Manitoba's Justice Minister is calling for federal legislation to confirm that provinces can ban the home growth of marijuana plants. "I think that is clear that is provincial jurisdiction to make that decision. (But) I believe the federal (Justice) Minister made some comments that were a little concerning, so we wanted clarification on that," said Justice Minister Heather Stefanson, following a speech to Manitoba Chambers of Commerce members on cannabis legislation Thursday. "We've called (for) some clarification from the federal government. If they could put it specifically in legislation, that would be best." [continues 341 words]
Cannabis sales likely won't prove a financial bonanza. Those counting on help from cannabis sales to balance the provincial budget are in for a disappointment. As far as Statistics Canada can tell, cannabis prices in this country have been dropping for the past three years, perhaps the past dozen years. Since weed-market watchers in the United States have found roughly the same thing, it's probably true. Canada's provincial treasurers, along with private investors in the cannabis trade, may still be able to turn a profit, but the bonanza that used to beckon has probably evaporated already. [continues 618 words]
The drugs have started eating away at our Punjabi youth. This disease has spread throughout North America. The desire to earn quick money without any hard work has pushed many Punjabi youth into drug trafficking. Last year a Punjabi husband and wife were caught by the RCMP with cocaine worth $8.4 million. It was a large consignment of drugs being taken from the United States to Calgary. The couple, identified as Gurminder Singh Toor, 31, and Kirandeep Kaur Toor, 26, were arrested in connection with the cocaine. [continues 506 words]
It would be interesting to know if the delay in implementing the new marijuana legalization legislation will mean police will continue to waste time and resources dragging people through the courts for "pot" related offences, right up until 11:59 p.m. on the eve of the day it becomes legal. Scott Campbell Grow-ops will still be illegal even after pot isn't. [end]
Ontario Senator Tony Dean, sponsor of the Trudeau Liberals' pot bill in the Upper Chamber, is upset that Canadians will not be able to legally light up their spliffs until long after Canada Day. He says time is of the essence, and that the government does not have the luxury of biding it. Why is this? Why, after more than 100 years of marijuana being illegal, does the good senator think pushing back the smoke date by a few weeks is the wrong thing to do? [continues 296 words]
A NORTHERN Manitoba First Nation is building a permanent checkstop on the only highway into the community to combat the illegal drug and liquor trade. "It's like a border crossing and you'll have no choice but to go through it. And if you don't want to be searched, you're not going to go in," Norway House Chief Ron Evans said. The small building next to Highway 373 looks a bit like a transport safety weigh station. As of this month, the Norway House Cree Nation Safety and Security Checkpoint will be open 24/7. Its official opening is scheduled for Feb. 24. [continues 1309 words]
Pallister government not budgeting for pot tax revenue this year If the Pallister government projects a reduced deficit in the 2018 provincial budget, it won't be because of a new pot tax. The Winnipeg Sun has learned that next month's budget will not include a revenue line from marijuana sales, even though legalized pot is expected to go on sale sometime later this year. Finance Minister Cameron Friesen confirmed government is not budgeting for any marijuana revenues in 2018-19 and is still examining the potential costs associated with legalized weed, including additional health care, road safety and justice costs. [continues 558 words]
A group of First Nations looks set to win big in the Manitoba cannabis market, thanks to partnerships with several cannabis companies chosen to run the province's private marijuana retail system. On Friday, Manitoba announced that it had "conditionally accepted" proposals from four groups - chosen from a pool of more than 100 applicants - to run dispensaries in the province. Canopy Growth Corp. in partnership with Winnipeg-based Delta 9 Cannabis Inc., took home one conditional letter; another went to upscale retail brand Tokyo Smoke, a subsidiary of Hiku Brands Ltd. [continues 746 words]
A few groups feel they were overlooked in the competition to sell legal pot in Manitoba, including some small business owners. Rick Macl, owner of the Brandon shop Growers 'n Smokers, said he partnered with another business to submit a proposal. But he also said his eventual rejection letter was expected early on in that process, due to conditions set by the province. "I knew I had no chance having (less than) three stores going in alone. I was forced to join other companies," said Macl. "I was in desperation mode." [continues 360 words]
Bowman wants help getting promised provincial funding for infrastructure OTTAWA - Mayor Brian Bowman says he wants Ottawa to push the Pallister government to cough up more funding for infrastructure projects in the city, and to also give the city a handsome portion of tax collected from legalized marijuana. "The challenge many of the big city mayors are having is ensuring that those funds are flowing through the provinces, and getting to municipalities to support municipal priorities," Bowman said Thursday, on the sidelines of the Big City Mayors' Caucus in Ottawa. [continues 676 words]
Police seize 5.8 kg in January - half of what was seized in 2017 MAKE no mistake: Winnipeg has a meth problem. That's the message city police drove home Thursday at a lengthy news conference, painting a dark picture of a city in the grips of a methamphetamine epidemic and the strain placed on front-line services that are trying to contain the street drug. "The emergence of methamphetamine that we're experiencing in our community is getting to the level where it's starting to keep me awake at night," Winnipeg Police Service Chief Danny Smyth said. [continues 944 words]
Excluding convicted drug dealers from exoneration unfair, cannabis advocate says PRIME Minister Justin Trudeau must have expected questions about cannabis legalization at his town hall event in Winnipeg on Wednesday night, but he might not have anticipated this one. In light of the Liberal government's plans to offer some kind of amnesty to Canadians with cannabis possession convictions, Manitoba cannabis advocate Steven Stairs asked: "Would your government be considering pardons for people who are being convicted of trafficking cannabis? "Small-time drug dealers, pot sales, guy on the corner, whatever you want to call them, but those people are just as peaceful, mostly, as the other people that have been charged, and I don't find it fair that you would exclude them from the pardon system," he said. [continues 724 words]
City forms committee to prepare for legal weed The City of Winnipeg has formed a new committee to guide its pot plans. The Cannabis Co-ordination Committee will guide local preparations as the feds prepare to legalize recreational marijuana sales, effective July 1. "The legalization of cannabis represents one of the most significant legal, social and economic policy changes our country has seen since prohibition and ... our municipal government needs to do everything we can to be as ready as possible for its legalization later this year," said Mayor Brian Bowman. [continues 254 words]
CITY council voted overwhelmingly Thursday in favour of a ban on smoking tobacco and marijuana around restaurant patios. Two councillors - Ross Eadie (Mynarski) and Jason Schreyer (Elmwood-East Kildonan) - voted against the bylaw. Eadie said a ban would further stigmatize smokers. Smoking in any form - cigarettes, cigars, pipes, e-cigarettes, water pipes, hookahs or other devices - won't be permitted on outdoor patios where food and drink are served. Council made an exception for smoking within Indigenous-led ceremonies. The bylaw will come into effect on April 1, though the amount of the fine is not yet clear. [continues 236 words]
GOOD Samaritan law aimed at saving lives during Canada's opioid crisis isn't getting enough public attention, proponents say. Members of all major political parties supported legislation that gives immunity from criminal charges to people who call for help during a drug overdose, but whether the law has encouraged people to call 911 remains unclear. Conservative and NDP health critics say the federal government hasn't done enough to advertise the Good Samaritans Drug Overdose Act since it came into effect in May 2017. [continues 604 words]
POLICE raided two locations of the Winnipeg Compassion Club last week, saying the storefronts were operating as "illegal marijuana dispensaries." Officers seized approximately $25,000 worth of marijuana, $20,000 of marijuana in alternate forms and $6,000 in cash from both locations, which were "openly selling marijuana," the Winnipeg Police Service said in a news release on Wednesday. Three men were arrested and charged with several drug-possession and trafficking offences, as well as possession of the proceeds of crime. The men, ages 45, 28 and 27, have been released pending court appearances. [continues 362 words]
Winnipeg police raided two illegal marijuana dispensaries last week, just a few months before the plant becomes legal across the country. Police said two locations of the Winnipeg Compassion Club, one on Mcphillips Street and the other on Pembina Highway, were raided on Jan. 8 after a months-long investigation by the service's Marihuana Grow Operation Unit that found the dispensary to be openly selling pot at both outlets. The MGOU, and members of three different community support units carried out the raid, which turned up $25,000 worth of marijuana and $20,000 worth of marijuana in "alternate" forms, police said. Police also seized $6,000 in cash. Three men, ages 45, 28 and 27, have been arrested and charged with several crimes under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act along with possession of the proceeds of crime. All three were released and face future court dates. [end]
Re: NDP lobbying for safe injection site. What is it with all progressives pushing so called "safe injection sites" which is an oxymoron, as such places are anything but safe. Addicts may be getting clean needles, but they are still injecting street drugs of unknown quality. These drugs addicts commit serious crimes, placing the public at risk. Surely rather than facilitating drug addicts to feed their addiction, weaning them off their addiction, through rehabilitation, is a much better option. Addicts put huge strains on our ailing health-care services and most end up having a shortened life span caused by drug damage to their vital organs. Safe injection sites do not eradicate those problems! Larry Comeau (The theory is they might save a person's life be preventing overdose deaths and by mitigating other risks.) [end]
DP Leader Wab Kinew demanded Friday that provincial Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen create safe consumption sites for injection drug users in Winnipeg and other communities in Manitoba. "There are people in our city who are dying," Kinew told reporters. But Goertzen said in an emailed statement late Friday that he's not considering establishing sites. Kinew said deaths and overdoses from opioids and methamphetamine have reached crisis proportions in Winnipeg. "It's time for there to be a safe consumption site in Winnipeg," he said. "We know safe consumption sites save lives." [continues 384 words]
NDP lobbying for safe injection sites Manitoba's official opposition is lobbying for safe injection sites, in Winnipeg and beyond. NDP leader Wab Kinew said the Progressive Conservative government should spend some of the $10.9 million federal dollars it's received to address mental health and addictions to develop such sites, which he believes are needed in Winnipeg and other Manitoba communities. Kinew said the effort is critical to combat a surge in crystal meth and fentanyl abuse. "We know that safe (injection) sites save lives and we know that (addiction) is reaching crisis proportions. So we need to see action," said Kinew. [continues 303 words]
Manitobans want municipalities to get half of pot revenue: survey Most Manitobans believe municipalities should get at least half of the revenues raised through recreational pot taxes, a new survey says. A Probe Research poll commissioned by the Association of Manitoba Municipalities found 59% of respondents believe municipal governments should get between one half and all of the tax revenue from marijuana sales. Another 24% felt they should get less than half of the revenue and 16% weren't sure. The total doesn't add up to 100%, due to rounding. [continues 515 words]
A new poll suggests many Manitobans are ready for marijuana retailers to set up shop in their communities. Probe Research Inc. polled 1,000 adults in the province between Nov. 23 and Dec. 14 and 58% of Manitobans said they'd be comfortable with a marijuana store opening up in their neighbourhood, as opposed to the 40% who opposed it and the 3% who were unsure. "That 58% is healthy, we seem to be OK with this," said Mary Agnes Welch, senior researcher at Probe. "But there is a flip side to this, there are differences in Winnipegger's than rural residents. Winnipegger's are somewhat more comfortable with it than rural residents, non-Winnipeggers. And as you'd expect, older people are a bit less comfortable than younger people, but even a slim majority of older folks are cool with it. It seems to be reasonably universal comfort with this." [continues 116 words]
Grieving father warns kids about dangers of drugs after son's death SMOKE from a smudging stick and the warm breath of friends and family of Jeremy Hobson filled the front yard of the house where the 21-year-old accidentally overdosed and died on the weekend, during a ceremony held Thursday. Jeremy died after taking a pill, which he thought was OxyContin, at a gettogether with friends and cousins on Saturday night, according to his father Larry Hobson. Hobson said he thinks the pill that killed his son was laced with fentanyl. [continues 792 words]
WINKLER'S mayor vows that until the smoke clears on pot legalization, his community won't vote to allow retailers to sell recreational pot. Mayor Martin Harder says his council recently decided to ignore the province's Dec. 22 deadline to vote on the issue. "Our biggest issue is the rules keep changing," Harder said on Monday. "They said you have to vote by Dec. 22 and then the next one says you can have four years to have a plebiscite. We don't want to do that. [continues 443 words]
WINKLER - The City of Winkler will not honour the province's Dec. 22 deadline to indicate whether or not they'd be willing to have marijuana sold in the community. Mayor Martin Harder was the first municipal leader in Manitoba to make that statement and he said they don't feel they have enough facts to make a decision either way. "We haven't got any information," he said. "It's a moving target, and every time we get some information it's different than what we knew before." [continues 478 words]
WHEN politicians talk about the arrival of legal cannabis, they make it sound like it's going to be more trouble than it's worth. Oh, the worry. According to the narrative coming out of the federal and provincial capitals, legalizing pot is going to involve enormous costs with very little return, in terms of tax revenue. There are expected to be increased costs for provinces and municipalities in the areas of law enforcement, public education, health care and addictions treatment at a time when governments of all levels are having trouble generating the revenues needed to sustain core services. [continues 908 words]
So, pot czar Justin Trudeau, realizing his actual street dealers were on the verge of a revolt, turned to his Mr. Big, Bill Morneau, and told him to divvy up a more saleable split of the profits from upcoming pot deals. When profits are projected to be in the billions, honour among thieves, and we say "thieves" with all due respect, begins to lose its lustre. After all, it will be the street dealers who will be taking on the majority of the risk, meaning all those premiers hypnotized by dollar signs who will have to set up their own turf, build their own drug outlets, collect the juice from the sales, and deal with law enforcement should the criminal element invade their space. [continues 501 words]
Consumer advocacy group concerned marijuana treated differently than booze A consumer choice advocacy group has condemned the Manitoba government's plan to ban homegrown marijuana when it becomes legal in the country next year. David Clement, the North American affairs manager for the Consumer Choice Centre, an independent entity that aims to promote more choice and freedom for consumers, says the decision to ban the growing of pot in homes is "silly" questions why the ability Clement said the reason the CCC has spoken out is two-fold. [continues 366 words]
Re: Manitoba's legal age for cannabis to be set at 19: source (Dec. 5) With legislation now tabled, it has now become obvious that the federal Liberals and provincial Progressive Conservatives still believe the lies their governments told about cannabis for the last 100 years. It is ridiculous to ask 18-year-olds to risk their lives for their country in military service but not permit them to smoke cannabis legally. The idea that government should protect children from anything is just as ridiculous. Parents are the proper authorities to protect their children from all of life's never-ending dangers. Crony capitalism seems to be the driving force in "legalization." Legalization policies will make enforcement even more expensive than Prohibition was. Chris Buors Selkirk [end]
Province's age restriction, home-growing ban lack common sense GOVERNMENTS in Canada have been playing politics with marijuana for some time now. The promise to legalize cannabis helped Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his federal Liberals achieve a majority government in 2015, and now provincial governments across the country are coming to grips with legalization according to their own political principles. Some provincial governments (Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick) are creating Crown corporations to be the legal marijuana dealers. Others (Manitoba, Alberta, Newfoundland) are letting the private sector run the stores. British Columbia just announced a retail solution that will include both the public and private sectors. [continues 893 words]
MORE than 21 per cent of adult Manitobans used cannabis in the past year and another 21.1 per cent may try it after legalization, new data from the Liquor and Gaming Authority of Manitoba suggests. The figures come from an anonymous phone survey of 1,201 adults in September. The alcohol and gambling regulator, whose mandate will include marijuana, says its sample is "quasi-representative" of the province's adult population. The survey found 55.2 per cent of Manitobans have used cannabis, with 16 being the most common age of initiation. [continues 282 words]
A SLIGHT majority of Manitobans disagree with Premier Brian Pallister's calls to delay federal legalization of cannabis in Canada, according to a new online poll from the Angus Reid Institute. Fifty-eight per cent of Manitoba respondents say, "The timeline should not be changed." Nationwide, 53 per cent of all respondents agree. The Angus Reid Institute's online poll used a sample of 1,510 Canadians who were randomly selected members of the pollster's proprietary Angus Reid Forum, which the website describes as a representative panel of "almost 130,000 Canadian households." The poll, conducted Nov. 14 to 20, includes a sample of 101 Manitobans. [continues 450 words]
Province sets 19 as minimum age to buy pot You'll have to be 19 to buy recreational marijuana in Manitoba and only eligible medicinal users will be able to grow weed at home. If provincial legislation introduced Tuesday passes as is, the minimum purchase and possession age for recreational cannabis will be one year older than both the federally required minimum and Manitoba's legal drinking age. The feds are set to legalize recreational pot on July 1, 2018. The province says setting a higher-than-required minimum consumption age will help keep marijuana out of schools and out of the hands of kids. [continues 825 words]
MANITOBANS will be prohibited from growing marijuana for recreational purposes at home after cannabis is legalized in 2018, should the provincial government's new Safe and Responsible Retailing of Cannabis Act become law. The bill was introduced by Justice Minister Heather Stefanson in the provincial legislative assembly Tuesday. Although the federal Cannabis Act will allow Canadian adults to grow up to four cannabis plants at their home, Stefanson said her government was banning the practice, primarily for two reasons. "This approach is consistent with our commitment to protect youth, and also responds directly to concerns that homegrown cannabis may be diverted to the black market," she told reporters Tuesday. [continues 702 words]
AS first reported in the Free Press, the Safe and Responsible Retailing of Cannabis Act will set the minimum age to buy and possess cannabis in Manitoba at 19, one year higher than the legal age requirement for purchasing alcohol. Tuesday's announcement means Manitoba is set to be the only province where the legal ages to use alcohol and cannabis don't match. Zach Walsh, a native Winnipegger who studies cannabis as a psychology professor at the University of British Columbia, said the age differential in Manitoba "seems a little incongruous." [continues 302 words]
Re: Marijuana in workplace focus of chamber panel (Nov. 29) There is a high incidence of marijuana use among fatally injured B.C. forestry workers (20 to 30 per cent), and Manitoba employers would be well advised to educate their workers on the harms posed by marijuana use. Canadians need look no further than to the country's health watchdog, Health Canada, for credible information and evidence-based advice on this matter. Health Canada's consumer information web page states unequivocally that using marijuana can impair concentration and reaction time. It is well established by scientific research that the less-than-regular user of marijuana products should not operate a motor vehicle for at least eight hours after consuming 18 mg or more of marijuana. [continues 72 words]
MANITOBANS will have to be at least 19 years of age to legally purchase and possess cannabis in the province after it is legalized, the Free Press has learned. The minimum age will be part of a new bill to be introduced today at the Manitoba Legislative Building, according to a government source familiar with the matter. According to the legislature's Monday notice paper, Justice Minister Heather Stefanson is scheduled to introduce the Safe and Responsible Retailing of Cannabis Act. [continues 322 words]
LEGALIZE and tax marijuana and the budget will balance itself - or so marijuana advocates, from stoners to recreational users to the prime minister, have tried to convince us of this for years. But they're all wrong. It makes some sense that a product so commonly used should be regulated rather than criminalized, sending its newly-enabled taxation revenues to the public coffers. Unfortunately, recent federal announcements and the examples of two U.S. states tell us that a fiscal boon from legal pot is nothing more than reefer madness. [continues 543 words]
Tracy Sanderson understood opioid addiction. Her daughter Kelsie began struggling with opioid addiction after she had a traumatic experience being tasered by RCMP officers. After drinking with some friends, Kelsie, who was 16 at the time, stole her parents' truck. When Sanderson received a call from RCMP officers, she said, "Keep my daughter overnight. She needs to learn a lesson." She did not expect to pick up a different girl the next day. "Something inside my daughter died that night," she said. That's when Kelsie's descent into fentanyl addiction began. [continues 986 words]
When the police came to Lois Fridfinnson's door and told her that her son, Michael Johnson, died from a methadone overdose, she fell to the floor. She thought that would be the worst day of her life. Her 23-year-old son struggled with opioid addiction. Michael had been waiting nearly three months to get into treatment. He had been given a two-day supply of methadone and was supposed to enter treatment on May 3, 2010. He died on May 1. [continues 1090 words]
As a power-lifter who could bench 340 pounds, a talented guitar player, and a driven young man with a strong work ethic who bought his own house at the age of 18, Jessie Kolb defied the stereotype of a fentanyl addict. If there's one thing his parents, Arlene Last-Kolb and John Kolb, have learned about opioid addiction is that it can happen to anyone and all the preconceived notions some people have about opioid addiction just perpetuate the stigma. [continues 1082 words]
IF you want to know how quickly this country is turning over a new leaf, consider the curious case of Julian Fantino. The tough-on-crime former Toronto police chief was eager to help lead the war against drugs - including cannabis - during his time as a cabinet minister in Stephen Harper's government. In fact, the record from the 2015 federal campaign is filled with public stands Fantino took about the danger of legalizing marijuana. And today? Well, the former politician has had his own epiphany on the pot-marked road to the legalization of marijuana. [continues 517 words]
When Dalton Fredericks took Jesse, his 18-year-old son, to the hospital because his son seemed dangerously high, he learned about the stigma associated with opioid addiction. "I took him to the hospital and I said, 'I want you to keep him here.' I went home and after three hours, I got a call from the hospital that they were releasing him," he said. The nurse told Fredericks that his son had been doing drugs, but there was not much they could do for him. He had the RCMP take Jesse into custody because he feared for his safety. [continues 1074 words]
Adam Watson didn't want to break his parents' hearts, and he did not want to die, but after battling opioid addiction for six years, he became the victim of a system woefully ill-equipped to help him. Adam tried a methadone program, he attempted to detox at the Main Street Project, he saw family physicians, he ended up in emergency four times in the throes of withdrawal, and he met with a counsellor at the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba (AFM). None of the treatment options or resources gave Adam the support he needed. [continues 544 words]
There seems to be a general euphoria with the upcoming legalization of marijuana while, at the same time, there is silence from the majority who oppose legalization. Perhaps one should look at why marijuana was made illegal in the first place. For many, it was a case of "We have enough problems with alcohol. If marijuana is legalized, we'll have twice as many drug problems." Others didn't want to live in a nation of zombies, where people are walking around stoned all day. [continues 69 words]
A GENERATION of Canadians who grew up with the "Just Say No" anti-drug messaging of the 1980s will find themselves in uncharted waters next summer. As of July 1, 2018, marijuana will be legal, which will radically change a lot of things - including, significantly, how we talk to our kids about it. Realistically, it's a conversation we should already be having. According to a 2013 UNICEF Office of Research report, Canadian youth are among the top users of marijuana in the developed world. [continues 503 words]
That fury you hear? The betrayal medical cannabis patients and activists feel after the federal government went back on yet another promise surrounding legal marijuana. Last Friday, the Department of Finance announced a federal tax proposal that could see an excise charge of $1/gram or 10% (whichever is higher) on both recreational and medical cannabis. According to Ottawa, the revenues will be shared equally between the feds, provinces and territories. So what are they smoking? The shady government is apparently 'concerned' users will lie to their doctors, pretend to be sick and navigate the complex workings of the medical cannabis system in order to save the extra 10% tax that would be reserved for recreational pot. [continues 480 words]
Questions raised about decision to allow municipal authority over sales PREMIER Brian Pallister's government went stone cold silent on legal retail cannabis Thursday while federal officials considered their reaction to Manitoba's plan of allowing municipal councils to have the final say on local sales. The federal government will brief reporters in Ottawa today on its plans to legalize and regulate recreational cannabis. But the Pallister government did not make the premier or any cabinet ministers available to the media Thursday and a communications staffer intervened when a reporter tried to ask Justice Minister Heather Stefanson about any possible reaction from Ottawa. [continues 650 words]
PREMIER Brian Pallister has always been coy about whether he has ever enjoyed the pleasures of cannabis. "I prefer beer," has become his standard retort when asked if he's ever taken a toke. Regardless of whether the premier smoked, inhaled or appreciated the mystic qualities of marijuana, you can bet he will learn to love the tax revenue that will flow from a legalized marketplace. Manitoba's plan for the legalized wholesale and retail sales of cannabis is pretty thin. Pallister has only confirmed a plan to have Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries act as a wholesale distributor, with retail sales going to the private sector. [continues 1006 words]
MGEU off-base when it comes to private pot stores Manitoba's largest union is accusing the Pallister government of compromising the safety of Manitobans and foregoing millions in profits by allowing private retailers to sell marijuana once it becomes legal next year. But as usual, the union provides some of the dumbest arguments possible to try to support its case. The province announced Tuesday that legal weed would be regulated by the Liquor and Gaming Authority but would be sold through private retail outlets. It would be much like how beer, wine and other liquor products are sold through vendors, private wine stores and private liquor outlets in rural Manitoba. The outlets are private but the products must be purchased through Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corp. [continues 539 words]
Inside Manitoba
