A veteran cop's perspective on how offences, policing have shifted over the years Paul Roche was a young constable 26 years ago when he first patrolled the streets of St. John's. A typical shift during those early years with the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary might consist of a call of a domestic disturbance, an impaired driver, petty theft or simple possession of marijuana. In most cases, he and his partner could talk things through with the offenders, avoid the use of force and then lay charges without incident. [continues 795 words]
Founder says doctors who refuse to prescribe cannabis contribute to crime Fabian Henry hasn't been able to find a single doctor in Newfoundland and Labrador who will prescribe medical marijuana - the drug that saved his life. Henry is the founder Marijuana For Trauma (MFT), a veteran-owned and - -operated company that helps veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) find relief with cannabinoid therapy. MFT recently expanded into Newfoundland, opening a clinic on Peet Street in St. John's in May. But so far, he said, the group has had to rely on a clinic in Barrie, Ont., to help clients obtain prescriptions. [continues 871 words]
Founder Says Doctors WHO Refuse to Prescribe Cannabis Contribute to Crime Fabian Henry hasn't been able to find a single doctor in Newfoundland and Labrador who will prescribe medical marijuana - the drug that saved his life. Henry is the founder Marijuana For Trauma (MFT), a veteran-owned and - -operated company that helps veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) find relief with cannabinoid therapy. MFT recently expanded into Newfoundland, opening a clinic on Peet Street in St. John's in May. But so far, he said, the group has had to rely on a clinic in Barrie, Ont., to help clients obtain prescriptions. [continues 515 words]
Charges laid after RNC-RCMP team seizes cocaine, marijuana, MDMA and shatter Among a huge amount of illegal drugs seized last week in St. John's by a joint RNC-RCMP drug team is a drug known as "shatter," a derivative of marijuana, but much more toxic. It is believed to be the first significant seizure of shatter in the province and police are warning of the potential dangers of its use. One man has been charged thus far in the operation, known as "Project Titan" by the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU-NL). [continues 498 words]
Yes, the crime was always here. The murders, the forcible confinement, the drugs, the abductions. But can anyone really argue the frequency hasn't changed? That we, as a province, are not seeing more of it more often? Over the weekend in St. John's there was a six hour standoff with police. Jason Power, a 40-year-old Newfoundland man, is being accused of a few charges as a result, including having a knife for a purpose dangerous to the public peace, threatening to cause death or bodily harm to a member of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and breaching his probation. [continues 272 words]
Bishop's Falls council determines program unnecessary After reviewing the pros and cons, Bishop's Falls council won't be instituting a drug and alcohol-testing program for employees. "It was just a discussion we held about whether we should we be doing testing like some companies do," said Mayor Bob Hobbs when asked about the decision made at the March council meeting. "It's the Alberta syndrome. All the people that go away are tested and we discussed whether we needed it for the protection of our workers. We did look at and for a whole bunch of reasons it didn't make sense." [continues 130 words]
On Aug. 4, 2011, two men were handcuffed and made to sit on a rock alongside the highway for an hour and a half while RCMP officers searched their rental vehicle based on a suspicion there may be drugs inside. The reasons for the officer's suspicions were this: The two men had fishing gear, but limited knowledge of Newfoundland and Labrador's fishing practices; the car was rented in a third party's name; they were travelling from Ontario, a supposed known source for drug importation; contents inside the car indicated the men's trip was for a longer time than they had indicated to the officer; and the presence of hand sanitizer, sometimes used to mask drug scents. [continues 342 words]
Supreme Court Justice Admonishes RCMP for Handling of Roadside Drug Bust Four months after being involved in a court decision that took note of how the police had violated a man's Charter rights during a drug bust, one of the officers breached the rights of two more men in a similar roadside investigation. This time, though, it is likely the case will be tossed out of court. Const. Leon Sheppard of the RCMP Traffic Services West was one of two officers who pulled over Philip Jordy Blanchard in 2008. [continues 683 words]
A St. John's man who is convinced marijuana oil cured his cancer is still hoping to convince health authorities to do informal clinical trials. In 2013 and 2014, The Telegram told the story of Paul Morrissey, now 66, who credits marijuana oil treatment with putting him on the mend from prostate cancer. Since then, Morrissey has abandoned medical treatment and said the response he got from some specialists was off putting. "I didn't feel much support at any stage for the marijuana oil and its potential," Morrissey said Tuesday, adding he feels good physically. [continues 287 words]
CORNER BROOK Two Quebec men who had successfully argued their Charter rights had been violated during a traffic stop were acquitted of the drug charges against them in the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador in Corner Brook Monday. Sylvain Charbonneau, 59, and Jean Dessailliers, 44, had each been charged with four offences, namely two counts apiece of trafficking in marijuana and cannabis resin and two counts of possessing of illegal drugs for the purposes of trafficking. They were charged following an RCMP traffic stop west of Corner Brook in the fall of 2011. A subsequent search of the car they were in led to the seizure of 26 kilograms of marijuana and a kilogram of hashish. [continues 130 words]
Harper's Approach To Crime Is Tough On Human Lives Despite falling crime rates across the country, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been pushing a "tough on crime" agenda since the last election. This was most poignantly emphasized in his government's omnibus crime bill, the Safe Streets and Communities Act. This sweet-sounding bill packed a lot of punches: minimum and extended sentences for drug convictions, the potential to charge youth with adult sentences, a shift toward prison sentences over house arrest, and the denial of work visas to people considered vulnerable to crime. [continues 535 words]
A Supreme Court justice has thrown out evidence from a traffic stop in the case against two Quebec men charged with drug offences in the fall of 2011. Justice Laura Mennie granted the application to exclude evidence from the Oct. 24, 2011 traffic stop that led to the charges of two counts each of trafficking in marijuana and cannabis resin and two counts each of possession of illegal drugs for the purposes of trafficking against Sylvain Charbonneau, 59, and Jean Dessailliers, 44. [continues 537 words]
Canadian Safety Council raising awareness of the dangers of driving while impaired by drugs The Canadian Safety Council is concerned that not enough people are aware of the serious consequences of driving while impaired by drugs. The organization said in a news release that the focus, traditionally, has been on alcohol-impaired crashes, while fatalities linked to the use of drugs tend to fly under the radar. A report from the safety council says statistics show that testing done on drivers who died in crashes found 33 per cent showed signs of drug impairment. [continues 83 words]
Derek Montague could have ruined himself. In the three months he's been waiting for gambling addiction treatment, he could have dug a financial hole of which there'd be no way out. "In that span of time, I've done more damage to myself," he admits. "I've gambled during that period of time." Full disclosure: Derek works with TC Media and reports indirectly to me. He's a fine journalist with The Labradorian newspaper in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. [continues 420 words]
Colorado has done it, so why can't we? Why can't we take one foreign state's measures and enact them federally in Canada. After all, marijuana legalisation in Colorado doesn't seem to have created any great waves. I'm sure when the prohibition on alcohol ended, we didn't have a rash of drunk drivers and alcoholics either. It takes time for the effects of measures like this to be seen. Yes, there are some immediate effects - such as an increase in tax revenues. But when it comes to other effects, studies are split. Some say Colorado teens are less likely now than before legalisation to be smoking marijuana. But other studies show that not only are they more likely to partake, they are also less likely to consider marijuana a harmful drug. [continues 687 words]
But Federal Law Hinders Boy's Access To The Extract He Needs To Control Seizures Mandy McKnight secretly cries, often while driving alone. The car, she suggests, gives her an opportunity to reflect, to imagine a life where her six-year-old boy didn't have prolonged seizures, to wonder what the future will bring for a child at constant risk of injury, to wonder if this continuing state of emergency will last forever. "You're always anxious. You're always waiting, You never relax," says Mandy, who is from Torbay, but lives in Ottawa. "You're always anticipating a seizure, no matter what. ... You're constantly on edge." [continues 954 words]
It was a night Vera Rice would rather forget. The cancer survivor, now in her 60s, was pulled over by police heading home to Seal Cove from treatment at the hospital in Baie Verte and brought to the RCMP detachment in Deer Lake for drug testing. Rice is now cancer-free. But the weak bones and treatment from years gone by have also left her with infections. A few years ago she underwent treatment for a serious infection that had gotten into her bones, and in recent weeks, the same type of infection has returned. [continues 871 words]
Peter MacKay would have Canadians believe that the job of keeping drugs out of the hands of children is best left to drug cartels. Right now kids have no trouble accessing illegal marijuana. It's easier for kids to buy pot than beer. That's because illegal drug dealers don't ID for age. Taxing and regulating marijuana will restrict youth access to drugs. More important, legalization will close the "gateway" to hard drugs by taking marijuana distribution out of the hands of criminals that sell meth and heroin. [continues 86 words]
Peter MacKay is the luckiest man in the world. He is the undisputed poster boy for lying, deceitful politicians, but never seems to pay a price for it. One can only assume he earned this immunity with his first big lie, his promise to fellow Progressive Conservative leadership candidate David Orchard in 2003 not to negotiate a merger with Stephen Harper's Canadian Alliance Party. Ever since, he has sailed through a steady stream of prevarications and mistruths without earning even a timid rap on the knuckles. [continues 436 words]
Mothers Against Drunk Driving CEO Andrew Murie was in the lobby of Confederation Building Tuesday, with a mouth swab that he says can detect up to six different drugs in an impaired driver's system. Murie was in town for meetings, along with representatives from the Newfoundland and Labrador MADD organization, to talk about provincewide 911 and stepping up efforts to catch drunk drivers. "Newfoundland and Labrador has kind of fallen behind," he told reporters. "Saskatchewan and New Brunswick are a lot worse than Newfoundland and Labrador, but these are all preventable deaths and injuries, and there's more that can be done." [continues 331 words]
Inside Newfoundland
