Disappointment after province won't call state of emergency Rosalind Davis and her spouse Nathan Huggins-Rosenthal planned to start a family, but she believes his addiction to fentanyl became the cause of his death. Davis was dismayed to learn last week that the government won't enact a public health state of emergency over the fentanyl crisis, after Alberta Liberal leader Dr. David Swann expressed the need for an emergency. "I think we're really disappointed because it speaks volumes of ignorance to the lack of education around drugs and addictions issues," said Davis, who has launched the Alberta Foundation of Changing the Face of Addiction, a not-for-profit that aims to educate Albertans on drugs and addictions issues, with Nathan's sister, Jessica Holtsbaum. [continues 314 words]
Marijuana test to be in force's hands by early 2017: Developer The Calgary Police Service said they're encouraged by companies working on solutions to impaired driving by drugs - including a marijuana breathalyzer. Mike Lynn, and emergency room doctor, reserve deputy sheriff and CEO of The Hounds Labs, Inc. based out of Oakland California said they're close to completing their marijuana breathalyzer and are hoping to do pilot projects with law enforcement agencies. "There is a huge amount of interest in what we're doing and that part has been really quite gratifying," he said. "Now we're working as hard as we can and as fast as possible to get the tools out there." [continues 304 words]
Officers' 'privacy interests' cited in failure to produce key documents After an Edmonton judge blamed federal Crown prosecutors and the Edmonton Police Service for an "extreme delay" that led to charges against an alleged drug dealer being set aside, Edmonton police argued Wednesday they need to balance their officers' privacy against their duty to disclose. "There's a balancing act that has to take place between the disclosure of police disciplinary records and the privacy interests of police officers in those employment records," Edmonton police spokesperson Patrycia Thenu said in a brief written statement, adding she couldn't comment on specific cases. [continues 217 words]
Workplace Safety Efforts Put in Jeopardy CALGARY * Oil and gas companies are worried their efforts to curb drug use and improve safety standards on job sites could go up in smoke if Ottawa legalizes marijuana. Oilpatch safety organization Enform, which is funded by industry groups including the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, sent a letter this week to the federal government's Task Force on Marijuana Legalization and Regulation outlining concerns that marijuana would make worksites unsafe. "Safety issues pertaining to alcohol and drug use and abuse are the forefront of the continuing challenges facing the upstream petroleum industry's efforts to control and reduce the risk of workplace injuries," Enform president and CEO Cameron MacGillvray wrote in the letter. "There can be no doubt that marijuana use is incompatible with working in a safety-sensitive workplace," he added. [continues 558 words]
Why cancer patients will suffer to protect the lives of addicts How history repeats itself! Today, politicians are once again ignoring the pain of terminal cancer patients. At the same time they are shooting themselves in the foot by making illogical remarks about pain. This human folly takes me back 37 years. In January 1979, I wrote a New Year's resolution in this column to petition the government to legalize medical heroin to ease the agony of terminal cancer patients. I knew that heroin had been used in English hospitals for 90 years, so why not have this painkiller available in North America? But rather than being applauded for my compassion, all hell broke loose. [continues 581 words]
Re: "Drug scourge devastating our city and nothing is being done," Chris Nelson, Opinion, Aug. 25. Thanks for Chris Nelson's excellent column, which raises important issues. Firstly, it is outrageous that it has taken 17 months for ASIRT to release its findings in the shooting death of Anthony Heffernan. I do understand why prosecutors declined a criminal prosecution of the policeman involved, as success would require proof beyond a reasonable doubt. On the other hand, no such requirement is necessary for city police to immediately fire the officer. If CPS wants to "protect and serve," this should happen immediately. [continues 121 words]
High-Dose Opiods Ease Dying Patients' Suffering How history repeats itself! Today, politicians are once again ignoring the pain of terminal cancer patients. At the same time they are shooting themselves in the foot by making illogical remarks about pain. This human folly takes me back 37 years. In January 1979, I wrote a New Year's resolution in this column to petition the government to legalize medical heroin to ease the agony of terminal cancer patients. I knew that heroin had been used in English hospitals for 90 years, so why not have this painkiller available in North America? But rather than being applauded for my compassion, all hell broke loose. [continues 626 words]
It's Time to Conquer Addiction for the Good of Everyone; Victims and Police Included Try holding your breath for 72 seconds. It's uncomfortable, but you'll live, unlike Anthony Heffernan at the end of those 72 seconds in that Calgary Super 8 hotel room. By now, many Calgarians are divided into one of two camps regarding the tragic death of this young man, who was shot four times by police as he held a syringe in one hand and a lighter in another while under the dreadful influence of cocaine. [continues 593 words]
In Alberta, impaired driving includes driving while under the influence of both legal and illegal drugs such as marijuana and doctor-prescribed painkillers. "It comes as a surprise to many people that drunk driving and drugged driving carry the same criminal charges," Alberta Minister of Transportation Brian Mason said in a release Aug. 5. "This is because both substances impair a driver's ability and increase the likelihood of being involved in a collision." According to information posted on the provincial government's website, drugs were found to be a factor in 40 per cent of all fatal collisions in 2012 in Canada, with Alberta slightly above this national average at 41 percent, or 82 drivers. [continues 445 words]
If you mention laws surrounding the use of marijuana, you are likely to get an earful of differing opinions. But when it comes to medical marijuana, there seems to be at least some lenience on negative views. According to Health Canada, under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations, Canadians who have been authorized by their health care practitioner to access cannabis for medical purposes will continue to have the option of purchasing safe, quality-controlled cannabis from one of the 34 producers licensed by Health Canada. Canadians will also be able to produce a limited amount of cannabis for their own medical purposes, or designate someone to produce it for them. [continues 196 words]
Lives with potential continue to be ruined over charges of mere possession of a substance the federal government is working to regulate and legalize The Liberal government does not seem to be taking too seriously its promise to regulate and legalize marijuana. Sure, the federal party is looking at ways to reform obsolete and arguably draconian drug laws. After all, a permanent criminal record and jail time is rather heavy handed for a non-violent act and use of a substance that indigenous cultures around the world have used for millennia. [continues 427 words]
Like many school-aged children, Sarah Wilkinson's 10-year-old daughter, Mia, will head off to school in September. Though today Mia is laughing, happy and enjoying life, many didn't expect her to still be here. With two boys already at home, Wilkinson and her husband James were "over the moon" to hear another baby was on the way - a girl. But 29 minutes after being born, Mia had her first seizure. The diagnosis - a rare form of epilepsy called Ohtahara syndrome - meant Mia's life would be marked by many more seizures to come. [continues 695 words]
Calgary force and colleagues push feds to develop screening device Driving impaired is driving impaired. It doesn't matter what substance a person's on, but Calgary police and their overseeing commission want to be ready when one in particular is legalized. This weekend in Ottawa, at a Canadian Association of Police Governance Conference, the Calgary Police Commission put forward a resolution to continue pressure on the federal government to identify and approve a roadside drug screening device, in light of the feds' commitment to legalize and regulate marijuana by 2017. [continues 468 words]
CREMONA, Alta. - Driving past the gravel driveway that leads to an unremarkable rural bungalow just outside the Village of Cremona, most would never know the property is also home to the fastest growing manufacturer of medical marijuana in Canada. Just beyond the rustic homestead, encircled by a stout chain link fence topped with barbed wire, sits a massive one-storey factory that this year is expected to produce 7,000 kg (about the weight of a full-grown African bull elephant) of cannabis for patients who've found relief for a wide range of symptoms thanks to a new frontier of medicine. [continues 1349 words]
Cannabis oil was young girl's last, best resort AIRDRIE - Three years ago, during the darkest time of her life, Airdrie mom Sarah Wilkinson told her two sons to say their goodbyes to their ailing sister Mia. Then seven years old, Mia had just been revived from the longest seizure of her young life, thanks to a dose of ketamine (a potent drug used as horse tranquillizer, and known as Special K on the street) beyond the maximum allowed for children. [continues 659 words]
Marijuana use big issue for employers, expert says Darrin Rogowski said he is launching a human rights complaint after his employer let him go in late July because he uses medical marijuana after hours. Rogowski, 30, was working for Inertia Environmental - an Okotoks-based hydrovacing company. He worked on the company's trucks, which use high-pressure water to move earth when excavation by other means isn't allowed. "When I got my medical marijuana licence back in May, I told one of my supervisors I had it, and nothing else was really said about it," he said. [continues 262 words]
Alberta's Aurora Cannabis Boasts Thousands of Loyal Customers Driving past the gravel driveway that leads to an unremarkable rural bungalow just outside the Village of Cremona, most would never know the property is also home to the fastest-growing manufacturer of medical marijuana in Canada. Just beyond the rustic homestead, encircled by a stout, chain-link fence topped with barbed wire, sits a massive one-storey factory that this year is expected to produce 7,000 kg (about the weight of a full-grown African bull elephant) of cannabis for patients who've found relief for a wide range of symptoms thanks to a new frontier of medicine. [continues 1716 words]
As of August 24 Health Canada will now allow patients to grow a limited amount of medical marijuana. Health Canada is also allowing patients to designate someone to grow for them because they themselves may not be able to. This new parameter will be called Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulation (ACMPR) and will replace the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR). "The program is designed to help individuals who need access to cannabis for medical purposes, in not all instances will people be able to produce for themselves," said Jacqueline Bogden, assistant deputy minister for the department's cannabis legalization and regulation branch. [continues 361 words]
The parents of an Edmonton Institution inmate who died of a fentanyl overdose have launched a $295,000 lawsuit against the Correctional Service of Canada. In a statement of claim filed July 14, John and Debilyn Witvoet allege the federal agency responsible for Canadian prisons was negligent in the Aug. 20, 2015, death of Ryan William Witvoet, 31. The Witvoets allege the correctional service failed to protect their son, who had drug-addiction issues, from access to illegal drugs within the maximum-security prison in north Edmonton. [continues 308 words]
The parents of an Edmonton Institution inmate who died of a fentanyl overdose have launched a $295,000 lawsuit against the Correctional Service of Canada. In a statement of claim filed July 14, John and Debilyn Witvoet allege the federal agency responsible for Canadian prisons was negligent in the Aug. 20, 2015, death of Ryan William Witvoet, 31. The Witvoets allege the correctional service failed to protect their son, who had drug-addiction issues, from access to illegal drugs within the maximum-security prison in north Edmonton. [continues 327 words]
It's a rare occurrence for Cochrane park users to stumble across strewn syringes and hypodermic needles in a public area. Needless to say, it created concern for soccer player Lucy Lovelock when she came across a scattered pile of such paraphernalia in the soccer field parking lot in community of GlenEagles the evening of Aug. 2. "I have no issues with what people do in their private lives, but it concerns me to find this in a public area used by kids all the time," said the mother of two, who contacted Cochrane Fire Services to dispose of the mess. [continues 125 words]
Police say plan for mail-order marijuana is not legal The owner of Erbachay Health Centres was in Calgary in July, handing out business cards and flyers in hopes of getting a toehold on this side of the Rockies. Now that Canadians know recreational marijuana will soon be legalized, it's getting harder to hold the floodgates back, even if it's in the guise of medical services. Calgary City Council recently passed a bylaw limiting where medical marijuana counselling services can set up shop. Businesses offering that service can't be within 300 metres of one another, or 150 metres of a school. [continues 268 words]
Through the smoke and mirrors of Calgary's bylaws, one medical marijuana user is celebrating a small victory. Ticketed for her medicinal marijuana use in a Calgary Transit bus shelter, Lisa "Mamakind" Kirkman was prepared to challenge her fines, over $1,500 in infractions, as a Charter of Rights and Freedoms case. But after a year of fighting the write-ups, charges against her were withdrawn on Wednesday, according to her lawyer, because of a vague bylaw. "The charges were withdrawn," said Student-at-Law Elizabeth Weisenburger. "Essentially the wording of the bylaw mostly pertained to burning pipe tobacco ... it was vague as to whether it included cannabis smoke." [continues 378 words]
Legalized Pot Could Mean Changes to City Regulations Calgary's smoking bylaw may not yet pass the puff test when it comes to marijuana regulation. On Wednesday, a Calgary woman facing several charges for smoking in a bus shelter didn't pay a cent to the city because she was medicating with medical marijuana. Her lawyer pointed out part of the reason the city withdrew charges was because of the tobacco laden language in the bylaw. The city's smoking bylaw, which bans puffing in public places, was passed in 2006 and reinforced by the Tobacco Reduction act in 2008. But pot isn't tobacco. According to the city's chief bylaw officer Alvin Murray there's no section or listed exemption for medical marijuana or recreational use, because the bylaw simply isn't about marijuana at all. [continues 243 words]
In 2011, there were six. Only five years later, and there are 274. That's the number of lives lost to the deadly drug fentanyl last year in Alberta. With an increase of nearly 46 times the amount of deaths, we are seeing a public health crisis impact every community in our province. Alberta is leading the nation in the fight against opioid drugs. The Progressive Conservatives were strong advocates for additional funding for the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) that cracks down on illicit drugs flooding our communities. I also received unanimous support for Bill 205, the Pharmacy and Drug Amendment Act, 2016. This bill regulates the ownership of pill presses used to create fentanyl tablets. [continues 156 words]
Alarming words such as crisis, state of emergency, toxic and deadly are being bandied about. While they do impart a sense of concern, words that better convey the urgency of the situation would be more appropriate: catastrophic, decimation, annihilation. With at least 139 deaths related to drug overdoses in the past two years, the Stoney Nakoda reserve at Morley is facing a tragedy of epic proportions. And before anyone scoffs at that notion, consider how those numbers would translate in Calgary. [continues 338 words]
Driving while high may carry same penalties as drinking The Calgary Police Service is eagerly awaiting action on impaired driving laws once marijuana legalization goes through, according to Staff Sgt. Paul Stacey. In February, the Liberal government officially announced its plans to legalize and regulate marijuana by early 2017, and Stacey said it's still unclear what that will mean for those who might drive while high. "The rub is, we're waiting for the marijuana legislation to pass," he said. "Whatever that will look like, we're hoping for the best as far as impaired driving rules go. But, I guess time will tell." [continues 253 words]
The spike in Calgary's crime severity index (CSI) can largely be linked to the increase in the city's drug activity and economic slump, according to Calgary police Chief Roger Chaffin, as fentanyl and other opioid use remains high across the province. On Wednesday, Statistics Canada released a report that showed Calgary's CSI index jumped by 29 per cent, the largest increase in Canada's metropolitan areas. The CSI measures the volume and severity of police-reported crime. According to Calgary police, there was a spike in methamphetamine, heroin and opiate drugseizures. [continues 176 words]
QUESTION: I admit I probably smoke pot a bit more than I should (it's legal in our state), but now my wife is getting after me because she says I'm addicted to it and turning into the equivalent of an alcoholic. Can harmless drugs like pot really do that to you? - Z.K. ANSWER: No drug is harmless, and experts I have consulted agree that almost any drug can become addictive - including marijuana. When that happens, a person becomes more and more dependent on it, and may find it almost impossible to break away from it on their own. Gradually it ruins their life and destroys their relationships. [continues 208 words]
McLellan to lead advisory group through a tangle of thorny questions "I've always been more interested in policy than politics," says Edmonton lawyer and former Liberal deputy prime minister Anne McLellan. Former deputy prime minister Anne McLellan has just been named to chair the federal government's Task Force on Marijuana Legalization and Regulation. That's handy because late last week McLellan was named chairwoman of federal government's new Task Force on Marijuana Legalization and Regulation. She's going to need all of her policy-wonk passion - and all her expertise as Canada's former minister of health, minister of justice and minister of public safety - to succeed. [continues 663 words]
Re: "Time to address drug-impaired driving," Jonathan Denis, Opinion, June 25. While impaired driving is always bad, this column once again uses the word "drug", when what is really meant is marijuana. There are lots of prescription drugs that cause impairment resulting in accidents, but very little if any direct evidence that marijuana is involved in traffic mishaps. Jonathan Denis seems to think that a joke in a Cheech and Chong movie constitutes sufficient evidence to support a criminal record, with all its consequences, for a driver with THC in their system. The correlation he cites to Washington state fatal accident statistics is without merit, because it does not mention whether those involved had alcohol in their systems as well. Mark Botkin, Calgary [end]
There's still plenty up in the air when it comes to dispensing medical marijuana, a Saskatchewan pharmacist told colleagues gathered in Calgary Sunday for their annual conference. Amy Wiebe, pharmacy manager at the Saskatoon City Hospital, said she held biases about medical pot in the past. "There's so much stigma attached to it, and I had a pretty big bias against it," Wiebe said. "But the more I learned, the more I was like, 'OK maybe there is something to this.' " [continues 240 words]
Eureka! Just recently I reported that it was impossible to write this column. I had asked readers to respond to how I believe 42,000 addicts on methadone should be treated. Then my computer developed terminal cancer and I thought all your responses had been lost. Fortunately, the "Geek Squad" resurrected them. From a Times Colonist reader: "Your suggestion that sending addicts to northern Canada to chop wood caught my eye. I was impressed by your research. The addicts I have known have no interest in getting o methadone and improving themselves. I say, enough of this nonsense. Why not have them chop wood? We all do some form of work to eat." This reader then added, "I initially believed that the practice of hanging drug dealers in Singapore was too extreme. But on further thought I'd hang them myself if they gave heroin to my healthy innocent granddaughters." [continues 575 words]
Pharmacy manager says finding that sweet spot is biggest challenge now A Saskatoon pharmacy manager told a Calgary conference on Sunday that while the benefits of medical marijuana are clear, many unknowns still exist with how the drug should be used. Amy Wiebe, a pharmacy manager at the Saskatoon City Hospital, admitted she had her own biases about medical marijuana in the past. "There's so much stigma attached to it, and I had a pretty big bias against it," Wiebe said. [continues 248 words]
There are no pharmacies in Alberta licensed to sell medical cannabis but there is at least one pharmacist locally that would like to see that changed. "Pharmacies are the logical choice to be the distribution system. Pharmacists are highly trained and knowledgeable of drugs and drug interactions, have access to medical records, have all the security measures in place and are accessible to the entire community," said Greg Buekert, pharmacist Greg's Remedy's Rx. Medicine Hat's first medical cannabis clinic will be open for business July 4. Dr. Michael Weigle of Natural Health Services clinic will determine whether medical cannabis is the appropriate choice for a patient. The team at NHS will help the patient select the cannabis products that will best meet their needs. The patient is then put in touch with a licensed supplier and the product is delivered to the person's home. [continues 226 words]
Safety Issues Must Be Included As Part of Pot Legislation, Writes Jonathan Denis Marijuana seems to be all the buzz this year. The debate about whether or not to legalize pot is all but over. Recreational marijuana has already been legalized in five American jurisdictions - Washington, Colorado, Oregon, Alaska and the District of Columbia - with more surely on the way. Back home, Justin Trudeau's Liberals - with a majority government - are on track to follow suit in 2017. I've long realized that, with my asthma, I'm probably in the minority in my generation who has never smoked pot. [continues 553 words]
City council has approved rules to prevent medical marijuana counselling businesses from clustering in communities or opening near schools, in an effort to prevent illegal dispensaries from littering neighbourhoods. While the rules may be aggressive in a city with just two medical marijuana counselling outfits (that can't legally dispense the drug), some councillors said it's important to get ahead of what could be a major problem down the road. "I'm not one to typically be supportive of overregulation but, in this particular instance, I think it's a prudent step ," Coun. Andre Ch a bot said during Tuesday's debate on the changes. Council heard that in larger cities such as Vancouver and Toronto, an explosion of counselling centres-turned illegal dispensaries have clustered together and plagued communities with problems. [continues 463 words]
City establishes rules for clinics prescribing marijuana Calgary has now begun regulating marijuana counselling services, sparking debate over fears of what the pot-peddling establishments could become. Medical marijuana counselling services are now required to apply for a building permit and ensure they're not within 300 meters of one another, while also not being within 150 metres of a school. These measures were introduced in hopes of getting ahead of what some, including mayor Naheed Nenshi, fear could be a crowding out of businesses and the tarnishing of neighbourhoods with pot leaves. [continues 267 words]
Policies to Help Addicts Fights Stigma Faced by Drug Users We all wear seat belts when we get in a car - just in case the worst should happen. That's the philosophy behind harm reduction, according to Stasha Huntingford. "It can't reduce all the risk but it can reduce some of the harm," said Huntingford. She was spreading the message of harm reduction for drug users and the homeless at the third annual National Harm Reduction Day. Several dozen people gathered in Olympic Plaza to hear speakers talk about harm-reduction methods such as clean needle exchanges. [continues 211 words]
Marijuana, by Most Measures, Is Not the Scourge That Alcohol Is, Writes David Booth National Post recently scandalized its famously conservative readers with a headline claiming that "about half of Canadians who drive while high insist pot doesn't impair them." The article - When is stoned too stoned? - further sensationalized the "crisis" by noting: "nothing would make (20 per cent of those surveyed) stop driving while stoned." With the Trudeau government poised to legalize marijuana, it was enough to send neo-cons into paroxysms of paranoia, fearing our roads would be turned into killing fields by the demon weed. [continues 996 words]
The National Post recently scandalized its famously conservative readers with a headline claiming that "about half of Canadians who drive while high insist pot doesn't impair them." The article - When is stoned too stoned? - further sensationalized the "crisis" by noting: "nothing would make (20 per cent of those surveyed) stop driving while stoned." With the Trudeau government poised to legalize marijuana, it was enough to send neo-cons into paroxysms of paranoia, fearing our roads would be turned into killing fields by the demon weed. [continues 997 words]
A new Edmonton professional group wants to help local women rise high in the blossoming Canadian cannabis industry. While mention of someone working in the pot field might bring up images of stoners selling dime bags, Women Grow Edmonton chair Alison McMahon says the city has medical marijuana clinics, smoke stores, hemp shops and the headquarters of Alberta's only licensed grower, Aurora Cannabis Enterprises Inc. "This is an industry that's changing so rapidly and becoming mainstream quickly," she says. [continues 402 words]
There's never a good time to have a pointless case brought before the courts, but doing so in the midst of an acute judge shortage seems rather foolish and counterproductive. Already this year in Alberta, three sexual assault trials have been delayed until 2017 because there are no judges available to hear them. Despite the already considerable strain on the system, though, Vancouver pot activist Dana Larsen is being prosecuted for the apparently heinous crime of giving away marijuana seeds. [continues 581 words]
Dear pot smokers: Please don't f--k this up. We are on the verge of legalization. This is a pivotal moment in our country. And some of you - actually statistically about half of you - are ruining it. In a recent survey, conducted by State Farm, 44 per cent of marijuana users said they don't think the drug impacts their ability to drive a car. Come on, you'd have to be high to believe that. I'm a little sad to have to spell this out for you, but if pot didn't have an effect on your brain, you wouldn't use it. It might be green and fuzzy like a muppet, but it's a drug. Please treat it like one. [continues 325 words]
Pedestrians cheered, car drivers honked and even a bus driver showed their support by blasting their horn as pot users banded together to march for marijuana legalization, and to support pot activist Dana Larsen during his first court appearance in Calgary. Larsen, known for his "Overgrow Canada" campaign in which he vowed to give out a million marijuana seeds country-wide, was arrested in Calgary last month during one of his give-away events. His appearance in court today was preceded by a couple dozen supporters with picket signs, followed by a rally that marched to city hall from the Calgary Courts Centre. [continues 166 words]
'I feel like we might get the laws against cannabis seeds overturned' Pedestrians cheered, car drivers honked and even a bus driver showed support by blasting the horn as marijuana users banded together to march for marijuana legalization, and to support pot activist Dana Larsen during his first court appearance in Calgary. Larsen, known for his "Overgrow Canada" campaign in which he vowed to give out a million marijuana seeds countrywide, was arrested in Calgary last month during one of his giveaway events. [continues 337 words]
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to legalize marijuana in last year's federal election and it's time he started answering questions on when and how. Having Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott announce at the United Nations on April 20 -- or 4/20, otherwise known as Weed Day -- that Canada will introduce a law next spring was politically cute, but nothing more. Back at home, the Liberals aren't dealing with an increasing number of questions about legalization. In Toronto, Mayor John Tory is rightly worried about the sudden proliferation of unregulated marijuana dispensaries in anticipation of legalization, which are popping up all over the city, some close to schools. [continues 282 words]
The city and province appear to have gotten the point about the needle-littered expanse dubbed "heroin island." Three weeks after Calgary mom Jasmine Van Dyk raised the alarm about a trove of used needles and trash strewn over a small island on the Bow River in the northwest neighbourhood of Montgomery, the area councillor says efforts are underway to clean up the potentially dangerous mess. Coun. Ward Sutherland said fire crews were assessing the island by boat Tuesday and a plan to sweep it clean is imminent. "I've spoken to the fire chief (Steve Dongworth) personally and he knows it's a serious issue," said the Ward 1 councillor, raising concerns about Bow River waters rising. [continues 172 words]
As medical marijuana use becomes a more common treatment for many ailments, employers and supervisors need to be aware of its use among employees. Last week, the Private Motor Truck Council and Wetaskiwin Home Hardware's Western Distribution Centre hosted a seminar with Dr. Barry Kurtzer, medical director and Chief Medical Review Officer of Drivercheck Inc., which provides workplace drug testing and assessments. The Ontario doctor told attendees that society has to change how it views marijuana use, that people who use medical marijuana don't fit the pot head stereotypes of illegal marijuana users. [continues 512 words]
Inside Alberta
