. [continues 1086 words]
ST. STEPHEN - An Elmsville man can see the end of his legal travails following proceedings in St. Stephen provincial court. Judge David Walker handed Adam Troy Dickerson, 28, a conditional sentence of six months for growing and possession of marijuana. He will serve the sentence in the community, rather than in jail, as long as he abides by the terms of the conditional sentence order, Walker ruled. The conviction will not prevent him from renewing his licence from Health Canada to grow marijuana for medicinal use, the judge determined. After consulting with each other during a break, federal Crown prosecutor Peter Thorn and defence counsel Joel Hansen agreed that Dickerson could still renew his medical use licence despite this conviction. [continues 335 words]
To The Editor: I have never arrived at a point in my 44 years when I felt so much utter disgust and amazement at how our basic human rights have slowly been taken away from us by the government and the police. And we as a people just put up our hands, shrug our shoulders and say "what can we do?" Last year's legislation permitting police to stop you "for no reason" whatsoever was just the beginning, although they have been doing this for years, as we can all tell a story or two about that. Now with the introduction by Attorney General Kelly Lamrock of the "Civil Forfeiture Act" police will be able to come into your home and seize your property without anyone being charged if they "suspect" you have received these from the profits of crime. A similar law has been on the books for years, however the government had to prove their case in criminal court. But I guess it was too difficult, so they have decided to change the rules of the game (must be nice to have that kind of power). [continues 250 words]
A number of legitimate questions have been raised by New Brunswickers throughout our province about the Civil Forfeiture Act and how its implementation works within the framework of the Charter rights we all value. As Attorney General for New Brunswick, let me first explain the public good we're trying to achieve with this new law. Police and community leaders have long noted situations where they feel helpless watching a neighbourhood be hurt by an ongoing crime, but can't protect people under existing laws. [continues 620 words]
The New Brunswick RCMP has disrupted more than 100 indoor marijuana grow operations since Jan.1. About six have been considered "significant" and the rest have been smaller-scale cultivations. The number of investigations this year has increased slightly over the same time period in 2009. RCMP spokeswoman Const. Chantal Farrah said the public has helped in a number of the seizures. "The increase in seizures doesn't necessarily mean that the market for marijuana is getting bigger," Farrah said. "Rather, it reflects the number of tips we've been getting from the public and the high priority the RCMP places on keeping illegal drugs out of our communities." [continues 242 words]
Crime: Police Attribute Increase, at Least in Part, to Help From Public BATHURST - RCMP are cracking down on New Brunswick marijuana grow operations, and some of the biggest busts so far this year have been in the northern part of the province. In 2010, police have already investigated a half-dozen major indoor grow operations and another 100 small-scale operations across the province. The total so far constitutes a slight increase over the same time period in 2009, says RCMP spokeswoman Const. Chantal Farrah. [continues 350 words]
Part 2 in the Marijuana Series Last week, health risks, benefits, and an introduction to the legality of medical marijuana in Canada and the United States was discussed. Read on this week to learn about the various ways of ingesting marijuana (for medical purposes). Canadian website Medical Marijuana, which assists patients with finding doctors and growers, has published a comprehensive and comprehensible list of uses. "Although smoking marijuana is thought to be the most common form of ingestion," the website states, "there are many alternatives to smoking." [continues 495 words]
SAINT JOHN - Bruce Connell walks into his new office, removes his police tunic and hangs it up. With the jacket gone, the soft-spoken deputy chief relaxes. Boxes are scattered on the floor and the walls are bare in the deputy police chief's new office. A member of the Saint John Police Force since 1984, he's now second in command. While most who are new to the deputy chief's seventh-floor office at City Hall come armed with a long to-do list, Connell doesn't want to change the world. He believes the force is moving in the right direction. [continues 489 words]
PLAD offers help to parents struggling with children's drug addiction Louise and Robert have been in a place most parents never hope to find themselves. Their son was addicted to drugs. Through the addiction services branch of the health services, they found themselves attending a support group called PLAD, an acronym for Parents Learning About Drugs. This program has been going on for over five years. The addiction counsellors usually meet with the child who is addicted and, perhaps briefly with the family, but they recognized that more support was needed and so got some volunteers together and launched PLAD. [continues 984 words]
I'm a Stephen Harper supporter. I think he's the best Canadian prime minister of my lifetime (the possible exception being Louis St. Laurent, but I'm not quite old enough to remember), and I would love to see Mr. Harper succeed in his quest for a parliamentary majority. However, even I'm getting fatigued by the Conservative Party's stridently negative attacks on Opposition leaders and members, and wish they would step back a bit - something most Canadians would appreciate and thus strategically beneficial to achieving that majority objective. [continues 788 words]
Policing: New Act Permits Confiscation Even If No Charges Laid FREDERICTON - Police and other law enforcement officers in New Brunswick are getting a new tool to fight crime. The Civil Forfeiture Act was introduced by Attorney General Kelly Lamrock Thursday and will allow authorities to apply to seize property acquired or used in illegal activity, even if no one has been charged with a crime. The new law will apply to land, personal property and cash associated with illegal activities up to 10 years old. [continues 491 words]
Fredericton police and other law enforcement officers in New Brunswick are getting a new tool to fight crime. The Civil Forfeiture Act was introduced by Attorney General Kelly Lamrock on Thursday and will allow authorities to apply to seize property acquired or used in illegal activity even if no one has been charged with a crime. It will apply to land, personal property and cash associated with illegal activities up to 10 years old. "It is a very powerful piece of legislation that dovetails very nicely with the crime-reduction strategies that are underway in many New Brunswick communities," said Fredericton deputy police chief Leanne Fitch. [continues 356 words]
While the federal government is locked in an ideological battle to shut down a safe drug injection site in Vancouver, community leaders in Saint John are taking a more pragmatic view. The test of any addiction treatment program is the results it generates for addicts and society - and based on the success of methadone treatment in Saint John, safe injection may one day be employed as an option. Enlarge Photo Safe injection sites are places where people addicted to opiate drugs such as Dilaudid or heroin can use these substances legally, under medical supervision. There are about 60 such centres worldwide. The process is designed to reduce the spread of disease, prevent deaths by drug overdose and help addicts into other treatment programs. The Vancouver program is the only safe injection site in Canada, but if it survives a federal challenge at the Supreme Court level, other cities could emulate it. [continues 253 words]
Inside New Brunswick
