OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau isn't backing down from his government's much-maligned timeline for legalizing marijuana, despite a growing chorus of calls from senators, Indigenous leaders and others to delay the plan for up to a year. Trudeau says the plan to make recreational pot legal by this summer will go ahead without delay. "We're going to continue to move forward. We're going to bring in legalization as we've committed to this summer on schedule," Trudeau said Thursday. [continues 504 words]
Opposition Tories press for details on rollout of government-run cannabis stores The province appears to be keeping details of its business plans for selling legal pot in P.E.I. close to its chest for the time being, promising more specifics in the coming months. The Opposition Progressive Conservatives pressed for more details on government's plans, announced last week, to sell legal cannabis in government-run, standalone stores operated by the P.E.I. Liquor Control Commission. On Friday, Finance critic Darlene Compton questioned Finance Minister Allen Roach on what the start-up costs would be for these stores. She also wanted to know how many stores will open in P.E.I. and what the projected revenues will be for the province? [continues 490 words]
Trudeau still "working with provinces" on legal pot Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he is still working with the provinces when it comes to how legal marijuana administration costs will be funded. During a visit to P.E.I. Thursday, Trudeau said discussions are ongoing on legal cannabis with the provinces after premiers were cool to the idea of splitting the revenue of a proposed excise tax 50-50 with Ottawa. "We continue to work with all provinces and territories and municipalities to ensure we bring in a strong legalized framework around cannabis in order to protect our kids, in order to keep the criminal organizations and gangs from making the billions of dollars in profits that they are," Trudeau told reporters in P.E.I. Thursday. [continues 151 words]
Islander hosting public discussion on legal pot after government says no to public meetings A local woman is taking matters into her own hands to speak openly about legalizing marijuana after her request to government for a public meeting was denied. Annie MacEachern says she asked provincial officials about its plans for a public meeting after government released a public engagement survey asking Islanders for their opinions on how the province should deal with impaired driving, education, taxation, public health and regulatory compliance in regards to legal cannabis. [continues 414 words]
Dr. Hendrik Visser, WCB medical adviser, says board seeing increasing claims for coverage of medical cannabis The medical adviser for the Workers Compensation Board of P.E.I. says he believes the jury is still out on the effectiveness of medical marijuana. Dr. Hendrik Visser is responsible for reviewing cases and providing medical opinions on injury claims submitted to the WCB in Prince Edward Island. During a presentation at the Workers Compensation Board (WCB) annual meeting in Charlottetown Monday, Visser raised concern about the increasing perception of cannabis as a "magic bullet" among physicians. [continues 355 words]
Afghanistan veteran Dennis MacKenzie opens up about how losing six friends overseas caused PTSD and how medical marijuana has helped him heal His face was grief-stricken, streaming with tears, as he carried the coffin of one of six friends killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. Dennis MacKenzie's emotions gripped the country in April 2007 when he was photographed taking part in a ramp ceremony in Kandahar for his friends and fellow soldiers, killed by an improvised explosive device in their LAV-III armoured vehicle. [continues 820 words]
P.E.I. finance minister questioned on whether P.E.I. liquor stores could sell marijuana once it is legal P.E.I. Finance Minister Allen Roach says it's far too early to contemplate selling marijuana in Prince Edward Island liquor stores. "I'll be honest with you, marijuana being sold anywhere in P.E.I. is not on my agenda right now," he told The Guardian. "It's premature to say we're going to do it at the liquor stores or through any other way of selling it." [continues 361 words]
Minister Defends His Record On Actions Taken To Address Addiction Epidemic Less than 24 hours after 100 Islanders held a tearful rally for more addictions services, Health Minister Doug Currie faced questions about why he left $ 1 million unspent in his addictions and mental health budget last year. Opposition MLA James Aylward asked Currie Wednesday how he would explain this unspent money to family members of addicted Islanders who shared their difficult and painful stories on the steps of Province House Wednesday evening. [continues 558 words]
Premier Commits To Building Addictions Facility If Recommended By Mental Health And Addictions Officer "People are dying - there's no treatment here for people that are suffering with mental illness and addiction," a mother told a crowd of supporters during a protest at Province House Tuesday. Dianne Young organized the protest in an attempt to push lawmakers in P. E. I. into doing more to provide services for Islanders struggling with addictions. Young's son, Lennon Waterman, is believed to have taken his own life in November as a result of an addiction to prescription drugs. [continues 577 words]
The mother of a man believed to have taken his own life as a result of drug addiction will stage a protest Tuesday in the hopes of getting government to provide more services for addicted Islanders. Dianne Young's son Lennon Waterman would have turned 30 on Monday. He has been missing since early November. Young believes he took his own life by leaping into the cold North River. RCMP found his clothes on the North River causeway after receiving reports of a man on the causeway the night of Nov. 8, 2013. [continues 297 words]
Dr. Don Ling Tells Mlas 60 Per Cent of Those on Program End Up Leading Productive Lives The medical director of the methadone program says the program should be expanded due to high levels of success among patients struggling with opiate addictions. Dr. Don Ling told the Standing Committee on Health and Social Development Tuesday 60 per cent of those on the methadone program end up drug-free and back in the workforce, leading productive lives. "Lives that are in the dumpster all of a sudden are back in a productive way, kids back in mother's care, people back to work or school, it's just powerful stuff," Ling told the MLAs on the committee. "It's very encouraging." Ling appeared before the committee as part of its ongoing consultations regarding the alarming number of Islanders becoming addicted to prescription pills. [continues 495 words]
