Pot activist Ted Smith's attempt to nationalize the Hempology movement may be stalled when he brings his Cannabis Convention to Ottawa on Sunday. Smith, author of Hempology 101, began his conventions in B.C., where he gives public lectures at the University of Victoria. Smith said he wanted to hold the conference at Carleton University, but was unable to co-ordinate with the Ontario Public Research Interest Group (OPIRG) at the university. "It was quite frustrating that none of them were willing to help us get hempology up and running," said Ted. "Unfortunately, they may have the perception that I'm out trying to sell the book and they don't want to have their club used for some kind of commercial endeavour." [continues 268 words]
Ottawa lawyer Eugene Oscapella will be giving a presentation at this Sunday's cannabis convention about why he thinks there should be changes made to Canada's cannabis policy. "The policies and laws we've had to deal with cannabis in the past hundred years have been seriously flawed and have caused tremendous harm to users, their families, their communities, and society in general," said Oscapella. Oscapella said the prohibition of cannabis has created a black market that is a major source of income for organized crime in Canada. He also said pot laws have imposed unwarranted criminal records on Canadians, who have difficulty working and travelling as a result. [continues 158 words]
Ottawa Police Chief Vern White Takes His Seat in the Senate February 20. Cites His Work With Addiction Treatment As His Proudest Achievement As Police Chief As a senator, Vern White will be called on to give weighty questions a sober second thought - something he already does in Ottawa as chief of police. White will consider Bill C-10, the omnibus crime bill, which he supports in his current role. "I can't speak to it as a future Senator because it would put me in a conflict right now," he said, adding he will be willing to speak up on the bill once he is sworn in. [continues 192 words]
On Tuesday, a mass of dope fiends gathered on Parliament Hill to flagrantly smoke marijuana - and the rest of Ottawa barely noticed. Annual 4-20 decriminalization demos have gone on for years and they're no longer news. Apart from an alarming rise in the prevalence of bongo drums, no incidents or arrests were reported here or at the majority of smoke-ins across the country. (In Toronto, one person was injured in a fight and another was arrested with what appeared to be a firearm). [continues 367 words]
Last year, Jim Rouse's life spiraled out of control. The Ottawa man considered himself a lifetime user of drugs and alcohol, but was able to hold down a job in construction. When he lost his job -- and consequently, his apartment -- he began drinking and using drugs heavily. With nowhere to go, he slept outside at Ottawa's Central Experimental Farm. "I considered myself an alcoholic and drug addict," said the 45-year-old. "I was about being high all the time. I was a human garbage can." [continues 270 words]
Ottawa's needle exchange program addresses the spread of communicable diseases, but a supervised injection site here could help reduce deaths due to drug overdose, a man who helped start Australia's first such program said yesterday. "Nobody was there," said Tony Trimingham, whose son Damien, 23, died alone in a stairwell from a heroin overdose in 1997. Trimingham was guest speaker last night at an information session at the Ottawa Public Library -- the first of three on a tour by injection site supporters that also includes Montreal and Toronto. [continues 216 words]
Even Counsellors Disagree On Effect Of Decision Addiction counsellors had mixed reviews yesterday about the city's decision to kill a controversial program that distributed free crack pipes to addicts -- with some saying drug users' health will suffer as a result, but others believing it will encourage addicts to seek help. Jen Jones, senior addiction counsellor at Empathy House, said she anticipates a spike in health-related problems without the program. A long-term women's treatment centre, Empathy House deals with "quite a few crack-related problems," she said. [continues 238 words]
Sean Millington's Pot Shots Have Disappeared Into Cyberspace. The CFL yesterday deleted a column from its website in which the former player-turned-broadcaster suggested marijuana use in the league is rampant and commissioner Mark Cohon is planning to waste money with an unnecessary drug policy. The column, which was topped by the headline "CFL -- Clean Football League," was initially posted on www.cfl.ca four days ago. Metro created nationwide attention for the column in its Wednesday editions by outlining Millington's eyebrow-raising revelations and views, and urging readers to check them out on the CFL's site. Dozens of readers e-mailed us yesterday, however, to complain they couldn't find the piece. [continues 300 words]
Council Votes Down Controversial Program The city's controversial crack pipe program is up in smoke after being scrapped by council. Council voted 15-7 yesterday to drop a program that critics say promotes illegal drug use, despite an appeal by Ottawa's chief medical officer to retain a plan that proponents claim reduces the spread of disease among addicts. "It's about reducing disease and it's effective," said chief medical officer Dr. David Salisbury. "It would be a regressive step if we were to cancel it." [continues 337 words]
Emotions Run High On Day Program Killed On the day that council killed a controversial program that distributes crack pipes to addicts, tensions ran high between Sandy Hill residents who say they're plagued by drug users and program supporters outside city hall. Residents of Sandy Hill marched to city hall to argue against the harm-reduction program, which they said is increasing the prevalence of drug-related activity in their neighbourhood. While residents exchanged heated words with program supporters, it turned out both sides had a common goal -- to help drug addicts. [continues 252 words]
A lot of players in the CFL smoke a lot of marijuana. This is the word from Sean Millington, who spent 13 seasons as a running back with the B.C. Lions, Edmonton Eskimos, Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Toronto Argonauts and who has been a member of the CBC's CFL broadcast crew off and on since 2003. Millington's revelation, oddly enough, appears on the CFL's website. His most recent column is an eyebrow-raising piece where he suggests a drug policy is not necessary for the CFL and even criticizes commissioner Mark Cohon for planning to develop one. [continues 353 words]
Drug-Sniffing Dog Searches At Issue A case that began when officers showed up at a Sarnia, Ont., high school with "Chief" the drug-sniffing dog is about to test the limits of police powers in Canada. The Crown appeal, to be heard today by the Supreme Court of Canada, will help determine whether police can use sniffer dogs to conduct random searches of schools and other public places. At issue is whether an unannounced police visit to St. Patrick's high school in 2002 amounted to an unreasonable search and seizure under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Students spent nearly two hours locked down in their classrooms while police combed the school with their dog, who led them to five bags of marijuana and 10 magic mushrooms in a backpack belonging to a student known as "A.M." [continues 109 words]
No Proof It Helps And It Probably Enables Users: White Ottawa's new chief of police says the city's program of giving crack pipes to addicts is a bad idea. After only a few hours on the job yesterday, Chief Vernon White said rather than reducing crack use, the pipe program may make the problem worse. "I have a real problem anytime we give instruments of drugs to anyone to utilize," he said during his first meeting with reporters in Ottawa yesterday. [continues 183 words]
