One of Ottawa's 17 illegal pot shops has been forcibly closed. A bailiff arrived at the CannaGreen dispensary on Roydon Place Wednesday to enforce an eviction order. The shop had continued operating after an eviction notice was posted on the door Tuesday and the locks were changed. Ottawa police were on hand to help bailiff Doug Specht. A man inside the store was led out in handcuffs. Police said a man was arrested for trespassing, but no charges have been laid. [continues 142 words]
It's possible, even likely, that at some point next year, Ontarians will be able to search store shelves for 'purple haze', 'blue dream' and 'kosher kush' marijuana alongside their VQA merlots, sauvignon blancs and moscatos. Work is well underway to lay the foundation for marijuana legalization in this country, with legislation expected in the spring. Pot advocates have long argued legalization could give our economy a lift. A new report suggests that lift could surpass anyone's wildest prophecy. A study produced by the Deloitte firm - titled Recreational Marijuana: Insights and Opportunities - suggests a legal marijuana industry in Canada could be worth an incredible $22.6 billion - more than the sales of wine, spirits and beer combined. [continues 210 words]
Shopper's Drug Mart is seriously interested in becoming the dispenser of medical marijuana. The government will be considering appropriate locations to deliver this product. We all know that Shopper's is well known as a drug dispensing business and makes millions of dollars annually. They see this as a new opportunity for increasing their profits and there is no doubt that it will. While our hospitals are continually struggling to provide health care to our citizens, the government is continuing to cut back its support. We have a wonderful health care system and should be proud of it. [continues 128 words]
At one time in Canada, marijuana possession and or trafficking was punishable by a jail sentence or even deportation. But soon, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will live up to his promise to legalize marijuana consumption and possession. However, Daniel Leblanc organized a poll through theglobeandmail.com, that states nearly half of Canadians still don't support the legalization of the drug. Despite the support, weed will become legal, so the last thing to do is address the last percentage of unsure Canadians that this is the right choice. [continues 646 words]
Re: How many really want legal pot? Oct. 27. Brian Hutchinson asks all the wrong questions. The big question, after almost five decades of prohibition, incomprehensibly still remains: How many really want illegal pot? Who are these people who still support criminal records for cannabis consumers? Government is allowing an artificial fight over retail economic monopolies while people continue to earn criminal records over a plant that no reasonable person believes to be a criminal threat. If legalization can't happen easily, then criminal consequences must be suspended until we come to a consensus. Paul Hansen, Ottawa [end]
Because medical marijuana saved my life, says user Kristina Simpson Kristina Simpson says she feels lucky to have landed a job at a Bank Street store where the staff feel like family and customers are grateful for the products she sells. But when she steps behind the counter at Weeds Glass & Gifts each morning, she brushes aside a nagging fear: Will this be the day police arrive to arrest her for drug trafficking? It's an occupational hazard for employees at the city's 17 illegal marijuana dispensaries. [continues 1097 words]
Ottawa police and municipal authorities are getting creative in dealing with our budding but illegal marijuana dispensaries. But you do wonder if the use of imaginative enforcement techniques is born of a lack of courage. The police have refused to raid the retail outlets, which now number 17, but have spent a substantial amount of time "monitoring" their activities. (During a record year for shootings, by the way.) As we've learned in the terrific reporting of Citizen writer Jacquie Miller, the Ottawa police sent letters to 13 dispensary landlords warning them of possible police action or even property forfeiture if they allow illegal sales to continue. [continues 644 words]
Two dispensaries charged with zoning violations Magna Terra Health Services in Stittsville was hit with a zoning violation notice from bylaw officers. Ottawa bylaw officers are the latest authorities to take a swat at the pot shops popping up around town. Two dispensaries have received notices of zoning violations for operating "retail stores" in industrial zones. City inspectors are also investigating the take-out window in a boarded-up pot shop to see if the operation violates the building code. It adds another piece to the puzzle over what to do about the 17 illegal dispensaries in town. [continues 470 words]
Ottawa Police send warning letter Ottawa police have warned landlords renting space to illegal marijuana dispensaries that the businesses may face police action and the properties could even be seized. Letters have been served on 13 dispensary landlords warning them of the consequences of allowing unlawful activities on their properties, said Staff Sgt. Rick Carey of the drug unit. "If your property continues to represent a threat to the health, safety and security of the community, the Ottawa Police Service will take action as authorized by the Criminal Code, the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and any other provincial statutes available," the letter says. [continues 544 words]
Ottawa police have warned the landlords renting space to illegal marijuana dispensaries that the businesses may face police action and the properties could even be seized. Letters have been served on 13 dispensary landlords warning them of the consequences of allowing unlawful activities on their properties, said Staff Sgt. Rick Carey of the drug unit. "If your property continues to represent a threat to the health, safety and security of the community, the Ottawa Police Service will take action as authorized by the Criminal Code, the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and any other provincial statutes available," the letter says. [continues 1476 words]
Inmates already facing drug charges: police Body scanner technology is up and running at the Barton Jail, as part of the province's efforts to combat smuggling. More than 1,750 Hamilton Wentworth Detention Centre (HWDC) inmates have gone through the scanner since it was activated on Sept. 6, according to the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services. "Three positive body scans have resulted in criminal charges for three HWDC inmates by the Hamilton Police Service," ministry spokesperson Andrew Morrison said in an email. [continues 612 words]
Richard Bergman used to investigate people in B.C. for marijuana grow-ops and possession of pot as a sergeant in the RCMP, but now the retired officer is fighting the of war on drugs as a civilian and concerned parent in suburban Ottawa. He pleaded with Chief Charles Bordeleau at the police services board meeting Thursday to crack down on illegal marijuana dispensaries, especially the two that have popped up in his Orleans neighbourhood, one of which is steps away from a kids' tutoring centre and a martial arts club. [continues 317 words]
Modern medicine has evolved greatly over the years in treating cancer and other illnesses. We have radiation and chemotherapy to reduce tumour growths, we have opioids to decrease pain and there are a number of over the counter drugs we can buy when we're feeling under the weather. But what about using marijuana in treatments for life threatening diseases and other life-altering ailments? It's not talked about very openly, in fact many who use cannabis oil tend to keep it under wraps, said Don Keith, a medical marijuana license holder in Petrolia. That's why he has planned a discussion group at the Petrolia library on Friday, Oct. 28, to offer support and a safe place to talk about using medical marijuana without ridicule or judgment. [continues 911 words]
The popularity of cocaine with 18 to 25 year olds in Huron County is growing, said Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Detective Constable Max Miller of the Huron County Drug Office, Community Drug Action Team. All street drugs are present in Huron Count y , but cocaine is becoming more popular with this demographic because it is seen as a party drug that has fewer negative side effects than methamphetamine, the detective said during a public forum the night of Oct. 19. "It's hard for us to combat cocaine usage because you can be a functioning addict but hold down a 9-to-5 job. So it's hard for us to kind of get into the cocaine scene because it's not like methamphetamine where people are doing anything they have to to get it," he said. [continues 789 words]
Bylaws used against dispensaries When it comes to shutting down marijuana dispensaries, Mark Sraga admits it's a bit like playing whack-a-mole. "It's still an ongoing challenge," said Sraga, director of investigative services for the City of Toronto. "Dispensaries open, dispensaries close." But his officers are seeing "better success" as they use city bylaws against illegal pot shops, he added. When the city began its crackdown in May - as the big green leaf signifying cannabis began frequently popping up on storefronts around the city - there were 48 stores open. [continues 286 words]
Marc Emery tackles hot pot topics Marc Emery may be the Prince of Pot, but he still harbours serious concerns about a future with legal marijuana. A federal task force on the legalization and regulation of marijuana is expected to report back in November. Legislation is expected in the spring. Arguably one of the most well-known marijuana advocates in the country, Emery says he fears small-time dispensaries and long-time pot advocates will be frozen out once weed is legal. [continues 378 words]
Marc Emery may be the Prince of Pot, but he still harbours serious concerns about a future with legal marijuana. A federal task force on the legalization and regulation of marijuana is expected to report back in November. Legislation is expected in the spring. Arguably one of the most well-known marijuana advocates in the country, Emery says he fears small-time dispensaries and longtime pot advocates will be frozen out once weed is legal. His brand of dispensaries - Cannabis Culture - opened at least three stores in Toronto, selling to anyone aged 19 and over. [continues 367 words]
Battling dispensaries like 'whack-a-mole' When it comes to shutting down marijuana dispensaries, Mark Sraga admits it's a bit like playing whack-a-mole. "It's still an ongoing challenge," said Sraga, director of investigative services for the City of Toronto. "Dispensaries open, dispensaries close." But his officers are seeing "better success" as they use city bylaws against illegal pot shops, he added. When the city began its crackdown in May - as the big green leaf signifying cannabis began frequently popping up on storefronts around the city - there were 48 stores open. [continues 290 words]
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has a mandate to legalize pot. He ran on it in last year's election. But as Postmedia's just-completed, six-part series O Cannabis illustrates, it's one thing to promise legalization, another to deliver it. The biggest challenge facing the Liberals is how to regulate and tax the sale of marijuana- an estimated $7 billion-a-year underground business in Canada, that could increase to $10 billion to $20 billion with legalization. The problem is that if the government makes legal pot too expensive, then the black market in it will continue to thrive. [continues 281 words]
Long ago, a higher power put marijuana plants on Earth for a purpose. Free of charge. Most governments and big industry want to thwart this giveaway. Some say marijuana use leads to stronger drugs - not necessarily so. Excessive drinking creates alcoholics. Drunk drivers injure, maim and kill people. Smoking leads to cancer, heart disease, respiratory ailments and often death. Pharmaceutical companies are drug pushers, also. Some are hooked on legal drugs - with side effects and OD, which can clause death: thousands of people die yearly from smoking, drinking alcohol and legal drugs. [continues 116 words]
Medical marijuana dispensaries should be permitted and regulated, rather than shut down by police. That is according to Marko Ivancicevic, a medical cannabis advocate and the former chair of Oshawa's accessibility advisory committee and the medical marijuana working group, who says that the businesses should be allowed to operate, rather than being shut down by police. "These medical cannabis dispensaries operate in such a way that they provide access to medication that's widely needed for, I'd say, approximately 4,000 to 5,000 medical patients within the Region of Durham," Ivancicevic told councillors during the latest meeting of regional council. [continues 734 words]
Here's a sobering fact: One in four teens involved in a fatal collision tests positive for marijuana. It's a devastating, preventable loss. Young drivers, inexperienced by definition, are already at significantly higher risk for motor vehicle collision than any other age group. When they smoke pot, the risk doubles. Twenty-one per cent of teens have gotten behind the wheel within an hour of using drugs, according to data compiled by Parachute, a national charity dedicated to injury prevention. In fact, drug use has overtaken alcohol as a factor in fatal collisions - and young drivers are no exception. [continues 469 words]
Toronto officials maintain that there is no grey area when it comes to the legality of dispenseries On a warm fall day, the distinctive smell of dried cannabis buds wafts out to the sidewalk of a busy midtown Toronto street. WeeMedical on St. Clair Avenue will, at times, leave its front door open, providing a clear view for passers-by of what is for sale. Far from secretive, the retail operation is located just a few doors from a doughnut shop where it is not unusual to see a parked police car. It was one of the 43 dispensaries where Toronto police executed search warrants in late May of this year, yet it's business as usual now, open seven days a week. [continues 1345 words]
Jeff McGuire doesn't envy the position his former police chief colleague Bill Blair is in. Blair, who served as the Toronto Police chief from 2005 until his retirement in 2015, is now the parliamentary secretary to the federal Liberal justice minister, and is handling the government's pot legalization file. "I got a lot of respect for Bill Blair," said McGuire, who is chief of the Niagara Regional Police. "It's a big job, it's a big move, it's not simple, and it will be interesting to see how quickly they're able to move forward on this." [continues 897 words]
Jeff McGuire doesn't envy the position his former police chief colleague Bill Blair is in. Blair, who served as the Toronto Police chief from 2005 until his retirement in 2015, is now the parliamentary secretary to the federal Liberal justice minister, and is handling the government's pot legalization file. "I got a lot of respect for Bill Blair," said McGuire, who is chief of the Niagara Regional Police. "It's a big job, it's a big move, it's not simple, and it will be interesting to see how quickly they're able to move forward on this." [continues 899 words]
RE: Letter, Legal pot would unleash the devil and his demons, Oct. 6. It is obviously necessary to bring attention to some misinformation in the letter from Gordon Snell. First of all, devils and demons are only visible when high, otherwise they do not exist. Secondly, marijuana use was legalised in Colorado in 2012. The following excerpt is quoted from reason.com. "The most obvious thing that happens when a government stops punishing people for certain marijuana-related activities-so obvious that it's often overlooked-is that marijuana arrests and prosecutions drop precipitously. Marijuana arrests in Colorado fell from 12,894 in 2012, when voters approved legalization, to 7,004 in 2014, the first year of legal recreational sales- a 46 per cent decrease. Marijuana charges filed in Colorado courts fell 81 per cent between 2012 and 2015, from 10,340 to 1,954. Those dramatic changes saved thousands of people from unjust punishment and channeled law enforcement resources toward activities with a bigger public safety payoff." [continues 52 words]
TIMMINS - So far this year, the Timmins Police have charged 20 people with simple possession of marijuana, despite the fact that for the past 12 months a federal government has been in office promising to legalize recreational use of pot. But the police are just enforcing the law, which says marijuana is still illegal. The federal government, however, has ignored calls from the opposition to decriminalize it while the country works on figuring out how to regulate, tax and sell it. So in the interim, nearly two dozen Timmins residents have faced criminal charges for something the government doesn't believe should be illegal. [continues 1142 words]
Weed. Pot. Mary Jane. Marijuana has been known by many nicknames, and as the government of Canada considers legalization, The Sudbury Star asked: Do you think it should be legalized in the country? A little more than half The Star's readers - 51 per cent (210 votes) - said sure, legalize the green, while 34 per cent of respondents said no. Thirteen per cent of people voted for decriminalization, not legalization, and eight voters (two per cent) said they were unsure what should happen. [continues 217 words]
Grenville among busiest places for marijuana import, export; city is a 'middle market' Grenville County was among the country's top 20 areas last year for the number of marijuana import and export cases, according to statistics obtained by Postmedia. Meanwhile, when it comes to marijuana, Brockville is mainly a "middle" market, says the city's police chief, Scott Fraser. Statistics place Grenville County 17th among the top 20 municipalities, rated on the number of police marijuana import or export incidents per 100,000 people in 2015. [continues 687 words]
CannaGreen customers stand on sidewalk to place their orders Customers at a suburban pot shop were buying their weed from a takeout window carved into a boarded up storefront on Saturday. The front of the CannaGreen dispensary on Roydon Place, near Hunt Club and Merivale roads, was destroyed Thursday night after a truck drove into it. The front of the illegal dispensary is now boarded up, but a hole has been cut in the plywood to create a takeout window. Customers stood on the sidewalk to order their dried weed, cannabis-laced cookies, candy and pop. [continues 290 words]
If you were in possession of marijuana and didn't want to face criminal charges in 2015, statistics show Kingston was the place to be in Canada. Postmedia Network analyzed 1,132 municipalities going back to 2005, looking at marijuana-related incidents and charges. In Kingston, while there were 15.63 incidents of marijuana possession per 100,000 people in 2015, there were only 13.55 resulting charges. The years with the most incidents were 2007 -- 76.61 per 100,000 people resulting in 44.95 charges -- and 2008 -- 73.45 per 100,000 people resulting in 52.38 charges. [continues 1206 words]
Customers at a suburban pot shop were buying their weed from a take-out window carved into a boarded-up storefront on Saturday. The front of the CannaGreen dispensary on Roydon Place, near Hunt Club and Merivale roads, was destroyed Thursday night after a truck drove into it. The front of the illegal dispensary is now boarded up, but a hole has been cut in the plywood to create a take-out window. Customers stood on the sidewalk to order their dried weed, cannabis-laced cookies, candy and pop. [continues 197 words]
Lighting up a joint is still a popular choice for drug users even with the introduction of numerous other narcotics to Sault Ste. Marie in recent years. Marijuana use "is probably as much, or more, than it was in the past," said Staff Sgt. Jody Greco, head of Sault Ste. Marie Police Service's drug enforcement unit. Pot is no longer the major focus of his unit's work with cocaine, crack cocaine, fentanyl, heroin and methaphetamine now present in the community. [continues 248 words]
The aftershock of an armed robbery at a medical marijuana farm in Port Colborne last month is still rippling through city council chambers. On Tuesday night, councillors discussed what could be done to ensure what happened at the Pinecrest Road property in September doesn't happen again. Ward 4 Coun. Ron Bodner brought a motion forth to urge the federal government to appoint inspectors for medical marijuana growing facilities that were grandfathered under the Medical Marihuana Access Regulations, such as the one on Pinecrest Road, and to crack down harder on properties violating those regulations. [continues 337 words]
Re Pot store optics, ethics questionable, Sept. 16 I'm a medical marijuana patient and I believe that I'm being discriminated against. The reason we're seeing so many dispensaries opening is because patients - your neighbours, friends, family members, coworkers - want them. The system as it stands is wrong. Everyone from top to bottom knows that medical cannabis patients have chosen to disregard the hypocrisy of a system set up to support corporate investment, not patient need or accessibility. Dispensaries, while varied in their respective individual operations, are evolving into professional, modern clinics. [continues 59 words]
The landlord of a marijuana dispensary that was smashed in by a truck Thursday night says he fears it wasn't so much an attempted robbery as a warning. A truck drove into the front entrance of the CannaGreen dispensary in a strip mall on Roydon Place, demolishing the storefront. The ATM in the front room of the dispensary was smashed, but no money was removed from it, say the landlords. The dried weed, cannabis cookies, candy and pop stored in the back room were not taken, even though the door leading to it was unlocked. [continues 288 words]
Landlord fears 'this isn't going to stop' The landlord of a marijuana dispensary that was smashed in with a truck Thursday night says he fears it wasn't so much an attempted robbery as a warning. "They just smashed things around, left a message" Strip mall landlord A truck drove into the front entrance of the CannaGreen dispensary in a strip mall on Roydon Place, demolishing the storefront. The ATM in the front room of the dispensary was smashed, but no money was removed from it, say the landlords. The dried weed, cannabis cookies, candy and pop stored in the back room were not taken, even though the door leading to it was unlocked. [continues 285 words]
Louis Hopper is appalled by a startling discovery he made in a park space near his Montrose Road subdivision. Hopper found a section of a Montrose Road-area park littered with drug paraphernalia during a routine walk in the neighbourhood with his dog Friday. "I show up and there is bloody Kleenexes all in a pile, about five or six syringes on the ground, a rubber band and spoons to heat up drugs," he said. "They were just thrown there on the ground." [continues 205 words]
There's an addiction crisis: Morality has no place here. This is a health issue. Period. As Hamiltonians begin to debate the possibility of introducing safe injection sites in our city, it is important to understand that Canada and the United States are in the grips of an addiction crisis like we have never seen in our history. This problem is complex; it is not going to go away easily, and it is not going to be defeated by punishing addicts. [continues 758 words]
Toronto - Ontario's Liberal government defended allowing medical marijuana users to vaporize anywhere by saying they had consulted "very broadly" - but emails show those consultations involved the input of just two people. Ultimately, the associate health minister had to defend the policy for just one day after the government backtracked on the policy within 24 hours. The emails, obtained through freedom-of-information legislation, show the premier's top staff members were both unaware of the new rule and confused by it. [continues 271 words]
Our aging population will need the pain relief it offers, writes Agnes Cadieux. A year into the new post-Stephen Harper era, it doesn't look like much has changed. We've done right by some 30,000 Syrian refugees, and ruffled a lot of feathers with the most recent carbon-pricing initiative, but everything else seems to be business as usual. But one thing that has quickly changed, partly because of the Liberal party's platform, is the plethora of medicinal marijuana clinics that have cropped up all over the country, including Ottawa, even though they're not entirely legal - yet. [continues 499 words]
It would have been better for most Canadians, and our country, if The Orangeville Banner had not printed what police Chief Wayne Kalinski had to say about legal pot in the Sept. 29 edition. Both articles, but especially one of his comments on the front page, indirectly give Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal government the green light to continue going forward with their nationally destructive efforts to legalize marijuana. Even though the chief said he is "not in favour" of legalizing marijuana, at the same time the paper does not say or show that he offers any strong serious resistance to it being legalized. [continues 284 words]
TORONTO - Is it possible to ingest cocaine by kissing someone who has just snorted the powerful stimulant drug? Enough that its chemical signature would show up on an athlete's doping tests? That's reportedly what happened to Canadian pole vaulter Shawn Barber, who tested positive for trace amounts of cocaine after winning the Canadian title in Edmonton in early July. Despite the result, the 22-year-old was allowed to compete at the Rio Olympics after the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada determined he had inadvertently absorbed the banned substance while kissing a woman he'd met for a sexual tryst the night before the national competition. [continues 385 words]
Judge who acquitted Nosakhare Ohenen says case raises 'serious prospect' that police planted drugs on him In 2010, a judge ruled that Nosakhare Ohenhen's version of events detailing his arrest, including the allegation that Toronto police planted drugs on him, to be a "fabrication" and "totally implausible." He was convicted on a number of drug and firearm offences, as well as for resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer. He was sentenced to nine years in prison, with credit for time spent in custody since his 2008 arrest. [continues 1361 words]
If you spot some pot, make the call. But provincial police are asking callers to exercise caution. During a warrant execution at an address located on Side Road 5 in Ramara Township on Thursday, 10 people were arrested and charged with drug-related offences. On Oct. 5, officers attended the location and seized and destroyed approximately 2,600 marijuana plants from an outdoor grow-op. The Orillia OPP Street Crime Unit (SCU), Community Drug Action Team (CDAT), Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU), Canine Unit, OPP Aviation Services and members of the Orillia OPP were involved in carrying out the warrant. [continues 479 words]
Judge blasts cops for actions that sent man to prison for 5 years It's another black eye for Toronto Police delivered from the judicial bench. Unfortunately, it comes rather late for Nosakhare Ohenhen. Long after the admitted drug dealer finished serving five years in prison, Justice Michael Quigley has acquitted him of all charges at his retrial, slamming Toronto cops for racial profiling and suggesting they may have even planted the drugs found in the man's Jaguar when he was stopped on Aug. 21, 2008. [continues 645 words]
Toronto Police Services executed three dispensary search warrants Wednesday night. Between the marijuana storefronts, Swed (3440 Lake Shore Blvd W.), Better Living (2791 Lake Shore Blvd W.) and The Corner Store (1128 The Queensway) only $24,000 of marijuana was seized. Six people ranging in age from 19 to 30 are now facing multiple criminal charges, including possession and possession of proceeds of crime. Pot's first franchise goes under. Activists Marc and Jodi Emery have expanded their weed empire, selling Canada's first recreational cannabis franchise in Peterborough late this summer - and just like their three Toronto locations, the pot shop has already run into trouble with the law. The George St. dispensary, which opened on September 9, has been raided twice in less than a month. [continues 578 words]
The drug trade is perpetuating violence and cruelty that is mind-boggling and unprecedented. The futile war on drugs simply cannot be won. Continuing to defy and ignore more than 100 years of failed prohibition is counterproductive and irresponsible. Prohibition, as history shows, whether it be for alcohol or illegal drugs, fuels violent crime. Law enforcement, in and by itself, simply does not, nor has ever, reduced or dried up the supply of illegal drugs. Reducing the amount of illegal drugs in any community only increases the violence . the lesser the amount, the greater the fight among drug gangs to control the remaining supply.Drug lords are not dumb; it's simple economics. [continues 94 words]
Inside Ontario
