Drinking a coffee in the Starbucks on College Drive you would not peg Sabra LeTourneau as a user of a deadly and toxic drug. Wearing glasses, a hat and a pair of burgundy pants, the Saskatoon woman has been struggling with addiction for roughly 10 years and for the last five she's been dealing with an addiction to opiates. Her drug of choice: fentanyl. "If you're seeking to just numb-out and put your problems off for another day - yeah, this was my drug of choice," she said. "This was the drug that took me down the furthest, the hardest and the quickest." [continues 718 words]
The head of the Saskatchewan Compassion Club says the shutting down of his operation has driven sick people to look for marijuana wherever they can find it. "People who have never gone to the streets to buy cannabis before are doing that," Mark Hauk said Saturday at a rally in front of Saskatoon Police Service headquarters in support of the club. "I've had some unbelievable conversations where people have asked me what streets they should drive around." The club, which sold cannabis and marijuana derivatives to people with medical marijuana prescriptions, was raided by police on Oct. 29. Officers seized all the club's products and arrested Hauk and three of his employees. All four are facing charges related to drug trafficking. [continues 266 words]
The before and after pictures in your article Champ charged in pot raid (SP, Nov. 3) tell the story, at least for people with eyes to see. Given conventional medicine's treatment of his Crohn's disease, Lane Britnell was clearly in trouble. After he discovered marijuana as a medicine, however, he was visibly much better - and no longer needing at least some of his approved and certified doctor prescribed medications. Can you imagine how wonderful he must feel? How could he do otherwise than to tell others about his experience? How could he do other than work in a compassion club, helping others like him? [continues 147 words]
SASKATOON - Users of fentanyl and other powerful opiates in Saskatoon will soon have access to anti-overdose kits that could prevent fatal overdoses. Naloxone is a so-called "anti-overdose" drug that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose from drugs like morphine, fentanyl, heroin or methadone. Marie Agioritis's son Kelly died of a fentanyl overdose in January. While there are no guarantees, she says the kits could have prevented some of the overdose tragedies this city has seen in recent years. [continues 367 words]
Protesters upset over last week's raid of the Saskatchewan Compassion Club have set their sights on Saskatoon's mayor. The group gathered outside city hall Wednesday, many of them holding signs that read "Don Atchison makes me sick." "It's discrimination in every sense of the word," said Kelly Anderson, a compassion club member who is legally prescribed marijuana. Anderson and others say Saskatoon's mayor is out of touch with the rest of the country. Cities in B.C., for example, have issued business licences to marijuana dispensaries that, like the Saskatchewan Compassion Club, operate outside the medical marijuana regulations set up by Health Canada. [continues 268 words]
It was the first time in his life Brad Christianson truly feared going to jail. He was 23 years old on the cold January morning when he walked into court, knowing his fate was sealed. By that time in his young life, Christianson was no stranger to incarceration. He was first locked up when he was 12, after pulling a pocket knife on an older kid. This time around, he was truly frightened. This time, he wouldn't have the protection of his gang to see him through the hard days ahead. [continues 945 words]
The explanation by Saskatoon police of why they had no choice but to raid the Compassion Club is detailed to the point of overstatement and even speculation about imaginary crimes other people might commit. So it's odd they left out one thing: why they never warned or spoke with the accused despite numerous requests to talk. Sure there is the law and there was a written warning from Health Canada that police seem to want to hide behind, but the claim that they have no discretion or responsibility in this case is nonsense. [continues 165 words]
Naloxone Can Reverse Drug Effects Users of fentanyl and other powerful opiates in Saskatoon will soon have access to anti-overdose kits that could prevent fatal overdoses. Naloxone is a so-called "anti-overdose" drug that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose from drugs like morphine, fentanyl, heroin or methadone. Marie Agioritis's son Kelly died of a fentanyl overdose in January. While there are no guarantees, she says the kits could have prevented some of the overdose tragedies this city has seen in recent years. [continues 368 words]
Need Licence to Sell Pot, Police Stress Side-effects from Saskatoon's Compassion Club drug bust and arrests may include paranoia for Regina medical marijuana users. The non-profit Saskatoon-based dispensary was not licensed by Health Canada, which led to the arrest of its owners, seizure of their stock, and charges of possession and trafficking. "Face it, you're putting people's health at risk here (who) really depend on this cannabis as a medicine. This whole thing's gone way beyond just smoking weed," said Darin Wheatley. [continues 446 words]
A national champion pole vaulter and former Huskies star living with Crohn's disease was one of the four people arrested during a raid on Saskatoon's only medical marijuana dispensary. Friends and loved ones say Lane Britnell benefited greatly from his prescribed medical marijuana and that he does not deserve to go to jail. "It's done amazing things for him," said Lauren Taylor, a close friend. Britnell was an elite university athlete, but even as he was winning his second consecutive national gold medal at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport track and field championships in 2012, the autoimmune disorder was beginning to take its toll. [continues 396 words]
My ex-wife recently passed away from liver cancer, and the pain of her final weeks was eased with medical marijuana. Thus I was pleased to read of Justin Trudeau's plan to legalize marijuana use. With the recent police raid on Saskatoon's only medical marijuana store, not so much. The officer whom I saw interviewed on TV with his straight-faced, "They were selling drugs," rationale made me wonder at the police's motivation. Certainly, busting a retail store and arresting the sales staff is far safer than the fictional drug raids we see on TV shows, but is there no real crime in Saskatoon anymore? Are all their speed traps broken? Fred Hill Saskatoon [end]
REGINA - Side-effects from Saskatoon's Compassion Club drug bust and arrests may include paranoia for Regina medical marijuana users. The non-profit Saskatoon-based dispensary was not licensed by Health Canada, which led to the arrest of its owner, seizure of the stock, and charges of possession and trafficking for the owner and staff. "Face it, you're putting people's health at risk here (who) really depend on this cannabis as a medicine. This whole thing's gone way beyond just smoking weed," said Darin Wheatley. [continues 404 words]
Chief Clive Weighill's argument that his police service had no option but to crack down on a storefront medical marijuana dispensary has found a ready audience among Saskatoon's law-and-order advocates, while store owner Mark Hauk's supporters argue that he was filling a huge void left by Canada's inadequate pot law. While both sides in the debate that has divided Saskatoon over last week's police raid on the dispensary after a month-long investigation provide some justifiable arguments, it's difficult not to wish a pox on both houses in the context of pending legislative changes that could render the entire issue irrelevant. [continues 410 words]
The recent police raid on the Saskatchewan Compassion Club set off a war of words between the club's operator and police. The case against the dispensary's owner and the club's employees is still before the courts, but on Tuesday Saskatoon police issued a news release in "an attempt to clarify public statements" made by the medical marijuana dispensary owner. The police maintain that Mark Hauk and three others were dealing drugs when they sold marijuana to patients at the unregulated storefront dispensary. [continues 445 words]
Rob Williams was devastated when he learned Saskatoon police raided the Saskatchewan Compassion Club. Williams suffers constant pain from Crohn's Disease and nerve damage stemming from a broken back. After negative experiences with prescription narcotics, he turned to edible marijuana, which he said is remarkably effective. Now, with the city's lone medical marijuana dispensary having been shut down, Williams faces a difficult decision. "I don't know what I'm going to do. I guess I need to make another doctor's appointment, get my hydromorphone back up and start scratching again," he said. [continues 418 words]
SASKATOON - Police say the people operating Saskatoon's only medical pot dispensary are criminals. "They are drug traffickers," said Saskatoon police Insp. Dave Haye. Police shut down the Saskatoon Compassion Club on Thursday, arresting four people associated with the club. The dispensary had been providing marijuana to people with medical licences since August. Although police maintain the club was acting illegally and selling the drug outside of Health Canada's regulations on medical marijuana, clients who frequented to storefront dispensary were devastated by the news. [continues 606 words]
Four charged with trafficking at store Police say the people operating Saskatoon's only medical pot dispensary are criminals. "They are drug traffickers," said Saskatoon Police Insp. Dave Haye. Police shut down the Saskatoon Compassion Club on Thursday, arresting four people associated with the club. The dispensary had been providing marijuana to people with medical licenses since August. While police maintain the club was acting illegally and selling the drug outside of Health Canada's regulations on medical marijuana, clients who frequented the storefront dispensary were devastated by the news. [continues 599 words]
SASKATOON - With a Liberal government headed to Ottawa, advocates of legalizing marijuana are optimistic it will soon be legal for anyone to fire up a joint in Canada. "I think it really signals a change across Canada," said Ken Sailor, a longtime marijuana advocate in Saskatoon. Justin Trudeau, the country's new Prime Minister-designate, has not yet outlined a specific plan for the legalization of the popular recreational drug, but he ran on a campaign promising to legalize it. The fact that a pledge to legalize weed didn't sink Trudeau's campaign means Canadians are ready for more fair drug laws, Sailor said. [continues 516 words]
With a Liberal government headed to Ottawa, advocates of legalizing marijuana are optimistic it will soon be legal for anyone to fire up a joint in Canada. "I think it really signals a change across Canada," said Ken Sailor, a longtime marijuana advocate in Saskatoon. Justin Trudeau, the country's new Prime Minister-designate, has not yet outlined a specific plan for the legalization of the popular recreational drug, but he ran on a campaign promising to legalize it. The fact that a pledge to legalize weed didn't sink Trudeau's campaign means Canadians are ready for more fair drug laws, Sailor said. "The idea that we are protecting anybody by making drugs illegal is just crazy. There is no evidence to support that." [continues 497 words]
Stephen Harper claims to be tough on crime and is attacking other parties for their relaxed views about marijuana. Yet, illegal pot dispensaries have been flourishing in Canada for a couple of years now, with no move by Health Canada to shut them down. These dispensaries are supposed to be selling medical marijuana to people with a prescription. However, if you go into one with no prescription, you can talk to an out-of-province doctor (name and number supplied by the dispensary) on the phone with your made-up medical complaint and he will fax you a prescription then and there. [continues 67 words]
There's no doubting Stephen Harper's intelligence. The man is wise as he is cunning, and his knowledge of a variety of worldly topics is impressive, hence one of the reasons why he has served as prime minister for the past nine years. But when asked for his two cents on the legalization of marijuana in Canada, Mr. Harper's personal opinion got in the way of the straight facts. The Conservative leader told an audience that 'Marijuana is infinitely worse' than tobacco in his effort to discourage Canadians from wanting to legalize the drug. [continues 438 words]
Those attending a Saskatoon marijuana conference favoured a relaxation of laws against pot possession, but their views on complete legalization were mixed. A wide range of opinions also emerged about whether pot is a major issue for them in this month's federal election. Some will cast their ballot on that issue, while others believe it's insignificant compared with health care, the environment or the economy. "This needs to be looked at, but it's a side issue," said Colton Buhr, one of an estimated 3,000 people who came through the doors of O'Brians Events Centre over the weekend for the Prairie Harvest Medicinal Cup. [continues 405 words]
Crime and security issues are proving to be some of the most divisive in this election. Should police be granted expanded powers to stop terrorists, or should privacy be paramount? Should we legalize pot? What about Canada's record on missing and murdered aboriginal women? Here are four things you should know about crime and security to help you decide how to cast your ballot. Bill C-51 The Conservatives' controversial bill has become a lightning rod, dividing the Canadian public. It proposes to expand police and spy powers in an effort to protect Canada from potential terrorist threats. Critics like Tom Mulcair's NDP say the bill tramples on Charter protections, gives spies and police too much power, and constitutes an invasion of privacy. [continues 427 words]
In the award-winning 2013 movie, Dallas Buyers Club, we are exposed to heroic patient activism during the AIDS crisis in the United States. Based on the true story of AIDS-stricken Ron Woodroof, a hard-partying Texas tradesman, the film shows a strikingly thin Matthew McConaughey battle his sickness and the legal authorities in Texas. Woodroof, who's unhappy with his illegally purchased AIDS medicine, and on the edge of death, seeks out alternative and experimental drugs from a doctor in Mexico. Then Ron, being the savvy entrepreneur that he is, quickly establishes a club (a dispensary) to sell his unregulated, sometimes dangerous, imported medicines. [continues 588 words]
Despite threats of jail and huge fines, the head of the Saskatchewan Compassion Club won't shut his doors. Mark Hauk of Saskatoon's first medical marijuana dispensary is one of 13 pot club owners across Canada who has received an emailed notice from Health Canada warning of possible RCMP raids. The letters state that the owners may face legal action if they don't stop selling or advertising marijuana. The letter Hauk received threatened two years in prison and fines of up to $5 million. [continues 392 words]
SASKATOON - Despite threats of jail and huge fines, the head of the Saskatchewan Compassion Club won't shut his doors. Mark Hauk of Saskatoon's first medical marijuana dispensary is one of 13 pot club owners across Canada who have received an emailed notice from Health Canada warning of possible RCMP raids. The letters state that the owners may face legal action if they don't stop selling or advertising marijuana. The letter Hauk received threatened two years in prison and fines of up to $5 million. [continues 392 words]
Over the next six weeks, federal leaders will be rolling out campaign promises on a wide array of issues. The Leader-Post and StarPhoenix will take an in-depth look at some of these every week until you head to the polls on Oct. 19 In Saskatchewan, green may be the colour but the future of marijuana - for medical and recreational use - is cloudy. The outcome of next month's federal election (which features some parties musing about decriminalization and legalization) and the decision of a Federal Court judge on how medical marijuana can be grown and distributed in the country will have a direct impact on the province. [continues 954 words]
Coun. Darren Hill says he has learned more than he ever knew existed about Canada's medical marijuana laws. "Not only the dispensary component, but what it does for particular heath issues and its implications within the community, it's quite an eye-opener, actually," he said on Tuesday. Hill is the chair of the planning and development committee, which heard from CanniMed president Brent Zettl. CanniMed is the province's only licensed medical cannabis producer. Zettl took issue with what he said were inaccuracies in an earlier presentation to council from Mark Hauk, founder of the Saskatchewan Compassion Club. [continues 303 words]
Despite questions about quality and credibility from a proponent of Canada's medicinal marijuana system, the source of the Saskatchewan Compassion Club's marijuana remains a mystery to the public. In a recent letter to Saskatoon's city council, Fred Glawischnig, former head of the now-defunct Canadian Cannabis Solutions Inc., claimed the unregulated cannabis sold by the dispensary could be harmful to the people who use it. "What is sold in a dispensary - even though it says 'medical marijuana dispensary' - is not in the same category as medical marijuana under the licensed producer program," Glawischnig said. [continues 678 words]
Sask. rate much higher than national A new plan to tackle Saskatchewan's HIV infection "epidemic" aims to ensure 90 per cent of people living with the virus are diagnosed by 2020. The diagnostic goal is one plank of a 90-90-90 plan adopted by the World Health Organization in July that also aims to ensure 90 per cent of people who are diagnosed receive treatment and that 90 per cent of those being treated have the virus suppressed. Saskatchewan's HIV diagnosis rate of 11.4 cases per 100,000 people in 2013 was nearly double the Canadian average of 5.9 cases, according to Public Health Agency of Canada numbers. A new report urges the province to adopt the 90-90-90 goal with a target date of five years to achieve it. [continues 487 words]
The Fort Qu'Appelle RCMP detachment recently solved an interesting case of mistaken identity. On Aug. 9, a member of the detachment responded to a call from the public that plants resembling marijuana were growing in an area southeast of Abernethy. Cpl. Drew Wagner explained that the officer at the scene wasn't sure if the plants were cannabis marijuana or hemp, so the RCMP Integrated Organized Crime Unit South was called. Between 200-300 plants were found in the field, but tests later revealed the plants were hemp and not marijuana. [continues 429 words]
Site makes it easier to fill prescriptions SASKATOON - After four months of planning and preparation, Saskatoon's first medicinal marijuana dispensary is now open for business. The Saskatchewan Compassion Club opened its doors to the public on Monday. For many, like Mandy Tarala, the new dispensary will offer a way to fill medical pot prescriptions quickly and easily. "It's going to be absolutely huge for me in the aspect that I no longer have to wait for my medicine (and) I don't have to order it online," Tarala said. "Also, I have some support (locally) - that way I'm not waiting for an email back or waiting on hold." [continues 784 words]
Medicinal Pot Dispensary Now Open After four months of planning and preparation, Saskatoon's first medicinal marijuana dispensary is now open for business. The Saskatchewan Compassion Club opened its doors to the public on Monday. For many, like Mandy Tarala, the new dispensary will offer a way to fill medical pot prescriptions quickly and easily. "It's going to be absolutely huge for me in the aspect that I no longer have to wait for my medicine (and) I don't have to order it online," Tarala said. "Also, I have some support (locally) - that way I'm not waiting for an email back or waiting on hold." [continues 785 words]
Non-Profit Shop Expects Mass Influx SASKATOON - Saskatoon's first medical marijuana dispensary is set to open its doors today. "I'm certainly excited. It's been many months in the works to secure a site like this," Mark Hauk, head of the Saskatchewan Compassion Club, said Sunday. The non-profit club that Hauk previously operated out of his home helps patients obtain marijuana prescriptions and, in some cases, sells them their medicine. The new location is downtown on the 200 block of Second Avenue North. The entryway is sparse, with a reception desk and some seating. [continues 718 words]
Saskatoon's first medical marijuana dispensary is set to open its doors today. "I'm certainly excited. It's been many months in the works to secure a site like this," Mark Hauk, head of the Saskatchewan Compassion Club, said Sunday. The non-profit club that Hauk previously operated out of his home helps patients obtain marijuana prescriptions and, in some cases, sells them their medicine. The new location is downtown on the 200 block of Second Avenue North. The entryway is sparse, with a reception desk and some seating. [continues 717 words]
Stephen Harper jumped on his high horse yesterday slamming Liberal leader Justin Trudeau's promise to legalize marijuana. In jurisdictions where marijuana is legal, Harper said, it becomes "more readily available to children, more people become addicted," and there is a decline in health outcomes. "We just think that's the wrong direction for society and I don't think that's the way most Canadians want to deal with this particular problem." This would be a very reasonable position if any of it were remotely true. [continues 474 words]
If there has ever been a time to have that often awkward and difficult conversation with your kids about the dangers of drugs it is right now, this very moment. People across Canada are dying right now, thanks to the availability of "recreational" street drugs that are often far more powerful than users had bargained for. Often these are young people and their search for a fun high with a little bit of experimentation is costing lives. The biggest culprit has been a nasty piece of work called fentanyl. The drug is often labeled as OxyContin (a brand name for the drug oxycodone), but is more powerful and dangerous than the powerful prescription drug that many have turned to for that illicit good time. [continues 572 words]
Glenn Allan Price will get his day in court, but does the prosecution of purveyors of medical marijuana really serve the public interest? Well, if you're the federal Conservative government, pursuing an out-of-touch political agenda, clearly it does. Mr. Price, owner of a recently opened, unlicensed medical marijuana dispensary on Main Street, was charged by Winnipeg police with trafficking and possession following a raid Tuesday. Many speculate an anti-marijuana activist in Vancouver, where dispensaries have proliferated and are licensed by city council, triggered the raid with a complaint to the Winnipeg Police Service earlier this month. [continues 501 words]
Police and pharmacists are warning producers of a marijuana extract called "shatter" after two explosions related to the manufacturing of the drug. Shatter is an increasingly popular form of hardened, glasslike cannabis oil made by extracting psychoactive ingredients from the leaves and buds of marijuana plants. The extraction process often involves soaking the plants in alcohols like isopropyl or butane. "Some of these chemicals are highly volatile. If you don't know what are you doing you could bring your whole house down," said Lori Postnikoff, a field officer for Saskatchewan's College of Pharmacists. [continues 459 words]
No surge seen in recent years The company that tests thousands of workers in the mining industry has not seen a spike in failed drug tests in recent years, and high failure rates among people applying to work for one Saskatchewan company could be "an anomaly," says a spokeswoman for the testing company. According to Leonard Banga, owner of Xtreme Mining and Demolition, over a 10-day period last month, 22 of 26 people who wanted a job with his company [continues 293 words]
Crash Victim Can't Find Doctor to Authorize Legal Bud Dave Thistlewaite says medical marijuana gave him his life back. For six years it has allowed him to live more comfortably than the traditional painkillers he used to take. This year, for the first time, he was denied renewal of his marijuana prescription and has to buy his cannabis illegally. "I buy it wherever I can get it on the street, whenever I can afford it," he said from his home in Mont Nebo, west of Shellbrook. [continues 652 words]
The owner of a Saskatoon mining company says it's getting tougher to find good workers after nearly all recent applicants failed a routine drug screening. All applicants had the required equipment training and some even had sales experience or university education for the lucrative positions, most of which paid between $30 and $45 per hour. But over a 10-day period last month, 22 of 26 people who wanted a job with Xtreme Mining and Demolition failed the drug test, said owner Leonard Banga. [continues 543 words]
It has become clear in the past few months that we're in the midst of a pot predicament. And Saskatchewan citizens, health authorities and elected representatives have a lot to ponder. The Supreme Court of Canada ruled on June 11 that Canadians with a valid prescription could consume medical marijuana in other ways besides just a dried form. In short, the court enlarged the definition of medical marijuana, meaning that legal restrictions on extracts and derivatives are now gone, and brownies, cookies, teas, chocolate bars and shakes, among various other products, are no longer illegal. [continues 632 words]
Michael Newell didn't know he was being watched. At least, at first he didn't. A neighbour of Newell believed he was doing - maybe even selling - drugs. That neighbour took the accusations to Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN). And that's how, years later, Newell found himself desperately searching for a new place to live. Newell's troubles trace back to May, 2004, when a bill was introduced in Saskatchewan that aimed at making communities safer. It said as much in its name: the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act. [continues 1020 words]
'I COULD PINPOINT THEM WATCHING MY HOUSE' REGINA - Michael Newell didn't know he was being watched. At least, at first he didn't. Newell's neighbour believed he was doing - maybe even selling - drugs. That neighbour took the accusations to Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN). And that's how, years later, Newell found himself desperately searching for a new place to live. Newell's troubles trace back to May 2004, when a bill was introduced in Saskatchewan aimed at making communities safer. [continues 890 words]
Canada's Health Minister Rona Ambrose said on Thursday last week that she is "outraged" by the Supreme Court of Canada's ruling on how users of medical marijuana can use it - they will not be restricted to just smoking it. Ambrose is also vowing to fight the SCOC's "normalization" of pot use in Canada. It is a strange response to the unanimous SCOC ruling. First of all, the ruling has nothing to do with the normalization of pot use; it just removes restrictions for those medical users of the drug - a good thing. There is some irony in the fact that some Canadian users were concerned about the harmful effects of smoking the drug, which can be consumed in numerous other ways, including baking into products such as muffins or cookies, brewing as a tea or even taking as a pill. [continues 519 words]
Canada's Health Minister Rona Ambrose said on Thursday that she is "outraged" by the Supreme Court of Canada's ruling on how users of medical marijuana can use it - they will not be restricted to just smoking it. Ambrose is also vowing to fight the SCOC's "normalization" of pot use in Canada. It is a strange response to the unanimous SCOC ruling. First of all, the ruling has nothing to do with the normalization of pot use; it just removes restrictions for those medical users of the drug - a good thing. There is some irony in the fact that some Canadian users were concerned about the harmful effects of smoking the drug, which can be consumed in numerous other ways, including baking into products such as muffins or cookies, brewing as a tea or even taking as a pill. [continues 519 words]
The Supreme Court of Canada is perhaps one of the most misunderstood bodies in this country's system of laws and how they are made. Misunderstood particularly, it seems, by our very own federal government. The Supremes are ultimate defenders of the Constitution and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Their rulings are based primarily on those documents as well as a fundamental understanding of law as it ought to apply in this country. While the federal government has rights to pass legislation, they are still bound by the statutes in the Charter. If they are seen to be overstepping those boundaries, the Supremes are well within their jurisdiction to virtually strike down these laws. [continues 490 words]
SASKATOON - A man who helps people access their medically prescribed marijuana says he is more motivated than ever to open a dispensary in Saskatoon after the federal government's response to a Supreme Court ruling allowing the use of edibles and extracts. "If I didn't have a fire lit under me yesterday, I do today," said Mark Hauk, founder of the Saskatchewan Compassion Club. In a stinging decision Thursday, a unanimous seven-justice bench said the government's medical pot program was constitutionally flawed, breached patients' rights and was not saved under section one of the Charter. [continues 609 words]
Inside Saskatchewan
