Last week the federal government announced it will move forward with its highly-anticipated and contentious pledge to legalize recreational marijuana. What might possibly be the most memorable piece of legislation undertaken by the Justin Trudeau Liberals will most certainly result in polarizing political and personal stances. Social media and online reactions range from cheers to fears - including criticisms that the whole movement is nothing short of a government tax grab that has parent and landlord advocates up in arms. "I've witnessed Justin Trudeau try to manage the economy, electoral reform I'm not sure I have faith in his ability to protect kids from pot," said Banff-Airdrie Conservative MP Blake Richards. [continues 624 words]
As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau moves closer to following through with his campaign promise to legalize recreational cannabis, businesses and individuals are waiting to see the local impact and some feel that legalization would remove stigma surrounding those who also use cannabis for medical reasons. The Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation released its final report to the federal government last week, which will be used to inform legislation to be introduced to parliament this spring. It is too preliminary to abstract a possible implementation timeline beyond that. [continues 407 words]
It's a rare occurrence for Cochrane park users to stumble across strewn syringes and hypodermic needles in a public area. Needless to say, it created concern for soccer player Lucy Lovelock when she came across a scattered pile of such paraphernalia in the soccer field parking lot in community of GlenEagles the evening of Aug. 2. "I have no issues with what people do in their private lives, but it concerns me to find this in a public area used by kids all the time," said the mother of two, who contacted Cochrane Fire Services to dispose of the mess. [continues 125 words]
