The only thing clear about research into medical cannabis is that more research is needed. That was a conclusion expressed by many experts who gathered at the first cannabis conference hosted by the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Medical Cannabis Research at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton West 5th Campus on the weekend. "This conference is really the initial offering we have to the scientific community," said McMaster University associate professor Jason Busse, an expert in chronic pain and a co-director of the cannabis centre that opened in October. [continues 459 words]
Workers have been assaulted, but fear of raids stop some from calling police AFTER NEWS OF THE LATEST armed marijuana dispensary robbery, local cannabis advocate Britney Guerra appealed through a media release for any store owners who have been robbed to call police. The responses she got back shocked her. She knew there were robberies going unreported, but the problem was bigger than she suspected. Within 48 hours she had calls from four different Hamilton store owners who told her they had been robbed - perhaps by the same people - in the last month alone. [continues 705 words]
29 incidents involving gunfire in Hamilton this year already surpasses total for 2016 There have been 29 shootings in Hamilton so far this year, surpassing last year's high of 22 and signalling a troubling trend of targeted, drug-related violence for police. "We recognize the increase in the number of incidents and are actively investigating them," said Hamilton police spokesperson Const. Jerome Stewart. "We believe the shootings have been targeted and we are concerned because one shooting is too many." [continues 448 words]
Charges include fraud, bribery, trafficking A suspended Hamilton police gangs and weapons enforcement unit officer already awaiting trial for his alleged role in helping a drug trafficking organization is facing 16 new criminal charges. On Tuesday, Craig Ruthowsky was charged with bribery, two counts of breach of trust, two counts of obstructing justice, public mischief, two counts of weapons trafficking, fraud under $5,000, trafficking marijuana, perjury, two counts of conspiracy to commit an indictable offence, robbery and two counts of trafficking cocaine. [continues 613 words]
Horizon gave police evidence of high electricity usage A HAMILTON COUPLE caught with a commercial marijuana grow-operation in their basement had their charter rights violated when a hydro company shared evidence of their high power usage with police, but that privacy breach wasn't serious enough to overturn their drug trafficking convictions, the Ontario Court of Appeal has ruled. The case highlights questions about when and how police can access private data. One legal expert says it could have implications on how police access such data. [continues 492 words]
Guns, yes - but knives, pepper spray, hammers, bats, batons and pipes have all been wielded as invaders strike in Hamilton The number of violent home invasions in Hamilton nearly doubled last year, highlighting a growth in what police say is crime fuelled by the illegal drug trade in the city. Last year Hamilton police investigated 67 violent home invasion robberies, up from 36 in 2015, said police spokesperson Const. Steve Welton. As of March this year there had already been 12 home invasions, according to police records. The Spectator is aware of at least five more since then, including two in which people were shot. [continues 643 words]
There are at least 18 storefront marijuana dispensaries operating illegally in Hamilton. Despite raids by police, these storefront operations keep bouncing back, primed for the time that pot becomes legal STEP INSIDE ONE OF HAMILTON'S medical marijuana dispensaries and you will find rows of dried marijuana stored inside sealed glass jars, everything from bath balms to shaving cream, and knowledgeable staff - often called bud tenders - willing to help you find just the right product. The businesses range from spa-like to head shop, yet all are in public storefronts, demanding to be seen. But make no mistake - they are illegal. Owners know their businesses are illegal but believe without them, patients would not be able to access relief. They claim the product, which is only available online from Health Canada's licensed providers, is too expensive, can be difficult to access and isn't as good as what's available from seasoned (albeit illegal) growers. [continues 1375 words]
Gone are the days of marijuana-exclusive drug dealers and police busting large grow operations; common are illegal medical marijuana dispensaries in brightly lit storefronts and multimillion-dollar grow facilities clamouring for federal medical licences. "It's everybody trying to get ahead of the game because they think that legislation is going to change," said Hamilton police vice and drug Det. Craig Leishman. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says marijuana legislation to legalize the recreational market should be ready this summer with a federal task force recommending the provinces control the wholesale distribution. But where exactly that marijuana will be legally sold - and when - remains to be seen. [continues 962 words]
City has issued cease-and-desist order and threatened fines up to $50,000 Medical marijuana dispensary owners, employees and patients gathered outside City Hall Wednesday in protest of the city's crackdown against the businesses and to call for regulation. The rally was organized in response to "cease and desist" letters the city sent to 17 medical marijuana dispensaries last week. The letters cited zoning infractions and come with a warning of fines up to $50,000, plus up to $25,000 per day after a conviction. [continues 365 words]
Det. Const. Craig Ruthowsky Has Been Under Police Suspension Since 2012 A veteran Hamilton gang and gun officer, suspended for the last three years, remains in a Toronto jail after being swept up in a series of raids by police targeting gang activity in the Greater Toronto Area. Officers forced their way into the Hamilton home of 41-year-old Det. Const. Craig Ruthowsky at about 5 a.m. Thursday, as similar raids were being carried out at 50 locations from St. Catharines to Durham region. [continues 752 words]
The province is not tracking how many inmates are overdosing in jails across Ontario. The government has no central database of this information, despite drugs being such a concern that the regional coroner is planning an inquest that will examine the overdose deaths of four inmates at the Barton Street jail. Non-fatal overdoses are seen by experts as a way to gauge the drug problem and predict drug deaths and violence. Federally, Correctional Service Canada tracks overdoses and other major incidents inside prisons. But in Ontario, the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services does not track this data, including for the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre. [continues 978 words]
After a spike of overdoses across the city, police are warning intravenous drug users about a potentially fatal strain of heroin being sold here. Hamilton police Acting Detective Sergeant Phil Peckford of the vice and drug unit said police are aware of eight non-fatal overdoses over a 48-hour period starting Tuesday and are concerned someone could die. "It's noteworthy," he said. It's not clear if the heroin is tainted or if it's just a very high potency, Peckford said. [continues 211 words]
Lawyer found not guilty in heroin overdose of friend An out-of-work Hamilton lawyer who supplied her friend with the heroin that ultimately killed him is not responsible for his death, an Ontario court has ruled. Justice Bernd Zabel found Sarah Jackson, 36, not guilty of manslaughter in the January 2013 overdose death of 36-year-old Ed Cieslik. He made the ruling Friday morning, more than seven weeks after the trial wrapped up. Zabel found the victim was "persistent in his quest to take heroin," and "wore down" Jackson to supply him with the drug. [continues 471 words]
Horizon Shared Data With Police Voluntarily An Ontario court has ruled that a pair of Hamilton drug traffickers do not have a Charter-enshrined right to privacy when it comes to their hydro usage. Maria Del Carmen Orlandis-Habsburgo and Edwin Robert Lefrancois don't deny they were growing marijuana at the Victoria Avenue South home they began renting about eight years ago, said their lawyer Paul Lewin. The issue is that Horizon Utilities voluntarily sent police their hydro data - showing usage seven to 40 times higher than similar-sized homes - sparking an investigation that led to their arrests. [continues 486 words]
An Ontario court has ruled that a pair of Hamilton drug traffickers do not have a charter-enshrined right to privacy when it comes to their hydro usage. Maria Del Carmen OrlandisHabsburgo and Edwin Robert Lefrancois don't deny they were growing marijuana inside the Victoria Avenue South home they began renting about eight years ago, said their lawyer Paul Lewin. The issue is that Horizon Utilities voluntarily sent police their hydro data - which showed usage seven to 40 times higher than similar-sized homes - sparking an investigation that led to their arrests. [continues 446 words]
Health Canada is working to change its medical marijuana program with the hope of eliminating exploitation by criminal elements. The main change is to eliminate personal production in favour of licensed commercial producers who would be inspected and audited by Health Canada. Spokesperson Stephane Shank said the government just finished a consultation period on the changes last month. The government is now analyzing the results, with a plan to implement the changes by March 31, 2014. Currently there are three types of medical marijuana licences - authorization to possess, personal-use production (can only produce for yourself), and designated-person production (can produce for someone authorized to possess). [continues 190 words]
Couple Accused of Endorsing Bogus Files for Medical Marijuana Say They Don't Know Gravelle A Bancroft area doctor facing numerous charges for allegedly falsifying medical marijuana documents is connected to an ongoing police probe into a notorious Hamilton criminal organization. The RCMP say kingpin Andre Gravelle, 48, is the subject of the investigation. Police passed information to his parole officer, which led to Gravelle's parole being suspended last week. He remains in jail awaiting word from his parole officer or for a Parole Board of Canada hearing. [continues 688 words]
Tobacco. Marijuana. Four balloons of what appeared to be drugs. Possibly crack cocaine. Twenty-six tablets of prescription medication. A nail. Soap in a sock. A pocket knife. A piece of sharpened metal. Lighters. And "a kite" - written inmate communication. This is the contraband confiscated by authorities last year from inside the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre. The list of items, seized at the jail on Barton Street East and released to The Spectator through a Freedom of Information request, is a glimpse of what has become all too common in Ontario jails, said Eddy Almeida. A former Barton jail guard, Almeida is the president of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), which represents corrections officers at detention centres across the province. [continues 831 words]
Believed Drug Charge From 30 Years Ago Was Done With A 74-year-old Hamilton grandmother and health-care support worker had spoken openly with her family about a drug charge she received in New York City nearly 30 years ago -- a charge she believed was settled and in her past, said the woman's daughter. But an April 1, 1980, warrant for possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute remained on the books. And with no statute of limitations on drug charges, Homenella Cole was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers on Monday and remains in state custody. [continues 376 words]
