A Charlottetown store is hoping to cash in on what police are calling the pothead's version of St. Patrick's Day.

Wild Impulse is advertising what it calls a "4:20 special," which promises a rolling competition, discounts and, of course, cake.

Popular among tokers as a time to 'burn one down,' 4:20 has become a cultural symbol among marijuana users. One quick search on the Internet and you will find thousands of pages about its origin and the different ways people celebrate.

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Addict wants help but can't get into methadone program

When Jennica Warren went into a local store a few months ago, her only purpose was to steal a pair of sneakers.

The 21-year-old Summerside resident will soon appear in court to answer to a theft charge, but says she needs help.

Warren has been addicted to the prescription medication hydromorphone, better known as dilaudid, for the past four years.

"Everybody's ashamed of their addiction but the shame is over now for me, I don't care," she said. "If everyone in Summerside has to hate me for me to get better, so be it. It can't get any worse."

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If you follow the Summerside court stories in the news at all, you know many people are charged and convicted under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act each week.

Most in the justice system would agree that many other offences - ranging from theft to assault - occur as a result of drug use or the need to feed an addiction.

Some likely read the stories with a certain detachment or even derision of the person accused.

Many may even have a notion that the drug problem in Summerside, and Prince County in general, will eventually be solved through the court system.

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Did Mr. Jaffer receive special treatment or did he get a break that others before the court sometimes get?

Ontario justice officials should explain to Canadians why Rahim Jaffer got what many Canadians are calling a 'slap on the wrist' after cocaine possession and drunk driving charges against him were withdrawn and he was convicted of a lesser offence of careless driving. Such an explanation would benefit not only Canadians, but Mr. Jaffer himself.

Until Canadians are told why Mr. Jaffer got what even the judge himself called "a break", many will conclude the former MP and husband of a current cabinet minister simply got special treatment. That impression, in the court of public opinion, would dog Mr. Jaffer indefinitely, and left unchallenged, would only confirm suspicions that he and others with connections get a better deal when they find themselves before a judge.

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BEDEQUE - It's not common to want to be elected Opposition leader in the P.E.I. legislature.

But even though Bedeque's Caitlin Kimmet isn't a political figure, that's exactly what she asked for last weekend.

The 17-year-old Kinkora Regional High School student participated in the 22nd Rotary Youth Parliament last Friday and Saturday at Province House.

"I like to keep up on the news and politics but I'm by no means an expert," Kimmet said. "I wanted to be with the Opposition because they get to hold government accountable for everything they do."

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Attorney General Doug Currie says many of the issues that were foremost in his mind as minister of Health continue to be primary issues for him in his new post.

Speaking to the annual general meeting of P.E.I. Crime Stoppers Wednesday, Currie noted, for example, that in his former portfolio he was closely involved with the development of the P.E.I. Youth Substance Use and Addiction Strategy.

"In developing that strategy we were acutely aware that for approximately 60 to 70 per cent of youth who come into conflict with the law, substance abuse is either a direct or indirect factor in their offending behaviours," Currie said. "By that I mean that these offenders are either under the influence of alcohol or drugs when they commit their offence or they commit the offence to gain access to money for alcohol or drugs."

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