TORONTO - Businesses that illegally sell recreational marijuana after the government of Ontario sets up its own shops could be fined up to $1 million under legislation tabled Wednesday. One of the main aspects of the proposed law, which would take effect once the federal government makes the drug legal in July 2018, is to crack down on the array of illegal dispensaries, Attorney General Yasir Naqvi said. "We are going to work very hard towards that," he said. "We have put very strict penalties in that regards. . . . We feel very comfortable that the regime that we will put in place will be a significant deterrent for these illegal businesses." [continues 311 words]
Most Canadians are in favour of legalizing marijuana and for many different reasons. Little Kyla Williams in Summerland became a poster child across North America for the benefits of medical cannabis. Recreational users affirm that pot is less harmful than alcohol. (Most cops agree that drunks are far harder to deal with than stoners.) A suggestion by the Green Party is to take distribution out of the control of organized crime and tax it like they do for alcohol and tobacco. A portion of tax collected can then be directed for education and treatment programs for those who become addicted. [continues 225 words]
The majority of Canadians are in favour of legalizing marijuana and for many different reasons. Little Kyla Williams in Summerland became a poster child across North America for the wonderful benefits of medical cannabis. Recreational users affirm that pot is less harmful than alcohol. (Most cops agree that drunks are far harder to deal with than stoners.) A suggestion that the Green party has been saying for years is take distribution out of the hands of organized crime, tax it like they do alcohol and cigarettes, and spend the money on education and treatment programs. [continues 210 words]
Tory Leader open to new ideas for tackling crisis in B.C., but remains leery of supervised drug-use sites and further decriminalization Federal Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer says he is trying to keep an open mind on options for dealing with the opioid overdose crisis in British Columbia, but is not backing off key tenets on harm reduction his party pushed in government. That includes reservations about supervised drug-use sites. In an interview on Wednesday ahead of a visit later this month to the Lower Mainland, Mr. Scheer also said prosecuting drug users may steer them into rehabilitation programs that would reduce the risk of overdoses. [continues 591 words]
A 22-year-old Sudbury man will learn Dec. 6 how long he is going to jail, if at all, for selling a drug that contributed to another man's death. "Given the uniqueness of the case, it isn't possible for me to do this (give a sentencing decision) today," Ontario Court Justice Randall Lalande said about 5:15 p.m. Wednesday after a multi-hour sentencing hearing for David Mealey. Mealey pleaded guilty back on July 11 to a charge of trafficking MDA, a derivative of the Ecstasy drug. A pre-sentence report was ordered. [continues 1123 words]
Premier urges ministers, civil service to declare any potential issues with business side of marijuana sales MANITOBA - Premier Brian Pallister has ordered cabinet ministers, their legislative assistants and senior civil servants to declare any possible conflicts of interest they may have with legalized marijuana, as he prepares to ramp up its implementation July 1. Pallister told reporters Wednesday he'll issue a request for proposals next Tuesday for anyone interested in being involved in the production, storage, and sale of legalized marijuana. [continues 363 words]
Forty retail shops will open by next summer, with 150 provincewide in 2020 The province's new marijuana monopoly will be known as the Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation. Attorney General Yasir Naqvi launched the OCRC - a subsidiary of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario - in sweeping legislation Wednesday at Queen's Park that takes effect when Ottawa legalizes recreational weed next July 1. "That is the legal name of that company. There will be branding that we'll do . . . a visual logo, etc., that we will announce in the future," said Naqvi, noting OCRC-run retail shops will sell bongs, rolling papers and other paraphernalia. [continues 487 words]
I had no idea. Curious to find out what goes into the making of the medical cannabis I vaporize and inhale most nights to dull the pain and let me sleep, I spent an afternoon at the recent Grow Up Cannabis Conference in Niagara Falls; five hours in absolute awe at the immense reach of this vast new Canadian industry. Because using recreational marijuana will no longer be a criminal offence come next July, the entire industry all across Canada is showcasing its products. [continues 631 words]
While attending the public meeting on cannabis with the four local members of Parliament earlier this month, I was struck by the scaremongering rhetoric on display from the front. Cambridge MP Bryan May, KitchenerCentre MP Raj Saini, Kitchener SouthHespeler MP Marwan Tabbara, and K-W MP Bardish Chagger, who sponsored the forum, led a 30-minute presentation on the proposed cannabis laws, including the legislation that will impose blood content driving limits onto cannabis users once the product becomes legal in July next year. Taking comments from the audience afterward, it was clear that there were more questions for them than they had answers. [continues 578 words]
