When they're having these medical emergencies, their car turns into a missile with nobody at the controls.

In a year when three fatal collisions were linked to drugs, Calgary police are increasingly concerned about people driving under the influence.

In 2015, there were no fatal crashes specifically related to drugs. Police are hoping the deaths this year isn't a trend that will continue into 2017.

Staff Sgt. Paul Stacey with the Calgary police traffic section noted there is a lot of uncertainty about potential effects as federal marijuana legislation comes into play next year.

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The message has been spread for years that drinking and driving don't mix, but taking drugs and driving can be just as fatal and needs to be taken seriously, police say.

The Capital West Integrated Traffic Unit reports it is seeing more cases of impaired driving by drug use.

Const. Mike Hibbs of the Capital West Integrated Traffic Unit said there were two individuals found to be impaired by drugs at a check stop in the capital region this past weekend.

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After two days of legal marijuana immersion therapy, Alberta's justice minister admits more questions than answers remain on how the province rolls out pot reforms.

But a federal task force's recently unveiled recommendations - calling for cannabis sales outside liquor stores, mail order retail and a minimum age of 18 - have cleared some of the smoke. While an October trip to Denver - the epicentre of Colorado's cannabis legalization - was useful, what Alberta's post-prohibition landscape looks like remains dependent on Ottawa's still hazy blueprint, says Kathleen Ganley.

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"I have been hearing and reading a lot about the drug "fentanyl" and about the many hundreds who have died using it! Well, I guess I want to kill myself, so would the government please advise me were I can get a couple pills? Oh, and by the way, would they send along the location of any of the "injection sites" were I can get the "antidote" just in case I change my mind.

The question remains: Why is the government supporting this sort of crap by offering injection sites and free antidotes to people who know full well taking the drug may kill them, (but they do it anyway?). Maybe it's the government who needs the "antidote." It would be interesting to know the amount of money the government have spent on this so far. I don't think you will publish this, but it's worth a try?

Laurie R. Dirks



(Wow, we hope no one you care about is suffering with addictions. Merry Christmas, Laurie.)

[end]

In response to Laurie R. Dirks letter regarding problems with government spending money on addictions. Never in my life have I read such an uninformed, ignorant, selfish and cold-hearted response to a problem that affects us all.

As a Canadian, I'm embarrassed to know that uneducated buffoons such as yourself are breathing our collective air. These are people who are suffering a terrible disease, often as a result of being prescribed dangerous drugs by sometimes ill-meaning doctors. People who have no choice, no options, literally no hope.

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Decrease in tobacco use proof society is best at battling addictions head on

Arguing that smoking dope is safer than drinking booze is akin to stating that getting shot in the leg is preferable to taking one in the head.

Yet, that's the argument often used by pro-pot crusaders, as we debate the minutiae about what age should Albertans be allowed to legally buy weed. Well, folks, that bus long ago left the station - kids can already get a hold of dope with little effort.

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Around 40 parents and youth attended a recent community street drug trends presentation at Fox Run School.

Organized by the Sylvan Lake RCMP the presentation aimed to equip parents with skills to allow recognition of street drugs and theparaphernalia associated with drug use.

Sylvan Lake RCMP School Resource Officer,Constable Michael Lee in partnership with Constable Kevin Lintott of the Organized Crime and Intelligence Unit out of the RCMP's Red Deer City Detachment provided information to parents on various street drugs including cocaine, heroine, marijuana,methamphetamine and MDMA. In addition, the officers also touched on the impact fentanyl is having in North America and Central Alberta.

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Last week the Trudeau government announced that it will be banning asbestos in Canada. Asbestos kills over 400 Canadians every year.

It is commendable that the government would do that after recognizing the dangers of asbestos. But it is rather ironic that during that same period of time 4,200 Canadians died from alcohol-related deaths, 39,000 Canadians died from tobacco-associated illnesses and during the same period, 100,000 unborn children's lives were terminated and the government has no plans to ban anything regarding those deaths. All of the above would have been preventable.

In a decade from now I suspect we will have results of how many people will have needlessly died as a result of the Trudeau government decriminalizing marijuana.

Richard Friesen

Lethbridge

[end]

Perhaps it is time to re-evaluate the best way to tackle the illicit drug crisis.

Vancouver is facing epidemic proportions of people overdosing on illegal drugs and many deaths. Safe injections sites are not making a significant difference. They're calling for more detox and addictions treatment programs but even that is not the answer.

The majority of males in emergency departments because of an overdose are young people without a history of prescription opioid use, Dr. Nick Mitchell, senior medical director, addictions and mental health, Alberta Health Services (AHS), recently told the News.

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As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau moves closer to following through with his campaign promise to legalize recreational cannabis, businesses and individuals are waiting to see the local impact and some feel that legalization would remove stigma surrounding those who also use cannabis for medical reasons.

The Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation released its final report to the federal government last week, which will be used to inform legislation to be introduced to parliament this spring.

It is too preliminary to abstract a possible implementation timeline beyond that.

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A company with medical marijuana dispensaries in Vancouver is the latest place in Banff to get marijuana products and paraphernalia.

It's unclear, however, if Canna Clinic has any plans to turn its new Bear Street location into Banff's first dispensary once the federal government legalizes recreational marijuana.

Selling and processing marijuana for non-medical purposes is currently illegal in Canada, but the federal government wants to legalize marijuana and the task force it appointed to study the issue last week recommended marijuana be allowed to be sold at storefronts.

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With apologies to The Who, the kids may not be alright with this.

A series of 24 focus groups on perceptions of marijuana legalization commissioned by the federal Liberal government found that the youngest teenaged participants were the most cautious about the policy shift.

The government has been laying the groundwork for months on a major public education and awareness campaign that will accompany the looming legalization of recreational marijuana.

Health Canada commissioned a series of focus group surveys last June to plumb public perceptions around legalized cannabis, including the health impacts and attitudes to drug-impaired driving.

[continues 291 words]

The public is being asked what should be the legal age to buy marijuana? This is a joke right? Is this an unstoppable bus? Just wondering if Premier Rachel Notley has consulted any recovering addicts? They are all screaming at their TVs, "Don't legalize it!" My question is, "Who is going to pay for the aftermath? Is the government prepared to open and run more treatment centres? You must know that weed is not just weed anymore. It is being laced with the deadly drug fentanyl.

[continues 110 words]

Whatever the legal age becomes in this country, governments should launch powerful, long-term public awareness campaigns to shatter the belief that marijuana is a safe high.

When the recreational use of marijuana becomes legal in Canada in the next few years, how old should you have to be to join in the fun?

This issue - the legal age for buying and consuming cannabis - is the biggest single challenge facing the federal Liberals as they rewrite the law on this popular, but potentially harmful, drug.

[continues 471 words]

Premier Rachel Notley says she wants to consult Albertans to help shape provincial legislation on legalized marijuana, including on the minimum age for users.

A report from the federal Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation said a federal minimum age for purchase of marijuana should be set at 18, with the recommendation that individual provinces and territories be allowed to "harmonize" the minimum age with that of buying alcohol and tobacco.

"It's a balancing act, obviously, because on one hand the objective of legalizing marijuana-for the most part - is to control it and to actually make it more safe," Notley told Postmedia.

[continues 429 words]

Alberta to conduct consultations before setting legal age to buy marijuana

With cannabis legalization coming down the pipe in 2017, Premier Rachel Notley said input from Albertans will help set the minimum age to purchase marijuana.

Notley weighed in on weed legalization following a report released by the Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation recommending a national minimum age of 18 to purchase marijuana.

The report also said provinces and territories should be allowed to "harmonize" the minimum age for cannabis with their minimum age for purchasing alcohol and tobacco.

[continues 457 words]

It's not yet known whether new laws will create more work, Chaffin says

It's not clear recommendations on legalizing cannabis will reduce his force's work or even curb organized crime, Calgary police chief Roger Chaffin said Thursday.

While Chaffin said the federal task force did a comprehensive job in crafting 80 recommendations for ending 93 years of marijuana prohibition, numerous uncertainties remain, including what role police would play.

"There's still many unanswered elements yet to be determined, such as how much is to be mandated to which levels of government," he said.

[continues 433 words]

What the hell, hundreds drive drunk with full immunity daily here in Calgary due to a lack of law enforcement. So, let's legalize marijuana and put a bunch of stoners behind the wheel as well and really have some fun endangering all the innocent folks out there. Idiots!

Jake Mcarthur



(We hope you are wrong about hundreds of drunk drivers but stoned drivers are a concern.)

[end]

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 686 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.

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