OTTAWA - Wayne Robillard has opened a stoner lounge just east of downtown. It's hard to describe it any other way. Even Robillard, 51, acknowledges his business, Buzz On, isn't exactly legal. But he and two business partners are going to roll the dice and see what the city does. "What we're doing is an open form of protest," Robillard said Monday. "What we're saying is we don't agree with cannabis laws and we don't feel it should be a priority for the police or municipal governments to deal with." [continues 438 words]
Multi-sector team tackles substance problems Greater Sudbury Police and the Sudbury and District Health Unit are issuing a collective Call To Action on substance misuse. That's the subtitle of a new Community Drug Strategy for the City of Greater Sudbury endorsed at a recent meeting of the police services board. Developed over a period of years by 50-plus partners in the health, social service, education and crime prevention fields, the newly released document will now be presented to city council for their approval and used as blueprint going forward to address substance-related problems in the city. [continues 665 words]
Not everyone basks in the afterglow of a merry Christmas and a happy new year. As many as 10 people died of drug overdoses last year in Sudbury during the Christmas season. In a 12-month period in Sudbury, 86 people died from overdosing. That number doesn't take into account the physical, mental and emotional consequences suffered by people who survived. Lisa Toner, Kaela Pelland, and other staff and volunteers with Reseau ACCESS Network were determined to change those statistics this Christmas. [continues 1606 words]
It's about time the Ontario government beefed up legislation to include new penalties for drug-impaired drivers. As the use of narcotics, both prescribed and illegal, becomes more prevalent, their use is having an impact on our roads. Ontario must deal with drugs and driving in the same fashion as with drinking and driving-with tough laws. And so the government's announcement Tuesday is appropriate. It is proposing amendments to its distracted driving bill that would include new penalties for drug-impaired drivers. [continues 278 words]
OTTAWA- The NDP and Liberals say the Conservative-dominated health committee report on marijuana is biased, inherently flawed, and omits evidence that contradicts Conservative ideology. The health committee's report, called "Health Risks and Harms of Marijuana," recommends the government try to prevent marijuana use in Canada as well as raise awareness to the drug's harmful effects. Health committee chairman and Conservative MP Ben Lobb did not return QMI Agency's request for comment on Tuesday. The NDP and Liberals rejected the committee's majority report. New Democrats on the committee said testimony "that did not support (the Conservatives') pre-conceived views about marijuana ... was dismissed and eliminated." [continues 105 words]
OTTAWA - Canada's drug policy is a failure and it is killing people in communities across the country, drug-reform activists said Tuesday in Ottawa. Drug activists, health lobbyists and other leaders in the field, including the Liberal Party's health critic, gathered on Parliament Hill for a press conference to advocate for a fairer drug policy than the current one they say unfairly criminalizes drugs users and leads to the mistreatment of addiction. The speakers on Tuesday all wanted Canada's drug policies reformed, but the divergence in their messages reflected the difficulties in rallying public opinion in favour of changing the way addicts are treated and how drugs are distributed in Canada. [continues 192 words]
Well, once again Stephen Harper has shown another way to measure his lack of judgment and another opportunity to make Canada, thus Canadians, look foolish in the eyes of the world. In this case it is a lack of understanding of language. While the whole country is saying there should be an inquiry into the deaths and disappearance of many aboriginal women, Stephen Harper says it is a matter of crime, not sociology. Although some of us have our thinking coloured by other languages, it should be clear that this is an issue of sociology. Because crime is, itself, a reflection of the sociology of a country. [continues 159 words]
The stoners are getting creative and we're not so sure that's a good thing. The marijuana industry is attracting a lot of attention these days. Back in March the Financial Post ran an article headlined Your 5- step primer to investing in pot. Former Ontario health minister George Smitherman, among others, is developing a business to be a licensed medical marijuana producer. In other words, it's big business. But the industry also is pushing the boundaries and expanding in questionable ways. In April there were reports of one restaurant serving up pot pizza. The crusts contain whole wheat hemp hearts and the pies can be covered with pot-infused oil. [continues 232 words]
'Telling Kids to Not Smoke Pot Is Not a Partisan Attack,' Ambrose Says OTTAWA - Federal Health Minister Rona Ambrose blames Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau after doctors groups declined to participate in a government anti-marijuana campaign. Speaking at a meeting of the Canadian Medical Association, Ambrose accused Trudeau of "politicizing" the debate over marijuana and said that shouldn't take away from the importance of the government's message. "Telling kids to not smoke pot is not a partisan attack on Justin Trudeau by Health Canada," Ambrose said. "It is a sound public health policy backed by science - whether it's legal or illegal, the health risks remain the same." [continues 391 words]
Wife Says Laws Need to Be Changed WINDSOR, Ont. - Marc Emery, the so-called "Prince of Pot," was greeted with cheers from marijuana activists and a hug and kiss from his wife when he arrived in Canada Tuesday after serving 4 1/2 years in a Louisiana prison. Emery, escorted across the border by U.S. marshals, walked out of the Windsor customs building a free man at 4:10 p.m. "Welcome home," the crowd roared. Emery appeared dazed. "I feel good," he said. Earlier, a crowd gathered outside Windsor City Hall in anticipation of Emery's homecoming. [continues 112 words]
Prince of Pot Returns From U. S. on Tuesday OTTAWA - Marc and Jodie Emery, Canada's royal couple of marijuana, plan to take their drug-reform fight global after Marc returns home from the U. S. a free man. Soon after Marc walks across the Ambassador Bridge from Detroit into Windsor, Ont., on Tuesday afternoon, Jodie said the couple will fly to Ireland and Spain on sponsored speaking gigs. Jodie has waited more than four years for her husband, once the largest supplier of marijuana seeds to the U. S., to finish his sentence for conspiracy to manufacture marijuana. [continues 210 words]
In Politics: Ground Shifting Rapidly on Pot Prohibition WASHINGTON - Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau might have an ally in Canada's Prince of Pot - whether he likes it or not. Allen St. Pierre - executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, the oldest pro-legalization group in the U. S. - knows Marc Emery from their time fighting pot laws. He says Emery's likely itching to return to the fray after serving time in U. S. prison for marijuana distribution. [continues 252 words]
But Continues Fight for Equitable Access to Medical Pot Alexander Stewart has given up his hunger strike, but he hasn't given up the fight for more equitable access to medical marijuana. At the urging of his family, Stewart, 54, ate some soup, peaches and a slice of pizza Thursday. That was exactly one week after he stopped eating to draw attention to the issue of the high cost people licensed to buy medical marijuana must pay for it. Stewart suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which halted his career as a millwright more than four years ago. Unable to work and on a disability pension, Steward can't afford the more than $ 300 an ounce it costs to purchase high-grade marijuana from growers licensed by Health Canada to produce it. [continues 382 words]
Ottawa has a problem with guns and gangs. Several problems actually. But the biggest one, as usual, is conceptual, because if you don't realize what you're doing wrong you can't change it. On the surface our problem is a spate of people being shot in the legs in public housing. The victims then "refuse to cooperate with the police," sociology-speak for "they won't tell the cops who did it." They know, of course. This is drug trade violence and they are shot by partner-competitors when deals go bad or over turf. But they won't talk partly because they are more afraid of their rivals than of polite society and partly because they are deeply alienated from polite society. [continues 527 words]
The use of medical marijuana is a subject many people don't want to weigh in on. Neither did I under I heard from Alexander Stewart. Stewart, 54, has embarked on a hunger strike to draw attention to the need for better access to medical marijuana for those who have a licence from Health Canada to purchase it. Stewart does. But, as he told me in a visit to his Donovan home, that licence isn't worth the paper it's printed on. [continues 1051 words]
Toronto - The provincial government should crack down on convenience stores that sell bongs, drug pipes, pill grinders and similar items, the Ontario Safety League (OSL) says. Brian Patterson, president and CEO for the OSL, said an undercover operation this spring in convenience stores in Toronto and Barrie that carried drug paraphernalia found staff were routinely willing to sell to 17-year-old mystery shoppers. The bongs and pipes can be used to smoke pot and crack, while the pill grinders allow people to abuse prescription narcotics. [continues 196 words]
OPP Reminds Public The Ontario Provincial Police Drug Enforcement Unit reminds the public about the dangers associated with outdoor marijuana grow operations. People involved in growing illegal marijuana head into rural areas in the late spring and summer to start and care for, in some cases, large plots of marijuana plants. These crops are often located in swamps, corn fields, wooded areas, along rivers and on rural, rental properties with large acreage. Marijuana plants are bright green and grow three to five feet tall, have seven, jagged fingers and emit a strong, pungent, musty odour. [continues 294 words]
Re: "Cheech and Cons: Up in smoke not a laughing matter, column by Warren Kinsella - June 23 Is the Conservative Party on the payroll of Mexican drug cartels? Conservatives would have Canadians believe the job of keeping drugs out of the hands of children is best left to criminals. Illegal drug dealers don't ask for identification for age. Right now it's easier for kids to buy marijuana than beer. Taxing and regulating marijuana will restrict youth access to drugs, in particular, the really dangerous ones. [continues 75 words]
Good people of Scarborough- Agincourt, we give you Liberal Party candidate Arnold Chan. You should vote for him not so much for what Arnold has done - but for what the Conservative Party hasn't. To be precise, the Conservative Party hasn't behaved itself in the Toronto riding, which was formerly the domain of one Jim Karygiannis. This week, the ruling party circulated noxious flyers all over Scarborough- Agincourt, much in the way the Axis used to drop propaganda leaflets on advancing Allied troops. As in that case, the Tory propaganda is unlikely to defeat the Grit forces. [continues 507 words]
Municipal police forces concerned with Health Canada's new medical marijuana regulations are lobbying to have a hand in the process. "The ... concern is that information we have locally isn't getting up to the decision makers," Greater Sudbury Police Chief Paul Pedersen said. "There's a lot of information about contact that individuals have with their local police service that doesn't fit on the federal database." Wednesday, the Greater Sudbury Police Services Board supported a resolution adopted by the Durham Regional Police Services Board. It asks the government to consult with local police forces before giving licences to grow and sell marijuana, and also to inform them when one has been issued. [continues 261 words]
Sudbury will soon get its say on where medical marijuana producers should be allowed to grow their crop. At Monday's planning committee meeting councillors will hear from staff on where they think the facilities should go. The floor will then open up to hear public input. The meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. at Tom Davies Square. As of April 1, medical marijuana is legally accessible only through producers licensed under Health Canada's Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR). It's up to each municipality to decide where grow ops may go. [continues 258 words]
Medical marijuana is a bit of an oxymoron. Cannabis sativa has been on Earth longer than we. Should the day arrive that my doctor gives me a prescription for "medical marijuana," I will go to a proven & trusted source - the black market. Until a few short decades ago, the whole issue would have been ludicrous, even more so than today. Until then, there was no illegality involved. Hemp was widely used because of its durability, much better than cotton. Along came nylon, the new miracle fibre. To take over the market nylon's inventors Dupont had to get rid of hemp, and that could be done by demonizing the sister plant, marijuana. And just by co-incidence, the U.S. government passed laws banning marijuana, so convenient, and so typical of "free enterprise." [continues 139 words]
Hoffman Is Just the Latest Celebrity to Die Because of Addiction Celebrities are public figures who generally work hard to maintain a private life, but death tends to slam all the public doors shut. It's strictly a private affair for the friends and family left behind. Philip Seymour Hoffman was a hugely successful actor, and as such, was public property - for better or worse. Thanks to his work, a large audience of followers developed feelings of attachment and ownership about him. Double that for New York City, where people could see him on stage at the theatre or stand next to him in the grocery store. Now, since death belongs to the private realm, that's left a lot of people on the public side wondering what to do with their emotions. They tweet condolences. They write letters. They bring flowers and gifts to a makeshift shrine outside the building where Hoffman lived. [continues 527 words]
MP Sends Flier to Constituents Slamming Trudeau's Plan to Legalize Pot OTTAWA - The Tories are trying to smoke out some details about Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau's promise to legalize marijuana if his party forms government. Conservative MP John Williamson has sent constituents in his New Brunswick riding a flyer that slams Trudeau's policy, saying the "Liberals plan to sell marijuana in N.B. stores." "I'm trying to take Trudeau's argument to its logical conclusion," Williamson said Monday. "If the point is not to make marijuana available in stores, what's the point of legalizing it?" [continues 189 words]
The Sudburian is used to facing adversity. He left his prestigious job as an accountant working on Toronto's Bay Street, too sick to work. When he walked out the door he weighed less than 120 pounds. In 2005, he came down with pneumonia and spent a month in intensive care. At the same time he lost the tax preparation business he'd started. "I was supposed to die (then)," Dubois said this week, sipping coffee at Hardrock 42 Gastropub. "I found out a year ago." [continues 1258 words]
Shortly after being elected about 2 1/2 years ago, Prime Minister Stephen Harper told his cabinet that "Conservative values are Canadian values" and that the "Conservative party is Canada's party." You'd be hard pressed to see that in recent developments around social issues. Developments over same-sex marriage, safe injection sites, marijuana and most recently prostitution are moving towards progressive positions in the courts and in public opinion. The Conservatives, however, are fighting these developments. Harper's election platform in 2006 promised to revisit the legalization of same-sex marriage that was made legal under Prime Minister Paul Martin. A free vote in Parliament put an end to Harper's agenda, and today civil unions among same-sex partners remain a Canadian right. Canadian attitudes have long favoured this. [continues 437 words]
Reefer Madness it is not. At least, that's what the city's planning committee hopes to avoid with the change in Canada's medical marijuana rules. March 31 is when the existing Marijuana Medical Access Program reaches a blunt end. As of April, medical marijuana will be legally accessible only through producers licensed under the Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations. It will be up to each municipality to decide where the grow-ops may go. "If we're getting the opportunity to be proactive and state where we want these things to be ... then by god, we better be doing that and doing a good job of it," said Dave Kilgour, who was renamed chair of the committee at Monday's meeting. [continues 329 words]
It will be interesting to see where city council decides will be a good location for marijuana grow-ops. And councillors should indeed make that decision, though it won't be popular with the neighbours, wherever or whoever they will be. As of April 1, the current regulations governing production of marijuana for medicinal purposes will end, and new rules kick in. That gives municipalities responsibility for determining whether legal grow-ops will exist in their communities and if so, where. It becomes a zoning issue. [continues 346 words]
Rules Changing For Production Of Medical Marijuana As Health Canada readies to change the country's medical marijuana rules, members of city staff are planning how to regulate production of the green stuff. Last June, the federal government announced that on March 31, its Marijuana Medical Access Program will end. Effective April Fools' Day, medical marijuana can be legally accessed only through producers licensed under the Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations. "The new regulations respond to numerous stakeholder concerns with the previous program, including the risk of abuse by criminal elements; health and fire risks associated with the cultivation of marijuana plants in homes; and patients' concerns regarding the length and complexity of the application process," according to a report to be given to the city's planning committee today. [continues 410 words]
Learning from new U.S. laws Canadian policy-makers should keep a close eye on the recent legalizing of marijuana in two U.S. states before deciding on a direction in the pot debate now raging north of the border, a prominent American drug-policy expert says. Mark Kleiman, a professor with the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and an adviser to Washington State on the recent loosening of its pot laws, says it will be to Canada's "advantage" to take note of how Washington and Colorado deal with the legalization of marijuana - a recreational drug many consider to be potentially addictive and a health hazard - and to take note of the successes and the challenges experienced by both states. [continues 545 words]
Uh-oh, does someone have some 'splainin' to do? Federal Justice Minister Peter MacKay is hinting the Conservative government might consider modernizing Canada's marijuana laws when it comes to possession of small amounts of pot. He told QMI Agency so in an exclusive interview this week. "That doesn't mean decriminalizing or legalizing," he said, "but it does mean giving police options, for example, to issue fines in addition to any other sanctions, or as a substitute for other sanctions," the nation's top justice official said. So far, so good- except ... Except, the same Conservative government, in a widely aired radio attack ad, made political hay this fall out of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau for promoting legalizing and taxing pot. Listen, and you can still hear the worried-sounding parent in the ad- a school bell ringing in the background- as she wonders about the Grit leader's judgment. [continues 228 words]
OTTAWA - As the year ends, Justice Minister Peter MacKay is strongly hinting that steps to modernize Canada's marijuana laws might be just around the corner. Fining pot smokers for possession of small amounts is one policy the government will likely consider. "That doesn't mean decriminalizing or legalizing, but it does mean giving police options, for example, to issue fines in addition to any other sanctions, or as a substitute for other sanctions," MacKay told QMI Agency. "These are things that we are willing to look at in the new year, but there's been no decision taken." [continues 425 words]
Lots of Opposition to Grit Pot Position OTTAWA - Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau's pot legalization stance may be a hit with the Grit grassroots, but not so with the governing Conservatives, the pontiff and at least one international ally. Mexican Foreign Secretary Jose Antonio Meade Kuribrena said his country is open to an alternative to the war on drugs, but legalizing drugs - even pot - isn't on the table for his government. "We personally don't believe drug legalization is a solution, but we welcome (the idea) that a debate should be held around those issues," he said during an official visit to Ottawa on Thursday. [continues 327 words]
A federal court has upheld a decision to deny the Northern Ontario Compassion Club a licence to grow and distribute medical marijuana. In a letter to the minister of health, on March 8, 2012, Ryan McIlvenna, the owner of the Northern Ontario Compassion Club, a local organization, made a request to be able to "provide the production and supply of marijuana, or any of its other forms, to sick or disabled persons or individuals" who had Health Canada approval to use medical marijuana. [continues 293 words]
If those behind the idea of turning the arena in MacTier into a legal marijuana grow-op thought they had a fight on their hands before, No. 4 has just jumped over the boards. Bobby Orr was famous for scoring big goals and, if necessary, dropping the gloves, too. This time he's prepared to do both. In his more than half century of celebrity, Orr rarely speaks out or steps into controversy. However, when it comes to closing down an arena and community centre on his home turf to rent out to a company so they can grow medicinal marijuana, it brings out the anger in the Hockey Hall of Famer. [continues 730 words]
Tin foil on the windows, children's toys that never seem to move from their spot in the front yard and neighbours who don't seem to live in the home they own. These are just some of the signs of a marijuana grow operation residents should look out for in their neighbourhood, police repeatedly warn. According to a 2007 Royal Canadian Mounted Police report on drug offences, 60% of offences related to marijuana production occurred in a residence. And an Ipsos Reid study in 2012 - prompted by the Ontario Real Estate Association - said almost a quarter of Ontario residents have "seen or know of homes in their neighbourhood that have been used as a marijuana grow operation." [continues 741 words]
In 2006, John Oswald had it all -- a lucrative job working on the Alberta pipeline, a big house and a loyal partner. In a matter of seconds, it was all ripped away from him. "A guy overpressurized a tank ... It was a really big tank, 400 barrels," Oswald, who now lives in Sudbury, said. "He blew the lid off of it. The lid hit me, it was 730 pounds ... it shattered my shoulder, it shattered my elbow, fractured my skull, fractured my C2 and C3 vertebrae. I was in the hospital for two years, pretty much." [continues 626 words]
It turns out Jamy McKenzie is not a wanted man anymore. But he was for a brief period late Wednesday and into Thursday morning. While a bench warrant was issued Wednesday for McKenzie, who was scheduled to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice to set a return date for his simple possession of marijuana charge laid in early August, it was rescinded Thursday through the work of his lawyer, John Recoskie. McKenzie did not appear Wednesday due to medical reasons. His next court appearance is this Wednesday, again in the Ontario Court of Justice. [continues 326 words]
Jamy McKenzie isn't happy with the decision by the province's Special Investigations Unit to stop its investigation into his complaint that he was roughed up by Greater Sudbury Police officers. McKenzie said he was injured after he lit up a joint of marijuana outside the Sudbury Courthouse last month. "I'm waiting for information from my liver (transplant) team," McKenzie, 27, said in an interview outside the courthouse Wednesday, just before making his first court appearance on a charge of simple possession of marijuana. [continues 244 words]
The Special Investigations Unit has decided not to further investigate a complaint by a Sudbury man who said he was roughed up by Greater Sudbury Police officers when he lit up a joint of marijuana outside the Sudbury Courthouse last month. Jamy McKenzie, 27, was confronted by police during a break at the Aug. 10 sentencing hearing for a Sudbury man who pleaded guilty to production of a controlled substance -- cannabis and cannabis resin. David Sylvestre was sentenced to 10 months of house arrest by Justice Robbie Gordon after pleading guilty to charges laid in February 2009, when police seized 37 pounds of marijuana and 12 pounds of cannabis oil or resin from his home near St. Charles. [continues 156 words]
The medical use of marijuana was on trial Friday at the Sudbury courthouse. David Sylvestre was sentenced to 10 months under house arrest after pleading guilty to production of a controlled substance -- cannabis and cannabis resin -- he said he uses to treat severe diabetes. Sylvestre, 54, was also charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking and possession of property obtained by crime in February 2009, after a search warrant executed at his St. Charles home turned up almost $100,000 worth of illicit substances. Those charges were withdrawn. [continues 1007 words]
Greater Sudbury Police officers are investigating whether a man who lit a joint of marijuana outside the Sudbury Courthouse on Friday morning has a legal exemption to use cannabis for medical reasons. It is also reviewing allegations about how the man was treated by police when they responded to the incident. Officers arrested Jamy McKenzie, 27, during a break in a sentencing hearing for Dave Sylvestre, 54, who was pleading guilty to producing almost $100,000 worth of cannabis and cannabis oil. [continues 415 words]
OTTAWA -- So-called harm-reduction drug strategies have no place in Canada's jail system, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said Wednesday. The Conservative government is not onside with the push for Insite-style drug treatment for addicts in jails by organizations such as the John Howard Society of Canada. "We've made our position very clear in terms of the prohibition of drugs inside prisons and that's our government's policy," he said. Last Friday, Canada's top court handed a victory to Insite, Vancouver's supervised drug-injection site, granting it an immediate exemption from federal drug laws. [continues 190 words]
If the Supreme Court of Canada decides Insite, a Vancouver-based health-care facility in the city's downtown eastside, falls under provincial jurisdiction, similar 'safe' injection sites could become a reality in cities across the country. And soon would begin the downward spiral further blurring the lines between right and wrong, legal and illegal in this country. Insite offers, among other things, the option for drug users to shoot up under the watchful eye of a nurse. Forget for a moment the ongoing war on drugs, and forget for a moment that selling drugs is illegal, using drugs is illegal, and there is a facility in existence in this country that not only turns a blind eye to both of these facts. Insite chooses to not only condone the use of injection drugs but offers medical supervision so as to ensure that the users can continue to break the law -- safely. [continues 258 words]
Re: "Don't criminalize medical marijuana" -- May 10. I agree the Canadian government should legalize marijuana because people who need the drug for medical uses will have an easier time obtaining the it. Also, I think it would be a good way for the government to make money, because they would charge taxes. I think marijuana would sell in amounts like cigarettes. I saw a poll recently on the news that suggested more than 50% of Canadians who participated voted yes to legalizing the drug. Alex Labonte Hanmer [end]
Why do I have to break the law and risk my credibility and reputation to find relief from pain? If you live in constant pain or have any one of many conditions that can be relieved with the use of marijuana, you'll know why I'm writing this column. I have lived with chronic burning neuropathic pain for almost 20 years. At first I didn't think anyone could live like this, but I have and I've met many people in the same boat. It's a tough way to live. It's stressful, it affects your work, your family and your life. You just hurt all the time. [continues 612 words]
OTTAWA -- A woman who's been waiting five months for an updated licence to use medical marijuana says the situation for patients is getting worse. Marie Tripp filed an application in August to change her licence after her doctor doubled her prescription for cannabis, and spoke to QMI Agency at the end of September about previous delays she suffered while getting renewals and changes for her licence. Tripp suffers from fibro myalgia, chronic fatigue and osteoarthritis, but doesn't use any painkillers other than marijuana. [continues 259 words]
Chalk up another victory in the war against drugs. Last week our highest court ruled the use of electricity-consumption data from a Calgary power supplier obtained without a search warrant did not constitute a violation of the Charter privacy right to be free from unreasonable searches. The immediate result of this ruling is the conviction of Daniel James Gomboc of Calgary on charges of producing marijuana and possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking. Police suspected a grow-op in Gomboc's home after receiving an anonymous tip, speaking with neighbours, and conducting surveillance of the house. Thinking they didn't have enough evidence to obtain a search warrant, police sought information from the local electricity supplier, Enmax. They received information showing cyclical patterns of electricity use indicative of a grow-op of some sort. [continues 486 words]
OTTAWA -- Canadian schools are getting a new resource to help keep kids off drugs. The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse is releasing guidelines for people who work in preventing teens from using drugs and getting addicted. The guidelines are aimed at schools and community groups, as well as groups who work with families on parenting skills. "What we're doing is not just airy-fairy," said Michel Perron, head of the centre. "It's about experts telling us how it is you should engage with young people. It's about practitioners who spend their days with young people allowing (for) these skills to be used in the schools." [continues 116 words]
