Logistics are complicated, but province fears the social costs The province will table its own legislation in response to Ottawa's plans to legalize recreational marijuana and is forming a common front with Ontario to draft an action plan to deal with the expected sweeping negative social consequences. Emerging from a meeting of cabinet where the federal government's plan was analyzed at length, Public Health and Youth Protection Minister Lucie Charlebois said Quebec is moving rapidly to respond to deepening concerns - inside government and out - about the increased availability of pot. [continues 1031 words]
Tomorrow, the Liberal Government of Justin Trudeau is expected to fulfill one of its most well-publicised campaign promises and present its much anticipated legislation to legalize the possession and use of cannabis for recreational purposes. Why they couldn't wait another week until April 20 (420) is a question worth pondering, but then again, that might have required a sense of humour. The history of drug prohibition in Canada goes back to the early 20th Century when authorities became concerned about the use of certain substances among Asian immigrant communities. Marijuana was added to the ever-increasing list of banned substances in the 1920s and once again, race was an integral component. Drug use became associated with decadence, jazz, racial mixing, and sexual license - all things designed to send shivers through middle-class society and its concept of propriety. [continues 951 words]
Federal, provincial governments could earn $675M in 2018: study What we want is a rigorous legislative framework so we can protect the population and especially our youth. Unhappy that it could become more of a problem than it's worth, the Quebec government is encouraging Ottawa to tread lightly and with caution with its plans to legalize marijuana. On the other hand, a new C.D. Howe study shows the federal and provincial government could rake in huge revenues - $675 million in 2018 alone - as long as they don't get greedy on taxes and drive buyers to the black market. [continues 658 words]
With the federal government expected to legalize recreational marijuana use by 2018, Indigenous people across Turtle Island are trying to stay one jump ahead of the competition. The National Indigenous Medical Cannabis Association (NIMCA) was officially launched on Saturday in Tyendinaga, with the goal to promote and defend Indigenous peoples relationship with cannabis. "We are not allowing the Canadian government to regulate the Indigenous medical cannabis industry. You know who is going to regulate that? Indians," said Brian Marquis, who was elected at the president of NIMCA's Ontario chapter. [continues 806 words]
Task force recommendations on marketing of marijuana are too restrictive, Marc Solby says. Spring has sprung and along with crocus blooms, Canadians are eagerly awaiting the legislation to create and govern the recreational cannabis market. In April 2016, Health Minister Jane Philpott announced a deadline of spring 2017 to bring in legislation. That time is now. We hope that the government is developing legislation that is bolder and more practical than the cautious and naive recommendations issued nearly four months ago by its task force looking at the issue. The task force, with its emphasis on law enforcement, failed to imagine and embrace a legal, recreational market. Instead, it chose an approach that is needlessly restricting and controlling. It seeks to create a market to sell cannabis, but wants to sell the least amount possible, essentially trying to suck and blow at the same time. [continues 535 words]
The Liberal government's plan to move ahead on marijuana legalization is up in smoke, NDP leadership candidates suggested during Sunday's leadership debate in Montreal while they also addressed a range of issues affecting youth including student debt and precarious work. B.C. MP Peter Julian, one of four contenders in the race to replace Tom Mulcair as NDP leader, said the federal government has failed to keep its 2015 campaign pledge to legalize and regulate pot for recreational purposes. [continues 493 words]
A large number of Canadians let out a cough of relief this week as the Trudeau government announced that it will finally reveal its intentions with regard to legalization of the recreational use of marijuana within the next few weeks that will come into effect on July 1, 2018 (Cannabis Day?). Although final details of the plan have yet to be released, informed sources are saying that the Bill will reflect the recommendations of a Parliamentary committee headed by former Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair and will allow (force?) provincial governments to set up the kind of regimes they want in order to comply with the law. [continues 929 words]
Dr. Mark Ware has been studying the safe and effective use of medical marijuana for 16 years. His research is done at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). Last June, Ware was named vice-chair of the federal task force studying the recreational use of marijuana. So he has studied the subject of cannabis from both ends of the spectrum. When told that a 40,000-square-foot medical marijuana production facility was poised to open in Pointe-Claire, he put on his research cap. [continues 204 words]
The mother of a teenage girl who was subjected to a strip search at l'Ecole secondaire de Neufchatel has dropped a lawsuit requesting damages of $383,000 against the Quebec City school board and the school's administration. A settlement was reached between the parties early this month, Le Soleil reports. The civil court case was scheduled to begin Feb. 20 before Judge Daniel Dumais of the Superior Court. The girl's mother obtained the consent of the school board to drop the case without being subjected to any fees after two years and multiple judiciary procedures. The lawyers of both parties confirmed the settlement, but were unwilling to provide reasons. [continues 65 words]
Health Canada has given Montreal approval to open three supervised drug injection sites, making it only the second city in the country to have the facilities on its territory. Canada's health ministry made the decision partly in an effort to stem the opioid overdose crisis racking British Columbia and several regions of the United States. Montreal's public health authorities, drug counselling organizations and its mayor have been lobbying for the sites for years, arguing they save lives and reduce drug consumption in public spaces, making communities safer. They have been stymied by critics, including the previous Conservative government, who argued the sites would increase crime rates and promote drug use. The Liberal government of Justin Trudeau has voiced its support for the sites, and in December eased strict restrictions against opening them imposed by the previous administration. [continues 621 words]
Health Canada has approved three supervised consumption sites for Montreal - the first federal approvals for the harm-reduction facilities outside of Vancouver as Ottawa presses forward in its response to Canada's overdose crisis. Montreal has waited two years for federal sign-off on the sites, during which fatal overdoses linked to illicit fentanyl have surged in parts of Canada, notably British Columbia and Alberta. The federal department announced the approvals on Monday, noting that such sites have shown positive results in Canada and other countries. [continues 525 words]
Clinic involved in one-year study of marijuana in managing chronic pain Gilles Richard doesn't harbour any illusions about his disease. It has latched itself to his lungs, his bones and he fears it will eventually seep its way into his brain. Over time, he says, the sickness will prevail. "I like to say I just want five good years," says Richard, a retired physicist. "But it could be three, it could be two . ... I won't take anything for granted." [continues 1044 words]
A new chain of Montreal-area medicinal marijuana clinics hasn't yet opened, but its methods are already being challenged by Quebec's college of physicians. And while the man behind these clinics says he's complying with the rules outlined by Health Canada's medicinal cannabis program, he also admits that some of the doctors he works with are based out of province and will prescribe the drug via Skype teleconference. This practice is illegal, according to the College des medecins du Quebec. [continues 636 words]
An American fugitive who was dubbed the Godfather of Grass because of run-ins with the law involving the large-scale production of marijuana will be detained in Montreal for at least another week while authorities decide when he will be deported. John Robert Boone, 73, was arrested by Montreal police Thursday afternoon at a shopping centre, at the corner of Ste-Catherine St. W. and Atwater Ave., putting an end to a police search that lasted eight years. He had been sought by the Kentucky State Police and the U.S. Marshals Service since 2008. He was detained at the Riviere-des-Prairies Detention Centre where he had a hearing Friday afternoon before an adjudicator with Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board. [continues 457 words]
Re: "'Prince of Pot' defiant after arrest in Montreal" (Montreal Gazette, Dec. 19) I am dumbfounded that even my brightest friends call Marc and Jodie Emery's move to open six marijuana dispensaries and get arrested a brash move. It's really just a well-crafted publicity stunt - cheap advertising. But there's something much less talked about: How will we protect our kids in a legalized marijuana environment? Fact: 90 per cent of adult addicts started off by smoking marijuana before the age of 18. [continues 90 words]
Marc Emery, the so-called Prince of Pot, remains defiant about flouting pot laws in Canada despite his arrest in Montreal on Friday. Emery was one of 10 people arrested when police raided the Cannabis Culture shops around town. Emery was released from detention Saturday. After his arraignment, he flew back to Toronto the same day. He is scheduled to appear in court in Montreal on Feb. 15. Although it has been reported he was slapped with three charges - drug trafficking, possession for trafficking, and conspiracy - Emery said he was only charged with two offences. [continues 199 words]
Police seize 18 kg of marijuana, confiscate cash and equipment Montreal police arrested Canada's self-proclaimed "Prince of Pot" Friday night and seized 18 kilograms of cannabis a day after the splashy opening of six illegal marijuana dispensaries across the city. Dozens of officers raided the stores at supper hour, arresting 10 people and confiscating an undisclosed amount of cash and equipment relating to the sale of marijuana. Police would neither confirm nor deny that they nabbed Marc Emery, but his wife Jodie posted a video of him being taken away. [continues 740 words]
Say what you will about his methods, but Canada's self-proclaimed "Prince of Pot" knows how to make an entrance. Throngs of admirers stood in the snow Thursday and cheered Marc Emery on as he rolled up to the opening of an illegal marijuana dispensary on Mont-Royal Ave. He held court in the shop for half an hour as he made an impassioned case for the legalization of pot - logic-based arguments honed over a career of marijuana advocacy. [continues 989 words]
Chain sells to recreational users who are over 19 years of age 'Prince of Pot' ready to set up shop in Plateau Canada's self-described "Prince of Pot" is expanding his chain of illegal marijuana dispensaries into Montreal as of Thursday, according to sources. A blogger made the announcement on marijuana advocate Marc Emery's online magazine last week. His wife, Jodie, posted a cryptic tweet on Dec. 8, counting down the days until the dispensary's Montreal debut. Two sources close to Emery have confirmed he intends to open as many as three dispensaries in the Plateau-Mont-Royal neighbourhood. [continues 546 words]
At the risk of being accused of pulling a Hillary Clinton and playing fast and loose with the truth let me say this; I have never smoked marijuana, and if I did I never inhaled. Okay, if I inhaled it was only by accident. Except for that one time I was offered a toke from a totally awesome young thing and I took it just to be polite. Anyway, what I did or did not do when I was young and foolish can't be proven anyway, since thankfully back then we didn't take selfies. Besides, all the potential witnesses to my escapades are now either in a seniors' home or at the point where they need to leave a memo on the fridge door just to remind them to take the grocery list when they go shopping. [continues 493 words]
One of Justin Trudeau's flashiest policies has been his promise to legalize marijuana. Taking advantage of 4/20 this past April, his government announced that it will be instated in the spring of 2017-only one year later. We're halfway through that time, and his policy remains vague and shallow. Trudeau is waiting on results from the Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation, but the lack of information this close to its proposed implementation is unsettling. One of the most glaring gaps is that the Liberal government's website doesn't explain how it plans to keep the drug out of the hands of youth-it offers no details, and only asks for a signature in support. When discussing how legalization should be accomplished, Trudeau must clarify how he intends to protect youth from excessive marijuana use and be committed to educating them on the adverse health effects and safety risks. [continues 668 words]
Quebec city is near the top of the list when it comes to getting busted smoking pot Pot smokers in Gatineau are more likely to be charged for possession of marijuana than those in virtually any other major Canadian city. Only Sherbrooke, Que., had a slightly higher rate of pot possession charges last year, according to data collected by Postmedia as part of a project examining Canada's move to legalize recreational marijuana. The federal government has promised to introduce legislation in the spring. In the meantime, pot laws remain in force, although how they are applied varies dramatically across the country. [continues 362 words]
Pot smokers in Gatineau are more likely to be charged for possession of marijuana than in virtually any other major city in the country. Only Sherbrooke, Que., had a slightly higher rate of pot possession charges last year, according to data collected by Postmedia as part of a project examining Canada's move to legalize recreational marijuana. The federal government has promised to introduce legislation in the spring. In the meantime, pot laws remain in force, although how they are applied varies dramatically across the country. [continues 632 words]
Dispensary works in 'legal grey zone' awaiting new federal law The smell is unmistakable. There must be a small mountain of pot lying somewhere in a back room of the storefront office on St-Laurent Blvd. That thick, skunky aroma - strong enough to trigger memories of a misspent youth - is apparent the moment patients are buzzed through the front door of Fondation Marijuana. A whiteboard by the reception desk advertises strains with names like Grand Daddy Purps, Jean Guy and Blue Magic. [continues 2168 words]
Project for Supervised Facilities Was Approved After Local Consultations More than a year after Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre called for the urgent implementation of supervised drug injection sites, local advocates are stuck waiting for a project experts agree has life-or-death consequences. "We've been saying it and resaying it for many years now," said Martin Page, general director of Dopamine, a group based in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve that helps the homeless and addicted. "Supervised injection sites are a positive for everyone in the community." [continues 517 words]
Montreal researchers have found a new role for cannabinoids. The active ingredient in marijuana - which is also naturally present in the human body - seems to improve night vision in vertebrates. The study by a multidisciplinary team including researchers from the Montreal Neurological Institute looked at changes in tadpole retinas after exposure to cannabinoids. "We didn't believe what we were seeing - exactly the opposite of what we expected," said neurologist Ed Ruthazer, of the Montreal Neurological Institute of McGill University, and the paper's senior author. [continues 409 words]
The chief executive of Jean Coutu Group Inc., one of the country's largest pharmacy chains, said Tuesday he is open to selling medical marijuana but won't lobby the federal government to do so. "We're not going to actively pursue this," Francois Coutu said following the company's annual general meeting at its new headquarters and automated distribution centre in Varennes, Que. Mr. Coutu said he doesn't know how profitable the sale of medical marijuana would be for the company, which operates 417 stores in Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick. "I haven't focused on that because it's going to be a long way before this is happening," he said. "There are a lot of question marks that are unanswered at this point." [continues 152 words]
It's not right to give people criminal records for an act soon to be legal, Marcus A. Sibley says. The Liberal government has appointed a nine-member task force that will develop recommendations for a comprehensive plan on marijuana legalization and regulation. The move to research and invest in sensible marijuana reform comes at a time when minor possession offences continue to be enforced and police raids on unlicensed pot shops have expanded across the country. Unfortunately, the government has rejected the possibility of immediately decriminalizing marijuana possession. [continues 567 words]
Since his election on October 19 last year as Canada's 23rd Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau has ushered in an astounding shift in Canada's political atmosphere. No longer are we enjoined by an angry, suspicious, and hateful government to live in fear and loathing of those who might trigger our xenophobic tendencies because of different beliefs, customs, or even methods of preparing foods. We are no longer asked to spy on our neighbours and rat out 'suspicious behaviour or, God help us, have 'Barbaric Practices. Age-old habits of homophobia and loathing of other gender identities are no longer encouraged by a fundamentalist leadership and scientists are no longer gagged, filtered, and silenced, Natives are no longer ignored or despised by government and generally, the air of oppression that hung over the country during the Harper decade has vanished into thin air. [continues 965 words]
Re: "How Portugal solved its drug woes" (NP Montreal, June 20) Legalizing the use not only of marijuana but that of heroin and cocaine as well, accompanied by an intensive treatment program, seems to have paid off. The experiment could perhaps be pushed further by making drug peddling unprofitable. Make these drugs available at little to no cost at rehabilitation centres, the drugs provided by licensed suppliers. Savings in law enforcement and legal proceedings should easily offset the cost of such a program, and violence associated with the illicit drug trade would be significantly diminished. Marcel Hebert, Lancaster, Ont. [end]
Inside Quebec
