Home growing expected to be addressed in House of Assembly this spring Federal legislation, provincial legislation, contracts and regulation - - there's plenty still in the works when it comes to having legal, recreational marijuana in Newfoundland and Labrador. In the coming weeks, more will be said on growing your own cannabis and on Canopy Growth's in-province production facility. More is also expected to be brought to the House of Assembly on marijuana in the workplace, and occupational, health and safety implications of legalization. [continues 596 words]
Lawyer Denis Mahoney outlines a plan for employers surrounding the legalization of cannabis in Canada How are employers going to deal with the use of cannabis in the workplace once it becomes legal later this year? According to lawyer Denis Mahoney, a partner with Mcinnes Cooper in St. John's, speaking to delegates at the 50th anniversary conference of the Newfoundland and Labrador Construction Association (NLCA) on Friday, there are many questions that need to be answered first. "We are really concerned about this at the employers' council because as I can tell you in our business today, the No. 1 issue we are working with clients on today, above all else, is this particular topic," Mahoney said. [continues 796 words]
Unsettling incidents involving young people who insist on driving while drunk have grabbed the spotlight in recent days and months across Atlantic Canada. It doesn't augur well for potential law enforcement issues later this year. In Halifax, a 23-year-old New Brunswick man is facing charges after a pedestrian was struck and killed in the downtown last weekend. A 63-year-old well-known and much-liked street person was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver is charged with impaired driving causing death. [continues 427 words]
I've been publicly advocating legalization of marijuana as long as I have been an op-ed writer, approximately 16 years. Since that battle is won, I will not rehash all the reasons. Now that it is upon us, just a few months from implementation, the time has come to move on to practical considerations. Let's start off with what I am not. I am not a pot user. I am not an advocate of people using marijuana. I am not in favour of minors having access to it, legally or not. In terms of helping people not to start, or to use it responsibly, or, more importantly, get off it if they are one of the people who cannot use it responsibly, it has always been my contention regulation should not fall under the purview of the criminal justice system. [continues 479 words]
Larger towns like Bay Roberts, Carbonear expect to field requests to sell pot product Municipal leaders in Conception Bay North's two largest towns expect to field requests from entrepreneurs looking to earn a dollar off the impending legalization of marijuana. The topic of legalizing marijuana came up at Bay Roberts and Carbonear council meetings held last Tuesday. Bay Roberts Mayor Philip Wood and Chris O'Grady, Carbonear's acting mayor, both attended a meeting of Newfoundland and Labrador urban municipalities committee a few days prior to their respective council meetings. [continues 385 words]
It's just another example of how complicated things are going to be as provinces roll out their marijuana rules. Several provinces - Newfoundland and Labrador among them - have decided that marijuana smoking has to be done on private property. Ontario's rules are so tight that weed smoking has to take place in private residences. But what happens if your private residence is an apartment? Here's part of a Canadian Press story out of Toronto: "(The province is) not going to allow marijuana to be smoked in public areas, so where the heck are people going to smoke marijuana? Well they're going to do it in their apartments," said John Dickie of the Canadian Federation of Apartment Associations. "The problem is, just like when they smoke tobacco, the smell goes to neighbouring apartments. Buildings are not hermetically sealed." [continues 347 words]
National Non-Smoking Week 2018 National Non-Smoking Week (NNSW) has been observed during the third week in January for more than 35 years. From Jan. 21 to 27, one of the most important events in Canada's ongoing health education efforts in the prevention and reduction of tobacco use will be promoted, with Weedless Wednesday on Jan. 23. Weedless Wednesday focuses on the benefits of cessation and promotes a "one day at a time" approach to quitting smoking - a concept appealing to many smokers who may be discouraged when contemplating a week or perhaps a lifetime without cigarettes. Coping with one smoke-free day is manageable, and can contribute to small successes that lead to the decision of quitting long-term. [continues 412 words]
With the impending legalization of marijuana for personal use this July, Corporate Research Associates' (CRA) research suggests the majority of Atlantic Canadians are not likely to take advantage of this new opportunity, at least not initially. It has been interesting to track the change in opinion over time regarding the legalization of marijuana for personal use. While there has been widespread support among Atlantic-Canadians for the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes for more than five years, it has only been recently that a majority of those living in Atlantic Canada support the legalization of marijuana for personal use. [continues 465 words]
Predictions and Top 10 lists are popular topics this time of year, but never mind the other nine - let's talk dope and hypocrisy. After half a century of pointless law enforcement and the demonstrably insane "war on drugs," which Canada mindlessly followed the U.S.A. into, 2018 will prove to be a historic year - come July, if the federal Liberals follow through on their promise to legalize marijuana, the hippies and stoners will be proven right, and the politicians, police chiefs and conservative pundits will be proven wrong. [continues 574 words]
There's a dirty little secret about legalized marijuana, one that could become an issue in neighbourhoods across the country. Well, maybe it would be better to describe it as a stinky little secret, but one that's likely to become very familiar - and maybe too familiar. Weed, both smoked and unsmoked, is more pungent than it once was. It's gone through decades of horticultural experimentation to strengthen its kick. And there's likely to be a lot more of that pungent to go around once smoking a joint isn't a criminal offence anymore. [continues 554 words]
During his election campaign, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to legalize marijuana if we chose him as our leader. That day is near, and marijuana might be legalized on Canada Day 2018. Such a decision should not be taken lightly. Our country is not ready for this change. To clarify, I don't want to come across as cynical. I know that medical marijuana has its place in treating patients with chronic or terminal illness. I also don't agree with throwing people in jail for carrying small amounts for personal use. I see this as a waste of time, money and resources. At the same time, however, I don't think that the legalization of marijuana is what our country needs. And I certainly don't think it will make our country healthier, happier or safer. The decision to legalize marijuana has implications for health, society and our youth. [continues 547 words]
A Corporate Research Associates (CRA) survey last week probably sent chills down the spines of finance ministers and premiers in Atlantic Canada. After they left Ottawa earlier in the week with a lucrative tax-sharing deal on the sale of legalized marijuana, their visions of windfall revenues were quickly dashed with a reality check. The CRA survey suggests that 20 per cent of Atlantic Canadians plan to buy pot once it becomes legal July 1. It's about the same percentage that uses pot today - illegally. [continues 408 words]
During his election campaign, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to legalize marijuana if we chose him as our leader. That day is near, and marijuana might be legalized on Canada Day 2018. Such a decision should not be taken lightly. Our country is not ready for this change. To clarify, I don't want to come across as cynical. I know that medical marijuana has its place in treating patients with chronic or terminal illness. I also don't agree with throwing people in jail for carrying small amounts for personal use. I see this as a waste of time, money and resources. At the same time, however, I don't think that the legalization of marijuana is what our country needs. And I certainly don't think it will make our country healthier, happier or safer. The decision to legalize marijuana has implications for health, society and our youth. [continues 467 words]
McDonald believes production facility should be located in rural area St. Anthony Mayor Desmond McDonald believes the province's marijuana production facility should be located in a rural area. He also sees opportunities for business with the province's plan to legalize marijuana. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador announced on Dec. 8 that it has signed a deal to lock in a supply of cannabis and cannabis products from Canadian company Canopy Growth, ahead of the legalization of marijuana for recreational use in July 2018. [continues 311 words]
An argument against the legalization of marijuana We should not let underground drug lords pressure us into legalizing something that could be quite harmful for our health. During his election campaign, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to legalize marijuana if we chose him as our leader. That day is near, and marijuana might be legalized on Canada Day 2018. Such a decision should not be taken lightly. Our country is not ready for this change. To clarify, I don't want to come across as cynical. I know that medical marijuana has its place in treating patients with chronic or terminal illness. I also don't agree with throwing people in jail for carrying small amounts for personal use. I see this as a waste of time, money and resources. At the same time, however, I don't think that the legalization of marijuana is what our country needs. And I certainly don't think it will make our country healthier, happier or safer. The decision to legalize marijuana has implications for health, society and our youth [continues 545 words]
Liberals say still in the process of securing supply for legalization The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is busy making sure people have access to cannabis for personal use if they want it, once it becomes legalized in July 2018. As announced, the Liberals will have the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation (NLC) providing all of the cannabis needed here, as obtained from Health Canada-certified suppliers and sold through the NLC and NLC-certified retailers. Questions coming now from the province's Progressive Conservatives are: who will be our initial suppliers, for how much and for how long? [continues 205 words]
Independent sellers licensed; discouraging stocking with alcohol The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has revealed some - not all - of the details on its plans for legalized marijuana, with the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corp. (NLC) playing a lead role. The powers are being brought in as amendments to the Liquor Corporation Act and Liquor Control Act, with legislation coming in spring 2018. Right now, there are a few clear policy stances: Legal age will be 19 and it will be illegal for youth to be in possession of any amount (a provincial, not federal, offence) [continues 237 words]
Think about it not as marijuana, but as smoke - and then think about just how complicated the federal, provincial and municipal regulation of the drug will be. Consider this admittedly ludicrous example: say you were in Vancouver, you were having company in and wanted to show off to your guests by burning a big batt of weed in your old-style fireplace. Once the stuff is legal, you can do what you like, right? Well, maybe not - and not because it's weed, but because it makes smoke, and that smoke could threaten air quality. [continues 384 words]
One man acquitted as a result; trial for his co-accused is underway in St. John's A Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court judge has ruled evidence in a drug trafficking case - 62 pounds of marijuana - is inadmissible at the trial of one of two men charged. As a result, 29-year-old Matthew Bernard McGuire of Mount Pearl left the St. John's courthouse cleared of the charges Thursday morning, while his co-accused remained to stand trial. McGuire was acquitted of charges of trafficking marijuana and possessing marijuana for the purpose of trafficking, which were withdrawn by the Crown after Justice Robert Stack ruled in favour of an application made by McGuire's lawyer, Erin Breen. [continues 242 words]
It must have been a busy meeting. A couple of weeks ago, Canada's federal and provincial justice and public safety ministers met in Vancouver for two days of meetings. They talked about delays in the criminal system and reforms to the Criminal Code over mandatory minimum sentencing provisions. About changes to the bail system and simpler and faster court proceedings. They talked about national security legislation and the safety of Canadians, about the legalization of marijuana and the nuances of home cultivation, and the health and safety effects of the drug, both on adults and the particular risks for young people. There was discussion about changing the rules on drunk driving to make it easier for police officers to require drivers to submit to breath testing, and on and on. [continues 361 words]
It must have been a busy meeting. A couple of weeks ago, Canada's federal and provincial justice and public safety ministers met in Vancouver for two days of meetings. They talked about delays in the criminal system and reforms to the Criminal Code over mandatory minimum sentencing provisions. About changes to the bail system and simpler and faster court proceedings. They talked about national security legislation and the safety of Canadians, about the legalization of marijuana and the nuances of home cultivation, and the health and safety effects of the drug, both on adults and the particular risks for young people. [continues 391 words]
ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Canada's public safety minister says the federal government is anxious to legalize marijuana by next summer despite police services saying there's zero chance they'll be ready. Ralph Goodale said Wednesday the Liberals just announced $274 million over the next five years to help with police training and fight the involvement of organized crime. On Tuesday, police from Ontario, Saskatoon and the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police told the Commons health committee that they need more time. They say they require an extra six months to a year for proper police training and public education - without which organized crime will flourish. [continues 471 words]
Advocate sees a role for public health nurses in fighting opioid crisis in rural communities The opioid crisis in St. John's is far from over, and a community advocate wants to see changes. "We see people every day who are at risk," said Tree Walsh, the harm reduction manager at the Safe Works Access Program (SWAP) for the AIDS Committee of Newfoundland and Labrador. "We're trying to save lives, and we're trying to prevent deaths, but as soon as the pharmaceutical supply of opioids dries up, which is happening now things are going to get so much worse." [continues 559 words]
A majority of interest groups want the government to sell cannabis through a Crown corporation like the NL Liquor Corp., whereas most members of the public want to see stand-alone stores selling marijuana once it's legalized. The issue of how legalized marijuana will be sold is shaping up to be one of the most thorny issues for the provincial government to address, based on a report on public sentiment around legalization. Today, the government is releasing a document summing up what people said in consultations marijuana legalization, as the province gets ready for full legalization next year. [continues 363 words]
Marijuana business already thriving in St. John's ahead of legalization In a cluttered workspace in an undisclosed location in St. John's, Rosin709 operates a strange, makeshift device. He wraps about a gram of marijuana in parchment paper, and then sticks it between two metal pucks with wires coming out of them. The whole contraption sits inside a vice-grip on a worktable. Using temperature controls, Rosin709 heats the metal pucks to about 80 degrees before cranking the vice-grip to squeeze the metal pucks together. [continues 699 words]
Medical marijuana/medical cannabis has shown both anecdotal and clinical evidence that it can be used to manage and or alleviate symptoms of many illnesses, such as neuropathic pain, arthritis pain, multiple sclerosis, HIV, bone or inflammatory cancer pain, fibromyalgia, Crohn's disease, colitis, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, insomnia and headaches. There are others. There should be no problem with this as long as its use is managed by your doctor or pharmacist. Now, recreational marijuana could certainly create problems, especially when people are permitted to smoke it. The smoke will bother other human beings, especially the elderly and people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or any respiratory disease, and heart disease patients. Recreational purposes are just a means for people to have a high. There will be more crime and loss of life if this is legalized. It should not be OK for the government to OK this problem, and not in workplaces either. Lydia Parsons St. John's [end]
Many Canadians are becoming increasingly concerned with the federal government's proposed legalization of recreational marijuana. Rigorous scientific studies are not available on its long-term effects to users. Quite the opposite, what is available points to an irreversible neurological degeneration, in particular for young people. It took more than 400 years of ingesting the tobacco drug into the human body before the weight of evidence was accepted by the majority of governments that it was a disaster to human life. [continues 320 words]
In my boyhood days it was not uncommon to see, in an American Western movie, a US Cavalry officer look concerned at the sight of smoke signals on the trail ahead. Smoke signals often meant a battle was about to happen with the usual loser being - the Indians, of course! However, in July 2018, smoke signals of a totally different kind will be rising all across Canada with the legalization of marijuana. All Canadians, including status and non-status Indians, will be able to sit on their back bridges and light up a joint and blow their own smoke signals to their hearts' delight. For some, legalization means nirvana; for others, it's an uneasiness. Who will be the losers on this new trail we are about to take? [continues 865 words]
Many Canadians are becoming increasingly concerned with the federal government's proposed legalization of recreational marijuana. Rigorous scientific studies are not available on its long-term effects to users. Quite the opposite, what is available points to an irreversible neurological degeneration, in particular for young people. It took more than 400 years of ingesting the tobacco drug into the human body before the weight of evidence was accepted by the majority of governments that it was a disaster to human life. [continues 317 words]
How much should you tell little kids about weed? The distinctive smell of weed was permeating through the air around the concert grounds. And I was panicking. Not because I had sparked one up and feared getting caught. No, I was afraid of a question - "Daddy, what's that smell?" The distinctive smell of weed was permeating through the air around the concert grounds. And I was panicking. Not because I had sparked one up and feared getting caught. No, I was afraid of a question - "Daddy, what's that smell?" [continues 522 words]
Ken Harding says Transport Canada unfairly denying him marine medical certificate Ken Harding says he is unfairly being kept from going to work because Transport Canada refuses to issue him a marine medical certificate. Harding works as a cook on the Bell Island ferry service and is required to have such a certificate from Transport Canada to sail. Harding said the reason he has been denied the certification is because he has been taking chemotherapy treatments to fight Stage 4 cancer, and he also takes medical marijuana on occasion. According to Cancer.net website, Stage 4 cancer means the cancer has spread to other organs or parts of the body. It may also be called advanced or metastatic cancer. [continues 712 words]
On May 29, the Canadian Medical Association Journal published an editorial written by its editor-in-chief, Dr. Diane Kelsall, titled "Cannabis legislation fails to protect Canada's youth." Dr. Kelsall takes issue with three aspects of Bill C-45, the federal government's Cannabis Act. She argues that the minimum age for buying and consuming cannabis should be 21 instead of 18, with limits on the potency of cannabis for people under 25; that home cultivation should be prohibited; and that the federal government should set national regulations for distribution and retail. These well-intentioned suggestions are misguided and potentially harmful. [continues 501 words]
Advocates support idea of supervised injection and consumption site in St. John's, but unsure if drug users would use it Advocates endorse supervised injection and consumption site in St. John's The number of supervised injection and consumption facilities - often referred to as safe-injection sites - in Canada will soon grow exponentially. Over the last month, a new facility opened in Surrey, B.C., two were approved for Montreal, three more were approved for Toronto and there's one on the way for Ottawa. There's also talk in the addiction treatment and outreach community of Halifax having its own. [continues 875 words]
If people can legally buy alcohol and tobacco at the age of 18 or 19 (not to mention enlist in the military), then how can we justify setting a higher age for cannabis? On May 29, the Canadian Medical Association Journal published an editorial written by its editor-in-chief, Dr. Diane Kelsall, titled "Cannabis legislation fails to protect Canada's youth." Dr. Kelsall takes issue with three aspects of Bill C-45, the federal government's Cannabis Act. She argues that the minimum age for buying and consuming cannabis should be 21 instead of 18, with limits on the potency of cannabis for people under 25; that home cultivation should be prohibited; and that the federal government should set national regulations for distribution and retail. These well-intentioned suggestions are misguided and potentially harmful. [continues 492 words]
Expert says employers should treat recreational marijuana the same as alcohol - it's a no-no at work ST. JOHN'S , NL - St. John's lawyer Harold Smith of Stewart Mckelvey represents employers in all aspects of labour relations, employment and administration law, and as such has been helping employers adjust their policies to incorporate the legalization of marijuana. He addressed a recent presentation of the Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute, Atlantic Region, in St. John's, titled "Marijuana in the Workplace" for employers. [continues 470 words]
Marijuana will soon be legal in Newfoundland and Labrador. Among other things, it will no longer be against the law to grow up to four plants at a time in your house. Anyone with a green thumb could produce about six pounds a year. In today's market that's a value of almost $50,000! This unregulated marijuana will flood our streets. This alone negates any argument that "The marijuana we are buying from government dispensers is tightly regulated," because who is going to pay $30 to $40 a gram from our government dealers when they can buy unregulated marijuana from the thousands of want to be entrepreneurs who will sell it for less? [continues 578 words]
Worker anxiously awaits arbitration case Part 4 in a four-part series Scott Tizzard remains mired in a career no-man's land. At one point he stopped taking his medical marijuana for a month so he could pass the pre-employment urine test for one company - with the employer fully aware - but was still denied work. He's worked for companies that hold contracts with Nalcor Energy, the Crown corporation leading the Lower Churchill development. "I was told (by one employer) I was red-flagged because I had a medical marijuana prescription and had filed a grievance," he said. [continues 672 words]
Knowing more about impairment key to setting fair and safe workplace rules: expert Alex Boucher says the looming legalization of marijuana is opening up a whole new frontier for employers. He's an expert in wellness areas, including disability management and workplace accommodation, and works with employers, unions and communities. He acknowledged that medical marijuana use has posed challenges in the workplace, and that legalized pot will add an extra level of challenge for employers wanting to be fair and yet ensure the workplace is safe. [continues 915 words]
Expert says employers should treat recreational marijuana the same as alcohol - it's a no-no at work St. John's lawyer Harold Smith of Stewart McKelvey represents employers in all aspects of labour relations, employment and administration law, and as such has been helping employers adjust their policies to incorporate the legalization of marijuana. He addressed a recent presentation of the Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute, Atlantic Region, in St. John's, titled "Marijuana in the Workplace" for employers. "The message I was trying to bring to the group from a legal perspective is you treat (marijuana) no different than alcohol," Smith said. "You would ban recreational use of marijuana or cannabis on the property as you ban alcohol. So an employer, you ban it. You say you 'shall not, must not, and cannot have cannabis, like alcohol, on our site.'" [continues 414 words]
Torbay man's job is in limbo as workplaces wrestle with marijuana policies Scott Tizzard has been wrestling with a two-pronged dilemma for the past seven months. And like the north poles of two magnets trying to meet, they repel each other in his mind. The first is his fight for his legal right to medical marijuana - the only thing that works to ease the chronic pain from his diagnosed osteoarthritis after trying a long list of medications his doctors have prescribed over the years. [continues 714 words]
It will be Russian giants again this summer. No, not Vladimir Putin. Russian giant sunflowers, which the seed package promises can grow up to eight feet high. We plant them every year for fun, and built a two foot by eight foot flower box especially for them, so we can have a veritable field of rising Russkies. (Tip: put the seeds in the dirt in late May, and you'll yield a swath of yellow by early September.) This year, the Russian giants were to be supplanted by marijuana plants. Again, just for fun. [continues 552 words]
Parsons promises public consultation soon on legal marijuana The government will start public consultations within the next month or two on how to implement marijuana legalization in Newfoundland and Labrador, Justice Minister Andrew Parsons said. On Thursday, the federal government will unveil the legislation for legalization of marijuana use, which will set out the overall framework for how things will work. But according to a news report by the CBC, important aspects of the new marijuana system will be up to provincial discretion - the age that you can legally buy the drug, how it's distributed and what the retail price will be. [continues 245 words]
It was a bold statement: "We will legalize, regulate and restrict access to marijuana." The 2015 federal Liberal election promise caught Canadians' attention and attracted the votes of many who supported the long-overdue legalization of marijuana. Many people believe that smoking a joint is no worse than having a beer. Plenty of Canadians - even prime ministers - have tried it. Polls indicate most people want legalization. Medical marijuana use has smoothed the drug's acceptance. The government is finally ready to table legislation to legalize marijuana by July 1, 2018. But why the wait? Do we really have to wait another 18 months for proclamation, when 60,000 Canadians are convicted each year for simple possession or personal use? [continues 363 words]
Worker claims companies refusing him jobs because of medical marijuana prescription Scott Tizzard of Torbay says he is being discriminated against by companies he should have been working for over the past several months. The Reason? Taking his doctor-prescribed medical marijuana. Tizzard has worked construction in the province for 30 years, going from big project to big project wherever the work has taken him, and wherever dispatched by his union. Described by co-workers as a hard worker, for many of those years he'd worked long-hour days battling the pain and discomfort of Crohn's disease and osteoarthritis. [continues 1499 words]
So, we smoke like tilts and drink like fish - Canadian champions on both counts (it's not only with brooms and rocks where we excel), the No. 1 nicotine inhalers and boozers in the country, according to stories that appeared side by side (appropriately enough) in The Telegram last week. And with marijuana set to be legalized by July 1, 2018, as we were told the other day, Newfoundlanders, if our history with smokes and liquor is any indication, can probably be counted on to eventually toke up more than any other Canadians. [continues 841 words]
Inside Newfoundland
