Growers swapping produce for marijuana A large-scale multinational Delta vegetable producer is swapping out its tomato plants for pot plants in a 1.1-million-square-foot greenhouse because it says it can make more than 10 times the money. Greenhouses operated by Village Farms International in Delta: If various levels of government allow it, the facilities here will be converted into marijuana growing greenhouses. JASON PAYNE/ PNG Village Farms International also has plans to expand five times that scale, resulting in a warning from Delta Mayor Lois Jackson about the future of farms on Agricultural Land Reserve. [continues 421 words]
VANCOUVER - Canada's political leaders must take bold action by joining forces to decriminalize illicit drugs and save lives in the midst of an unprecedented overdose crisis, a leading drug-policy expert says. Donald MacPherson of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's stance on legalizing marijuana to protect youth and stop the flow of profits to organized crime must also apply to drugs that have killed thousands of Canadians. "That's very sad that he can't see the logic that he's using so loudly on cannabis to shift that logic to a far more serious problem," MacPherson said Wednesday. [continues 582 words]
VANCOUVER - Canada's political leaders must take bold action by joining forces to decriminalize illicit drugs and save lives in the midst of an unprecedented overdose crisis, a leading drug-policy expert says. Donald MacPherson of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's stance on legalizing marijuana to protect youth and stop the flow of profits to organized crime must also apply to drugs that have killed thousands of Canadians. "That's very sad that he can't see the logic that he's using so loudly on cannabis to shift that logic to a far more serious problem," MacPherson said Wednesday. [continues 451 words]
The federal government plans to legalize marijuana this summer and they say they want their fair share of tax revenue. A dollar tax on anything up to $10 - and a 10% tax on anything above that amount - to be split 50/50 between the federal and provincial governments. But wait, Trudeau says, it's not about the money. "Nobody's mindset on this approach is about bringing in tax revenue on this. The mindset with which we have approached the legalization and control of marijuana from the very beginning has been from public health and safety standpoint," Trudeau said during a press conference flanked by premiers at the first ministers meeting in Ottawa this week. What they want to do is, "Remove the black market from accessing the billions of dollars of profit that they do every year off of this." [continues 349 words]
People on the front lines of British Columbia's opioid overdose crisis are applauding the government's announcement of more funding in an attempt to stem the death toll. Premier John Horgan announced Friday the province will spend more than $31 million over the next three years to increase access to treatment programs, offer more free kits of the overdose-reversing drug naloxone, help front-line workers and empower communities to keep people safe. Speaking to a crowd of politicians at the Union of B.C. Municipalities Convention, Horgan noted 876 people died in the province between January and July of this year. [continues 546 words]
B.C. should follow California's lead as it transitions to a legal cannabis environment and authorizes retail marijuana sales next July. Both jurisdictions are pot-culture capitals and are dealing with too-tight deadlines and too many nuanced problems to properly meet expectations. California state voters in 2016 endorsed Proposition 64, which approved legal cannabis with retail pot sales starting Jan. 1, 2018. As of November, adults over 21 could possess (and give each other) up to 28 grams, as well as seven grams of hash, and they can grow up to six plants. [continues 690 words]
Mayor Deb Kozak reflects on Union of BC Municipalities conference For a small city like Nelson, it's been a gargantuan task to introduce regulations to two burgeoning industries: cannabis and short-term rentals. But following a hectic week at the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) conference in Vancouver, Mayor Deb Kozak is feeling buoyed by the provincial attention they've garnered for their work. "Nelson is always seen to be on the leading edge of things," Kozak told the Star, upon her return. [continues 869 words]
They say B.C.'s pot laws have taken so long to sort out because May's provincial election delayed the process. Either that, or our guys were hot-boxing a van behind the legislature and simply forgot to get it done. In any case, Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth left more questions than answers Monday when, rather than unveiling the regulations many expected, he merely announced a public consultation process. Ontario might already have its pot plans in place, but here in the birthplace of B.C. Bud, we prefer a more relaxed approach: We'll gather information from stakeholders and the public, or maybe listen to a little Allman Brothers, until Nov. 1. [continues 559 words]
Residents speak of need for local marijuana shop For some Qualicum Beach residents, medical marijuana is part of their everyday lives. But they will still have to go out of town for remedies for their ailments. At Monday's (Oct. 2) regular council meeting a motion to issue a temporary-use permit for a medical marijuana dispensary on Fir Street failed. Only councillors Bill Luchtmeijer and Neil Horner voted in favour of issuing the temporary-use permit. While discussing the permit later in the meeting, Luchtmeijer said Qualicum Beach is probably a very appropriate place for a medical marijuana dispensary. [continues 440 words]
The federal decision to legalize is going to have a significant impact on the country, provinces and local governments. The provincial government has given itself just over five weeks to gather input from municipalities, the public and other stakeholders about non-medical cannabis regulation in B.C. It's an ambitious deadline, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth conceded on Monday during the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) conference in Vancouver as he announced the province's plans for public consultations. [continues 778 words]
Editor: Re: Bill Good's "Emery pot bust makes no sense," Sept. 22. Instead of continuing to waste money on the failed War on Drugs, we should end drug prohibition and spend the money we save on making all schools safe places to learn. I have recently returned from Ottawa after being invited to testify as an expert witness to the Standing Committee on Health regarding Cannabis Act C-45 in the House of Commons on Sept. 13. The topic of the panel was Legal Age for Possession and Cannabis Youth Use. [continues 276 words]
Ontario has already decided how it will distribute recreational marijuana once it's legal next summer. But many other provinces are in differing stages of identifying how this shift in federal drug policies and policing will be handled. In B.C., consultation started Monday - with a reportedly swift and massive response - while municipalities are wondering how they will manage this change, especially in the area of zoning, policing and managing costs. Others wonder how potent the pot strains will be and if there will even be enough supply to meet demand. [continues 88 words]
The B.C. government is making time to listen as it plans new marijuana regulations, even though the listening will leave only a few months to finish crafting the rules for the coming new era of legal pot. Mike Farnworth, minister of public safety and solicitor general, said this week that the public consultation will be finished by Nov. 1. The government will have to finish writing rules and regulations by next summer. The federal government introduced legislation in April that would legalize recreational marijuana by July 1, 2018, but is leaving it up to each province to determine its own distribution system and usage regulations. [continues 479 words]
Six months after seizing a quantity of marijuana, Williams Lake RCMP announced Tuesday charges have been approved against the manager and a former employee of Mary Jane's Glass and Gifts. Mary Jane's, which is located on Oliver Street in downtown Williams Lake, was stripped of its inventory in April following a search and seizure by police. Mark Cowan faces one charge of trafficking a controlled substance contrary to section 5(1) of the Canadian Drug and Substance Act (CDSA) and one of possession for the purpose of trafficking contrary to section 5(2) of the CDSA. [continues 453 words]
Lois Jackson says municipal hall is receiving five to 10 inquiries a day as legalization date less than a year off There are a lot of questions that need answering before recreational marijuana is legalized, says Mayor Lois Jackson. There are a lot of questions that need answering before recreational marijuana is legalized, says Mayor Lois Jackson, who's troubled Delta could become the pot growing capital of Canada. Jackson is attending the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in Vancouver this week where members on Wednesday endorsed a resolution asking for cities to have meaningful consultation on legalizing pot. [continues 572 words]
The fledgling B.C. NDP government has decided how it will deal with the looming legalization of marijuana: continue talking it to death. Dispensary owners, illegal producers, consumers, patients, parents - Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth explained Monday that everyone's opinion is being sought because "one size does not fit all" and "we need to get it right." Until four o'clock on the Day of the Dead, Nov. 1, Farnworth says anyone can participate in a new province-wide conversation on pot - the minimum age, personal possession limits, public consumption, drug-impaired driving, personal cultivation, distribution, retail models It's all on the table. "We want to hear from as many people as possible about how we can best protect our kids, keep our roads safe and lock criminals out of the non-medical cannabis industry," he told a packed meeting room at the annual Union of B.C. Municipalities conference in downtown Vancouver. "Public engagement is crucial." [continues 480 words]
The fledgling B.C. NDP government has decided how it will deal with the looming legalization of marijuana: continue talking it to death. Dispensary owners, illegal producers, consumers, patients, parents - Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth explained Monday that everyone's opinion is being sought because "one size does not fit all" and "we need to get it right." Until 4 p.m. on the Day of the Dead, Nov. 1, Farnworth says anyone can participate in a provincewide conversation on pot - the minimum age, personal possession limits, public consumption, drug-impaired driving, personal cultivation, distribution, retail models ... It's all on the table. [continues 491 words]
They say B.C.'s pot laws have taken so long to sort out because May's provincial election delayed the process. Either that, or our guys were hot-boxing a van behind the legislature and simply forgot to get it done. In any case, Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth left more questions than answers Monday when, rather than unveiling the regulations many expected, he merely announced a public consultation process. Ontario might already have its pot plans in place, but here in the birthplace of B.C. Bud, we prefer a more relaxed approach: We'll gather information from stakeholders and the public, or maybe listen to a little Allman Brothers, until Nov. 1. [continues 634 words]
Mayor says share of taxes from sale of legal marijuana should go to municipalities to cover extra policing costs Municipalities should get a share of tax revenue collected by the provincial government when marijuana becomes legal, says Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran. "We want to make sure we get our cut of the profits," Basran said Monday from the Union of B.C. Municipalities conference in Vancouver. If the government ultimately chooses to allow private stores to sell pot next year, additional policing costs are likely to arise to ensure such operations abide by all relevant rules and regulations, Basran said. [continues 534 words]
The B.C. government has launched a five-week consultation process around the legalization of marijuana and says the way the drug is purchased could differ from city to city. The minister in charge of the file told a news conference Monday that Vancouverites might prefer to continue buying marijuana through dispensaries, while other communities opt for something else. "One size does not fit all," B.C. Minister of Public Safety Mike Farnworth told reporters. The federal government has committed to legalizing the recreational use of marijuana by July. [continues 610 words]
Recreational pot could be sold at dispensaries in one city and corner stores in another when it becomes legal next summer. Mike Farnworth, minister of public safety and solicitor general, said the province is embarking on public consultation for non-medicinal marijuana regulation, but doesn't expect to force a retail model on local governments. "I think it's important that local government is not only heard and at the table, but there's an understanding that one size does not fit all," Farnworth said. [continues 713 words]
Public engagement on cannabis legalization coming in B.C. The provincial government has given itself just over five weeks to gather input from municipalities, the public and other stakeholders about non-medical cannabis regulation in B.C. It's an ambitious deadline, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth conceded on Monday during the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) conference in Vancouver as he announced the province's plans for public consultations. The goal is to collect feedback in time to draft legislation for the spring legislative session and be ready when the federal government legalizes marijuana next July. [continues 596 words]
The B.C. government is making time to listen as it plans new marijuana regulations, even though the listening will leave only a few months to finish crafting the rules for the coming new era of legal pot. Mike Farnworth, minister of public safety and solicitor general, said this week that the public consultation will be finished by Nov. 1. The government will have to finish writing rules and regulations by next summer. The federal government introduced legislation in April that would legalize recreational marijuana by July 1, 2018, but is leaving it up to each province to determine its own distribution system and usage regulations. [continues 503 words]
Councillors and mayors will have first chance to suss out party's stand on issues such as marijuana legalization at annual convention B. C.'s mayors and councillors are pouring into Vancouver this week with one main goal at their annual convention - to get a handle on what changes the new NDP government will be bringing them. The more than 1,800 attendees - a higher than usual number - are looking for signs of what Premier John Horgan's team will do about the impending explosion of retail marijuana, housing and mental health, drug and overdose issues, say councillors on the executive of the Union of B.C. Municipalities. [continues 575 words]
Editor: Re: Police want date pushed back on legalizing pot, Sept. 20 The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police insists it needs more time to adapt to cannabis legislation. Well, too bad for the chiefs. The Liberals have been in power for close to two years, medicinal cannabis has been around for even longer and models from other jurisdictions (Holland, Portugal, etc.) have long matured. More delays mean more otherwise unnecessary criminalization, imprisonment and benefits for violent gangs. Legalization is long overdue and prohibition's time is up. Victor Yao [end]
Editor: There is no doubt in my mind that the proposal by the prime minister to legalize marijuana has not been well thought out, especially with the devastating drug problems we are now facing. The effect of narcotics on the development of the brain has been well researched. Scientific studies have proven that mental disorders, schizophrenia, suicides, etc. are much higher among those who take these drugs than those who do not. Postnatal brain development occurs over a long period that lasts into adolescence and some say into the 20s. Our youth are at risk. We certainly do not need more soft drugs on the street that are available to an impressionable age group trying to cope with their own stresses at school, at home, on the street, etc. [continues 288 words]
Victoria, Langford battle dispensaries amid uncertainty over legalization plans Court battles are brewing in B.C. municipalities over cannabis dispensaries amid a hazy regulatory landscape. The City of Victoria, the only municipality in Greater Victoria to regulate cannabis businesses, is facing a lawsuit by one business fighting to stay open and is taking another business to court to shut it down. The City of Langford's hard line against pot shops played out in B.C. Supreme Court on Tuesday, with the municipality successfully keeping a dispensary shuttered. [continues 676 words]
Attendees given a taste of what kind of work is possible as marijuana moves into mainstream On Thursday morning, Marco Cacchione put on a black button-up shirt, combed his hair, and walked down Robson Street to a job fair, hoping to snag a gig in an industry that is quickly emerging from the underground. After a decade as a line cook, currently at one of Vancouver's casual fine-dining chains, the 28-year-old said he is ready to make the leap into cannabis, which is expected to be legalized next July. The industry will require thousands of workers to meet the likely demand. [continues 433 words]
Re: "Chiefs on high alert as pot legalization looms," Sept. 26. With no simply roadside test for impairment by pot inhalation available and a certainty of more impaired drivers on our highways leading to more road deaths, police chiefs have every right to be concerned. Then we have to factor in the idea that, in Ontario, everyone can grow four marijuana plants, have no more than 30 ounces on their person, only smoke the drug in their residence and that nobody under 19 can legally possess pot. This means from a policing perspective, enforcement is much more complicated than when the drug was illegal. Then with its resources already stretched, the police will have to investigate the illicit distribution of pot by organized crime, which will become involved just as it has in Colorado and Washington states. Liberal politicians simply refuse to accept that organized crime will be a major problem once pot become legal, no matter what they sell the drug for! [continues 127 words]
Pot shops that have opened in North Vancouver are hoping to stay when the province creates regulations about how marijuana should be sold when it's legalized next year. "Obviously we're hoping we'll still play a part in the whole thing. It sounds like there's room," said Michael Wuest, owner of the Weeds store at 991 Marine Dr. Wuest's was the first storefront to open up on the North Shore, in April 2015. Six storefront "dispensaries" currently operate in North Vancouver, five of those within city boundaries. [continues 531 words]
Over the past few weeks, the talk has really started to ramp up on one topic in Canada. It's not hurricanes, earthquakes and a war of (hopefully just) words between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un - all very serious, global problems. Not in Canada, dude, we're talking about pot. As if we need any help with our reputation as the growers of ganja. B.C. has long been seen as a premier supplier of the best pot in the world, even when it was illegal to grow. [continues 504 words]
The Kootenay Outdoor Producers' Co-op, a local coalition formed to create the first legal marijuana production operation in the West Kootenay, has elected its first board. The inaugural meeting for the co-op was held at Taghum Hall May 16 with a standing-room only audience. But president Todd Veri says there remain many uncertainties as Ottawa and the provinces drag their feet on finalizing legislation. "We have been patiently waiting for some word or direction on the upcoming regulations from government and how they will apply to our business plan," says Veri. "Unfortunately, no information has been forthcoming. Will it be - as we initially feared - that preference is once more going to be given to large corporate weed factories?" [continues 707 words]
What police have called an "illegal storefront business" continues to operate but minus a key aspect. The City of Prince George granted WeeMedical a business licence on Sept. 13, two days after the chain agreed with a court order prohibiting it from dispensing marijuana. The Third Avenue downtown store was the subject of an RCMP raid in early August. Police seized a "considerable amount" of marijuana and cannabis-infused food as well as other items in support of charges under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Two people were also arrested and later released on promises to appear in court on Oct. 11. [continues 249 words]
B.C. municipalities intend to debate next week how to press the provincial government to include them in its plans for cannabis as federal legalization approaches. The Union of B.C. Municipalities will vote on a special resolution at its annual convention next Wednesday. The resolution, which addresses their role in a provincial cannabis framework ahead of federal legalization expected next July, was put forth by the union's executive. It calls for "fulsome and meaningful" consultation with Victoria, adequate provincial funding to cover costs related to implementing its framework, a fair share of taxes for cities and respect for municipalities' "choice, jurisdiction and authority" with regards to land use, zoning and other city hall concerns. [continues 560 words]
With one year left in this term, council recently took the opportunity to reflect, refresh, and reset strategic priorities that were established at the beginning of our term. The pace we keep leaves little time for reflection and this was an important day. A portion of the day was spent discussing change: what was anticipated, what was not, and how council responded to emerging issues. Council regulates. What this means is that council sets the framework on a number of issues for community through bylaws. Bylaws are constructed with the unique needs of community in mind. When council considers adopting new bylaws, it is done with the goal of developing balance between diverse community values and opinions. [continues 828 words]
Marc and Jodie Emery are in trouble with the law again. Toronto police arrested them recently at Pearson International Airport on their way to Spain. Ten years ago I would have said, "Tough luck, you broke the law." The so-called Prince of Pot made a name for himself defying the law and thumbing his nose at authorities in his single-minded attempt to make marijuana acceptable, and legal. His arrogance cost him four years in U.S. prisons, but he did his time and returned to Canada determined to continue his crusade along with his wife Jodie. [continues 427 words]
Nothing seems to have the cops and local and provincial politicians scrambling more these days than their attempts to get ahead of the federal government's plans to make marijuana legal by next summer. But that should hardly be too much of distraction to allow the toker in the Prime Minister's office, the cute and clever Justin Trudeau, off the hook when it comes to effectively dealing with a more immediately critical drug issue, the opioid crisis. Yet is seems to have. [continues 650 words]
While Trudeau gov't will look progressive, the provinces will do the heavy lifting The federal government is set on legalizing marijuana by summer 2018. While they will enjoy the political payoff of appearing progressive, all the problems and the logistics of legalizing pot will fall on the shoulders of the provincial governments. There are strong correlations between how a drug or an indulgence, such as gambling, is made available to the public and the propensity for individuals to indulge in it, and the negative health and social outcomes associated with its use. [continues 610 words]
Re: "Postpone legal pot, police exhort feds," Sept. 13. The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police seem to see their role as being an obstruction to the implementation of public policy. To this end, they want a delay of at least six months in the legalization of marijuana. They say this is necessary in order to train officers and certify more officers to conduct roadside tests. Their overriding concern with the legalization of marijuana is a dramatic increase in the number of people driving stoned. Let me assure them this will not happen. They can sleep peacefully, without the fear that hordes of stoned zombies are suddenly going to be driving amok on our streets. Nothing is going to change. The simple fact is, people have been getting high for 50 years. The reason marijuana is being legalized is because almost everyone already uses it. [continues 77 words]
Cannabis dispensaries should be afraid, very afraid, about what is in store when the federal government legalizes cannabis for recreational use. Justice ministers are meeting in Vancouver and the House of Commons health committee this week has been examining the legalization law - and the clock is ticking for those trying to cash in on the current chaos. There are widespread concerns about everything from the massive impact of legal cannabis on impaired driving enforcement to the fallout of allowing anyone over 18 to grow up to four pot plants. [continues 633 words]
Federal minister, provincial counterparts meet to establish common ground on issues After two days of meetings in Vancouver, the nation's justice and public safety ministers were vague and hazy Friday about what the looming legalization of cannabis will actually look like. The ministers said they had a "robust" discussion about the weed, but seemed to agree only that many challenges remained - not the least of which was meeting what was called an "ambitious" July 1 deadline for ending the near-century-old pot prohibition. [continues 605 words]
The B.C. government plans to consult with police, local governments and the public before deciding how to sell and distribute recreational marijuana once the federal government legalizes pot next summer. Solicitor General Mike Farnworth told reporters Thursday that "all options are on the table," including selling marijuana through government liquor stores. "We have not made any decisions about that," he said. Farnworth said the government intends to gather suggestions on ways to sell and distribute marijuana, as well as on the appropriate age limit for purchasing it. [continues 556 words]
Provinces still looking for more direction from federal government B.C.'s top cop says the province remains undecided on how it will tax, distribute and regulate the use of marijuana once the federal government legalizes it next summer. Solicitor General Mike Farnworth said he hopes to hear more ideas from his provincial and federal counterparts Friday as they continue a meeting in Vancouver. Ottawa intends to legalize pot within 10 months, forcing the provinces to develop their own rules. "It's certainly a challenging deadline, not just for British Columbia but all provinces, and I think both ministers and premiers have been saying that to the federal government," Farnworth said Thursday. "We know it is a challenge in B.C., but one we're working toward." [continues 567 words]
Cannabis retailers waiting to learn fate Like a vignette of small-town life, a laid-back shopkeeper sits at a yellow table beside the unlocked bicycle leaning against the storefront, smiles, puts down his coffee mug and greets a customer by name. "Hey Fred, how ya doing?" Jeremy Jacob said to his visitor Thursday, welcoming his old friend into the shop. Jacob and his wife Andrea Dobbs run a family business in Kitsilano, a bright, airy space where a loud waterfall rushes outside, dozens of cannabis products line the shelves inside, and a Pomeranian named Lego lounges on the ground. [continues 743 words]
A federal New Democratic leadership hopeful has pledged to make it party policy to decriminalize petty drug possession if he is elected leader, supporting calls by an increasing number of health officials who say it would help lift the stigma around addiction. Jagmeet Singh made his pledge on Sunday at an NDP leadership debate in Vancouver, a city that had recorded nearly 250 suspected overdose deaths by the end of August. Across British Columbia, 876 people died of illicit-drug overdoses from January through July of this year. [continues 765 words]
The provincial health officer is asking B.C. schools to consider buying naloxone The provincial health officer is recommending B.C. schools - including those in Sea to Sky area - obtain the tools to deal with opioid overdoses. A letter sent to superintendents across B.C. said that while schools aren't considered high-risk environments, they are advised to have naloxone kits and train staff to use them. This advisory comes in the midst of what provincial health officer Dr. Perry Kendall has called a "public health emergency" - the use of fentanyl has been blamed for a sharp increase in the amount of deaths from drug overdoses. [continues 347 words]
Ontario's plan to sell marijuana from government-operated stores would never fly in B.C., a local pot advocate says. Vancouver's Dana Larsen suggests a provincial government store could never compete with established and independent dispensaries in offering the same variety of products that consumers seek - such as different strains and edibles - and that the Ontario government won't be able to open shops fast enough to keep pace with demand. "Police raids aside, I don't think this model of legalization competes at all with what current dispensaries can offer," he told Postmedia from Toronto, where he was attending the Karma Cup cannabis competition and festival on Saturday. [continues 257 words]
The Trudeau government is set on legalizing marijuana by next summer. While they will enjoy the political payoff of appearing progressive on the issue, all of the problems and logistics of legalizing pot will fall on the provinces. There are strong correlations between how a drug or an indulgence like gambling is made available to the public and the propensity for individuals to indulge in it, and the negative health and social outcomes associated with its use. Provincial governments might want to draw lessons from the last time an illegal substance was legalized - alcohol - following prohibition in the late 1920s, as well as insights from the current public health efforts to eliminate tobacco use. For starters, it might make sense to make acquiring recreational marijuana reasonably expensive and somewhat difficult. [continues 584 words]
* Drug deaths on Vancouver Island in July: 14 * Total drug deaths in B.C. so far this year: 876 At least 14 people died from illicit drug overdoses on Vancouver Island in July, according to the B.C. Coroners Service. This is a decrease from June, in which 23 people died, but still places the Island and Victoria among the top regions for overdose deaths. From January to July, 138 people on the Island died. Lisa Lapointe, the province's chief coroner, said the numbers are further evidence that the overdose crisis cannot be easily solved. [continues 607 words]
Inside British Columbia
