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1CN BC: Cost Of Substance Use In Canada Tops $38 Billion, With BoozeTue, 26 Jun 2018
Source:Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)          Area:British Columbia Lines:Excerpt Added:06/27/2018

VICTORIA - The economic cost of substance use in Canada in 2014 was $38.4 billion, or about $1,100 for every Canadian, says a report released Tuesday.

The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction partnered with the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research to examine the data and estimate the harms of substance use based on health, justice, lost productivity and other costs. article continues below Trending Stories Death of Comox Valley teen traced to toxic shock syndrome Metal table smashed on head of officer confronting intruder More people in capital travelling by bus, bike and on foot School board backs $73M option to save Vic High exterior

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2 CN BC: PUB LTE: Pot Legalization Will Enable More ResearchSun, 10 Jun 2018
Source:Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC) Author:Elrod, Matthew M. Area:British Columbia Lines:39 Added:06/12/2018

The costs and benefits of cannabis and cannabis policies are difficult to calculate, but cannabis legalization will remove many impediments to research.

A recent study finding an association between chronic cannabis use by young people and diminished life outcomes acknowledged "while we controlled for multiple potential confounds, it is possible that there are other explanatory mechanisms that have not been accounted for ... in the current study."

Oddly, one of the confounds the study neglected to control for is the self-medication of emotional and psychological problems such as ADHD and PTSD, which typically stem from childhood trauma: abuse, neglect, abandonment or, in some cases perhaps, an emotionally unavailable father.

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3 CN BC: Craft Cannabis Growers In B.C. Sound Alarm Over Survival OfFri, 18 May 2018
Source:Nelson Star (CN BC) Author:Kane, Laura Area:British Columbia Lines:98 Added:05/23/2018

Open letter sent to federal Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould and her B.C. counterpart David Eby

Jessika Villano sells a potent array of dried cannabis, oils, salves and even bud-infused bath bombs at Buddha Barn Medicinal Society - all grown and processed by small-scale British Columbia producers.

Villano doesn't want that to change when marijuana is legalized later this year, and she's among the proponents of local craft cannabis who are pushing the federal and provincial governments to ensure its survival.

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4CN BC: Column: Pot-Law Logic Disappears At The BorderThu, 10 May 2018
Source:Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC) Author:Leyne=09, Les Area:British Columbia Lines:Excerpt Added:05/11/2018

Some time this summer, marijuana will be legal in Canada. It's already legal in Washington state and has been for four years.

But Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth warned this week that there's a significant problem looming at the border crossing, because it's still going to be illegal there.

It makes no sense whatsoever, but the U.S. federal government controls the border crossing, and marijuana is still nominally illegal in the U.S. federally.

"People [meaning, cannabis users] are going to naturally assume, on either side of the border, that they cross back and forth because it's legal in each jurisdiction,a" told the house. "But the reality is it will not be legal at that federal border crossing."

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5 CN BC: Liberal Party Members Overwhelmingly Vote For DecriminalizingMon, 23 Apr 2018
Source:Straight, The (CN BC) Author:Lupick, Travis Area:British Columbia Lines:95 Added:04/23/2018

The Liberal Party of Canada has voted in favour of removing criminal penalties for the personal possession of drugs.

It'€™s one of a number of policies that the party selected as priorities at a convention in Halifax on Saturday (April 21).

Members also voted in favour of universal pharmacare, decriminalizing consensual sex work, and expanding medicare to cover mental-health issues.

A total of 15 policies were selected to become official party priorities.

However, a policy'€™s status as a party priority does not mean that party leaders have to include it in the document where it really counts: the party'€™s campaign platform for the next federal election.

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6 CN BC: Reasons Unclear For Ban On Mixing Caffeine And CannabisTue, 17 Apr 2018
Source:Toronto Star (CN ON) Author:Grauer, Perrin Area:British Columbia Lines:100 Added:04/17/2018

VANCOUVER - A government prohibition against mixing cannabis and caffeine makes little sense, say some research scientists. There is only speculation that the combination might pose a risk.

The practice, so common in the legendary pot capital of Amsterdam that cannabis dispensaries are called "coffee shops," appears unlikely to be coming to Canada anytime soon.

"It seems like the overriding philosophy for a lot of this is: ban anything that might be a concern," said M-J Milloy, research scientist with the B.C. Centre on Substance Use. "Then it's easier to un-ban … rather than trying to do it the other way around."

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7 CN BC: 4/19 Pot Panel Wants To Clear The Air Regarding Cannabis AndTue, 17 Apr 2018
Source:Richmond News (CN BC) Author:Beairsto, Bronwyn Area:British Columbia Lines:81 Added:04/17/2018

On the eve of 4/20, CBC is hosting a panel to give kids and parents the information they need before anyone tokes up.

Titled 4/19, the free evening event at Vancouver Technical secondary hosted by CBC's Gloria Macarenko is aimed at informing teenagers and their parents about the medical, social and legal impacts of cannabis use for youth, with legalization in sight.

Experts range from youth workers and police officers to lawyers and scientists, covering all aspects of this hazy issue.

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8 CN BC: Politicians Are Committed To Reducing Stigma Around Drug UseTue, 17 Apr 2018
Source:Toronto Star (CN ON) Author:Grauer, Perrin Area:British Columbia Lines:85 Added:04/17/2018

VANCOUVER - Vancouver city councillors agreed the city's approach to harm reduction may appears extreme to those who haven't experienced the overdose crisis' impacts first-hand.

But Coun. Hector Bremner told StarMetro he thinks those skeptical of harm reduction simply haven't had an opportunity to learn how it really works.

"The average person going about their day to day life, worrying about their family and putting food on their table is not necessarily deeply involved in these issues," Bremner said. "And so they go with what they feel, or what they know, or what's the societal norm.

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9 CN BC: Vancouver Park Board Reiterates Opposition To 4/20 CannabisTue, 17 Apr 2018
Source:Georgia Straight, The (CN BC)          Area:British Columbia Lines:49 Added:04/17/2018

"The 4/20 marijuana event will take place again this year in Sunset Beach Park, against the wishes of the elected park board commissioners. The board continues to have significant concerns about the event's impact on residents, the park and facilities that serve our community.

"The park board does not believe this event is an appropriate use of park space because it violates our no smoking by-laws and has negative consequences for park users and infrastructure. The Board has declined to give organizers a permit as the event does not meet our criteria for issuing a special event permit.

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10 CN BC: Researchers Look At Cannabis And Prescription Heroin To TackleWed, 04 Apr 2018
Source:Vancouver Courier (CN BC) Author:Lakic, Sasa Area:British Columbia Lines:112 Added:04/06/2018

Studies show controlled drug use can reduce consumption of street drugs

As the opioid crisis rages on across North America, a number of recent studies are pointing to cannabis and prescription heroin as viable options in curbing the consumption of lethal street opiates, reducing long-term medical and policing costs and extending the lives of users.

An analysis of opioid prescriptions in the U.S.published on Monday by the American Medical Association showed a significant decrease in opioid prescriptions in states that have adopted some sort of cannabis legislation. Using data from 2010 to 2015, the analysis counted 3.7 million fewer daily doses of opioids prescribed in states that allow weed dispensaries, while states that allow only home cultivation saw a decrease of 1.8 million daily prescribed doses.

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11 CN BC: Vet Can't Imagine Practising Today Without CBDSun, 01 Apr 2018
Source:Richmond News (CN BC) Author:Thomas, Sandra Area:British Columbia Lines:66 Added:04/03/2018

Veterinarian Katherine Kramer remembers an 18-year-old cat she recommended be put on hemp-based cannabidoil (CBD).

"It had heart disease and pancreatitis so painful the traditional amount of pain medication knocked him out and he had no quality of life," says Kramer, a veterinarian at Vancouver Animal Wellness Clinic. "So, I contacted the [medicinal marijuana] Compassion Club."

Kramer says with not much to lose, the owner agreed to work together and very soon the cat was eating and playing again.

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12 CN BC: Medical Marjuana Dispensary BustedFri, 23 Mar 2018
Source:Nelson Star (CN BC) Author:Poignant, Gary Area:British Columbia Lines:63 Added:03/23/2018

Nelson Police executed a search warrant on a downtown medical marijuana dispensary and arrested five employees.

Five employees at MMJ marijuana dispensary, 752 Vernon Street, were taken into custody Tuesday morning, March 20, without incident.

Charges against the employees are pending, said a release from NPD Chief Constable Paul Burkart, adding that all five were released from custody Tuesday afternoon.

Until charges are formally laid, Burkart said the NPD will be making no further comment as the investigation is ongoing. A further update can be expected in the next week.

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13 CN BC: Oliver To 'Hash Out' Use Of Recreational MarijuanaWed, 14 Mar 2018
Source:Penticton Herald (CN BC) Author:Boyd, Dale Area:British Columbia Lines:68 Added:03/17/2018

The Town of Oliver is setting aside a hearing to "hash out" some details in local bylaws prior to the legalization of the sale of recreational marijuana.

Council on Monday "decimated," as Coun. Larry Schwartzenberger put it, a staff recommendation to restrict cannabis sales via zoning bylaws in Oliver, as well as a $15,000 ask to hire a consultant to determine the wishes of the community.

"We will be able to approve or disapprove an application. If something is in the commercial zone that's too close to a park or school, we will just not approve it," Schwartzenberger said.

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14CN BC: NPA Councillors Question City's Drug PoliciesWed, 14 Mar 2018
Source:Vancouver Sun (CN BC) Author:Fumano, Dan Area:British Columbia Lines:Excerpt Added:03/17/2018

News release that called for study to make personal use legal called 'a surprise'

Things started off on a pretty collegial tone Tuesday morning in Vancouver city council.

Much of the morning session was concerned with development plans for an 8.4-hectare site in south Vancouver. Councillors echoed their support for the project, and one commented on proceedings going "so smoothly." The mayor agreed, saying it was nice to conduct the meeting "without the kind of friction that can sometimes occur."

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15CN BC: Column: As Legal Pot Looms, First Nations Seek A Piece Of TheSun, 11 Mar 2018
Source:Province, The (CN BC) Author:Smyth, Mike Area:British Columbia Lines:Excerpt Added:03/16/2018

Near the historic native village of Kitwancool in northern B.C., the hereditary chief of the Gitanyow frog clan has his eye on an old logging site that could be the perfect place to grow a new cash crop.

"It's already serviced with a power supply," said Will Marsden. "We see an opportunity for our people to be employed in sustainable jobs in our traditional territories."

Those jobs would be in the legal marijuana trade, coming soon to British Columbia and the rest of Canada.

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16 CN BC: Column: Legal Weed Coming, Time To Talk RulesTue, 06 Mar 2018
Source:Penticton Herald (CN BC) Author:Laurio, Jukka Area:British Columbia Lines:107 Added:03/10/2018

Can we put the words "illegal" and "marijuana" together and still be making a relevant statement in Canada? Marijuana is going to be legal as a recreation drug.

The federal government has committed itself to legalization. The provincial government has stepped forward with a plan for legal marijuana, which included dispensaries as a component. They even went so far as to include early licence application for dispensaries.

Marijuana will be sold, consumed by people and I do not believe there is anything that will stop that from happening. This means the political movement to legalize marijuana is no longer of significant relevance. Operating dispensaries as a political statement is no longer required. So, now what?

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17 CN BC: Column: You And I Pay Interest On The DebtMon, 05 Mar 2018
Source:Daily Courier, The (CN BC) Author:Albas, Dan Area:British Columbia Lines:83 Added:03/09/2018

Last week, the Liberal government introduced the 2018 budget. As is customary in Canadian democracy, it is the role of the Liberal government to promote what it views as the merits of their budget.

As the Official Opposition, it is our job to illustrate the concerns we have with the budget. On that note, I have a few. It has become clear over this mandate, that the prime minister excels in making promises, but often falls short on the delivery of said promises. For example, we were promised electoral reform, a national housing strategy, infrastructure investment, new fighter jets for our military…the list goes on. This budget is no exception. Mr. Trudeau distinctly promised Canadians that after a series of small deficits, his government would return to a balanced budget in 2019. This budget demonstrates that the Liberals have no intention whatsoever of returning to balance in 2019.

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18 CN BC: City Takes Steps To Close Pot ShopsFri, 09 Mar 2018
Source:North Shore News (CN BC) Author:Shepherd, Jeremy Area:British Columbia Lines:75 Added:03/09/2018

Back off, bud.

The City of North Vancouver is aiming to slam the lid on the host of unlicensed pot shops that have operated with seeming impunity in recent years following Monday's council meeting.

The crackdown, which involves civil court injunctions, is meant to give the city enough time to draft its own regulations about where and how marijuana dispensaries can operate within city limits.

"I do believe that it should be legalized but it needs to be regulated," explained Mayor Darrell Mussatto. "This enforcement action here is allowing us some time so that we can put in these regulations before it actually becomes legalized."

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19CN BC: Column: B.C. Opioid Treatment Costs Soar Beyond $90m A YearThu, 01 Mar 2018
Source:Vancouver Sun (CN BC) Author:Mulgrew, Ian Area:British Columbia Lines:Excerpt Added:03/05/2018

How do we get out of this box? It may be time to follow Portugal in legalizing drugs

British Columbia has a $250,000-a-day drug habit that is spiralling out of control - and it's not supported by the Downtown Eastside street bazaar.

Rather, it's the opioid substitution program.

The province now spends more than $90 million a year on "treatment" and health services for participants of the drug-maintenance program - that's more than it provides for legal aid.

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20CN BC: Stagger Welfare Cheques: Police ChiefWed, 28 Feb 2018
Source:Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC) Author:DeRosa, Katie Area:British Columbia Lines:Excerpt Added:03/05/2018

Emergency services taxed by spike in overdoses, incidents

Police, firefighters and paramedics are so overwhelmed with drug-related 911 calls in the days after welfare cheques are issued that Victoria's police chief wants the province to consider staggering distribution of the cheques throughout the month.

"Generally speaking, we see a spike during the evening of welfare Wednesday and the day or two after of overdose calls, disturbances, drug activity occurring. Sometimes someone has been defrauded or robbed," Police Chief Del Manak told the Times Colonist.

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21CN BC: OPED: Looking Upstream At The Opioid CrisisSun, 25 Feb 2018
Source:Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC) Author:Hancock, Trevor Area:British Columbia Lines:Excerpt Added:03/01/2018

Iam increasingly concerned with the inadequacy of our approach to the opioid crisis, both as a society and in the field of public health.

There is no question that when people are dying in large numbers, we have to respond, and that has been happening. Safe injection sites, the distribution of naloxone kits and similar efforts are important.

But this response is sadly inadequate. It repeats the "upstream" story that I told in the first column I wrote, in December 2014, one that is fundamental to the public health approach. In essence, villagers living on the banks of a river are so busy rescuing drowning people that nobody has time to go upstream to learn how they are ending up in the river and stop them being pushed in.

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22 CN BC: Laundering Linked To Drug Trade A 'structural' Issue: SFUWed, 28 Feb 2018
Source:Globe and Mail (Canada) Author:Woo, Andrea Area:British Columbia Lines:102 Added:03/01/2018

Structural changes are required to clamp down on the unregulated private lending networks that drug traffickers are using to launder their illicit gains, a Simon Fraser University criminologist says.

A recent Globe and Mail investigation identified people connected to the local fentanyl trade who are also private lenders, using Vancouver-area real estate to clean their cash.

Neil Boyd, a criminology professor at SFU, said the complexity of these private lending networks and similar white-collar crimes make them notoriously hard to prosecute.

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23 CN BC: Who's Going To Pay For 4/20 At Sunset Beach?Thu, 01 Mar 2018
Source:Vancouver Courier (CN BC) Author:Kurucz, John Area:British Columbia Lines:101 Added:03/01/2018

Less than two months out from this year's rally, it appears the vast majority of the end costs will again be passed on to taxpayers

While they still can't find consensus on a location, it does appear all parties with a stake in the 4/20 smoke-out at Sunset Beach seem to agree on this: organizers will have to foot little, if any, of what could be a six-figure, post-event price tag.

Less than two months out from one of the city's largest and polarizing public events, the Courier reached out the Vancouver Park Board, the City of Vancouver, the Vancouver Police Department and rally organizers to assess where the annual April 20 gathering is at in terms of planning, lessons learned and the mechanics involved in the cost-recovery process.

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24 CN BC: Column: Weeding Through Vancouver School Board's RulesThu, 01 Mar 2018
Source:Vancouver Courier (CN BC) Author:Sherlock, Tracy Area:British Columbia Lines:108 Added:03/01/2018

As Canada is poised to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, readers might wonder how schools will handle the change. Will kids be legally toking up on school grounds? Will skunky smells be wafting down the halls?

Definitely not.

First off, it's important to note that when the recreational use of marijuana is legalized, probably later this year, it will still be illegal for minors to use or possess pot. In that regard, things won't change in schools.

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25 CN BC: LTE: Remorse Sure To Follow LegalizationSat, 24 Feb 2018
Source:Vancouver Sun (CN BC) Author:Cooper, Ted Area:British Columbia Lines:29 Added:02/27/2018

Re: This is your brain on pot, Douglas Todd column, Feb. 17.

Again, kudos to The Vancouver Sun for Douglas Todd's column on the potential health risks of marijuana.

Educators have been warning about this for a long time, but the negative effects on adolescents has been blanked out by politicians looking for easy tax dollars.

Just wait for the weeping and wailing that will follow the legalization of marijuana as youth damage their brains while participating in what they see as a rite of passage to adulthood.

Ted Cooper, Powell River

[end]

26 CN BC: B.C. Estimates $75-Million In Cannabis Taxes In First FullThu, 22 Feb 2018
Source:Globe and Mail (Canada) Author:Hager, Mike Area:British Columbia Lines:93 Added:02/26/2018

British Columbia is expecting legalized cannabis to bring in $75-million a year to the province in taxes, with legal sales estimated to be worth a billion dollars.

This week's provincial budget estimates that once the drug is legalized later this year, the province will take in $50-million in the current fiscal year and $75-million in 2019-2020, the first full fiscal year under legalization.

That represents the province's 75 per cent share of a federal excise tax, which Ottawa has said will be $1 per gram, or 10 per cent of larger purchases, whichever is higher. While that translates to about $1-billion in sales in the province, B.C.'s Finance Minister says it could be higher.

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27 CN BC: UBCO Students To Get Bud CoveredFri, 23 Feb 2018
Source:Daily Courier, The (CN BC) Author:Peacock, Andrea Area:British Columbia Lines:69 Added:02/26/2018

Medical marijuana added to health-insurance plan

Medical marijuana will soon be part of health insurance for students at UBC Okanagan.

The one-year pilot program will begin in September. University of Waterloo began a similar plan in 2014.

The idea was initiated by Michelle Thiessen, chairwoman of the Okanagan chapter of Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy and a UBCO graduate student.

Without coverage for medical marijuana, students are left covering 100 per cent of the costs while still paying into the student health insurance plan, she said.

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28 CN BC: Local Governments Can Say Yea Or Nay To Marijuana StoresThu, 22 Feb 2018
Source:Oliver Chronicle (CN BC) Author:Doherty, Lyonel Area:British Columbia Lines:134 Added:02/26/2018

As the B.C. government sets policy on the legalization of marijuana, the towns of Oliver and Osoyoos are still wondering what that will look like.

Oliver Mayor Ron Hovanes said his council has to have a formal discussion on the topic.

"We had most recently suggested that any sale (of marijuana) should take place through a government agency and the province has decided against that."

Hovanes previously questioned if municipalities should have any role in marijuana legalization. Council recently supported a call for local governments to receive a share of the cannabis revenue to cover social and policing costs.

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29CN BC: Column: Bylaws Can Prohibit All Forms Of SmokingWed, 21 Feb 2018
Source:Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC) Author:Gioventu, Tony Area:British Columbia Lines:Excerpt Added:02/26/2018

Dear Tony: Our strata council is getting a lot of pressure from our owners to adopt a bylaw that prohibits use of marijuana and growing of marijuana plants. Several owners have already complained about the smell of marijuana in the building from several smokers, and we had to eradicate a grow-op back in 2004, costing our strata more than $75,000 in damages that we never recovered.

What our council is struggling with is the question of how far we can go with our bylaws.

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30CN BC: Column: Bold, Clear Start Needed On Money-LaunderingTue, 20 Feb 2018
Source:Province, The (CN BC) Author:Smyth, Mike Area:British Columbia Lines:Excerpt Added:02/25/2018

B.C. has become a haven of drug-dealing and money-laundering that's killing hundreds of people from overdoses and pricing homes beyond the reach of law-abiding citizens.

That's the view of Attorney-General David Eby, who's promising bold action to purge B.C.'s casinos and hyper-inflated real-estate markets from the influence of criminals.

"We have an international reputation that's in tatters," Eby told me. "We will clean it up. My goal is to have B.C.'s international reputation back on track."

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31 CN BC: Driving High On B.C. HighwaysTue, 20 Feb 2018
Source:Metro (Vancouver, CN BC) Author:Ball, David P. Area:British Columbia Lines:95 Added:02/23/2018

As legalization looms, experts say we're not road safe yet

As Canada readies to legalize pot this summer, experts including an ex-traffic cop warn we're still stumped about stopping stoned drivers from hitting B.C.'S streets.

"I've stopped lots of people who have been under the influence of marijuana," recalls retired West Vancouver traffic enforcement officer Cpl. Grant Gottgetreu. "You had to get really good at making observations.

"Unless a person gets pulled over and there's an overwhelming smell of burned marijuana from the car … there's still no instrument out there to test like there is for alcohol yet."

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32 CN BC: LTE: Anti-Pot Champion NeededTue, 20 Feb 2018
Source:Province, The (CN BC) Author:Davis, Bill Area:British Columbia Lines:29 Added:02/23/2018

I firmly believe that most Canadians don't want recreational marijuana legalized, and that there is still time to stop it.

The basic threat to the Liberal party is anti-marijuana voters who will get their attention in the election coming up next year.

I don't need to repeat the many solid reasons why legalization of pot is a bad decision by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. It will turn into a disaster, causing major grief to thousands of families.

It's sad that most Canadians don't speak up as loudly as the dopers do while breaking the law. What we need is a well-known "champion," like a Jim Pattison type, to start up a campaign against legalization.

Bill Davis, New Westminster

[end]

33CN BC: Editorial: Damaged Lives Need Our HelpSun, 18 Feb 2018
Source:Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)          Area:British Columbia Lines:Excerpt Added:02/23/2018

With toxic street drugs such as fentanyl killing four British Columbians a day, much of the response has focused on overdose treatments with naloxone, and supervised injection sites. Yet public-health staff have concluded that emergency interventions such as these will not stop the epidemic. If the supply of these drugs cannot be halted - and no war on drugs has ever been won - the only option is to prevent the downward slide that leads to street-drug addiction.

Many of the victims are middle-age men and women who have fought a lifelong struggle against such challenges as alcoholism, mental illness, the lasting effects of childhood abuse and more.

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34CN BC: Column: This Is Your Brain On PotSat, 17 Feb 2018
Source:Vancouver Sun (CN BC) Author:Todd, Douglas Area:British Columbia Lines:Excerpt Added:02/22/2018

Psychologists point to 'compelling evidence' of cannabis' potential health impairments

Apart from the #Metoo maelstrom and the housing crises in Toronto and Vancouver, few things stir up Canadians more than marijuana, which its promoters claim is the cure for everything from glaucoma to brain disease =2E

Should private outlets sell recreational marijuana? Is it more enjoyable to smoke or swallow cannabis? Will I get rich on pot stocks? Is it possible to remove the criminal underground from Canada's $6 billion-a-year cannabis industry?

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35CN BC: Column: Opioid Crisis Mostly Affects Men, But Few AcknowledgeSat, 17 Feb 2018
Source:Vancouver Sun (CN BC) Author:Todd, Douglas Area:British Columbia Lines:Excerpt Added:02/22/2018

Are public health officials facing up to the fact that the overdose epidemic in Canada and the U.S. is mostly devastating boys and men?

There are small signs some health officials are slowly, awkwardly, hesitatingly beginning to acknowledge the obvious: The overdose crisis is predominantly an issue of men's health.

Public officials have much denial to make up for. It was just a year ago that former B.C. Liberal health minister Terry Lake pulled out the public relations stops to open a 38-bed Vancouver facility for women to overcome substance abuse. Months before an election, Lake also announced an overdose prevention site exclusively for females.

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36 CN BC: Drug Laws Kill: AdvocatesWed, 21 Feb 2018
Source:Metro (Vancouver, CN BC) Author:Winter, Jesse Area:British Columbia Lines:88 Added:02/21/2018

Demonstrators demand change to federal drug policies

Around 200 drug users and advocates took to Vancouver's streets Tuesday, demanding changes to the federal government's drug policies.

In a national day of action, co-ordinated with cities across Canada, demonstrators from the Canadian Association of People who Use Drugs (CAPUD), the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU) and other groups marched through Vancouver's Downtown Eastside from Victory Square to the B.C. courts building at Hornby and Smithe St.

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37 CN BC: PUB LTE: Cannabis Compassion Club Confident Of Legal WinFri, 16 Feb 2018
Source:Nelson Star (CN BC) Author:McMillan, Philip Area:British Columbia Lines:48 Added:02/20/2018

Re: "Cannabis: City asks for public feedback" in the Feb. 7 issue of the Nelson Star.

I want to voice my disappointment with this article.

We don't have a municipal business licence, but the Nelson Cannabis Compassion Club isn't a for-profit business. Since March, 2000 we have been licensed by the province as a non-profit organization, incorporated under the Societies Act. The licensing and regulating of which is the jurisdiction of the province.

Also in the Feb. 7th 2018 issue Pam Mierau says, "Our assumption is they (medical dispensaries) will be treated like anybody else who is looking to set up a retail store here, and they'll have to go through the same process , and they won't have any advantage over anyone else." "But we're not sure." Well, she shouldn't be sure as there is a major difference between a recreational user of cannabis and a medical user. It's called the Chart of Rights and Freedoms. Recreational users don't have charter protections and medical users do. Even the provincial government realizes this. If you look at their announcements around the retail sales of recreational cannabis they use the same term "non-medicinal cannabis" over and over again.

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38 CN BC: LTE: Pot Records Should StayThu, 15 Feb 2018
Source:Province, The (CN BC) Author:Slade, Brian Area:British Columbia Lines:24 Added:02/20/2018

Why are people expecting to have marijuana-conviction charges removed from their records and/or expecting compensation for any prison time they may have served? They knowingly broke the law at the time.

I don't think any of them would be admitting to their habit if the government were announcing that they were going to criminalize it. Compensating people for breaking the law would be a waste of taxpayers' money.

Brian Slade, Pitt Meadows

[end]

39 CN BC: Editorial: High Time Could Have Bumps In The Road AheadThu, 15 Feb 2018
Source:Record, The (CN BC)          Area:British Columbia Lines:56 Added:02/15/2018

B.C.'s approach to the issue seems prudent to most observers and is based on some of the lessons learned in other jurisdictions. Marijuana will be legal, but it won't be a total free-for-all, either.

Much to the relief of local politicians, municipalities will have a big say about who gets one of the coveted provincial pot shop licences.

That means those operators who have been the subject of court action, or who've caused major headaches where they've set up in advance of the legal starting line might not be at the front of the line.

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40 CN BC: City Of Surrey Ponders Its Pot PlanFri, 09 Feb 2018
Source:Now, The (Surrey, CN BC) Author:Zytaruk, Tom Area:British Columbia Lines:101 Added:02/14/2018

Surrey mulls over 'missteps' from U.S. cities that have legalized marijuana

Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner says the city has developed a "balanced, appropriate and evidence-based approach" in preparing for the expected passing of the Trudeau government's Bill C45 Cannabis Act this coming July.

"Like all governments, the City of Surrey must determine the changes needed to ensure an effective response to cannabis legalization," Hepner said. "Our report was prepared following a comprehensive review of best practices in jurisdictions of the United States with legal recreational cannabis markets. Council and I have directed staff to implement the necessary steps outlined in the framework over the coming months."

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41CN BC: Tofino Mulls Restrictions On Pot Shop LocationsSat, 10 Feb 2018
Source:Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC) Author:DeRosa, Katie Area:British Columbia Lines:Excerpt Added:02/14/2018

Town wants 'cautious' approach; hearing on Tuesday

With cannabis legalization just months away, the District of Tofino is considering a bylaw that would heavily restrict where pot shops can operate in the community.

A public hearing is set for Tuesday. People will be able to weigh in on the proposed bylaw, which would "prohibit the use of any land, building or structure for the sale, production or distribution of cannabis," according to a notice of public hearing on the district's website.

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42 CN BC: Column: NDPs Pot Sales Plan Is WeakWed, 14 Feb 2018
Source:Penticton Herald (CN BC) Author:Godbout, Neil Area:British Columbia Lines:111 Added:02/14/2018

In an interview with The Citizen last April during the 2017 provincial election, NDP leader John Horgan admitted that government and politicians are behind public sentiment when it comes to marijuana.

Knowing it and saying it is one thing but Horgan, now the premier, still seems reluctant to act on it, based on the additional details on a provincial pot policy the NDP government announced Monday that will take effect once marijuana is legalized later this year.

"Some may think that this work will end in July when non-medical cannabis is legalized by the federal government," Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said. "But the truth is our government will be dealing with this significant change in policy for years to come."

[continues 640 words]

43 CN BC: Bringing The Underground Cannabis Trade Into The LightWed, 14 Feb 2018
Source:Globe and Mail (Canada) Author:Hager, Mike Area:British Columbia Lines:184 Added:02/14/2018

Vancouver won't grant pot-shop licences to people with ties to illegal drugs, but critics urge reconsideration

Rocco Dipopolo is an entrepreneur juggling three businesses - a tattoo parlour, a gym and a boxing clinic - in East Vancouver, an area of hipster coffee shops and chic duplexes that the 46-year-old remembers as gritty during his delinquent adolescence.

Until recently, he also owned an illegal cannabis dispensary in the city's trendy Commercial Drive neighbourhood. He had to step away from that venture in order for it to secure a coveted business licence from the City of Vancouver.

[continues 1336 words]

44CN BC: Editorial: Going Carefully On Pot RulesTue, 13 Feb 2018
Source:Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)          Area:British Columbia Lines:Excerpt Added:02/13/2018

Coming soon to a storefront near you: a cannabis shop. The provincial government has brought down the latest of many new regulations as the date for legalization approaches. After much debate and much reading of tea leaves, the government says that legalized recreational marijuana will be sold at stand-alone stores, some run by private operators and others by the Liquor Distribution Branch. The distribution branch will be the wholesaler, and all will be overseen by the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch.

[continues 548 words]

45CN BC: Column: Legal Pot Puts People At Risk On The RoadsTue, 13 Feb 2018
Source:Province, The (CN BC) Author:Stirling, John G. Area:British Columbia Lines:Excerpt Added:02/13/2018

Comment: Feds should pump the brakes and rethink its token gesture on safety

We're only seven weeks into the new year and already there are three major hurdles on the trucking industry's plate. The legalization of marijuana, the electronic logging devices (ELD) and either the total cancellation or just a fine-tuning of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

That's more than enough for the trucking industry to swallow, so let me try to shed a little light on each of the three.

[continues 647 words]

46CN BC: 'Dramatic' Spike In Crashes On 4/20Tue, 13 Feb 2018
Source:Province, The (CN BC) Author:Shore, Randy Area:British Columbia Lines:Excerpt Added:02/13/2018

New Study: Fatal collisions involving young drivers increase by 38 per cent after pot-smoking celebrations

The risk of a fatal accident among young drivers spikes by 38 per cent in the hours after 4/20 celebrations, according to new research from UBC and the University of Toronto.

The finding suggests that mass marijuana celebrations may not be entirely without consequences.

John Staples, a professor of medicine and researcher at UBC's Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, said people aged 20 and younger had a much higher risk of a fatal crash on April 20 from 4:20 p.m. until midnight compared to the same period one week before and one week after.

[continues 377 words]

47 CN BC: Criminal Records Could Sink Pot EntrepreneursThu, 08 Feb 2018
Source:Georgia Straight, The (CN BC) Author:Lupick, Travis Area:British Columbia Lines:122 Added:02/12/2018

An unusual aspect of Canada's soon-to-be-legal cannabis market is that the activists who led the legalization movement may find themselves excluded from the industry for which their efforts paved the way.

Vancouver activists like Jodie and Marc Emery and dispensary pioneer Don Briere, for example, have criminal records for possessing and selling marijuana. Now those criminal records could be used against them in federal and provincial licensing systems that are under development to decide who gets to cultivate and sell recreational cannabis.

[continues 769 words]

48 CN BC: LTE: An Open Letter To The PMFri, 09 Feb 2018
Source:Morning Star, The (CN BC) Author:Bachman, Kathy Area:British Columbia Lines:61 Added:02/12/2018

Dear Prime Minister Trudeau: I was wondering why you bother traveling all over the planet to climate change conventions to save the world from pollution but remain willing to return home and pass a bill that will cause our whole country to become polluted everywhere with the stinking, cloying smell of marijuana?

That is OK for all you people who can afford a single-family dwelling where you can retreat, close the door and ignore the stink of the irritating smoke. But those of us who live in apartments, condos or other connected housing units aren't able to do that, leaving us at the mercy of our neighbours. Now we can at least, if someone is polluting our apartment building, phone the police and get help to stop the culprits.

[continues 316 words]

49 CN BC: Changing The Public Discourse On AddictionFri, 09 Feb 2018
Source:Kelowna Capital News (CN BC) Author:Gerding, Barry Area:British Columbia Lines:79 Added:02/12/2018

To fight the opioid epidemic will take altering people's thoughts around drug abuse

The way people feel about drug addiction has evolved significantly since the outbreak of the fentanyl crisis.

But the shift from viewing addiction as a moral problem to treating it like any other health issue is a work in progress, says Rae Samson, a substance abuse worker at Interior Health.

"I'm not sure if we are a generation away from making that shift, but a lot of work has been dedicated to that purpose in the past 20 years with tremendous gains. But there have been really rapid gains since the opioid crisis began," Samson said.

[continues 391 words]

50CN BC: Edible Cannabis Products Too Much For Some UsersThu, 08 Feb 2018
Source:Vancouver Sun (CN BC) Author:Fayerman, Pamela Area:British Columbia Lines:Excerpt Added:02/12/2018

Overwhelming 'delayed symptoms' once again a worry as 4/20 event nears

Calls to the B.C. Drug and Poison Information Centre have surged on the annual 4/20 cannabis event in Vancouver in recent years, according to a report by provincial health officials.

"The 4/20 cannabis calls represent a real spike, way over what we see on ordinary days," said Dr. Tom Kosatsky, medical director of environmental health services for the B.C. Centre for Disease Control.

He acknowledged that the total number of calls remains small, but is nevertheless growing. His report is published in the current B.C. Medical Journal.

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