There are lessons for Canada in Washington State, which got a quick reality check about the market for recreational weed About a year ago, I visited Seattle to see how pot legalization was going. Not well, as it turned out. A few years earlier, Washington State became one of the first U.S. jurisdictions to vote in favour of legalizing and regulating the sale of marijuana for recreational use. In 2014, the system designed to manage the commercialization process was operational - and it didn't take long for some early grumbling to become a nascent revolt. [continues 643 words]
There's more to Paul Kelly's observations (Reefer Madness, Dec. 9, 2016). North American's contempt for cannabis (marijuana) prohibition is greater than any time in history. Citizens are no longer waiting on government to end the farce. Prohibitionists have lost their platform and the only thing left is to create regulations, which are acceptable to the increasing majority. People expect to be able to grow cannabis and purchase it in regulated markets. Further, cannabis has never been illegal in the eyes of its creator; powerful people have illegitimately been enabled to punish citizens for using what God indicates He created and says is good on literally the very first page of the Bible. God and cannabis are winners. Stan White Dillon, Colorado [end]
Agencies won't have to wait to have applications sped up: Minister B.C.'s health minister believes health agencies won't necessarily have to wait for federal legislation to pass before having their existing new safe injection site applications sped up. "Even under that existing regime I know the minister's officials at Health Canada have talked directly to Vancouver Coastal Health to try to expedite the two applications that they have at the moment," said Terry Lake at the opening of an emergency mobile medical unit in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. [continues 337 words]
Ottawa has tabled a bill aimed at easing restrictions on the facilities, a 'good sign' according to one Toronto city councillor Municipal politicians in Canada's two largest cities are optimistic that new legislation aimed at clearing the path for more supervised consumption sites means they will finally be able to offer the harm-reduction service next year. Ottawa on Monday tabled Bill C-37, which would overturn yet another piece of Conservative era legislation and advance the Liberal government's plan to approach drug use as a public health issue. [continues 775 words]
Incoming packages will be inspected if there are reasonable grounds to be suspicious. This is vital when you are dealing with deadly substances like fentanyl and carfentanil. Ralph Goodale Public Safety Minister The federal government has unveiled a series of measures aimed at curtailing Canada's booming underground market in fentanyl, just as the death toll climbs and more communities sound the alarm about illicit drugs. Under Bill C-37, tabled in the House of Commons on Monday, pill-press machines used in clandestine labs to manufacture bootleg fentanyl could no longer be imported into Canada, and border guards who inspect goods coming in would have broader powers to seize and open suspect packages. [continues 697 words]
KITCHENER - Grand River Hospital is joining local public health, pharmacies and Sanguen Health Centre in distributing life-saving naloxone kits to those who might be susceptible to an opioid overdose. The hospital in conjunction with the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council announced a pilot project this week in which the emergency department will distribute naloxone to those patients at risk of an opioid overdose. Patients can be recreational users or those on prescription opioid medication. "We are another piece in the puzzle. It's another venue where people can receive these kits and we can reach people in need," said Dr. Rupinder Sahsi, emergency room physician at Grand River Hospital and St. Mary's General Hospital. [continues 459 words]
Victoria shouldn't follow Vancouver's lead in considering property-tax increases to cover additional costs associated with fentanyl overdoses, says Mayor Lisa Helps. "I think that by levying a property tax for something that is a health facility takes the pressure off the provincial and federal governments to provide health services," Helps said. "I don't think this is a good idea." Coun. Chris Coleman, however, is sure the issue will come up in budget deliberations next month. "I know the mayor wasn't terribly pleased [with the idea] because she thought it was giving an out to senior levels of government. But if that's your logic model, then we shouldn't be involved in homelessness," Coleman said. "But we are because it's something that we see on our streets. We could make the same argument with fentanyl." [continues 309 words]
Portable unit used for Olympics moving to Downtown Eastside The province's mobile medical unit has served as a MASH-like emergency room at the Olympics, festivals and outside hospitals mid-renovation. And on Tuesday, it will start saving lives in the Downtown Eastside. Inside a tent with all the necessary equipment and staffed with a half-dozen emergency doctors plus nurses and paramedics, the mobile unit will operate 18 hours a day for as long as it's needed in the fight against opioids, officials said. [continues 529 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]
We need to take swift action on the opioid crisis to save lives. The Sandy Hill Community Health Centre has asked the province for $1.4 million a year to operate a supervised injection site seven days a week, 12 hours a day in downtown Ottawa. The estimated cost has more than quadrupled since a plan for the service was unveiled earlier this year. Rob Boyd, director of the health centre's harm reduction program, said costs have gone up as the service model changed in response to the public's feedback - and to the quickening pace of the opioid epidemic. Community members, he said, made it clear they want drug users to be able to access the centre's medical, social and counselling services whenever they visit the injection site. [continues 1096 words]
Thirteen British Columbians died of illicit drug overdoses on Thursday, including nine in the city of Vancouver alone - the latest grim statistics in a worsening crisis that has emergency officials and Vancouver's mayor issuing an urgent call for more treatment options. In comparison, the city has averaged about 15 fatal overdoses a month so far this year, with authorities investigating 160 deaths as of Nov. 30, according to the city's police chief. Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson and Chief Adam Palmer held a joint news conference Friday in which they lauded efforts to expand life-saving harm-reduction services such as supervised-injection sites, but said they also need the provincial government to invest in significant longer-term treatment options. [continues 450 words]
Calgary's police chief is open to introducing supervised facilities for drug users, so long as such programs are part of a larger strategy to lower addiction rates and address problems that accompany drug dependency, such as crime and joblessness. "It always makes police chiefs look resistant when they say no to these things. My answer has been: 'Sure, as long as it is part of a better strategy,' " Calgary Police Service Chief Roger Chaffin said in an interview this week. [continues 912 words]
Future Edmonton supervised injection sites should offer counselling and medical services, police say When Edmonton drug and gang enforcement detective Guy Pilon toured the Insite supervised injection site in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside several months ago he didn't like what he saw. He had visited it three years prior and wanted to see the progress of it and other drug treatment facilities in the city. "There are users now waiting outside of Insite just waiting to get in," Pilon said. [continues 400 words]
When Edmonton drug and gang enforcement detective Guy Pilon toured the Insite supervised injection site in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside several months ago he didn't like what he saw. He had visited it three years prior and wanted to see the progress of it and other drug treatment facilities in the city. "There are users now waiting outside of Insite just waiting to get in," Pilon said. "They are shooting up in the street, they are shooting up around the corner. There are just users everywhere." [continues 387 words]
Nine die in Vancouver, 13 across B.C. from overdoses overnight Thursday Vancouver officials issued a plea to the provincial government Friday for more addiction-treatment funding after B.C. faced the deadliest day yet of its drug-overdose crisis, with 13 people dying Thursday.. On Friday, the B.C. Coroners Service issued an urgent warning to drug users, particularly those in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, to take extra precautions after an "unprecedented number of fatalities" were reported in the province. [continues 999 words]
I must respond to the uninformed idea that supervised injection sites are a no-go for police. Police are directed not to make any simple drug possession arrests near the facilities, but should any other crimes such as assault or trafficking occur, you can be assured police will be there immediately. The call is often made by staff themselves. As for criminal activity near these places, the addicts tend to self-police the area as they better than anyone understand the importance of such facilities and will not allow activities that would jeopardize their existence. Harm reduction has been a medically proven asset in addressing addiction for decades now - time to change these 1950s attitudes. Ken Glofcheskie Ottawa (Fair points.) [end]
Re: Sobriety only answer to opioid crisis, Column, Dec. 14 It was refreshing to read the article by Wayne Moriarty this morning. Choose sobriety! Every time I turn on the TV, the radio or open a paper, all I hear is: drugs, safe injection sites, harm reduction, marijuana or fentanyl. Christy Clark says everyone has to do their part. Vancouver council increased their budget to pay for more first responders. Cities have a limited ability to raise revenue, so they again taxed homeowners. Clark should fund this crisis at the provincial level. The premier has abdicated her responsibility, like she did in the transit referendum and the inflated housing market - she waited until she saw which way the wind blew. Maybe she can fund the response to the addiction crisis. Maybe that can include treatment beds. Mark Murray, Vancouver [end]
Marijuana should be treated as a public health and safety issue, and governments should shy away from using it to raise revenue. That's the biggest takeaway from the report released Tuesday by the federal task force on pot legalization. Its 80 recommendations provide a roadmap Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should follow. The report from the task force, headed by Anne McLellan, a former Liberal cabinet minister, says there are big problems with selling alcohol and pot together, which had been Premier Kathleen Wynne's plan in Ontario. For instance, it notes that some 80 per cent of Canadians drink, while only 11 per cent use marijuana. [continues 313 words]
Pot industry players react to marijuana legalization report Pot smokers, dispensary owners and cannabis industry executives reacted Tuesday to the federal government task force recommendations on how Canada should go about legalizing recreational marijuana. The dispensary manager: Stores should be here to stay Kristina Simpson's hands fly up to her face in shock when she's informed the task force has come out in favour of marijuana storefronts. "Oh my gosh!" says the manager of Weeds Glass & Gifts dispensary on Bank Street. "I'm so happy!" She had braced herself for a more restrictive approach. The task force said storefronts with "well-trained, knowledgeable staff" should have a place, although the provinces would be left to decide how and where marijuana is sold. [continues 805 words]
A federal task force report on legalized recreational marijuana marks a "momentous" step toward the normalization of the drug, a local pot advocate said Tuesday. "I think the consensus is this is the day a lot of people, both from the medical cannabis community and recreational users, never thought they would live to see," said Steven Stairs, a medical marijuana user and local "4/20" organizer. The task force is recommending storefront and mail-order sales to Canadians 18 years and older, with personal growing limits of four plants per person. [continues 474 words]
The task force charged with drawing up a framework for cannabis legalization in Canada has struck a fine balance between providing access to a regulated supply that should undermine the black market and introducing restrictions that minimize the harm associated with pot. The nine-member panel, chaired by former Liberal minister Anne McLellan, was asked to make recommendations that will have implications for all Canadians for years to come. There can be no doubts that we are about to witness widespread changes to the laws and culture of our country. [continues 751 words]
Web of regulations proposed by task force shows Liberals' approach anything but mellow Reading the 106-page report of the Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation, with its determinedly bland cover design and its epically drab title, "A Framework For the Legalization and Regulation of Cannabis in Canada," it's hard to shake the urge to blow off a little steam by sparking up a great big bowl of Whoa! Wrong attitude! Sorry about that. Lord forbid anyone suggest that the point of legalizing marijuana in Canada is to increase the amount of fun anybody might be having. [continues 700 words]
People age 18 and up should be allowed to legally buy marijuana through storefronts and mail-order but probably not in the same locations where alcohol and tobacco are sold, a federal task force is recommending. Vancouver Island's cannabis industry is welcoming recommendations from the task force for legalization of marijuana, but the B.C. government is urging Ottawa to proceed with caution. The task force, headed by former federal Liberal cabinet minister Anne McLellan, recommends allowing dedicated places such as lounges for the consumption of cannabis products, and calls for restrictions on public smoking of tobacco products to extend to cannabis. [continues 938 words]
A decade ago, Vlassis Douvis's storefront window was plastered with T-shirts. "The T-shirts weren't for sale," the Calgary entrepreneur says with a laugh. "It was to hide what was really going on inside." These days, Douvis isn't doing much hiding. It's pretty clear, in fact, what kind of business he operates. At his three Hemp Roots stores in the city, marijuana leaves are painted on the windows and the only thing blocking the view inside is Christmas tinsel. [continues 589 words]
OTTAWA - Eighteen-year-olds should be allowed to buy recreational cannabis when the Liberal government launches a globe-leading social experiment in legalizing marijuana next year, a federally appointed task force said Tuesday. The age limit - and the hazy science of pot-impaired driving - were among the most contentious aspects during five months of hearings and research, task force vice-chair Dr. Mark Ware told a news conference in the parliamentary precinct. The framework report is recommending storefront and mail-order sales to people 18 and older, with personal growing limits of four plants per person and a 30-gram limit on personal possession. [continues 736 words]
When the Trudeau government vowed to legalize the consumption of marijuana, there may have been those who believed the process would be straightforward. The final report of the Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation proves it will be anything but. Here are just a few samples of the task force's slightly hallucinogenic recommendations: The minimum age for cannabis consumption should be 18, even though science says young-adult brains are still developing at that age and can be damaged by excessive pot-smoking. The government must therefore also encourage people to refrain from using legal pot until they are 25, when their brains are fully formed. Which will be tough, because by far the biggest cohort of pot users are people aged 18-25. [continues 256 words]
Federal panel's suggestions on legalizing recreational marijuana greeted cautiously in B.C. Recommendations released Tuesday by the federal panel on legalizing recreational marijuana were greeted positively, if cautiously, by B.C. businesses with a stake in the issue. The committee is recommending Canadians 18 years and older be allowed to buy marijuana in stores or online, or grow their own with a limits of four plants a person. The committee, headed by former federal Liberal cabinet minister Anne McLellan, says recreational marijuana should not be sold in the same location as alcohol or tobacco, and there should be diversity of production beyond the small number of existing, licensed medical marijuana producers. [continues 438 words]
Despite federal report, deputy chief insists police have duty to take action until laws change Until Canada's pot law goes up in smoke, there's nothing hazy about whether cannabis lounges and unregulated marijuana dispensaries are legal. And while the recommendations of a federal government task force, released Tuesday, would loosen up the law, one top London police official said they'll continue to keep a close tab on marijuana hot spots. "Right now, they're illegal," said deputy police chief Daryl Longworth. "If the government changes that around, obviously we'll respond accordingly. [continues 898 words]
This must be some sort of lapse of the synapse. One of the key warnings regarding coming legalization of marijuana didn't make the impression warranted. Health professionals have tried to stress the importance of keeping recreational marijuana away from young people. Last month, the Canadian Paediatric Society urged that the federal government ban sales to those younger than 18 or 19, depending on the province, to correspond with age limits for alcohol and tobacco sales. The federal task force in charge of recommendations, in releasing its report Tuesday, chose the low end of that age spectrum, saying sales should be limited to people 18 and over. [continues 333 words]
Issues 80 recommendations for upcoming Liberal law OTTAWA - A federal task force on legalized recreational marijuana says it should be sold to Canadians over the age of 18 in storefronts or by mail, but not in the same places as liquor or cigarettes. The task force, headed by former Liberal health minister Anne McLellan, was asked to consult with communities and experts and report back to the government with a framework on how pot should be legalized. The government is preparing legislation to be introduced in the spring. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to legalize pot during the 2015 election. [continues 585 words]
Deciding to legalize marijuana was the easy part for the Trudeau government. Seventy per cent of Canadians say they like the idea - in principle. It's all those tricky details of exactly how to do it that can trip you up. Now a panel of experts appointed by the government has recommended a way forward. It proposes a regime that would combine some decidedly liberal elements - such as allowing 18-year-olds to buy pot - with more restrictive measures - including a ban on most advertising. Taken together, it's a smart package. [continues 602 words]
Canada's Marijuana Task Force gave the green light to the green leaf, Tuesday. While legislation still must be written and and passed through Parliament, smokers of the bud were blown away by the federally appointed task force's recommendation the government legislate the recreational sale of marijuana to the general public. "We are super happy here, so glad to see this program is going forward," said Stephanie Brown, manager of the new Cannabis Supply Company in Barrie's south end. The store does not have cannabis on site, but does sell medical marijuana supplies such as vaporizers, water pipes, cookbooks and educational books, as well as setting up appointments for clients to meet with cannabis-friendly physicians. [continues 902 words]
Report recommends provinces and territories all control wholesale distribution of marijuana while working closely with municipalities to cre Canadians now have an idea of when they will be able to purchase recreational marijuana, who can buy it and how much, but where and how cannabis is sold remains up to provinces that are offering only vague opinions on the eventual retail rules for the drug. Now that the federal task force has recommended against selling cannabis in liquor stores - an idea floated in British Columbia, Manitoba and Ontario - it is unclear whether sales will be at government-run outlets, pharmacies or private shops. The panel recommended provinces and territories control the wholesale distribution of marijuana, but work closely with municipalities to create their own approach to selling recreational pot, which Ottawa expects could happen two years from now. [continues 739 words]
A group representing Alberta's liquor stores is advocating for the alcohol industry's involvement in the sale of legalized recreational marijuana. "It's unfortunate from our perspective that the task force took out an entire industry for selling cannabis, especially when that industry has such a good track record," said Ivonne Martinez, president of the Alberta Liquor Store Association. "We have high compliance, we sell in a responsible way." Her comments followed the release of a report Tuesday that was commissioned by the federal Liberal government. The framework document recommended that recreational marijuana shouldn't be sold in the same locations as alcohol or tobacco. It also recommended storefront and mail-order sales to Canadians over the age of 18 and personal growing limits of four plants per person. [continues 225 words]
The Canadian government is giving itself until late 2018 or early 2019 to open up the market for recreational marijuana, based on a road map that will allow everyone over 18 to purchase pot from a variety of producers and retailers or to grow their own. In a report released on Tuesday, a task force chaired by former Liberal minister Anne McLellan provided 80 recommendations to end the prohibition on marijuana that dates back to 1923, using a model similar to the one in place for sales of tobacco and alcohol. [continues 1020 words]
We based [ our recommendation] on available medical and scientific literature and the concerns we had. Jeff Blackmer VP of medical professionalism at the Canadian Medical Association Members of Canada's medical community are disappointed over a federal task force's recommendation to allow cannabis sales to those 18 and over, with some warning unrestricted access could have a detrimental impact on developing brains. As the government moves toward legalization, it also faces the enormous challenge of combatting the widely held mistaken belief that marijuana is harmless, according to a number of medical organizations and substance use experts. [continues 636 words]
As Canada prepares to become the largest jurisdiction in the world to legalize recreational marijuana, a federal task force has told Ottawa it should also require the product to be lab-tested, safe to consume and free of harmful contaminants such as bacteria, mould and dangerous pesticides. That recommendation was part of a report released on Tuesday that will be a blueprint for new legislation expected in the spring. The call from the Federal Task Force on Cannabis Legalization for mandatory product testing and accurate depictions of potency on packaging comes after concerns were raised over a lack of regulations and consumer protection in the cannabis dispensary industry, which has proliferated this year leading up to legalization. [continues 584 words]
Players in nascent market see stocks rise as report recommends Ottawa move quickly to boost increase in production capacity Canadian marijuana stocks surged on Tuesday after a federal task force released its long-awaited recommendations on the legalization of the drug for recreational use. The report, ordered by Justin Trudeau's Liberal government, proposed that people over the age of 18 be allowed to carry up to 30 grams of marijuana for recreational purposes. It also recommends restrictions on advertising and how and where the product can be sold, and suggests the government move quickly to "increase or create capacity in many areas relating to the production and sale of cannabis." [continues 716 words]
To combat the mounting death toll from drug overdoses in Canada, the Health Ministry in British Columbia has determined that programs allowing witnessed drug injection must be considered part of the crisis response. The federal government has introduced Bill C-37, designed to streamline the process for supervised consumption site approval. These are welcome and important initiatives that recognize that we can't help people that we don't see. While the introduction of street-level fentanyl has been blamed for the recent spike in deaths, this crisis has exposed the precarious lives of people who use drugs and their dependence on an unregulated network of illicit drug distributors who care little about their customers. Because of high demand for opioid drugs, even if the supply of fentanyl could be completely cut off, it would be replaced by something else. [continues 663 words]
Re: A smart way forward, Editorial Dec. 14 So the government's panel of "experts" has recommended both the legalization of recreational marijuana and to allow 18-year-old young people, whose brains and general physiology are still developing, to buy and use it. One might wonder why a government, supposedly concerned with the well-being of its citizens, would encourage them to engage in taking a mind-altering drug (and legalization will certainly be seen as a stamp of approval) against the advice of many in the medical establishment. [continues 182 words]
Dear editor: Council is at it again. At what you might ask? Council seems to be setting precedents everywhere. The Prime Minister is in trouble as City of Penticton is on the loose. This is shown by council's decision to issue temporary business licenses to marijuana purveyors. Before I go any further and for those who are ardent marijuana advocates, I will clarify my stance on the subject. This is my personal opinion and only my personal opinion on the issue. I am not totally against marijuana use for anyone else (except youngsters and small children). [continues 383 words]
As drug-related deaths rise in B.C. and opioids continue to spread nationwide, government seeks amendments to Harper-era bill Ottawa will introduce a bill Monday that is expected to reduce barriers to opening and operating supervised drug consumption sites in Canada. The move comes days after B.C. announced it would open several "overdose prevention sites" without federal approval as an emergency measure to counter the province's highest death toll on record due to illicit drugs. As well, carfentanil - a powerful synthetic opioid many times more toxic than fentanyl - has now been detected in three provinces and is beginning to fuel another surge in overdoses, creating a new sense of urgency. [continues 589 words]
A spike in fentanyl-overdose reversals thanks to naloxone kits has been documented by the local HIV Community Link, and shows the lifesaving impact the program is having. Since the local organization began training and dispersing naloxone kits, they've officially documented 16 overdose reversals - and 12 within just the last few weeks, said overdose prevention nurse Kim Dick. "It's been quite a jump - it's been correlated with something like a bad batch of heroin we're assuming was laced with fentanyl coming through town," said Dick. [continues 535 words]
Young teen leaves victim with concussion An attack that left a girl with a concussion resulted in a year's probation for another Lambton County girl. The impact of marijuana use on developing brains was one of the issues to be examined during probation. Science has identified substantial negative mental impacts on teens' developing brains and the focus on marijuana use within the girl's report was concerning, said Justice Deborah Austin during the girl's sentencing. The young teenage girl had pleaded guilty in Sarnia youth court to an assault causing bodily harm during the spring. [continues 181 words]
The federal government is looking at arming Canada's border guards with broader powers to open and seize suspect packages, as a growing volume of illicit fentanyl is smuggled into the country. Caroline Xavier, a vice-president at the Canada Border Services Agency, told a House of Commons committee examining the opioid crisis that the government is reviewing the Customs Act to determine whether restrictions that prevent guards from opening small packages should be removed. Currently, border guards who inspect goods coming into the country are not authorized to open packages weighing less than 30 grams without the consent of the recipient. They can open and inspect any package exceeding that threshold and use detection technology to screen all mail. [continues 556 words]
CBSA guards have good reason to fear wave of incoming cartels, he says Canada's border guardians have reason to fear an influx of drug cartel operatives following the elimination of visa requirements for Mexico, says a former DEA agent. But while the Liberal government action on visas will ease the way for drug traffickers, Mike Vigil said Canada is already ripe for the ruthless cartels. "It will definitely be a factor but not the only factor," said Vigil, who battled Mexican drug cartels in the Latin American country for 13 years, four of them along the border with the U.S. [continues 489 words]
The number of registered users has tripled during past year The number of Canadians legally signed up to buy medical marijuana has more than tripled in the last year. The Health Canada statistics reflect an explosion in the number of Canadians who are turning to marijuana to get relief from everything from chronic pain to nausea from chemotherapy. By the end of September, nearly 100,000 Canadians had obtained prescriptions and registered to buy cannabis with one of the growers licensed by Health Canada, such as the Tweed company in Smiths Falls. [continues 946 words]
Fifteen years ago, Abbotsford's Tracey McClelland was a first-time mother, yearning to hold her tiny premature son. Instead, most of the time she could only watch as her little 4.5-pound bundle lay in his isolette in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Abbotsford's hospital. Today, with her three children all healthy and grown, she has returned to the NICU at Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre. This time, she's here to cuddle and comfort other babies with issues far more serious than her son ever faced, as one of 15 volunteer cuddlers dedicated to soothing substance-exposed newborns. [continues 580 words]
Re Panel To Tell Ottawa To Monitor Legal Pot (Dec. 8): The problems with marijuana will not result from its legalization but from the commercialization of this drug. A recent study of Grade 6 to 8 students (a high risk population) in southern California showed that students who were exposed to medical marijuana ads were twice as likely to intend to use cannabis than those who were not. I hope we will not repeat the tragic mistake that occurred with cigarettes in the 1950s when only the "healthy" effects of its use was promoted by Big Tobacco to increase consumption. James G. Wigmore, forensic toxicologist, Toronto [end]
I went downtown to see what was going on for Christmas and wandered over to Centennial Square and saw a Ferris wheel loading up with children. Just a few feet away a gang of people was sitting smoking crack and one was injecting something that I assume was not insulin. Consenting adults may do whatever they want in private, as far as I am concerned. It's none of my business. But whoever is in charge down there and allows this to happen in public, in that location, is making some pretty stupid decisions. [continues 77 words]
Inside Canada
