Told by Air Canada He Couldn't Get on Flight With Prescription Pot Michael Korchak was admittedly a little nervous flying home to Toronto from Halifax for the holidays last week. This was the first time the Burlington resident was travelling with his medicine on him: a small bottle of medical marijuana. He knew from some research that possession of the drug could lead to questioning and delays at the airport. But he thought he was prepared. He arrived three hours early for the domestic flight, so his papers could be checked. And he said he told Air Canada employees right away that he was carrying the medicine, and showed them all the accompanying documentation. [continues 401 words]
It would be tempting to let expectations grow by leaps and bounds. But it's more prudent to be realistic when it comes to the prospective tax revenues from legalized marijuana. As the federal government appears still on track with this plan, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said he believes legal sales might result in a bit of revenue for the government, but not a financial windfall. He said tax raised from this product would largely go toward addiction treatment and support programs - presumably including programs involving abuse of other substances and other forms of addiction, too. [continues 310 words]
The prospect of marijuana being sold in LCBO outlets now seems likely, with endorsements this week coming from both Premier Kathleen Wynne and main Ontario public-sector union rep Smokey Thomas. While the approach makes sense from a regulatory point of view, and will help maintain LCBO jobs while removing the stigma of a criminal record for recreational users who get caught, we suspect that many readers of this newspaper will remain discomfited by the seeming endorsement of another drug. Many will still wonder why anyone who doesn't need to for medical reasons would want to smoke marijuana, or ingest some edible marijuana product. [continues 388 words]
In British Columbia this past week, the provincial government was told liquor store employees wanted to be the ones to sell legalized marijuana, should that legalization occur. (It was a federal Liberal election promise.) Their argument? "We believe this is an incredible opportunity for British Columbia," Stephanie Smith, president of the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union, said at a press conference. "We have an excellent track record for distributing and retailing alcohol." That track record, they argue, includes the responsible sale of alcohol. Interesting point. But despite all that responsibility at the point of sale, as a nation, we don't always do so well with personal responsibility. [continues 464 words]
Police made another raid at a Halifax marijuana dispensary Thursday afternoon. Officers went to the Farm Assists Cannabis Resource Centre at 2320 Gottingen St. at about 2 p.m. "There is a search warrant being executed," Const. Dianne Woodworth, a Halifax Regional Police spokeswoman, said in an interview about an hour later. "It was in response to a public complaint that we received, and we had a duty to investigate." Woodworth did not know if any arrests had been made or if any substances had been seized. [continues 221 words]
Farmer, concerned about flock's health, says policy needed Cyril O'Connor walks up to the fence on his Piedmont Valley Road property and gives a holler. Within seconds about 30 sheep are running to meet him. A sheep knows the shepherd's voice, O'Connor says. And he knows his sheep. O'Connor does a lot to protect the sheep he's built this connection with. In addition to secure fences, he has two dogs that protect the sheep from predators such as coyotes. [continues 651 words]
A lesson in the dangers of drugs appeared to have hit home with many Youth Speaks Up participants Sunday. "I know I'll never do it," said Claire Trainor, a Grade 6 student at Malcolm Munroe Middle School. "It destroys your body and I would never think of doing it." Trainor, 11, added that she thought it was an important topic for people her age to be discussing. "It's better to talk about it when you're young," she said. [continues 379 words]
As a psychiatrist I was disappointed by the national election results which produced a Liberal Party majority. Specifically, I am opposed to the Liberal Party's intention to legalize marijuana in Canada. Doing so will no doubt increase prevalence of use and by so doing will unleash a cohort of users who will suffer chronic and likely lethal pulmonary disease. Data is already available showing cannabis use to cause pulmonary bullae, pneumothoraxes, chronic bronchitis and in one study an 8 per cent increased risk of lung cancer for every year of heavy use. [continues 122 words]
Pot is potentially psychologically dangerous in the short and long-term in unpredictable and extreme ways. Hopefully, Justin Trudeau will take the scientific evidence into account about the potential dangers of marijuana, including its ability to trigger panic attack disorders, anxiety, depression, paranoid psychosis and schizophrenia, before moving ahead with full legalization. These risks are amplified if there's a family history of mental illness. While the majority of adverse affects for users may range from minor memory loss or paranoia to lethargy, the more serious impacts of "bad trips" and negative reactions can be truly devastating. [continues 752 words]
Mr. Harper has been very successful in keeping the anti-abortionists and anti-gay elements in his party under control. But his position on marijuana (the Reefer Madness agenda), and the Alice-in-Wonderland legislation against buy-sexualism, suggests the almost-theocratic agenda that lurks in the Conservative party is not far from the surface. This purblind "conservative" party knows nothing of the reduction-in-harm mode of thinking. Re-election of this government may even bring back the WCTU-the Women's Conservative Temperance Union. I feel like I'm living in a Margaret Atwood nightmare. JW Beveridge, Halifax [end]
A group of activists from the Maritimers Unite for Medical Marijuana Society staged a protest outside the law courts on Upper Water Street in Halifax on Monday. The crowd was rallying in support of James MacDonald, a 36-year-old Stellarton man who was sentenced in January to 60 days in jail for growing marijuana plants in his home. MacDonald has Crohn's disease and says he needs the drug to ease his chronic pain. His medical marijuana licence was expired at the time of his arrest. [continues 429 words]
It's sad to see The Coast contributing to this. There is a bullshit cultural milieu surrounding the use of cannabis. The general perception seems to be that marijuana is not only a completely harmless substance, but actually a panacea capable of alleviating/curing a vast array of medical conditions. However, its use is hindered by mean, moralistic politicians who are kept in the back pockets of nefarious pharmaceutical interests. This perception would be fine if cannabis was a completely harmless substance with a wide array of medicinal uses, as has been intimated in The Coast's recent story about the PEACE EAST festival (August 13), but it is not. It is sad to see an article pandering to these poorly formed ideas rather than engaging in substantive journalism. [continues 396 words]
Injection drug use is a problem, both worldwide and in our own backyards. To give some perspective on just how many people may be injecting drugs in Cape Breton, the Sharp Advice needle exchange, operated by the ALLY Centre ( former AIDS Coalition), dispensed over 620,000 needles in 2014 and accepted 642,000 used needles back. This was an increase of 100,000 from the previous year. What we can take from this is that either users are being more responsible by accessing new equipment and/or the number of injection drug users is rising. The answer is likely both. [continues 633 words]
The sixth annual PEACE EAST festival wants to clear the air on medical marijuana. Six years in, PEACE EAST keeps growing. The three-day outdoor festival in Middle Musquodoboit is Atlantic Canada's annual epicenter for cannabis consumers, advocates and caregivers to celebrate the tireless fight against the war on drugs. There's music, lectures, workshops and plenty of chances to get inspired. And, no, it's not just some hippie fest in the woods. "Well, you know what, it's a little bit of a hippie fest," counters Sherri Reeve-Enns. "There are hippies. I mean, they kind of popularized weed. You can't really avoid that." [continues 1663 words]
Son's Death After Years of Struggle Led to Video Talk SYDNEY - Of all the things she loved about her son, it is his captivating smile that she remembers the most. Vince Keating beamed so brightly he could light up a room, all the while distracting others away from his darkness. "He was a really handsome guy, physically fit; you'd never know he had issues looking at him," said his mother, Debbie Keating. "When he'd talk to you, he'd make you feel like you were the only person in the world. He had this real special way of communicating to people, yet he was hiding it all inside of him." [continues 688 words]
Alanis Morissette, the Canadian songstress who penned the tune "Mary Jane," admits to using pot in the past to juice up her creativity. But when she became pregnant - her son Ever is four now - she gave up the weed. "You Oughta Know" what she knows: Smoking pot while you're pregnant or breastfeeding is dangerous for your fetus and your child. Studies show that when you expose your fetus to marijuana, chances are your child will have lower test scores on visual problem-solving, visual analysis, and visual and motor coordination, plus behavioral problems and a decreased attention span. These are lifelong handicaps. [continues 156 words]
KENTVILLE - The Annapolis Valley's integrated crime unit seized more than $179,000 worth of drugs off of the streets in the operating quarter that ended June 30. Kentville Police Service acting chief Ken Reade presented the latest quarterly report for the Valley Integrated Street Crime Enforcement Unit at the Kentville's committee of council meeting July 13. The unit charged 28 people with a combined total of 63 criminal charges, and 25 drug-related charges, following the execution of 13 warrants. [continues 201 words]
BLACK AVON - "Our ride ditched us," said Cassandra Barnes. On Monday morning, she and her friends, Aerlynn Spellman, Ksenia Azanova, and Chelsea Tobin, all in their early 20s, were on the side of a dirt road in Antigonish County with a cardboard sign reading Halifax. The guitars and synthesizers of the Evolve music festival's 126 acts were silent and the remnants of the approximately 5,000 attendees were moving slowly in the hot sun, packing up and heading home Monday. [continues 799 words]
Let's begin with a worst-case scenario hypothetical. A young woman attending last weekend's Evolve Music Festival - Antigonish's three-day "celebration of music, culture and social awareness" - decides she wants to alter her mind with some mind-altering substance. She asks around, discovers a guy selling what she thinks she wants to buy. She buys. She takes. But the drug isn't what she thought. She collapses. She's rushed to hospital. She dies. That horrific hypothetical isn't all that hypothetical. [continues 296 words]
Isolation Keeps Drug Users From Seeking Medical Care Cape Bretoners need to become more compassionate if a genuine effort to help drug users rejoin society and become healthy again is going to take place, says a sociologist who has been studying the impact that drug use has on people's lives. With about one drug overdose daily and 600,000 needles being distributed to intravenous drug users every year, there's no denying that a drug culture exists in Cape Breton. And people can die from drug use. But according to sociologist Margaret Dechman, there's something even more sinister happening, with drug users becoming isolated into not seeking health care when they need it. [continues 473 words]
Organizers had hoped to offer safer use after past problems The Evolve Festival in Antigonish this weekend will go ahead, but concert-goers won't be able to have their drugs tested on site, as the organizers had wanted. "I signed a waiver that says we wouldn't do any of the sort at Evolve this year," said producer Jonas Colter Wednesday afternoon. On Tuesday, Colter's insurance company told him it couldn't insure him if he was going to provide drug testing for people at the festival. [continues 328 words]
Conservative MLA says testing condones drugs; professor calls it harm reduction In situations where recreational drug use is inevitable, should users be able to find out exactly what it is they're taking? Or should they trust they got what they paid for and hope for the best? That's the debate surrounding the Evolve Festival in Antigonish this weekend. Like most large music festivals, Evolve is notorious for hard-core partying and heavy drug use. Earlier this week, Evolve producer Jonas Colter announced there would be free drug testing available so users could test the purity of their stash. He said the tests would "minimize harm," and "protect the people" from overdosing on contaminated drugs. [continues 406 words]
To the editor, Health Minister Rona Ambrose and her department were blindsided by the latest venture into social engineering by the Supreme Court of Canada surrounding the use of an addictive substance, marijuana. I say addictive on the strength of the steps users take to acquire it, no stone left unturned, through hell and high water, criminal activity through smuggling, home production, any and all measures to acquire the drug from whatever the source or reason. No scientifically conducted work has been done on the SCOC-approved method of delivery to determine levels of safety, purity, dosage maximums per unit, provisions for tamper-proof storage to prevent accidental or intentional use by youngsters, where ingestion of muffins, cookies or other confectionary presentations could prove fatal. The minister has good reason to express displeasure. Doug Stallard New Glasgow [end]
"It doesn't necessarily mean we have an increase in drug use" Needle exchange seeing huge annual increase in sharps distributed. Cape Breton's needle exchange is continuing to see huge increases year-to-year in the number of needles it distributes but its executive director said it's not necessarily a clear correlation to increased drug use in a region that already has a significant drug problem. Christine Porter, executive director of the Ally Centre of Cape Breton, said the increase - more than 140,000 additional needles in the past year, for a total of 623,000 - is alarming but could be due to increased knowledge of the service and the desire by drug users for harm reduction. [continues 523 words]
Nova Scotia isn't exactly at the forefront of the country's burgeoning medical marijuana trade. In the year and a bit since Ottawa threw open the doors to commercial pot producers, 23 companies have been licensed to produce and/or sell medical-grade marijuana, yet not one of those companies is located in the province. The bulk of licensed producers are in Ontario and British Columbia, but every other province except Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador has at least one. [continues 852 words]
The numbers are alarming. The Ally Centre of Cape Breton's needle exchange program served nearly five times as many young men and women during the 2014-15 fiscal year as it did in 2013-14. "It's pretty startling," said Christine Porter, executive director of the Sydney-based organization. "But we're seeing increased numbers every year, regardless. More than 623,000 syringes left this building last year, which is 140,000 more than (the previous year). Every year, we're seeing major, major increases in the numbers of syringes that leave here." [continues 329 words]
Lawyers representing plaintiffs in a proposed class action, claiming Health Canada breached privacy rights and jeopardized the safety of medical marijuana users, will be seeking damages of up to $20,000 per person, a court in Halifax heard Wednesday. Federal Court Justice Michael Phelan is hearing a certification application for a proposed class action, put forward by medical marijuana users and growers across Canada, who were licensed under the previous federal medicinal marijuana program. The claim alleges that in November 2013 the department sent letters to about 40,000 people explaining changes to the federal medical marijuana access program, and because the return address on the envelopes clearly stated they came from the Health Canada medical marijuana program anyone who may have seem them knew the recipient was either licensed to possess or grow marijuana for medical purposes. [continues 523 words]
Fabian Henry returned home to Cape Breton on Monday for the opening of a new veterans support centre that has a special focus on medical marijuana treatment. The CEO and founder of Marijuana for Trauma Inc./Veterans Helping Veterans is now based in New Brunswick but is originally from New Waterford. He served with the Canadian Forces for 13 years as a combat engineer before being released for post-traumatic stress disorder in 2012. In attendance for the official opening of the Sydney chapter of Marijuana for Trauma Inc./Veterans Helping Veterans on Kings Road, Henry said the location is now the fourth of its kind in Canada. "There's going to be a lot of healing happening here through cannabis therapy and peer support therapy," he said, noting the centre is funded mainly by donations that can be made at www.veteransforhealing.ca [end]
A Dartmouth man who was facing drug charges for growing cannabis is relieved the charges have been dropped, but he plans to seek compensation for his losses. Bobbylee Dillman and his wife were charged in March with possession and production of marijuana. Those charges were dropped this week, after the Crown claimed that "evidence was an issue," Dillman said. "This is a welcome change, but it's also stressful," he said. "I'm definitely seeking legal action because this can't go on to other patients." [continues 274 words]
Something to toke about - Part 3 This is the column I don't want my grandma to read. That's right, folks-this week we're talking about weed lube. This winter, when storms were slamming Halifax and we were all hibernating, two people I know decided to get creative. My friend and his girlfriend (let's call them Jack and Diane) whipped up some cannabis-infused lubricant. As Jack explained, "The original point was to get pussy-high." He found a recipe online for a cannabis lube made with coconut oil and cocoa butter. Considerate gentleman that he is, Jack thought his partner might enjoy the experience. She was totally game. [continues 677 words]
Lawyers will go before a Federal Court judge in Halifax in June to ask the court to certify a proposed class action on behalf of 40,000 medical marijuana users whose privacy was breached by Health Canada in 2013. There are 2,105 Nova Scotia class members in the case. A confidentiality order protects the real names of the two lead plaintiffs, a Nova Scotia man who works as a health-care professional and an Ottawa woman who works in the legal field. In court documents, they are identified under the pseudonyms John Doe and Suzie Jones. [continues 400 words]
A local business venture that unsurprisingly drew plenty of interest when first announced is a step closer to reality. Vida Cannabis in a news release announced the company is in the security clearance stage of the Health Canada application process. If successful there, the next step would involve finalizing construction - - a gigantic repurposing of the former Clairtone building in Stellarton - and getting ready for on-site inspection. Get past that and the company is in line for its production licence allowing it to grow medical marijuana. [continues 250 words]
Club hopes pro-cannabis event will help legalization At High Life Social Club in Halifax, they "celebrate cannabis every day," said owner Chris Henderson. Pot enthusiasts helped take that celebration one step higher Monday at the club's inaugural prohibition party. The pro-cannabis event featured glass blowing, a joint rolling competition and all the cloud-making and treat-munching enthusiasts could wish. "This is my lounge. This is what we do here," said Henderson. Even though possession of cannabis is still illegal in Canada, Halifax police said there is nothing illegal about charging customers to vaporize in the cafe. [continues 210 words]
The face of addiction looks significantly different from that portrayed in popular media. Depictions of 'out of control' alcohol and drug users, persuaded into engaging in these risky behaviours for selfish purposes, taints our understanding of what addiction really is. The reality is that one in five Canadians experience addiction problems, yet very few actively seek assistance in coping with their addiction. As a fourth year Psychology student at St. Francis Xavier University, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in a community placement with individuals living with addictions. The placement changed the view I had previously held regarding the disorder, and I became interested in the real life experiences of those struggling with addiction. [continues 660 words]
Medical marijuana advocates are fuming over last week's arrest of a Dartmouth man who used to have Health Canada's permission to grow pot. As a result, the Maritimers Unite for Medical Marijuana society intends to hold a news conference at the Farm Assists cannabis shop on Gottingen Street in Halifax on Wednesday. The move follows last Wednesday's arrest of 46-year-old Bob Dillman and his wife, who are charged with possession and cultivation of cannabis. "You can't treat patients like this," Dillman said in an interview Tuesday. [continues 633 words]
Mark Jason Murray claims being strip-searched when he was a psychiatric patient at East Coast Forensic Hospital was degrading and violated his charter rights. "It was very shocking, to say the least," said Murray, 40. "It was very traumatizing, and it was also very confusing and disorienting." The Halifax man is the representative plaintiff in a class action against Capital district health authority on behalf of 33 patients who allege their rights were violated when they were all strip-searched at East Coast Forensic Hospital on Oct. 16, 2012. [continues 495 words]
Education: New Drug and Alcohol Curriculum Aims to Help Students Make the Right Choices The province is hoping more students in Nova Scotia will learn to make responsible choices when it comes drugs and alcohol with the launch of a new drug education curriculum. Health minister Leo Glavine, joined by students and staff from Oxford School in Halifax, announced the new curriculum in the school's teen centre on Thursday. The curriculum was created in conjunction with the departments of Education and Early Childhood Development and Health and Wellness. [continues 290 words]
Our prime minister would have us believe that if we vote for Justin Trudeau, he will legalize cannabis. However, as far as I can see, Mr. Harper has already made cannabis legal for a very large number of Canadians. I would rather see people use cannabis than the prescription drugs that are not prescribed for them. Also, if cannabis were legalized for those who choose to use it, this would let the police have more time to investigate other crimes. The income, if cannabis were legalized, would be enormous and may get rid of the deficit and help in many other ways. Wayne Whynacht [end]
No one knows exactly how many people legally smoke marijuana in Nova Scotia anymore under a new system that places doctors as the sole gatekeepers to the drug. Health Canada previously tracked medical marijuana licences across the country. But the federal department stopped on April 1, 2014, when approvals fell into the laps of Canadian doctors. Health Canada said Friday it no longer keeps tabs on the exact number of medical pot users. The Canadian Medical Association and other doctor groups widely opposed the switch. They have developed new rules for prescribing the drug but are not able to track it themselves. [continues 452 words]
PICTOU - A Stellarton man will serve 60 days in jail for producing marijuana that he says he needs to help ease his chronic pain. James Malcolm Russell MacDonald, 36, was sentenced in Pictou provincial court Thursday on a conviction of production of marijuana and three additional counts of unsafe storage of a firearm. He was arrested in February 2014 when the Pictou County Integrated Street Crime Unit obtained a warrant to search his Stellarton home. Police seized 10 marijuana plants, 225 grams of bud and 600 grams of shake during the search. They also took possession of a .410 gauge shotgun, semi-automatic gun and 12-gauge shotgun. The guns all had trigger locks but were located on a table where the marijuana was begin grown and ammunition for all three weapons was close by. [continues 344 words]
Inside Nova Scotia
