Even as national awareness grows of widespread prescription drug abuse, Virginia lawmakers want to impede an avenue of treatment. Among other mischief, Virginia's General Assembly busied itself at this year's inglorious session with putting up legal roadblocks against drug treatment centers. So Virginians will find their options that much more limited should they discover they must contend with news more dire than that a methadone clinic plans to open nearby. The more dire news is that prescription medicines, such as the highly addictive narcotics OxyContin and Vicodin, now rank as the second-most abused drugs in the nation, right behind marijuana. [continues 292 words]
One Roanoke Valley Defense Attorney Argues That the Drug Case Is Part of a Pattern of Questionable Detentions, but State Police Say Their Methods Are Legal. Gabino Barrera probably thought he was getting off easy when a law enforcement officer told him he was going to let him off with a warning. But the roughly two minutes that Gary Meredith, a special agent with the Virginia State Police criminal interdiction unit, continued to talk to Barrera alongside Interstate 81 has raised the issue of whether the Mexican man's constitutional right under the Fourth Amendment to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures was violated. [continues 1289 words]
He's Back, and With All-New Material. The nation's drug czar, John Walters, returned to Nevada last week, talking down a renewed push to legalize up to one ounce of marijuana. Even the draconian penalties for driving under the influence (of anything) and selling marijuana to a minor aren't enough to get this drug warrior's endorsement. Instead, Nevadans were treated to the usual parade of lies: 60 percent of the 7 million Americans who "need" drug treatment are dependent on marijuana? How can this be, when it's never been proven that marijuana is physically addictive? And aren't a good portion of those who "seek" drug treatment forced to choose between a program and prison? [continues 415 words]
Police Seeing More Evidence of the Dangerous Chemical Crystal meth is the drug du jour and has New Westminster police board members worried. Methamphetamines, which can be produced in a home-based or even mobile lab, can be bought for as little as $10 for a 'point,' a tenth of a gram serving. Insp. Frank Ciaccia, head of the police criminal investigation division, told the March meeting of the police board that he is seeing crystal meth rearing its ugly head in the Royal City. [continues 567 words]
Toronto Is Ready to March for the Grass Again This May. The fifth annual Million Marijuana March takes place May 1, behind the legislature at Queen's Park. Featuring entertainment, vendors and a gathering of those celebrating "cannabis culture", the Marijuana March attracted more than 7,000 people last year. While the worldwide event varies from city to city, people in various countries are celebrating marijuana on May 1. [end]
The Kenora Police Service has joined the list of police forces whose members stand accused, that in enforcing the law, they broke the law. The OPP has disbanded one of its elite units due to improprieties, a half dozen members of Toronto's drug squad are facing charges relating to theft and extortion, and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan police are under the gun for an unofficial policy of leaving drunks to freeze - in at least one case to death - on the outskirts of that city. [continues 1010 words]
Stelly's Style It's twelve o'clock and a young girl is sitting with her friends at a party. A good-looking guy who is checking her out approaches her. He offers her a blue cocktail. Smitten, she accepts. As she sips away her friends leave her alone with the "hottie." Fifteen minutes later she starts to feel woozy. The next thing she remembers is waking up in a stranger's bed without any recollection of the night's events. This young girl, who could be anybody, has been raped. [continues 430 words]
Local News - Thieves have stolen more than $12 million and caused nearly $400,000 in damage to local homes and businesses in the last five years, according a Kingston Police report released yesterday. Kingston residents lost nearly $1.2 million from about 750 break-ins reported to police last year alone, said the report, prepared by department crime analyst Ray Lonsdale. On average, thieves stole $2,872.40 each time they broke into a home, and caused $85.35 in property damage. [continues 326 words]
OTTAWA -- Health Canada plans to make government-certified marijuana available in pharmacies, a move that could rapidly boost the number of registered medical users. Officials are organizing a pilot project in British Columbia, modelled on a year-old program in the Netherlands, that would allow medical users to buy marijuana at their local drugstore. Currently, there are 78 medical users in Canada permitted to buy Health Canada marijuana, which is grown in Flin Flon, Man. The 30-gram bags of dried buds, sold for $150 each, now are sent by courier directly to patients or to their doctors. [continues 583 words]
