St. Boniface MP Shelly Glover may well be -- along with all the other parents she insists share her fears -- "very worried about the long-term effects" of salvia divinorum, but until that or some other evil of smoking this herb is established by scientific evidence, the hallucinogen ought not be banned. There is little science that says it is dangerous to human health and safety. Salvia, regulated in Canada as a natural health product, has been compared to marijuana, except that it produces more often a wild psychedelic trip rather than a cosy high. Those who smoke, inhale or chew it can experience an out-of-body sensation or the sense that they become inanimate objects, such as a table leg. Others collapse into laughing fits. Infamously, Miley Cyrus was sure that a guy at her party looked exactly like her boyfriend. Ms. Cyrus' mini-trip wrote salvia onto the parental watch lists -- who would want their newly minted 18-year-old to indelibly imprint their own "this is your brain on salvia" on YouTube? [continues 134 words]
I bet if you smoke shoe polish in a bong, you'd hallucinate, too. But I don't see anyone suggesting shoe polish be banned. It seems we think that people are smart enough not to smoke shoe polish. Winnipeg [end]
The federal Conservatives are taking a pre-emptive strike against an herbal hallucinogen that has garnered plenty of recent media attention thanks to a teen starlet. Salvia divinorum, a naturally occurring plant of the sage family which grows in southern Mexico, is most commonly ingested by smoking the leaves. Users of Salvia commonly experience a short-lasting high that can include hallucinations, uncontrollable laughter, lack of co-ordination and even loss of consciousness. Late last year, teen pop-star Miley Cyrus was forced to apologize to fans after she was shown in a video on Youtube taking a bong hit of Salvia before giggling uncontrollably and talking nonsensically. Glover said the move to criminalize Salvia had nothing to do with Cyrus. [continues 268 words]
Federal Justice Minister Rob Nicholson accused the Liberals Thursday as being "soft on crime" for refusing to support a bill, passed by the Senate, that would throw growers of as few as six marijuana plants for trafficking purposes in jail for six months. His chest-thumping is unlikely to convince most Canadians that Michael Ignatieff is running the country to ruin. Increasingly Canadians are personally acquainted with weed. Over the last 25 years, Canadians have grown used to the idea of pot as a benign drug. Most either have smoked or personally know people who smoke. Despite this, the Tories are going after pot as part of a strategy unveiled in 2007 to cut illegal drug use in Canada through prevention, treatment and punishment. The latter thrust is the impetus for the government's attempts to introduce mandatory minimum sentences to the federal Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. [continues 275 words]
By MARK BONOKOSKI, QMI Agency For Giff, once a well-known Toronto publicist and now retired to the country life, keeping his sexual orientation on the "down low" was never a concern. He was already "out" when being "out" was deemed courageous. When the Toronto cops launched Operation Soap in February 1981, and notoriously raided four gay bathhouses and arrested 300 men - then the largest mass arrest in Canada since the 1970 October Crisis - it was not alarming that Giff was one of the found-ins hauled off to a holding cell. [continues 465 words]
A 52-year-old man has been charged with arson after his alleged marijuana grow-op went up in flames. Winnipeg police say the blaze at the home in the 1600 block of Alexander was reported at 12 p.m. Oct. 18, causing about $180,000 damage but no injuries. Police say the fire was caused by overloaded and faulty wiring used to grow marijuana. WPS Const. Jason Michalyshen said the operation used costly equipment, including heat lamps. "There can be some pretty extravagant set-ups," Michalyshen said. [continues 76 words]
Parents were given an earful about drug addiction at a recent information night at miller W.C. Miller held an information night to mark Manitoba Addictions Awareness Week. Principal Jonathan Toews said the main reason for the meeting was to provide parents with practical information on how to steer their kids away from drugs. A small group of parents and administrators gathered in the school cafeteria for the informal discussion, which included a few guest speakers. School counsellor Warren Friesen affirmed the concept of the village raising the child. "Leaving a parent alone with a kid that's on drugs isn't what a community is about," he said. Friesen said a popular misconception is that if your kids are using drugs, that means you're a bad parent. [continues 569 words]
If you are the first person to do something, whatever it is, there's one of two reasons for that. Either you are a visionary, or the thing you are doing is so stupid nobody else would even consider it. The NDP's latest strategy to fight drug trafficking falls into the latter category. Attorney General Andrew Swan announced legislation allowing the province to suspend the drivers license of those who drove a vehicle as part of a drug trafficking offence. [continues 396 words]
Bravo to the Winnipeg Free Press for its editorial Court erodes home privacy (Nov. 26). I've been reading many articles about the recent Supreme Court of Canada ruling allowing police to conduct warrantless searches and, so far, the Free Press is the only paper I've seen editorialize against this shocking and harmful ruling. North America needs to end cannabis (marijuana) prohibition immediately and finally put an end to the devilish law that has done nothing but harm citizens for the last seven decades. And roughly half the citizens want to end it. If it were not for cannabis prohibition, people would not be losing their right to privacy and other diminished constitutional rights. Dillon, Colo. [end]
Re: Sparking debate, Nov. 23. The comments from MP Shelley Glover the other day in regards to marijuana are disgusting and obscene. As a federally licensed medical marijuana User, I find your party's attitude towards marijuana users insane, mean-spirited, and counterproductive. I would like to thank you, however, for bringing this issue into broad public discussion. The more people read and discuss the facts, the quicker they will see what a bunch of twisted, ideological, punishment-fetishists you Tories really are. [continues 97 words]
Re: Sparking debate, Nov. 24. Here's a simple solution. Legalize pot and sell it just like cigarettes. Tax it and put the same restrictions on "oetoking" publicly as you would on cigarettes. And of course there should still be rules as far as lighting up at work, I do agree you should only toke on your own time. As a "oetoker" and a "oesmoker" for many years, my personal goal is to quit smoking cigarettes. I have no personal goal to stop "oetoking." If weed wasn't illegal there would be no reason for criminal activity involved with it. Do you know how much money would be saved by not putting "oetokers" in jail? And for the comment "oewhat's next, cocaine, meth, ecstasy" you are completely and utterly comparing apples to oranges. Those drugs can kill you in if taken too much or mixed with substances. Or could kill you instantly. If anything alcohol should be an illegal substance, there are deaths everyday directly linked to alcohol consumption. Once again still no evidence of anyone dieing any day from inhaling weed. Legalize it, tax it and sell it. Lara Blue Wouldn't be a reason to jail anyone if nothing was illegal. [end]
If there is any wonder as to why Shelly Glover and Mike Sutherland support Conservative bill C-6 and it's mandatory prison sentences for cannabis offences, I can explain it in two words. Job security. Is it really surprising to anyone that people who earn their living from prohibition support more of it? Sutherland says that most cops recognize that possession of small amounts of marijuana is not the crime of the century, but unfortunately for thousands of Canadians who are charged every year, some do not. [continues 126 words]
As both a mother and police officer, St. Boniface MP Shelly Glover expressed her concern last week over comments by Michael Ignatieff in regards to marijuana use and the law in its current form. For her efforts Glover was attacked by Liberal justice critic Marlene Jennings, stating she was unworthy "to wear the uniform of a police officer." The remarks centred on Glover's condemnation of this Ignatieff statement: "I've never felt that marijuana use or, for example, possession of small amounts of marijuana are to be criminalized or that anybody should suffer consequences for personal recreational uses of marijuana." [continues 404 words]
Chalk up another victory in the war against drugs. Last week our highest court ruled the use of electricity-consumption data from a Calgary power supplier obtained without a search warrant did not constitute a violation of the Charter privacy right to be free from unreasonable searches. The immediate result of this ruling is the conviction of Daniel James Gomboc of Calgary on charges of producing marijuana and possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking. Police suspected a grow-op in Gomboc's home after receiving an anonymous tip, speaking with neighbours, and conducting surveillance of the house. Thinking they didn't have enough evidence to obtain a search warrant, police sought information from the local electricity supplier, Enmax. They received information showing cyclical patterns of electricity use indicative of a grow-op of some sort. [continues 486 words]
A man's home is not his castle, any longer, nor is a woman's home her private domain. In a split decision that should concern Canadians, the Supreme Court of Canada Wednesday issued a ruling that allows police to intrude on the sanctity of homes without a warrant. It is, as Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin and Justice Morris Fish said in a dissenting opinion, an "incremental but ominous step toward the erosion of the right to privacy." The case involved Daniel Gomboc, a Calgary man suspected of using his home as a marijuana grow-op because police thought they could smell marijuana and there was condensation on the plastic-covered windows, steam coming from the vents and no snow on the roof. [continues 283 words]
The hard-on-crime crowd exemplified by letter writers complaining about our ridiculous justice system, watered-down sentencing and hug-a-thug media should be reminded that all manner of beatings, jailing and torture have been tried without end, and those policies have failed to deter crime. Brian Mulroney was not soft on crime. He doubled the sentences for drug crimes when he and Ronald Reagan reinvigorated the Nixonian war on drugs. We live with the monsters that injustice created. More unjust sentencing for unjust crimes will not deter anybody from drugs. That action will only create worse monsters with whom Canadians will have to deal when these people get out of jail and raise their kids to have nothing but contempt and disrespect for the law. Repealing drug prohibition laws ought to be the first order of business in ending a cycle that has destroyed hundreds of thousands of lives in Canada since the war on (some) drugs Nixon started years ago. Chris Buors Winnipeg [end]
Re: Winnipeg hemp foods company on a high (Sept. 10). As a culinary student and hemp activist, I have long expounded on the virtues of using hemp in our daily diet. For more than 3,000 years, hemp has been a staple in many cultures' diets worldwide. Finally, it seems, the 70-year prohibition on hemp is going to end in the U.S. soon. I couldn't be happier. Unfortunately, hemp flour, which I love to use in baking, isn't widely available in the U.S., and I have to special order it through companies that charge up to $8 a pound plus shipping. Nutritionally speaking, hempseed flour is the healthiest flour a person can eat. [continues 68 words]
Winnipeg city council appears to be digging in for a battle against the city's head shops, which some councillors say are dragging down neighbourhoods and contributing to crime. The city's property and development committee voted Tuesday to look at establishing a licensing process for head shops - stores that sell smoking paraphernalia like rolling papers and bongs, and often things like books and T-shirts - that will apply to both existing stores and new ones wanting to start up. "This has nothing to do with city council passing judgment on people," said Coun. Gord Steeves, the committee's chair. "The stores seem to be proliferating in areas where businesses are having a tough time of making a go of it ... They can colour a certain area in a certain way that's not necessarily beneficial." [continues 210 words]
City takes first step in regulating retailers of marijuana paraphernalia By: Bartley Kives and Melissa Martin The grass in Winnipeg may no longer appear as green to retailers of marijuana paraphernalia, as city council has taken the first step toward regulating head shops. Council's property and development committee voted unanimously Tuesday to ask city licensing experts to come up with a plan to ensure anyone who operates a head shop -- including existing retailers -- must apply for the licence and go through a public hearing process. [continues 558 words]
Venture Capital Firm Helps With Expansion Mike Fata says only the global recession has managed to slow the company down. When daytime talk show stars like Martha Stewart and Dr. Oz start endorsing the health and nutritional benefits of hemp-seed foods, chances are it's only a matter of time before middle America will start queuing up to buy the product. And that's exactly what's been happening with products like hemp-seed oil, hemp milk, hemp-seed butter, shelled hemp seed and hemp protein and fibre powder. [continues 574 words]
Oblivious Canadians Romp on the Beach As Thousands Executed in Vile Drug War What conflict has resulted in more than four times the deaths of allied casualties of Iraq and Afghanistan combined? Would it help to know it's a country where more than one million Canadians vacation every year? Would you be surprised to know it's right here in North America? It's Mexico. As we contentedly sip margaritas on the beach from behind protected resort walls, more than 28,000 Mexicans have lost their lives in a vicious drug war. [continues 604 words]
The federal government has it half right. We have a drug problem. But it's not marijuana, which has never killed anyone. It's the abuse of prescription drugs which kills hundreds of Canadians annually. Whether it's because of ongoing pain, depression or the urge to get high, more and more people are heading to their doctors - not the neighbourhood pusher - for a fix. As the International Narcotics Control Board noted in its 2009 annual report, the abuse of prescription drugs in North America is second only to the abuse of cannabis. [continues 483 words]
The federal government needs to look beyond just law enforcement as a means to combat gangs that plague Manitoba and increasingly many First Nation reserves. Ottawa has announced it will be giving police and prosecutors enhanced powers to tackle activities such as prostitution, illegal gambling, and drug trafficking. The changes will expand the list of what is considered a serious crime in the Criminal Code. Keeping a common bawdy house (for hookers), keeping a gaming or betting house and exporting, importing and producing illegal drugs will all be added to the list of serious crimes. [continues 427 words]
"Wherever we go, we try to reach out to young people. We're going coast to coast and going to the high schools, colleges and universities. That's key." But everywhere Iggy goes, he has managed to alienate everyone under the age of 30 by sticking to the outdated, scientifically-unsound status quo on marijuana legalization. This spineless fop is so afraid of being painted as "soft" on crime, that he is willing to misrepresent history and science in an effort to pander to the dumbest third of Canadian voters. We already know that Harper is a bully and an ideologue - that is what his supporters love about him. But do Canadians really want to replace Harper with this bumbling coward? Russell Barth Nepean, Ont. (Keep trying to spark the debate.) [end]
Re: "Drug pushers tarnish park" by Barb Holstrom, July 23 Spectator letters. In her letter in the July 23rd issue of the Spectator Barb Holstrom says "Just as in all cities and towns in our country whenever you have an unsupervised gathering place for our young people a drug element starts to sneak in. These people don't care what age they sell to." Sounds like our "war on drugs" is a really big success huh? I'd like to know why the drug dealers WOULD care what age they sell to? They will be punished just as harshly if they get caught selling a bag of weed to a 50-year-old for their arthritis, as to a 10-year-old, so what motivation is there for them to only serve adults? The war on medicinal plants costs taxpayers billions of dollars and achieves NONE of its stated goals. It is easier for children to acquire illegal drugs than it is to obtain cigarettes or alcohol. [continues 286 words]
From comedy to UFC, Rogan's varied interests include pot, Palin and the Great White North Joe Rogan is angry with Canada. It seems the Los Angeles-based standup comedian loves the Great White North and its famously friendly inhabitants, but is none too pleased with Canada's recent decision to extradite B.C. pot activist Marc Emery to the U.S. for selling marijuana seeds through the mail. "That's really a disgraceful thing. I'm really upset at Canada for doing that, for giving that guy up to America," Rogan said in a telephone interview this week. "No one in Canada wants to prosecute him yet they send this guy to America to lock him in a cage for selling seeds of a plant that makes you silly." [continues 609 words]
Canada's Marijuana Crusader Caught In U.S. War On Drugs VANCOUVER -- For years, his seed catalogs were scrutinized by discerning cannabis cultivators across the U.S. and Canada. There was Blue Heaven pot, capable of producing a "euphoric, anti-anxiety high," or Crown Royal, whose "flower tops come to a flat golden crown, sparkling with gems of THC." The difference between Marc Emery's pot seeds and countless others on the market was that if you bought Emery's, he'd use the money to launch a cannabis tsunami across North America that would set the war on drugs adrift like a cork on a massive sea of weed. [continues 540 words]
The newest member of the Winkler Police Service is now on the beat. Tika, a four-year-old Belgian Malinois, has been fully certified for duty with Winkler's first canine unit, led by handler Cst. Arnie Klaassen. The crime-fighting duo wrapped up six weeks of training with the Winnipeg Police Service's canine unit last month, and have been hitting the streets together for the last few weeks. Already, the pooch has uncovered several hidden stashes of drugs in vehicles pulled over by police. [continues 275 words]
The city's first-ever needle drop boxes were placed in six different location last week in an effort to stave off the number of dirty syringes strewn in parts of the Winnipeg's core. Health officials say the drop boxes are a safe way to dispose of used needles and prevent accidental contact with contaminated syringes that could potentially spread Hepatitis B, C, and HIV. Public health experts can't say whether intravenus drug use is on the rise, but that certain neighbourhoods have continued to report finding used needles in specific locations. [continues 369 words]
In response to the letter "Mosher's on drugs" (Interlake Spectator, April 30) by Sarah Truije of West St. Paul, my view is that your opinions are laughable and the entire letter is completely missing the point. Not only do you come down on Mr. Mosher for not putting forth the right facts (which you forget to mention as well), but you really miss the point of how thousands of ADULTS smoke pot everyday, enjoy it and are responsible law-abiding citizens. [continues 908 words]
As April 20 fast approaches I would like to speak to parents of teenagers from a little different perspective. I am a professional woman who not only believes in the decriminalization of marijuana for adults, with all the same responsibilities that go along with the use of an intoxicant, but also a mother of two grown boys. I do not believe in any form of negative peer pressure, be it pot or alcohol, especially when it seems to be supported by our school system. Our high schools treat April 20 as national "skip day" and really look the other way when half of their classes show up. On this day, parents cannot expect their usual call letting them know their child is not in class. After one very bad experience with one of my sons, I made a point of knowing where my boys were (on April 20) and I encourage you to do the same. Mary Lane Winnipeg Maybe the teachers go with them. [end]
Re: "Marijuana Myths Abound", opinion page, The Stonewall Argus and Teulon Times, April 9, 2010. After reading Marijuana Myths Abound, the only part of it that I found of any real merit was the closing quote: "The best stress reliever, however, is a strong community - of family, friends and acquaintances. Love remains the elixir that unburdens us. Now there's an addiction we can all live with." Excellent quote, however the rest, I feel, is highly misinformed. Marijuana IS a gateway drug but not under the same meaning as it used to be. Marijuana, especially here in Manitoba, is easily laced with heavier drugs such as cocaine and crystal meth. Both of these drugs are highly addictive and can trigger an addiction in just one use. Crystal meth itself has the capabilities to kill a user in just one dose. So it is not that the use of marijuana leads to the use of other drugs, it is that marijuana use can be used in conjunction with these heavier, more dangerous drugs. This is the underlying problem with marijuana use. [continues 363 words]
Marijuana, not to put too fine a point on it, is illegal. Its possession and use is against the law. People used to go to jail for possessing small quantities of cannabis. That's rarely the case these days, at least in Canada; the United States is a different kettle of fish where the ever-feared marijuaniacs are reviled in some conservative states. Marijuana is a relatively benign drug, though still a drug that can cause harm. That said, there are many persistent, if patently false, claims about the evils of marijuana. One that seems to have some bite, in the law enforcement community predominantly, is that marijuana is a so-called 'gateway drug'. [continues 465 words]
Recession stoking movements across U.S. to legalize and tax pot THE voters of trendsetting California may well decide this November to legalize marijuana - there's a ballot referendum, and 56 per cent of Californians are in favour - and no doubt this would be great news for the munchie in-dustry, the bootleggers of Grateful Dead music, and the millions of stoners who have long yearned for an era of reefer gladness. Seriously, this is a story about how desperate times require desperate measures. Legalization advocates, including many ex-cops and ex-prosecutors, have long contended that it's nuts to keep criminalizing otherwise law-abiding citizens while wasting $8 billion a year in law enforcement costs. [continues 876 words]
In the grand scheme of things, marijuana policy isn't likely to bring about a change of government. Despite surveys showing a majority of Canadians approve legalizing possession of small amounts of pot, the law isn't changing any time soon. But that hasn't stopped advocates from pressuring the prime minister on the subject, nor has it prohibited, pardon the pun, Stephen Harper from sounding like an early-1900s social reformer trying to ban the demon drink. Marijuana prohibition was the hottest topic among the questions submitted prior to the PM's YouTube interview last week, and he was gracious enough to give an answer. [continues 271 words]
Altona Police Chief Perry Batchelor says the age of local drug users is getting lower all the time. "When I started here back in 1997, we were only doing drug presentations at the high school level, but now we're doing them at Parkside and West Park School as well." Batchelor says the department takes a proactive approach to drug awareness and prevention at the various schools by coming in and showing students drug samples, describing the contents and their harmful effects. "For example, we'll tell them about the poisonous ingredients used in making meth," he says. Those include Drano, brake fluid, ephedrine, lighter fluid and ammonia. "And people are purposefully putting these things into their bodies. The kids are always shocked when we tell them that." [continues 159 words]
An Altona Parent Told Trustees He Was Frustrated With W. C. Miller`S Response To His Son`S Drug Use A parent told the Border Land School Division board that after he found marijuana in his son's room, he requested that staff at W.C. Miller search the youth's locker where more was found. Police were called and the youth was suspended from school for five days. The parent was assured that as part of the process, his son would receive counseling at the school, but two weeks after his son returned to school, there still hadn't been any mention of it. "I was surprised that there is no program in place in school for marijuana use. We took action. I had my son charged with possession and also let him know I contacted the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba (AFM). I'm determined my son won't become another victim." [continues 687 words]
Winnipeg police say the recent local collapse of the Hells Angels has created a toxic environment that has the city on the verge of a biker war. "Tensions are extremely high ... Violence is imminent," a veteran police officer with extensive knowledge of the organized crime scene wrote last month in newly released court documents obtained yesterday by the Winnipeg Free Press. Police explain in detail why they believe the relative calm of the past few months is about to be broken -- including evidence of gang members stockpiling weapons in preparation to take out their rival "by any means necessary." The document was used to obtain a search warrant for a home in the city's East Kildonan neighbourhood, where a loaded handgun was found hidden in a backyard last month. [continues 311 words]
Prisoners incarcerated for crimes against society think they have "rights" let alone the "right" to have needles for injecting drugs? And paid for by taxpayers? Criminals are in prison for rehabilitation, not to continue doing what got them there in the first place. They are there to reflect on where they went wrong and learn how to set themselves on a narrow but straight path and reintegration into a moral, law-abiding society. Prisoners have the "right" to shut up, do their time constructively by utilizing programs taxpayers have so graciously allocated to them. [continues 57 words]
With all the news about crime and the lack of punishment in this country, this ludicrous idea of supplying syringes to convicts is the icing on the cake. So, Mr. John Q. Scumbag gets arrested for possession of drugs, or some other crime related to his drug use, and by virtue of some unexplained miracle he receives a prison sentence. His punishment is to be provided with enough free needles to continue his illegal behaviour while in prison, at our expense? If that weren't bad enough, we now have a whole prison full of whacked out convicts for the guards to deal with on a daily basis. Not to mention the potential jail-house weaponry that these idiots could devise with an unlimited supply of syringes and down time. If there were ever a recipe for a riot, this one fits the bill. Darroll Di Stasio Winnipeg Who dreams up these dumb ideas? [end]
Call For Clean Syringes In Prison As 'Right' Is Absurd A new report on the evils of dirty needles among drug users in Canadian prisons says taxpayers should provide inmates with clean syringes because it's their human right to have access to them. The report is called Under the Skin and was penned by the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network. It offers no solutions on how to turn off the pipeline of drugs into federal penitentiaries and provides no advice on how to more effectively treat drug addicts behind prison walls. [continues 482 words]
Drug charges rose by a significant 27 per cent in the North Eastman region last year, Lac du Bonnet RCMP announced this week. Staff Sgt. Glen Reitlo said the region's drug problem is not getting worse - the increased number of charges is due to increased enforcement. The Lac du Bonnet detachment now has an officer dedicated to investigating the region's drug problem. Recent high-profile drug arrests have included a major grow-op bust last October. Police executed a search warrant under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act on the former home of the Elma Hotel. Two suspects were taken into custody and over 700 marijuana plants in various stages of growth, as well as grow equipment, was seized. [continues 148 words]
Re: 'Dubious prediction: Dancing PM,' Greg Weston, Jan. 3. You forgot the crime agenda, Greg. The Tories will get their crime bills passed and that will cause a huge surge in jail building. A U.S-style, for-profit prison system is what the Harperites wanted, and that is what they will get. We will need 12 to 15 brand new billion-dollar jails to house all of the pot growers the government promises to jail. Then we will need to spend about $2 billion every single year to keep those jails full and maintained. Serves us right for electing Harper in the first place. We deserve every bad thing that happens to us. But on the bright side, CanJail Inc. will create many jobs for guards and staff, and since a large number of men under 30 will be in jail, they won't be categorized as "jobless". That will cause the "unemployment" numbers to drop even more. ( Maybe he'll bring back capital punishment next. ) [end]
I realize Christmas season is upon us, but let's keep things in perspective. Frank Ostrowski may or may not be a murderer, but everyone agrees he was an active drug dealer. His conviction kept him from selling drugs to addicts and young people for 23 years. Who knows how many would have died from his services during that time period? If we wish to give thanks, give thanks to the justice system, flawed as it may be from time to time, for keeping him incarcerated for that time. Winnipeg [end]
Re: Dope activist spared jail time (Dec. 22). First, the headline does no good for anyone. I expect headlines like that from the other paper. Please try to understand, for people suffering debilitating diseases, it is not dope, it is medicine. Like Grant Krieger, I have multiple sclerosis. My type is called primary progressive and there is no treatment or drugs available to halt it or alleviate the pain. The only relief I get is from the cannabis I buy from a compassionate club. My doctor will not sign the forms to buy marijuana from the federal government. I am told it is crap anyway, so my feeling is good riddance to it and the federal program. I have never had the feeling that anyone in Ottawa really cared about my situation anyway. [continues 157 words]
Portage-Lisgar Member of Parliament Candice Hoeppner slammed the Liberal-dominated Senate for making amendments to a Conservative anti-crime bill. Hoeppner said the amendments, made by the Senate's Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee, have weakened the bill and undermined the intent of it. "Our focus and our goal was to crack down on drug traffickers," Hoeppner said of Bill C-15 just prior to her annual Tea with the MP event in Portage la Prairie Dec. 18. Under the legislation, persons found guilty of trafficking who also had previous drug convictions would have received a minimum one-year prison term. [continues 458 words]
Canada's criminalization of marijuana, ramped up under the Tory government of Stephen Harper, continues to be undermined in the very places that backstop the Criminal Code -- the courts. This week, a judge found a man who openly sold pot to people in need of pain relief was guilty of a victimless crime. With no one hurting, no one at risk for Grant Krieger's crime, Queen's Bench Justice Shawn Greenberg slapped him instead with probation. In fact, the judge reflected, it seemed that Mr. Krieger was doing his clients a favour. All who came to the pot advocate, himself suffering with multiple sclerosis, found a ready source of quality weed, and would get it free if unable to afford the natural source of pain relief. [continues 193 words]
A medicinal pot activist convicted of drug trafficking acted "purely out of compassion" and not for his own financial gain, a judge said yesterday. Grant Krieger "felt that, but for him, his clients would be forced to suffer without relief or to resort to obtaining the product on the street," said Justice Shaun Greenberg. Krieger, a 55-year-old Calgary man, was convicted in Winnipeg last year of drug trafficking in connection with a 2004 incident in which RCMP pulled him over in Headingley and seized about one pound of marijuana and $3,925 cash from his vehicle. [continues 184 words]
No Real Victims, Judge Tells Court A Manitoba judge has cut a break to a medical marijuana crusader found guilty of trafficking pot to numerous clients across Canada. Grant Krieger received a suspended sentence with nine months of probation Monday -- a far cry from the jail sentence he feared he might receive and predicted would kill him. "Mr. Krieger is not like most of the drug offenders we sentence in this court," Queen's Bench Justice Shawn Greenberg said. "While Mr. Krieger's actions were illegal, many, perhaps most, would say they are not immoral. Indeed he has no real victims." [continues 470 words]
Re: 'What's their plan?' Tom Brodbeck, Dec. 13. Why are tax dollars being used to fund a group committed to the legalization of hard core drugs? The John Howard Society is a collection of misfits who have been running interference on law and order by advocating for criminals and their lawyers. If they want to take that position in public that's their right and they are free to do so, but we are not obligated to pay for it. Use your head for a change and cut their funding Harper, or do you secretly agree with them? Barry Banek Winnipeg Misfits? We don't agree. [end]
Inside Manitoba
