Young adults responded to a voluntary survey about what they think about the legalization of marijuana. Here's what they had to say: These are some thoughts from some Prince Albert young people who were asked a few questions about what they think about the soon to be legalization of marijuana. I was interested and thought others might be too. The students were given a 10-question written questionnaire. They were aged 16 to 21. When asked what its legalization meant to them personally, the consensus was that it was a good idea and mainly because of what they considered to be the medicinal values of the plant. They spoke of its ability to help people with cancer, seizures, and anxiety. They felt it could treat people with pain and stress. They felt it could calm people down. They saw it as a natural product as it comes from a plant. They saw its legalization as "freedom". [continues 246 words]
With legalization right around the corner, one P.A. resident wants to help educate people on the benefits of marijuana Mike McCaul is not your average cannabis activist. McCaul, who moved to Prince Albert from Calgary in 2008, first began using marijuana to help alleviate severe back problems. He rarely uses cannabis these days as his injuries have healed, but his passion for helping others understand the medical benefits remains. "It's the education aspect and the health aspect, the benefits of it," McCaul explained. "Legalization is right around the corner, but I'm trying to help people understand that there is a medical side to it." [continues 326 words]
Clinical coordinator at Vancouver's largest supervised injection site says P.A. should open similar facility Prince Albert should open a safe injection site before a bad situation gets worse, says a senior staff member from Canada's first legal facility for injecting drugs. Tim Gauthier, clinical coordinator at Vancouver's Insite, was the keynote speaker at the Prince Albert Parkland Health Region's HIV Education for Change event on Wednesday. He said he was shocked when he heard how many drug users in the Prince Albert area are contracting HIV through needles. The numbers convinced him that the city needs to expand its harm reduction programs. [continues 1807 words]
Police asking for more time before marijuana legalized, Troy Cooper tells chamber Police Chief Troy Cooper has gone from doubtful to critical on Ottawa's marijuana plan, rejecting some key parts of the legislation and saying he's "nervous" about next summer's legalization deadline. Cooper has long seemed hesitant over marijuana legalization. Thursday, the day of his speech to the Chamber of Commerce, was perhaps his clearest expression of frustration over the pace of the federal plan - which foresees legal weed by July 2018. "We've asked, as a police service, please give us more time," he told the audience of local business leaders gathered at the Wildlife Federation building. [continues 614 words]
Editor: Saskatchewan Cabinet Minister Don Morgan is the latest provincial politician to say he wants marijuana legalization delayed for at least a year. ............ Why? Trudeau promised his government would legalize marijuana two years ago. Ontario has already announced its plans on how it will integrate legal marijuana into its economy. (Is Morgan insinuating that Ontario is somehow superior to our province?) The only people who could possibly benefit from a delay in marijuana legalization are the organized crime figures who currently control most of the market. Why on earth are Saskatchewan politicians defending the interests of organized crime above that of ordinary, law-abiding citizens? Makes you wonder. Gordon Robert Dumont Prince Albert, Sask [end]
A new online survey allows Saskatchewan residents to weigh in on what the province's marijuana regime should look like Saskatchewan residents can now share their thoughts on who should be able to buy, sell and grow marijuana, with just a few clicks on a government survey. Ottawa plans to legalize marijuana by July of 2018, but is leaving it up to the provinces to design their own regulatory system. The provincial government launched an online survey Friday to solicit public feedback. It's open to any Saskatchewan resident over the age of 18, and is set to run until October 6. [continues 593 words]
Mayor Dionne says Prince Albert will face costs from marijuana legalization, so the city should get its share of the expected tax revenues Mayor Greg Dionne is joining the chorus of Saskatchewan mayors calling for marijuana revenue to be shared with municipalities. "We know the government is doing this to create revenue," Dionne said. "We believe it's prudent that they share that revenue with us. Because, at the end of the day, who does the enforcement of the laws that they make? Our local police and our local people. So we should be compensated for that." [continues 244 words]
The lethal danger of fentanyl is becoming well-known. No one knows precisely how many people die per year in Canada from opioid overdoses. Last year, there were 922 opioid overdose deaths in B.C. alone, and more than 340 overdose deaths in Alberta were specifically from fentanyl. While Saskatchewan numbers are much smaller and their official count is unclear at this point, the drug's lethal toll may well be on the rise in this province as well; it is clearing coming east from the coast and from Alberta. [continues 576 words]
City starts preparing for marijuana laws, which are likely to change in 2018. The federal government is one year away from legalizing marijuana, but city council is already taking steps to prepare for the change. On Tuesday, Ward 6 Coun. Blake Edwards brought forward a motion asking for city administrators to submit a report the potential implications of the new law. The report will cover issues like business licenses, grow-ops, operating hours and business locations. Edwards says he's already fielding calls from residents inquiring about business licenses for when marijuana becomes legal, and he wants the city to be prepared when the day comes. [continues 381 words]
Dear editor, If your objectives are to protect public health and safety, keep marijuana out of the hands of minors and cut illegal profits flowing to organized crime-then the law as it stands today has been an abject failure. Law enforcement agencies in Canada spend an estimated $2-3 billion a year trying to fight pot, yet Canadian teenagers are among the heaviest users in the western world. And criminals walk away with $7-8 billion every year in illicit proceeds. We have to do better. [continues 689 words]
The province is reviewing Ottawa's bill, which legalizes public possession of 30g of marijuana The federal government has introduced legislation to legalize marijuana, while placing stricter limits on impaired driving and heavy sanctions on those who provide the drug to minors. The government said the legislation, known as the Cannabis Act, should be in force no later than July 2018. Tabled on Thursday, it will allow adults over the age of 18 to legally possess up to 30 grams of marijuana in public, and to grow up to four plants of up to one metre in height. [continues 645 words]
Officers from across the province, including in P.A. undergo training to help take those who are driving while impaired by drugs off the road Police across the province learning how to identify drivers impaired by drugs A number of police officers from across Saskatchewan, including members of the Prince Albert Police Service, are receiving training to learn how to recognize drivers impaired by drugs. Unlike impaired driving due to alcohol, there is no roadside-screening device which can indicate whether someone has been driving under the influence of a drug to the point where they have become impaired. [continues 528 words]
Evert Botha promises his "unwavering support" for the project, and plans to lobby to make it a reality Steps are in motion to bring a safe injection site to Prince Albert, as part of a comprehensive plan for treating infectious disease and drug addiction. Councillor Evert Botha plans to push council to lend its approval to the initiative, which he says will reduce crime, take needles off the street and help vulnerable people. "I will be asking my fellow councillors and the mayor that we support the establishment, as a city, of a supervised injection site," he said. [continues 947 words]
A new program has started up to help tackle the city's discarded needle problem. In the realm of tongue-twisting health acronyms, CHANGE is one of the worst offenders. It stands for Community, Harm Reduction, Needle Pickup, Guidance and Education, and it's the Prince Albert Parkland Health Region's newest strategy to reduce discarded needles in the community. Formed late this September, the CHANGE team goes to "hotspots" for IV drug use, places where large numbers of discarded syringes tend to litter public places. [continues 548 words]
In part four of our look at the major issues of the campaign, we asked the mayoral candidates about a new Victoria Hospital and the city's role in the battle against HIV Healthcare is not a municipal responsibility. But, as Mayor Dionne puts it, the mayor can be a "voice for the residents of Prince Albert," calling on the province to provide the healthcare our city deserves. Whoever becomes mayor will need to raise that voice. Prince Albert has just lost its only publicly funded audiologist, and the lack of other specialists is forcing residents to travel to Saskatoon. [continues 1298 words]
How could this medical and social disaster ever be allowed to happen? If authorities had told me that Ontario, just one Canadian province, was treating 400 addicts in methadone clinics, I'd believe them. But, the actual number is 42,000. But how many of these addicts need methadone? And what is the solution for this madness? Dr. Theodore Dalrymple, is not an arm-chair commentator on addiction. Rather, he's an internationally renowned expert, a British psychiatrist, and prison doctor who has treated thousands of addicts over years. [continues 611 words]
Saskatoon Police Service Cst. Matt Ingrouille Headed A Blunt Conversation About Drugs On Saturday Last year saw then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper declare; "Marijuana is infinitely worse" than tobacco. At the time, he cited nonexistent "overwhelming and growing scientific and medical evidence" that he said would support his claim. Those educated on the subject toned him out, just as they've toned out certain anti-drug messages whose purported "facts" don't align with reality. It's this kind of condescension that Saskatoon Police Service Cst. Matt Ingrouille avoided during a direct conversation about drugs and addiction with a Prince Albert audience on Saturday. [continues 550 words]
Pending final approval from Health Canada, Mark McCaul plans to sell medical marijuana in downtown Prince Albert as soon as possible. His intent is to expand his "unorthodox medicinal supply shop," The Hum (62 13th St. W.), into the property next-door once all of his legal ducks are in a row. But first, he has some misconceptions to dispel; an effort he's been striving to accomplish through his own actions as a medical marijuana advocate. Surrounded by bongs and other paraphernalia associated with marijuana in his shop, McCaul admits that a common assumption is that he's some "major stoner." [continues 397 words]
Marijuana users seem to be getting restless for the new legal regime promised by the Liberal party during the federal election. A restless urge to strike down the old prohibitions has been noticeable across Canada. There wasn't a whiff of news about when the air might clear, however, until Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Vancouver recently, the most pot friendly city in Canada. Mr. Trudeau confirmed he is still committed to legalization, but it won't come soon, so don't light that joint in public just yet. [continues 515 words]
Fourth-Year Nursing Students Engage Council on Transit and Needles Discussion Outlining the health concerns related to public transit and the city's needle exchange, fourth-year nursing students engaged city council in debate. Two groups of University of Saskatchewan College of Nursing students spoke at Monday's city council meeting, during which the subject of the city's Straight to the Point Harm Reduction" program sparked the usual council reaction. "I get the brunt of the calls about needles," Mayor Greg Dionne said after the students' presentation. [continues 337 words]
If there has ever been a time to have that often awkward and difficult conversation with your kids about the dangers of drugs it is right now, this very moment. People across Canada are dying right now, thanks to the availability of "recreational" street drugs that are often far more powerful than users had bargained for. Often these are young people and their search for a fun high with a little bit of experimentation is costing lives. The biggest culprit has been a nasty piece of work called fentanyl. The drug is often labeled as OxyContin (a brand name for the drug oxycodone), but is more powerful and dangerous than the powerful prescription drug that many have turned to for that illicit good time. [continues 572 words]
Glenn Allan Price will get his day in court, but does the prosecution of purveyors of medical marijuana really serve the public interest? Well, if you're the federal Conservative government, pursuing an out-of-touch political agenda, clearly it does. Mr. Price, owner of a recently opened, unlicensed medical marijuana dispensary on Main Street, was charged by Winnipeg police with trafficking and possession following a raid Tuesday. Many speculate an anti-marijuana activist in Vancouver, where dispensaries have proliferated and are licensed by city council, triggered the raid with a complaint to the Winnipeg Police Service earlier this month. [continues 501 words]
Canada's Health Minister Rona Ambrose said on Thursday that she is "outraged" by the Supreme Court of Canada's ruling on how users of medical marijuana can use it - they will not be restricted to just smoking it. Ambrose is also vowing to fight the SCOC's "normalization" of pot use in Canada. It is a strange response to the unanimous SCOC ruling. First of all, the ruling has nothing to do with the normalization of pot use; it just removes restrictions for those medical users of the drug - a good thing. There is some irony in the fact that some Canadian users were concerned about the harmful effects of smoking the drug, which can be consumed in numerous other ways, including baking into products such as muffins or cookies, brewing as a tea or even taking as a pill. [continues 519 words]
The numbers are staggering and frightening and raise many questions about our future. In recent days the Daily Herald has been looking at the issue of discarded needles that are being disposed of by intravenous drug users in and around Prince Albert. Thousands a year are ending up anywhere but where they are supposed to, putting average Prince Albert residents, especially children, potentially at risk. Just as alarming are the number of needles actually being handed out to these individuals. It is stunning. [continues 631 words]
Number represents 95 per cent return rate to Straight to the Point exchange Of the 1,203,382 needles handed out to intravenous drug users in Prince Albert between April 1, 2013, and March 31, 2014, 59,671 are unaccounted for. This represents a return rate of 95 per cent of the needles handed out at the Prince Albert Parkland Health Region's Straight to the Point Harm Reduction Program's needle exchange. On Thursday, members of the Prince Albert Fire Department walked through a field littered with thousands of used needles while attending a grass fire east of the Central Avenue viaduct. [continues 510 words]
Dumped on the boulevard just outside his home, Coun. Lee Atkinson found dozens of used needles and other drug paraphernalia first thing Friday morning. Not too big a surprise, he shrugged, noting that needles are a common sight around his midtown area home. A few houses down, there's a vacant property with several needles, aerosol cans, clothing, a mattress and mouth wash containers strewn about. As the snow melts, evidence of a winter's worth of nefarious acts are being uncovered, prompting the Prince Albert Fire Department's annual warning to look out for sharps. [continues 300 words]
Safe Handling Methods Crucial to Cleaning Up Across Prince Albert, the snow is disappearing and needles are appearing. It is an unfortunate reality of spring, but one that a number of local agencies are prepared to deal with. There are seven permanent needle drop boxes in Prince Albert - most found in the downtown - and two numbers to call for help with needle disposal. While the vast majority of the needles, or "sharps," used for intravenous drug use in P.A. are returned to the Straight to the Point Harm Reduction Program on 15th Street East or disposed of in the yellow drop boxes, thousands are revealed once the snow melts. [continues 371 words]
What if you could save a life? Just one life. Would you? For almost all of us, the answer to these questions is an enthusiastic yes. Without question, regardless of anything, a life, just one life, is worth saving. But what if saving that person's life tested your political standpoints around drug use? Would that life still be worth saving? Across this country, people are dying from legal and illegal drug use. Reliable statistics on drug overdoses across Canada are difficult to find, but research by the Ontario coroner's office shows on average, there is an overdose every day in our nation's capital and 33 people a year die from overdoses in Ottawa. [continues 645 words]
On Tuesday, the Canadian Public Health Association released a policy report that says the nation needs to shift how it views drugs. Simply put, the association said the time to treat addictions as a battle against drugs has long past. In a press release, Ian Culbert, the CPHA's executive director, stated the findings of the group's investigations. "Prohibition has engendered an environment that fuels the growth of illegal markets, organized crime, violent injuries, and the deaths of users, dealers, and police," he stated, while also chronicling a list of health problems accrued from drug use - particularly illicit IV drug use. [continues 492 words]
The skunk-like odour of marijuana was not welcome on Wednesday. Throughout the afternoon, the Prince Albert Addiction Awareness Committee hosted their inaugural 5/21 event at Wesmor Community High School. "We recognize that smoking marijuana is an unhealthy way to cope, and we want to promote healthy coping," committee member and addictions counsellor Shelly Carriere said while students laughed at teachers plunging into the dunk tank. A counterpoint to April 20 (4/20), which has been recognized as a day to smoke marijuana, May 21 (5/21) was a pot-free affair. [continues 330 words]
April 20 - commonly referred to as "4/20" - is a day on which marijuana smokers convene at Parliament Hill to advocate for the legalization of pot. Now there's a counterpoint, with the Prince Albert Addiction Awareness Committee's inaugural event set for May 21 - a day they now refer to as "5/21." In advance of the inaugural 5/21 celebration, addictions counsellor Shelly Carriere took a moment to explain the effort, which will begin with a noon barbecue at Wesmor Community School. [continues 538 words]
Taking on the world of addictions through artistry, Grade 9 students at Carlton Comprehensive High School are helping those recovering from addictions to cope. "It's a very innovative project for the Grade 9 kids specifically to get their minds around that," addictions counsellor John Simpson said on reviewing the pieces of art. Students painted images and messages on several doors, which will go up on rotation at the Metis Addiction Council of Saskatchewan Inc.'s Prince Albert centre on 19th Street East. [continues 391 words]
To the editor: While the courts have said Canadians must have reasonable access to a legal source of marijuana for medical purposes, the Government of Canada believes this must be done in a controlled fashion in order to protect public safety. On June 10, the Government of Canada announced the new Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR). These regulations are intended to provide reasonable access for those Canadians who need marijuana for medical purposes while protecting public safety. When the Marijuana Medical Access Program was introduced in 2001 in response to the court decision, the number of people authorized to use marijuana for medical purposes stood at less than 500. [continues 484 words]
To the editor: This letter is in reply to Andrew Carswell, who wrote a column that appeared in the Daily Herald last month. It is good that students are gaining experience being active in the community. You quoted a very large number for the drug war. I am unsure of the source of this figure you quote and what it includes. A figure this large likely includes other initiatives like public health and customs. There is a cost to limit the spread of diseases like SARS, H1N1 and Ebola that affect people. Veterinary diseases like "Hoof and Mouth disease" in cattle and diseases like Trichinosis can create a major loss. Citrus fruit and fruit flies are items of major interest because of the economic losses that can occur. [continues 558 words]
About a month ago I was by the museum in Prince Albert taking photos for my sister's wedding and I noticed four used needles lying on the ground in a small space. It made me wonder if the needle exchange program really is working. There aren't a lot of places you can go without finding a used needle in public view. Even a couple days ago, I was working by St. Mary School and I saw three within 30 feet of the school. [continues 723 words]
A community partnership is underway to help keep Prince Albert clean and safe. Members of the Safe Needle Prince Albert committee met Thursday to discuss this year's spring cleanup and how to address needle pick up during the cleanup. "Often it's because of community relationships, community partnerships that it works," said Marlene Allen, nurse manager of the sexual health, HIV, and hepatitis C clinic. This year's Pitch-In Week, a launch to a community-wide effort of beautifying the city, will kick off in the downtown April 24. [continues 320 words]
Editor, The Herald: There has been much talk about the justice system as of late. All it is is just talk. Nothing has been done to improve the system, and that shows. Our jails and penitentiaries are all full beyond their capacity. There is no more room for more criminals, so the justice system has to be lenient where the criminal is concerned. There is no punishment used any more. The do-gooders will not allow it. Sorry to say, this city and many other have a severe crime problem. Drugs account for 85 per cent of all crime. [continues 157 words]
Editor, The Herald: Humans have been altering their consciousness with plants and substances since before language. If those supporting greater laws around drugs had any sense they would lobby for drug regulation so that the dangers associated with drug dealing and use could be reduced. Russell Barth, Nepean, Ont [end]
More than 100 students took to the streets of Prince Albert on Tuesday as part of a walk to raise awareness of drugs and alcohol. "We're trying to be a role model for other youth," said Shane Umpherville, 20, a student from Won Ska Cultural School. Some of the youths who participated in the Metis Addiction Council of Saskatchewan Inc. sixth annual addiction awareness walk, have experienced the problems that come from using drugs and alcohol. James Starblanket, 23, is part of the STEP Program, the Supported Transition to Employment Program for people who have been in the correctional system. [continues 300 words]
It would be unwise for the Saskatchewan Party government to blindly set limits on the number of needles needle exchange programs can issue. There is no disagreeing with the premise of the recent throne speech, which stated the obvious fact that drug use is an immense social challenge for many communities. But the logic behind limiting the number of needles per visit given to IV drug users, as the throne speech suggested, loses traction once a sober look at long-term impact is made. [continues 521 words]
Editor, The Herald: (Re: Gwynne Dyer's Sep. 14 column:) There is a middle ground between drug prohibition and blanket legalization. Switzerland's heroin maintenance program, which provides addicts with standardized doses in a clinical setting has been shown to reduce disease, death and crime among chronic users, eliminates many of the problems associated with illicit heroin use. The success has inspired heroin maintenance pilot projects in Canada, Germany, Spain, Denmark and the Netherlands. If expanded, prescription heroin maintenance would render illegal heroin trafficking unprofitable. [continues 87 words]
A new northern drug and gang enforcement unit will start work on Oct. 1, police and the provincial government announced Monday. The unit, proposed about a year ago, will be seven officers strong and focus on drug and gang activity, especially at the street level, from Prince Albert to the Northwest Territories border. City Police say the new unit should make it easier to follow criminal activity wherever it goes, recognizing that Prince Albert is a hub of drug and gang activity throughout the North and that gangs operate across the entire region. [continues 375 words]
It's too early to say that there is a general revolt against the "war on drugs" the United States has been waging for the past 39 years, but something significant is happening. European countries have been quietly defecting from the war for years, decriminalizing personal consumption of some or all of the banned drugs in order to minimize harm to their own people, but it's different when countries like Argentina and Mexico do it. Latin American countries are much more in the firing line. The U.S. can hurt them a lot if it is angered by their actions, and it has a long history of doing just that. But from Argentina to Mexico, nations are growing tired with the violent and dogmatic U.S. policy on drugs, and they are starting to do something about it. [continues 641 words]
Editor The Herald RE: Dog to teach the ABCs of avoiding drugs (Herald, Saturday, Aug. 19, 2009). The most effective demonstration is showing children they no longer have any Charter rights and live in a police state. Please pee in the cup, thank you. Dave Lane Santa Cruz, Calif. [end]
Editor: The Herald RE: Dog To Teach The ABCs Of Avoiding Drugs (Herald, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2009). This has nothing to do with making safe choices, it is all about obedience, and getting future generations accustomed to an ongoing and ever-expanding police and military presence in their daily lives. It should be illegal to send cops into schools to frighten and mislead kids, but, no, we send military cops and their dogs in to teach kids about something that is actually a health issue. [continues 131 words]
Editor: The Herald How dichotomous can it get ... In the Aug. 19 edition of the Prince Albert Daily Herald, your reporter Tessa Holloway reported on a "non-event" to happen Aug. 27, namely a visit by Marc Emery promoting that "breaking the law" is OK. Breaking the law is breaking the law - whether it is child abuse or the use of marijuana. Why give this fellow publicity he does not deserve? Moreover, the dichotomy lies in the fact that in that same paper of Aug. 19, on the front page, another article showed that "science has shown that cannabis (marijuana) may actually trigger the onset of psychosis and may also intensify the symptoms of those who already have a psychotic illness." [continues 110 words]
Alberta Police Officer Training Four-Footed Partner To Find Drugs LACOMBE, Alta. - It would be tough to find a cuter anti-drug messenger. With her big brown eyes, floppy ears and over-sized puppy feet, the eight-week-old chocolate Labrador being trained as a drug sniffer by Lacombe Police Service Const. Bryan Zens is expected to be a big hit in Lacombe schools when she makes her debut in September. The as-yet-unnamed puppy will be the tail-wagging ambassador for the Dogs for Drug Free Schools program, an education and deterrent program that has already been introduced in schools in Medicine Hat and Edmonton. [continues 546 words]
Harm reduction has been shown to curb the spread of HIV, but controversy begins when there is talk about needle exchanges. "It is a contentious issue and I think many people feel that the supply of needles actually drives the demand. It's actually completely the other way around," said Dr. Moira McKinnon, the province's chief medical health officer. A group of people using cocaine, which gives a short high, will inject up to 20 times a day on average, McKinnon said. [continues 449 words]
Marcel Dagenais's shoe crushed a syringe casing while the smell of urine and body odour wafted around him. "There's all these paths around the bush here, and here's where the needles start," he said. A few days ago, Dagenais was taking his dogs for a walk and decided to venture into a wooded section near the 100 block of 18th Street West. He was expecting a few needles and casings. Instead he found a massive amount of needles, not to mention a makeshift bed, mouthwash bottles and hairspray containers. [continues 371 words]
Saskatchewan's HIV rates are causing concern throughout the medical community, bringing forward comparisons with developing nations. "Over the past five years you have seen the rates stabilize in sub-Saharan Africa ... it has done the killing and now it has stabilized. That was the bubble bursting," said Dr. Khami Chokani, medical health officer of the Prince Albert Parkland Health Region, who's worked in countries across southern Africa. "If you think decimating the African population was bad ... HIV in this province will kill 15 to 30 per cent (of the aboriginal population). Not all at one time, but over a five-to10-year period." [continues 586 words]
