Made-in-Alberta protocols change ways dogs sniff out fentanyl Alberta RCMP is leading the way when it comes to new police service dog drug detection protocols. Previously, sticking their nose in drugs was a police dog's business, but now the canines sit beside suspected drugs when they are found, said K Division Deputy Commissioner Todd Shean in a year-end interview. "Now the dogs are sitting back ... so if they detect it - versus putting the dogs in harm's way - they sit," Shearn said. [continues 234 words]
Permanent facility replaces stop-gap trailer at Chumir Health Centre A permanent supervised drug consumption site will open its doors in the Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre on Monday, replacing a temporary facility that handled 2,551 visits by more than 300 people in two months. Claire O'Gorman, program coordinator with Safeworks, said 55 overdoses were reversed between Oct. 30 and Dec. 31 at the trailer outside the health centre. "There's 55 lives saved already," she said during a tour of the facility Friday. "We're making a difference here in our community." [continues 450 words]
At some point this summer, Justin Trudeau expects to make good on his promise to legalize recreational marijuana use across Canada. The Senate thus-far has spoiled Trudeau's plans to kick off Canada Day with a country-wide high, and may yet delay or otherwise thwart speedy implementation of his Cannabis Act. The provinces, meanwhile, are working to flesh out the regulatory details that will govern the sale, purchase, distribution and use of pot across the country. However, the reality of marijuana legalization is fast approaching, raising the question, how do Canadians feel about legal pot now that it is upon us? [continues 553 words]
Let's shift our approach, writes Dr. Trina Larsen Soles The opioid epidemic is the biggest public health crisis to hit in decades. One potential response, in addition to opening more supervised consumption sites, providing better access to Naloxone kits, urging people not to use alone, and trying to stop tainted drugs from being accessible - could be to deepen our public understanding and shift our approach to a more compassionate and effective outcome: recognizing and addressing the underlying role of adverse childhood experiences and how they make individuals more vulnerable to substance use. [continues 575 words]
Re. "Opioids kill hundreds," Dec. 28 This is a terrible tragedy and health professionals need to be supported in their evidence-based efforts to prevent these deaths. However, this story, like many media reports, inaccurately frames the approval of four supervised drug injection sites in Edmonton as a "positive development" in efforts to prevent these deaths. In contrast, the Journal's headline on the day after these sites were announced was "Injection sites may do little for fentanyl crisis, experts say" (Feb. 23, 2017). [continues 118 words]
Re: "Marijuana isn't without its risks," Letter, Jan. 4. As is typical of marijuana scaremongers, Jack Falk misconstrues the fact that marijuana metabolites are detectable in the body for a longer period than alcohol. The effects of marijuana (the high, if you will), however, are fairly short-lived (two to three hours if smoked, six to 12 hours if ingested). The letter writer needs to educate himself a little before making such easily repudiated claims. Ted Tarrant, Calgary [end]
At least 200 potential marijuana retailers have expressed interest in setting up shop in Calgary, says the city official responsible for planning for the impending legalization of recreational cannabis. Matt Zabloski said retail expectations could be getting out of hand, depending on provincial directives on how such shops will be located and regulated - guidelines that should be provided next month. "There are a lot of people putting a lot of money into this now and there are no guarantees," said Zabloski, who's working with as many as 17 city business units to prepare for legalization, expected to take effect this summer. [continues 535 words]
Second-hand smoke concerns will cut into consumption The war on drugs is about to get a lot more interesting, here in Alberta. And not because of another tough-talking "lock everyone up and throw away the keys" politician. Heck, we've seen that lot come and go without making the slightest dent in an age-old problem, though it did help get them elected. Nope, that was just blather, bluster and tossing peanuts to the gallery. Sure, politicians and law enforcement agencies love that standby news conference where oodles of some drugs, bundles of cash and a few handguns and semiautomatic weapons are proudly displayed for effect. [continues 588 words]
ALERT boss says officers will focus on keeping up with tech-savvy bad guys Disarming and dismantling the upper echelon of organized crime groups in Alberta is in the sights of the province's dedicated guns and gang investigators in 2018, says the province's integrated law enforcement boss. But in order to disrupt the complex networks of drug-running and gun-toting criminals in Alberta, officers will need to stay ahead of the technology curve as these groups - which include some of the province's most notorious outlaw motorcycle gangs - are becoming increasingly tech savvy. [continues 483 words]
Re: "Nothing to fear from legal pot," Letter, Jan. 3. Comparing pot's effects to alcohol is apples and oranges. The effects of alcohol leave the body when the alcohol is gone (or soon after). The effects of pot most assuredly do not. Consider this the next time you're returning from vacation on a late-night flight: The air traffic controller has returned from days off, during which time he can use weed as he wishes. It's a quiet night, and he sits back, all mellow and relaxed, then starts issuing instructions to the wrong aircraft. This is but one possibility. Think about jobs such as an oil worker on the floor of a drilling rig, or a highrise construction worker - or your surgeon poised over your brain with a scalpel. Jack Falk, Calgary [end]
Marijuana dispensary firms' efforts to launch dozens of franchises and shops in Calgary has ignited concerns of a chaotic scramble ahead of the drug's recreational legalization. Calgary-based Spiritleaf has attracted 40 entrepreneurs willing to put up a $25,000 franchise fee to operate a cannabis retailing store under the company's name, said CEO Darren Bondar. "We're well-positioned to be ahead of the game and being an iconic brand based in Alberta," said Bondar, who has exhibited at marijuana industry expos in the city. [continues 512 words]
Re: "Pot's harm exceeds value of tax revenue," Letter, Dec. 29. The letter writer's opinion could not be further off the mark. Legalization has nothing to do with a legacy for the prime minister. It is about fulfilling a campaign promise (finally) and growing scientific data. I voted for Justin Trudeau based on that promise. The prohibition of marijuana has been a complete failure. I encourage you to not make statements based on your own fears and absence of facts. And let me guess - you brought in the new year drinking alcohol, which was once prohibited because of its dangers to our social fabric. The hypocrisy is coming to end, thankfully. Wes Armitage, Calgary [end]
Edmonton police brace for cannabis legalization Edmonton police will not be ready to enforce cannabis-impaired driving laws in time for legalization, according to chief Rod Knecht. In a year-end interview with Metro, Knecht said he expects to see an uptick in impaired driving in 2018 - but without tools to accurately test for pot the way Breathalyzers test for alcohol, he doesn't know how officers will deal with it. "We are, quite frankly, not the least bit prepared for it," he said. [continues 297 words]
Calgary Staff, students developing on provincial pot policy How does weed fit in with higher education? It's hard to draw a conclusion. With only months to go before the federal government lights up marijuana legislation, Calgary's post-secondary institutions are just beginning the process of establishing how dope will fit into academic life. Both the University of Calgary and Mount Royal University have lit up their own marijuana working groups to look at the federal and provincial rules and pack their own policies through their respective governance processes. [continues 303 words]
Re: "Why the big rush to legalize pot?," Letter, Dec. 23. Mike Priaro has it right. We must look in the direction of Colorado in the U.S. They were a vanguard state in the legalization of marijuana. Originally, the idea was sold on the promise of all this additional tax revenue from pot sales. Unfortunately, it did not turn out the way they had envisioned it. What happened, among other negatives, was that the newly created health care costs exceeded the tax income by a large margin. So, the initial win-win situation turned into a lose-lose proposition. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's wish to legalize marijuana in Canada is about creating his legacy. Caspar Pfenninger, Calgary [end]
Legalizing marijuana will tie up police resources and risks clogging the court system, Edmonton police Chief Rod Knecht says in a blunt assessment of Canada's plan to legalize the drug by next summer. "I don't think we're going to be ready," Knecht said during a yearend interview at Edmonton Police Service headquarters. "There's a lot of work that's got to be done in the next few months." Legalization is one of the biggest issues facing police services across the country next year. Police chiefs including Knecht have warned that the timelines are too tight and there are too many outstanding issues, including ambiguity around roadside tests for marijuanaintoxication. [continues 359 words]
Police use discretion when deciding whether to lay charges for possession Despite the Liberal government's plan to legalize marijuana possession next July, the drug's possession remains illegal. But while the law is still in place, police officers have discretion not to lay charges, a senior officer with the Calgary Police Service said. Staff Sgt. Mark Hatchette, of the strategic enforcement unit, said officers have and will continue to have leeway when it comes to pot possession. "We don't target (simple possession)," Hatchette said in a recent interview. [continues 437 words]
Why is the federal government in such a hurry to pass its marijuana legalization legislation when there are still so many questions and so few answers? Just this week, the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police said that the legislation is coming too fast, stating that, "There is insufficient time to prepare the necessary legislative framework and regulations to ensure the public safety". The Canadian Association of Police Chiefs warned that it will be "impossible" to be ready for the government's target of legalizing marijuana by July 2018. Do these things not matter? [continues 193 words]
With the coming switch to legal sales, shops hope to keep their market niche After decades of trail-blazing cannabis-related retail - often under police scrutiny - Calgary head shops say legal recreational marijuana offers them a hazy future. Despite a perception looming legislative changes might affirm their bong-and-roach-clip business model, those first in on cannabis monetization say the coming reality leaves them in uncharted waters. It's not entirely clear what head shops' role will be in the sale of legal bud, or if coming pot dispensaries will burn their business by also selling accessories, said Fred Pattison, owner of the Next Level store. Even marijuana's mainstreaming and the expansion of e-retail poses a threat, he said. [continues 421 words]
Inside Alberta
