Few aspects of society escaped criticism when 220 Alberta teenagers gathered at the Hotel Macdonald for four days to discuss drug use. The young, "predominantly clean-cut" attendees were taking part in the second annual Youth Conference on Alcohol and Drug Problems, sponsored by the Alcohol Education Association of Alberta, formerly known as the Association of Temperance Forces in Alberta. They found a double standard exists between their generation's use of drugs and the older generation's use of alcohol. [continues 379 words]
Being first on the scene of a drug overdose was 'the most stressful situation' 28-year-old Ryan Semiao ever experienced When a person suffering from a schizophrenic episode starts trashing his room and screaming in rage, one of the best things you can do is knock softly on the door and ask if he would like a glass of water. That's one of the ways 28-year-old Ryan Semiao has learned to calm troubled residents since he began working full time in March at a rough-and-tumble housing facility in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Semiao's new job combines janitorial duties - such as cleaning up drug paraphernalia - with front-line support that may include helping someone find an alternative to drinking Listerine. [continues 587 words]
Researchers have identified important factors that can led to teen drug abuse. These risk factors include things such as a chaotic home, drug-using friends, and ineffective parenting. Conversely, protective factors include parental involvement, success at school, a strong family bond, a no-use drug policy at home and appropriate role modeling from parents. Parents should remember to model the kind of person they want their child to become. Keep these tips in mind: * Be a living, day-to-day example of your value system. Show the compassion, honesty, generosity and openness you want your child to have. [continues 231 words]
The election campaign in Canada is in full swing. Colin Mayes' recent columns about climate change and drug problems (read, "Oh no, marijuana") echo television advertising currently put out by our Conservative government and doubtless paid for by us taxpayers. Some of us see through that ploy. As a medical cannabis user for three years, I cannot restrain myself from commenting on less-than-enlightened statements. Mayes' information regarding cannabis (the actual plant name, as opposed to the derogatory, slang term marijuana) is possibly even older than that great propaganda piece, Reefer Madness. [continues 455 words]
Drawing a straight line between recreational drug use and the recent spate of gang shootings in Ottawa is a little like revealing the truth behind the real source of all those gifts under the Christmas tree: Which is to say, the truth tends spoil the party even though we all know where they really come from. Truth is local drugs are managed from source to the marketplace by sophisticated criminal networks responsible for much of the violence that is now plaguing some Ottawa neighbourhoods. [continues 324 words]
Drug Causes Mood Swings, Impulsive Behaviour, Montreal Research Shows Users of cocaine and amphetamines are twice as likely to attempt suicide than other people who inject drugs, a new study from the Universite de Montreal has found. The study, published in the Nov. 26 issue of the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, followed the users of injectable drugs over a seven-year period. The users answered questionnaires twice a year. The study found that users of cocaine and amphetamines were roughly twice as likely to attempt suicide than users of opiates, sedative-hypnotics, cannabis and alcohol. [continues 411 words]
DEAR READERS: People responded passionately to the disgruntled wife of a man who smokes marijuana every single night before going to bed. Here are three of those spirited letters: Dear Miss Lonelyhearts: That letter from Not a Stoner really hit home for me. Being a child of a parent who smoked pot, I think this woman should be thinking of other factors and concerns. So many people think that smoking pot isn't a big deal and don't consider it a real drug, saying it's not addictive, but it's just as serious as any other drug addiction. I grew up knowing my dad smoked, but didn't fully understand it until I was older. I found out after my parents divorced that it was a gateway drug for him that led to the occasional slide down to more serious drugs. [continues 689 words]
Gangs Have Gone From Fist Fights to Shootings, Police Say The young men of Ottawa's street gangs have become more organized, less caught up in superficial things like colours and tattoos -- and decidedly more violent. Guns and Gangs Staff Sgt. Ken Bryden goes so far as to call them "very volatile people." In a decade investigating their crimes, Bryden has seen gang violence go from fist fights to shootings. "There's been an obvious escalation," he says. "Anyone could see it. I remember when it was a big deal the first time we had someone threaten someone with a knife." [continues 315 words]
As attitudes to cannabis mellow, could legalization be next? Smoke it, vape it, eat it - marijuana, it seems, is going mainstream. Once widely reviled by society at large as the demon weed, medical-grade cannabis is now available through federally licensed growers with a doctor's prescription and even some highly respected health organizations are calling for the herb to be legalized and sold as a taxable commodity like alcohol, in government-regulated outlets. At the same time, Canadians also appear to be softening their attitudes toward the drug. [continues 1083 words]
There is clear evidence to demonstrate that the so-called war on drugs has not achieved its stated objectives. Smoke it, toke it, vape it, eat it - marijuana, it seems, is going mainstream. Once widely reviled by society at large as the demon weed, medical grade cannabis is now available through federally licensed growers with a doctor's prescription. Even some highly respected health organizations are calling for the herb to be legalized and sold as a taxable commodity like alcohol, in government-regulated outlets. [continues 590 words]
Canada's Medical Pot Business Has Had A Few Rough Patches On Its Road To The Mainstream Shaun Simpson has had a migraine headache for the past seven years. For years, Simpson took a dozen or more Tylenol 3 pills a day, but they caused unpleasant side-effects and weren't completely effective. About 2 1/2 years ago, he received a prescription for medical marijuana, which he ordered from Health Canada. "I don't feel like I'm drugged out or stoned ( like I did with) the Tylenol 3; I'm actually more active and social," says Simpson, 34, who works as a photographer in the Maritimes. [continues 431 words]
TORONTO - Smoke it, toke it, vape it, eat it - marijuana, it seems, is going mainstream. Once widely reviled by society at large as the demon weed, medical-grade cannabis is now available through federally licensed growers with a doctor's prescription. Even some highly respected health organizations are calling for the herb to be legalized and sold as a taxable commodity like alcohol, in government-regulated outlets. At the same time, Canadians also appear to be softening their attitudes toward the drug. [continues 704 words]
Low Supply, High Prices Fuel Complaints VANCOUVER - Shaun Simpson has had a migraine headache for the past seven years. His medical problems started with surgery to remove a piece of his skull that was pressing against his brain. The procedure left him with a spinal-fluid leak, which, in turn, fuels a near-constant headache. For years, Simpson took a dozen or more Tylenol 3 pills a day, but they caused unpleasant side-effects and weren't completely effective. About 2 1/2 years ago, he received a prescription for medical marijuana, which he ordered from Health Canada. [continues 1107 words]
Users Complain Of Shortages While Would-Be Growers Wait For Licences VANCOUVER - Shaun Simpson has had a migraine headache for the past seven years.. His medical problems started with surgery to remove a piece of his skull that was pressing against his brain. The procedure left him with a spinal-fluid leak, which, in turn, fuels a near-constant headache. For years, Simpson took a dozen or more Tylenol 3 pills a day, but they caused unpleasant side-effects and weren't completely effective. [continues 838 words]
Life for Marc Emery has been grand since July 9, the day he was released from custody in the U.S. and crossed the border to Windsor after nearly 41/2 years behind bars. "It's been the most wonderful time," he said. "Everybody's been really nice to me across Canada and Europe. "If you go to jail, it makes your work more relevant, I guess, the idea that you sacrificed." He's taken his advocacy to Europe, where he's been presented with three lifetime achievement awards. [continues 303 words]
TORONTO - Smoke it, toke it, vape it, eat it - marijuana, it seems, is going mainstream. Once widely reviled by society at large as the demon weed, medical-grade cannabis is now available through federally licensed growers with a doctor's prescription. Even some highly respected health organizations are calling for the herb to be legalized and sold as a taxable commodity like alcohol, in government-regulated outlets. At the same time, Canadians also appear to be softening their attitudes toward the drug. [continues 689 words]
As Attitudes Toward Marijuana Mellow, Could Legalization Be Next? Smoke it, toke it, vape it, eat it - marijuana, it seems, is going mainstream. Once widely reviled by society at large as the demon weed, medical-grade cannabis is now available through federally licensed growers with a doctor's prescription and even some highly respected health organizations are calling for the herb to be legalized and sold as a taxable commodity like alcohol, in government-regulated outlets. At the same time, Canadians also appear to be softening their attitudes towards the drug. [continues 1082 words]
A NEW DRUG that could dramatically improve outcomes for people who are addicted to opioids or alcohol is being tested in Vancouver. St. Paul's Hospital is the only Canadian site that's involved in a pilot study headed by the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse's clinical trial network of the effects of Vivitrol, or naltrexone, on people with HIV who also have opioid or alcohol addiction. Approved for use in the U.S., it blocks the brain's ability to experience the effects of alcohol and drugs such as heroin. [continues 862 words]
Meet CEN Biotech, the company that wants to become the $5-billion king of Canada's new medical marijuana industry. But there are serious questions about its conduct in capital markets, raising concerns about the federal government's oversight of the sector. With the eyes of the world on Canada's decision to privatize medical marijuana production, how much does Health Canada know about the companies it is licensing? On June 30, in a packed conference room in Denver, Bill Chaaban - a man known to his legions of followers as "Wild Bill" - took the stage to a rousing ovation. The room was filled with investors hungry for the stock market's next big thing. And Mr. Chaaban knew how to play to a crowd. [continues 4664 words]
New rules limit medicinal producers OTTAWA'S new rules for obtaining medical marijuana are getting under the skin of some local medicinal users. Richard Barahona, 44, was diagnosed with cancer almost two years ago. He tried more traditional methods of treatment but found they were either worsening his condition or not working. He says the new system is nothing more than a money grab. "We should be able to practise our alternative and make ourselves feel better and recuperating in what we're suffering from," said Barahona, a former respite worker who is now a co-owner of Vapes on Main, a downtown medical marijuana cafe. [continues 680 words]
HALIFAX - Marijuana remains the drug of choice for members of the Canadian army, based on the Force's latest blind drug testing report that also found cocaine is gaining popularity among some members. The report, done between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2013, found the overall drug consumption rate has been relatively stable since 2010 but suggested young, non-commissioned members were more prone to do drugs. The findings, contained in a 42-page report obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act, included testing for 11 controlled substances at 26 Armed Forces units across the country. There were 4,198 participants from most ranks and age groups. [continues 246 words]
HALIFAX * Marijuana remains the drug of choice for members of the Canadian army, based on the Force's latest blind drug testing report that also found cocaine is gaining popularity among some members. The report, done between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2013, found the overall drug consumption rate has been relatively stable since 2010 but suggested young, non-commissioned members were more prone to do drugs. The findings, contained in a 42-page report, included testing for 11 controlled substances at 26 Armed Forces units across the country. There were 4,198 participants from most ranks and age groups. [continues 295 words]
HALIFAX - Marijuana remains the drug of choice for members of the Canadian army, based on the force's latest blind drug testing report that also found cocaine is gaining popularity among some members. The report, done between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2013, found the overall drug consumption rate has been relatively stable since 2010 but suggested young, non-commissioned members were more prone to do drugs. The findings, contained in a 42 page report obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act, included testing for 11 controlled substances at 26 Armed Forces units across the country. There were 4,198 participants from most ranks and age groups. [continues 200 words]
From sugar to pot? If may take a while, but the process has begun for medical marijuana grow operations to start sprouting up in Niagara Falls. The city's committee of adjustment approved two zoning variances for the former Redpath Sugar plant on Garner Rd. and the former Kimberly Clark factory on Victoria Ave. The owners of both buildings applied to the committee so that a "nurser y for trees, plants and shrubs" could be added to the list of permitted uses on those properties. [continues 745 words]
Councillor unhappy with way pot proposal dealt with, mayor says proper guidelines followed Residents and councillors should have been given more information about two medical marijuana applications that went before the city's committee of adjustment, says Coun. Carolynn Ioannoni. While public notices were posted about the committee meeting, it was described as being for the consideration of a "nursery for the growing of trees, shrubs and plants." There was no specific mention of medical marijuana, which Ioannoni said was deceiving. [continues 513 words]
Smoke it, toke it, vape it, eat it - marijuana, it seems, is going mainstream. Once widely reviled by society at large as the demon weed, medical-grade cannabis is now available through federally licensed growers with a doctor's prescription and even some highly respected health organizations are calling for the herb to be legalized and sold as a taxable commodity like alcohol, in government-regulated outlets. At the same time, Canadians also appear to be softening their attitudes towards the drug. [continues 636 words]
WHILE MDS QUESTION IF MEDICAL MARIJUANA IS THE RIGHT PRESCRIPTION, WINDSOR TO HOST CANNABIS CLINIC Dr. Tony Hammer treats drug addicts and people seeking pain relief - the latter sometimes feeding the former - but don't expect him to jump aboard the medical marijuana bandwagon. "I am utterly incapable of distinguishing between those who need it and those who enjoy it," said Hammer. He's convinced most of the tens of thousands of Canadians prescribed medical marijuana are instead using it "recreationally." [continues 1929 words]
About 94 Per Cent of Soldiers Showed Clean in Testing HALIFAX - Marijuana remains the drug of choice for members of the Canadian army, based on the Force's latest blind drug testing report that also found cocaine is gaining popularity among some members. The report, done between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2013, found the overall drug consumption rate has been relatively stable since 2010 but suggested young, non-commissioned members were more prone to do drugs. The findings, contained in a 42-page report obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act, included testing for 11 controlled substances at 26 Armed Forces units across the country. There were 4,198 participants from most ranks and age groups. [continues 335 words]
'Anti-marijuana ad's dubious claim a scary hit with parents," was CBC's online headline to a potentially good-news story for the federal Conservatives on Thursday. According to focus group results released by Harris-Decima, it seems Health Canada's portentous new anti-pot advertisement, which shows a brain-shaped bong gradually filling up with more and more smoke and icky residue, packs a punch. Its various ostensibly startling claims - that "marijuana is on average 300% to 400% stronger than it was 30 years ago"; that "smoking marijuana can seriously harm a teen's developing brain" - touched a nerve with some parents. [continues 717 words]
New drug awareness program geared for 8 to 11-year-olds in Sarnia- Lambton For Max*, the downward spiral of addiction started off slowly and at supposedly the most innocent of times, when he was in elementary school. He started off experimenting with tobacco and marijuana around the tender age of 12. "By the time he was involved in high school, he was in full gear," recalled his father Sean, who asked that his last name not be used to protect the identity of his son. [continues 524 words]
Marijuana Inc. Part one of a two-part series on the rise of medical marijuana as big business in Canada. Inside the rush to profit from medical marijuana Dennis Arsenault couldn't believe what he was seeing. When his company, OrganiGram Inc., made its debut on the TSX Venture Exchange this summer, the shares suddenly shot up. The high valuation didn't make sense - not even to Mr. Arsenault, and he was the company's chief executive officer. Just a few weeks earlier, OrganiGram, an upstart producer of medical marijuana based in Moncton had been valued privately at just over $40-million. But on the open market, speculators feverishly drove up the total value of its shares to nearly $120-million in late August. [continues 3650 words]
The Victoria Police Department is now the sole respondent in a human rights complaint filed by VicPD Cst. David Bratzer. Bratzer filed a human rights complaint against VicPD, former police chief Jamie Graham and Insp. Jamie Pearce in 2013 for restricting his public communications as a member of the U.S.-based organization LEAP, Law Enforcement Against prohibition. Bratzer is an outspoken member, advocating for drug legalization. The B.C. Human Rights Tribunal dismissed Graham and Pearce from Bratzer's complaint on Dec. 16. [continues 219 words]
'There's No Stoners Here' Long-time greenhouse grower Cole Cacciavillani, his family a pillar of the Leamington community, jokes about acquaintances made during nearly three years of personal research into growing marijuana. The challenge in expanding from geraniums and poinsettias for retail chains like Costco into marijuana for medical patients was most of the existing expertise was built up around a crop still largely illegal. "The problem with this whole industry is it's been mostly underground.... We have to make it legitimate," said Cacciavillani. He insists he's never ingested the new product he's now licensed to grow and sell. [continues 1207 words]
I think our communities could benefit from a fulsome dialogue about addiction and how we respond to those who suffer from it. We need a compassionate discussion that engages our hearts and our minds and that avoids blaming and shaming the ultimate victim, the person who is addicted. Using our community newspapers might be a way to have such a dialogue. We all have access to myriad drugs - prescribed, non-prescribed, licit, illicit, some socially acceptable and others not. We are bombarded by marketing and messaging that encourages us to use drugs of one form or another. So it should be no surprise that medicating ourselves has become the answer to our problems and our pain. [continues 551 words]
THE B.C. HUMAN Rights Tribunal has noted that a police department restricted the off-duty activities of an officer who believes in ending the war on drugs. In a decision today (December 16), tribunal member Robert Blasina wrote that there is "no dispute" that the Victoria Police Department sought and continues to limit the public advocacy of Const. David Bratzer when he's not in uniform. The question that remains is whether or not the VicPD contravened the B.C. Human Rights Code. [continues 284 words]
I think our communities could benefit from a fulsome dialogue about addiction and how we respond to those who suffer from addiction. That is, a compassionate discussion that engages our hearts and our minds, and avoids blaming and shaming the ultimate victim - the person who is addicted. Possibly, our community newspapers might be one way for us to have such a dialogue. We all have increased access to myriad drugs - prescribed, non-prescribed, lawful, illicit, some socially acceptable and others not. We are tirelessly bombarded by marketing and messaging that encourages us to use drugs of one form or another. So it should be no surprise that medicating ourselves has become the answer to our problems and our pain. [continues 613 words]
Parliamentary committees undertake studies dealing with various topics and then write a report. If Opposition members on a particular committee do not agree with the report, they usually put together what is called a Dissenting Minority Report. The House of Commons Health Committee recently did a study on all aspects of marijuana policy and use in Canada. The NDP believes that this study was unbalanced and was designed to focus on the harms of marijuana policy and use in Canada. According to our Health critic, Libby Davies and other NDP members of the committee, the study and resulting report did not allow for an unbiased assessment of both harms and potential medical benefits. [continues 607 words]
Current Social-Housing Policy Is Doomed to Fail It's such a familiar story. People are shot or killed in Ottawa's social-housing neighbourhoods. Police step up enforcement. People are arrested, and guns and drugs seized. Community meetings are held. Multiple social agencies introduce new programs. Pause. Repeat. The recent shootings in the west end have produced another of those periodic spasms of media, public, police and social-agency attention. They follow hard on the heels of similar shootings in similar neighbourhoods in the city's south end. [continues 604 words]
It's "just a point" of crystal meth, Angela says. No big deal. But the fix will send her into orbit. In a graffiti-filled Windsor alley mid-afternoon, she pierces the crook of her arm, slowly pulls wine-red blood into the syringe, and "smashes" a .1-gram blast of methamphetamine hydrochloride into her vein. The rocket rush immediately takes her. "I hate that I love it so much," said Angela, 26, who has used crystal meth for a decade, injecting it the last four. "Other than the extreme burst of energy it gives you, I just feel super confident." [continues 2011 words]
Bud Business Booms. Patients Offered Fast-Track Marijuana Prescriptions "Weed helped me because it heightens my mood, saving me from the harsh reality." Kimberly Baird says that, at one point, she was swallowing 180 pills a day. The 31-year-old suffers from relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Her left hand and left ankle are both paralyzed; she relies on a wheelchair to get around. The pain comes in waves but it's debilitating when it hits - Metro's first visit to her Inglewood home had to be cancelled last-minute because Baird couldn't get to the door. [continues 469 words]
Residents heightened their call for police to do more to curb violence in their west-side neighbourhoods after a police announcement Monday publicizing results of a six month gang and drug operation, one day ahead of an emergency meeting about gang shootings. Addressing the police services board meeting Monday night, Geoffrey Sharpe, who represents an ad hoc committee of residents in Ward 7, said a year of record-high shootings concentrated in the district needs more effort from police. "The time has come for a far more aggressive policy than suppression of gangs," Sharpe said. "This just simply cannot go on." [continues 388 words]
Constable Who Wants Drugs Legalized Said Former Chief Discriminated Against Him Former Victoria police chief Jamie Graham and Insp. Jamie Pearce have been removed from a human rights complaint filed by an officer who says he was discriminated against based on his political views. Const. David Bratzer, an outspoken advocate for drug legalization, filed a complaint with the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal last year saying the department's senior management, including Graham and Pearce, warned him not to speak about drug legalization while off-duty. Bratzer is the president of the Canadian branch of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), an international organization of current and former law-enforcement officials pushing for full legalization and regulation of drugs. [continues 120 words]
POLICE in Manitoba now have wider powers under provincial law to pull suspected drug-impaired drivers off the road. "Driving while impaired by drugs is dangerous, illegal and has serious consequences," provincial registrar of motor vehicles Ward Keith said. "These amendments now provide police with the authority to take immediate roadside action in cases where a driver fails or refuses adrug-recognition evaluation." That includes an immediate three-month suspension from driving and five demerit points if a driver fails the test. A driver faces the same penalty if they refuse to submit to a drug test or refuse to supply a blood or urine sample for a test. [continues 171 words]
OTTAWA - Delays in inspections and approvals to grow medical marijuana are causing shortages, according to some in the industry. This year, Canada transformed its medical marijuana regime by banning small, homegrown outfits and moving to multimillion-dollar industrial producers. Hundreds of companies are waiting to see if they will be licensed to sell pot. But those who have been approved are frequently selling out and have faced delays in expanding production. Tilray has 30 grow rooms ready to go at their 60,000-square-foot facility in Nanaimo, B.C. The rooms represent 80 per cent of their total production. But they've been waiting months for Health Canada to sign off on them. [continues 508 words]
Shaun Simpson has had a migraine headache for the past seven years. His medical problems started with surgery to remove a piece of his skull that was pressing against his brain. The procedure left him with a spinal-fluid leak which, in turn, fuels a near-constant headache. For years, Simpson took a dozen or more Tylenol 3 pills a day, but they caused unpleasant side-effects and weren't completely effective. About 21/2 years ago, he received a prescription for medical marijuana, which he ordered from Health Canada. [continues 452 words]
VANCOUVER - Shaun Simpson has had a migraine headache for the past seven years. His medical problems started with surgery to remove a piece of his skull that was pressing against his brain. The procedure left him with a spinal-fluid leak, which, in turn, fuels a near-constant headache. For years, Simpson took a dozen or more Tylenol 3 pills a day, but they caused unpleasant side effects and weren't completely effective. About two and a half years ago, he received a prescription for medical marijuana, which he ordered from Health Canada. [continues 1023 words]
Low supply and high prices among list of patients' concerns after production became restricted to commercial firms Shaun Simpson has had a migraine headache for the past seven years. His medical problems started with surgery to remove a piece of his skull that was pressing against his brain. The procedure left him with a spinal-fluid leak, which, in turn, fuels a near-constant headache. For years, Mr. Simpson took a dozen or more Tylenol 3 pills a day, but they caused unpleasant side effects and weren't completely effective. [continues 1161 words]
The Conservative government has lost its latest attempt to prevent medical marijuana users from growing pot at home, with the Federal Court of Appeal upholding an injunction that exempted patients from a massive overhaul of the system. New rules were introduced earlier this year that prohibited home growing and instead shifted production to commercial operations, but a group of patients is challenging that regime in a case expected to be heard in the new year. A Federal Court judge issued an injunction in the spring that allowed patients who were authorized to grow and possess marijuana under the old system to continue to do so until their case is resolved. [continues 251 words]
Feds Want Commercial Operations Only VANCOUVER - The Conservative government has lost its latest attempt to prevent medical marijuana users from growing pot at home, with the Federal Court of Appeal upholding an injunction that exempted patients from a massive overhaul of the system. New rules were introduced earlier this year that prohibited home growing and instead shifted production to commercial operations, but a group of patients is challenging that regime in a case expected to be heard in the new year. [continues 289 words]
When it comes to health care, we need to be open to new means of helping people. Medical marijuana comes with built-in controversy because it's been an illegal substance for so many decades. It's time to get rid of that stigma and have a more honest review of the potential medicinal benefits. Practical uses of the drug have been slow to catch on in the medical community, purportedly due to a lack of information - but also, some suspect, because of lingering suspicions from the level of lawmakers. [continues 233 words]
Inside Canada
