The startling story in The Vancouver Sun Wednesday of a Coquitlam landlord who incurred $135,000 in damages to her property as a result of a medical marijuana grow-op licensed by Health Canada raises a host of concerns about the federal government's new regulations. Under the new rules, patients who use pot can register with a licensed producer, grow their own or designate someone to grow it for them. No doubt, the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes regulations make it easier for those who use the drug to obtain it. [continues 315 words]
Woman Claims Property Damage Left by State-Sanctioned Grow-Op It seems to me there are valid concerns on the part of the owners and tenant-patients in the current market. A Coquitlam woman says she has incurred $135,000 in damage to her rental property due to a medical marijuana grow-op licensed by Health Canada without her knowledge or consent. And she says the federal government's new regulations leave the door wide open to continued abuses, especially in B.C. where the number of state-sanctioned grow-ops has increased exponentially. [continues 712 words]
There are many big decisions to be made, Neil Boyd writes. I first encountered cannabis in the spring of 1970 at the tender age of 18, inhaling what was said to be blond Lebanese hashish at my friend John's home (his parents were out of town). I definitely noticed an impact, but decided the next morning that I didn't like the effect - it was all a huge mistake, and I would never go down that road again. I became something of a teenage proselytizer, even urging my sisters to divest themselves of all music that appeared to celebrate this pernicious conduct. [continues 655 words]
Fraser Health has recently opened 50 new substance use recovery beds - - including a dozen for pregnant women - and will today launch a pair of new posters in a bid to reach specific users at risk in B.C.'s ongoing overdose crisis. The new treatment and prevention measures were designed after looking closely at overdose data and finding support gaps, said Victoria Lee, the chief medical health officer and vice-president for population health at Fraser Health. Lee said that while the data shows men aged 30-49 tend to overdose at greater numbers than do other groups, teens, seniors and women can be counted among the hundreds dead so far this year. [continues 289 words]
Ex-premier with unique perspective says Ottawa's finally on the right road Former premier-turned-pot-proponent Mike Harcourt couldn't have sounded happier and more optimistic than if he just blew a big blunt. "I did use marijuana in the '60s and early '70s but haven't used it since," he laughed. "I'm into wine - and a beer after a good tennis match. But from my experience of the last 13 years as a partial quadriplegic - 20 per cent of my body is still paralyzed - and I work with Rick Hansen and the disabled community, so I've seen the suffering and the pain that people with spinal-cord injuries and other disabled people go through, and I think there are real benefits to cannabis." [continues 648 words]
B.C. municipalities are appealing for a share of future taxes to help cover the costs of regulating pot dispensaries as marijuana appears set to become legal in Canada by next spring. The cities of Duncan, Nelson and Prince George have each put forward resolutions to the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention next month, suggesting the UBCM petition the federal government to provide local governments with a portion of future federal or provincial taxes collected through marijuana sales and distribution. [continues 514 words]
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asked doctors for their opinions on the Liberals' promised legalization of the recreational use of marijuana. He's about to hear an earful from them. At one of the final sessions of the annual meeting of the Canadian Medical Association in Vancouver on Wednesday, delegates aired concerns that a psychoactive drug that affects brain development is being legitimized to the point the public thinks it's a benign substance, along with other objections. Marijuana can be prescribed for medical purposes in Canada, but it is still illegal for recreational use - although numerous doctors attending the conference commented on the ubiquitous smell of cannabis every time they went outside the Westin Bayshore, where the annual meeting has been held. [continues 240 words]
The B.C. Supreme Court says that a marijuana shop in Delta is in violation of local bylaws and has ordered it shut down. In her ruling granting the Corporation of Delta a permanent injunction against the WeeMedical Dispensary Society, Justice Shelley Fitzpatrick found that the store lacked a business licence and contravened zoning bylaws. The judge noted that although the federal government has indicated that it intends to bring in new marijuana laws, the operation of a medical marijuana retail dispensary as run by WeeMedical is currently not allowed under the criminal law. "I have no idea where the federal government is in that process," said the judge. "It appears to be moving in that direction, but when it might get to that point is anyone's guess. Further, it is as yet unknown what any new legal regime will look like." [continues 174 words]
Around-The-Clock Service Offered in Bid to Curb City's Overdose Crisis Health officials will offer around-the-clock service on certain days at Vancouver's safe injection site in response to the city's overdose crisis. Vancouver Coastal Health Authority said Friday it is launching a pilot project to keep Insite open 24 hours a day on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday during the weeks that social assistance cheques are distributed. The project will begin Aug. 24-26, and continue for up to six months. At that time, health officials will evaluate whether the extended hours are having any effect. [continues 220 words]
Youth representative says B.C. failed to provide necessary treatment B.C.'s Representative for Children and Youth says the suspected overdose death last weekend of a Coquitlam teenager was a "tragedy that could have been prevented." Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond said her office worked with 16-year-old Gwynevere Staddon's family to try and find her treatment, and said her father did everything possible to properly navigate the system and ask for help. She called the family's case "a heartbreaking nightmare" that was completely preventable. [continues 1028 words]
Re: Ottawa should warn Canadians about the risks of marijuana, Letters, Aug. 9. I have a seizure disorder that has robbed me of almost a decade of my life. After being on a dozen different anti-convulsants with little relief, I turned to cannabis with the hopes of decreasing my seizures and suffering less from the difficult side-effects my previous medications caused. Since beginning to use cannabis five months ago, I am seizure-free and experiencing little to no side-effects, and I am completely off my previous medications. I am the healthiest I have ever been, my family and friends constantly tell me how positively they have seen me change. [continues 84 words]
The online discussion paper in which the Canadian government outlines its rationale for the legalization of marijuana for non-medical purposes fails to offer Canadians critical scientific findings including that phocomelia (malformation of limbs) has been shown in testing in a similar preclinical model to that which revealed the teratogenicity of thalidomide. A Health Canada document lists a plethora of risks, and cites 1,000 references that substantiate claims of harm. A condensed consumer version of this document is required by Health Canada to be sent out with all legally obtained marijuana through the legal MMPR licensees. Of special note is a warning that men planning on starting a family should not use marijuana for medical purposes. This warning is not shared in the public consultation document. [continues 56 words]
Dr. Anke Stallwitz, a German professor of social and community psychology, studied the drug scene of the Downtown Eastside in March. After many interviews and meetings with community groups, she offers her take on how to mitigate the violence, writes Nick Eagland. Stallwitz said she found the violence most prevalent in the East 100-block of Hastings Street, between Columbia and Main, where the dealing hierarchy is disorganized and "sanctions" aren't tied to clearly defined rules. On this block, anyone can sell drugs, unlike other blocks which are tightly controlled by high-level dealers and organizations. "If a dealer is caught selling on a block or hotel run by someone else, they'll be given a lecture," she said. "But if they continue, there's a good chance they'll get beaten up." Stallwitz said interviewees frequently cited organization and trust between dealers as key factors in safety. "If these are big, then the level of violence can be kept very low," she said. [continues 266 words]
Re: Addiction problem requires comprehensive solution, Letter, July 29 Overdoses are managed safely and promptly at our essential Insite, but still, even from a trusted dealer, illicit drugs are often contaminated. Another option exists at Providence Crosstown Clinic. Here, patients attend up to three times daily for treatment that is safe, pharmaceutically prepared under sterile conditions, and monitored by a health-care team. They know exactly what they receive, and while at the clinic can access medical, mental health and substance use supports. [continues 92 words]
Studies show these drugs are effective, writes Heather Palis One-third of Canadians have a chronic health condition. We all know someone living with one and count on our universal health care system to help them. Thousands of Canadians living with chronic opioid use disorder (i.e. injecting street opioids daily), however, are often excluded from universal health care, being denied the treatments they need. In the first half of the year, British Columbia saw 308 illicit drug overdose deaths, and is on track to reach 800 preventable deaths by the end of 2016. Last month, there were 36 overdoses in 48 hours in Surrey. [continues 616 words]
St. Paul's Hospital home to global leaders in research, writes Cheyenne Johnson. Every day in B.C., there is an average of two deaths from preventable drug overdoses. Countless citizens are struggling to use less, to not use or to hide their substance use, whether it is drugs or alcohol, from their families and employers. The prevailing belief in our society has been addiction impacts mainly the disadvantaged and is an issue of morality or values. I can tell you from my experience this is far from true. I am an addiction nurse at St. Paul's Hospital. I see first-hand the impact of addictions on patients, families and the health-care system. [continues 565 words]
The B.C. government has announced it is forming a group of experts to combat the recent rise in illicit drug overdoses in the province. At St. Paul's Hospital on Wednesday, Premier Christy Clark said the task force would be headed by provincial health officer Dr. Perry Kendall and director of police services Clayton Pecknold. The new group will work closely with the B.C. Drug Overdose and Alert Partnership and police agencies to improve practices to prevent overdoses. The premier said the province will act "immediately" on its recommendations. [continues 203 words]
A local pot businessman has filed a constitutional challenge against the City of Vancouver, hoping to keep his dispensaries open. Don Briere of the Weeds Glass and Gifts chain of dispensaries filed a court petition earlier this month, arguing the city's bylaws on dispensary licensing infringe on a constitutional right to access medical marijuana. The challenge was filed July 11 and argues that the city's licensing and zoning bylaws for dispensaries "unduly restrict access to medical marijuana" and infringe on charter rights. It also argues that any bylaw tickets that have been issued to dispensaries remaining open should be voided. [continues 234 words]
Will the number of overdose deaths this year climb to 800 as predicted by Dr. Perry Kendall? According to the B.C. Coroners Service, overdose deaths in the province this year had reached 315 as of May 31. By June 30, that number had risen to 371. Sadly, it appears Dr. Kendall's predictions are on track to reach that unbelievable number of 800. Our drug laws are an integral part of this problem. Prohibition creates a market for illegal, adulterated drugs, easily accessible to those who seek them, whether to support an addiction, or for recreational purposes. No person who uses illegal drugs today is guaranteed a clean, safe product. Using street drugs today is a crap shoot. [continues 53 words]
Official Fears 'Someone's Going to Die' When Addicts Get Welfare Cheques Support workers are bracing for the worst when welfare payments arrive on Wednesday, after a recent rash of drug overdoses in Surrey. On July 17, the Fraser Health Authority issued a warning after there were 36 drug overdoses in Surrey within 48 hours. Many of those who overdosed reported they had used crack cocaine. But some cases turned up traces of fentanyl - a potent, synthetic opioid sometimes added to street drugs and blamed for the surge in deaths that led to the provincial health officer declaring a public health emergency in April. [continues 584 words]
The weekend spike in drug overdoses across Surrey's Whalley area would have been a national disaster had the subjects been victims of a mass shooting, a wild fire or a plane crash. We seem desensitized to events which don't come with the images upon which television news and streaming Internet thrive. Nevertheless, Fraser Health medical staff faced a disaster-like avalanche of 36 life-threatening cases in which people were stricken after ingesting illicit drugs likely laced with the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl. [continues 448 words]
Officials warn drug users in Surrey's Whalley area after 36 overdoses This is very new, as typically fentanyl is put in heroin. It makes it more problematic and more challenging for front-line service-providers. Health-care workers and the RCMP on Sunday canvassed Surrey's Whalley area warning people of a disturbing new trend in which crack cocaine is being laced with the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl. With 36 overdoses over the weekend in Whalley, Mounties, health-care and social workers walked through the gritty area putting up warning notices, handing out pamphlets and talking to drug addicts and the homeless about the critical situation. [continues 481 words]
At Least 43 Treated After Taking Crack Laced With Fentanyl on the Weekend At least 43 overdoses in Surrey's Whalley area over the weekend are being attributed to crack cocaine being laced with the deadly opioid fentanyl. And as police and health care workers scramble to warn people of the unprecedented risks they face in using crack cocaine, those on the front lines think it is time to open up a safe inhalation site. At the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users, spokesman Hugh Lampkin said they used to have a "consumption room" for both intravenous and crack cocaine users. [continues 289 words]
'Cheque Effect' Staggered Payments Under Consideration Researchers in British Columbia are urging authorities to explore new ways to dispense welfare cheques, after concluding the current, once-a-month payments trigger more than 15 preventable drug-overdose deaths a year - in just one province. The deaths are striking evidence of the so-called "cheque effect," dangerous bingeing among drug abusers and alcoholics believed to occur after the monthly dump of social-assistance money, say the scientists' new study. They urge provinces to consider distributing smaller amounts more frequently, or staggering payments so not everyone gets paid at the same time. [continues 669 words]
Routine permitting issues before the City of Vancouver's board of variance are being delayed in part because of the large number of appeals by Vancouver pot shops determined to stay open. Chairman Gilbert Tan, a local architect, said the board is managing the issue as best it can, but more traditional city variance issues coming before the board are being delayed because of the large number of pot shop appeals. "I wouldn't say it's serious, but it's definitely causing delays," Tan said in an interview. "But, we're managing it. And we leave room to deal with the other issues. To be fair, the city's processing of city permits (are) way worse in terms of so-called delays." [continues 460 words]
Two Vancouver pot dispensaries are no longer requiring a doctor's note or membership from those seeking to buy marijuana. The Vancouver Dispensary Society runs storefront operations on East Hastings and Thurlow Streets. Founder and pot activist Dana Larsen said other medical marijuana dispensaries have quietly dropped their requirement for medical notes, but he elected to go public with the change. "We've always required a membership and medical documentation since we opened in 2008 - we're the city's third-oldest dispensary," Larsen said Thursday at the Hastings outlet. "When we opened things were a lot different in Canada and Vancouver." [continues 332 words]
Recruits Know First-Hand About Life for Many in the Downtown Eastside Those who attempt to provide care in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside without first understanding the complex issues faced by the area's population might as well be speaking an entirely different language. That's according to Daniel Benson, one of 12 newly hired peer advisers who are helping Vancouver Coastal Health roll out its Second Generation Strategy (SGS) in the DTES. "I've seen the pendulum swing both ways as far as the laws and people's attitudes go and now it's going in a positive direction with all the harm reduction, so that's refreshing to see," said Benson. "We hope to - and I hope to - influence their decisions, to make service deliveries down here more efficient, more compassionate and do a better job all around. [continues 495 words]
Seized marijuana oil said to help kids with 'life-threatening' epilepsy Parents of children suffering from epilepsy say a recent move by Canadian border agents to seize shipments of medical marijuana oil from an American company could have a catastrophic effect on their children's health. The families have sent letters to the federal government pleading for the border to allow shipments of Charlotte's Web, a type of marijuana oil that has been touted by some researchers as an effective therapy for hard-to-treat forms of epilepsy. [continues 629 words]
Monitoring could boost street markets, says Jordan Westfall. Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott unveiled new details of Canada's national drug strategy at the Charting New Futures in Drug Policy conference last Friday in Toronto. Health Canada pledged $40 million to create a national prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) that will increase surveillance on physicians and patients alike. The program is purported to reduce rates of problematic opioid use. However, PDMPs can have the unintended consequence of transitioning prescription opioid patients to illicit street drugs. Their $40-million pledge could mean that rates of overdose deaths for persons who use drugs in some regions of Canada (particularly in B.C.) might actually increase. How? With increased surveillance of prescribing practices will come increased pressure for physicians to stop prescribing opioids to their patients. Patients are cut off, and as a result, seek opioids in an unpredictable street market where fentanyl, a drug 100 times more powerful than heroin, is needlessly killing people every day. [continues 465 words]
Federal Liberals' legalization effort stinks of unfocused busy work The Liberal government is making a hash of marijuana legalization by embarking on a needless consultation exercise led by a task force of well-meaning volunteers. Four U.S. states made cannabis legal in 2012 and others are vocally following suit. Canada, which has had a legal medical scheme for more than 15 years, has had calls for legalization for half a century. The 1969 Le Dain Commission of Inquiry into the Non-Medical Use of Drugs, set up by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's dad, recommended after three years' study that the country decriminalize cannabis. [continues 674 words]
When James Silver and his wife bought their Vancouver home about a dozen years ago, it was in need of a major renovation. That suited Silver, a handyman who over the next decade reduced the former marijuana grow-op to its foundation and frame, then rebuilt it into a stylish five-bedroom, three-bathroom home plus suite. It was nearly brand new by the time he was finished with it. But when he and his wife tried to sell the home this spring, banks balked at lending to prospective buyers. [continues 1346 words]
Re: Most Vancouverites concerned about pot use in public, poll finds Vision Vancouver Councillor Kerry Jang is not correct when he says no one is complaining about the heavy-handed marijuana dispensary closure enforcement. Tens of thousands of responsible adult consumers are happily supporting the many dispensaries operating in Vancouver, and that is why so many storefronts opened. It's simple supply and demand economics. These public, professional dispensaries are peacefully engaging in consensual transactions between adults, with a product consumed by millions and generating economic growth in our communities. The City of Vancouver should immediately cease its costly, aggressive, unwarranted bylaw enforcement and reach out to local cannabis experts and professional business owners to help recreate an improved model of fair and just regulations. We must not let fear-based policies shut down 90 per cent of local businesses that are peaceful, successful, and popular. The public wants free choice and safe, open access to cannabis. Jodie Emery, Vancouver [end]
Twelve months after Vancouver city council adopted rules on pot dispensaries, a majority of city residents believe medical marijuana is as safe or safer than alcohol, but most are also concerned about pot use in public, a new poll reports. The poll was conducted this month by Nanos Research, via a random phone survey of 400 adult residents of Vancouver, and was commissioned by cannabis advocacy group Sensible B.C. About nine per cent of respondents reported using medical marijuana, while just over half said they didn't know anyone who uses it. Only 14 per cent supported a complete ban on dispensaries. [continues 338 words]
Pot legalization activists who are frustrated that Canadians - especially youth - are still getting arrested and stuck with criminal records for simple possession need to be patient, says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The prime minister, who believes pot should be legal and has admitted he toked after being elected to Parliament, defended the Liberal government's decision earlier this week to vote down an NDP motion to decriminalize simple marijuana possession. Instead, he urged Canadians to wait until his government finishes extensive consultations, plus considers studies of other jurisdictions that have already legalized the drug, before drafting legislation expected in the first half of 2017. [continues 283 words]
There is no grey area for pot shops selling marijuana for recreational purposes. Trafficking in drugs, including marijuana, is a criminal offence in Canada and will remain so until the federal government legalizes pot in some fashion, as it has promised to do next year. Providing medical grade cannabis to real patients with real prescriptions from real doctors is permissible, of course, but the fiction that these pop-up pot shops are medical clinics dispensing health services is just that - a fiction. [continues 346 words]
Officials Hope Courts Smoke Out Stubborn Dispensary Resistance The City of Vancouver is taking defiant pot shops to court, and the owners are not very happy about it. Injunctions were filed Tuesday against 17 of 55 marijuana dispensaries that ignored orders to shut down by the end of May. While all pot shops are illegal, city councillors directed staff to regulate the local industry last year after scores of shops sprung up around Vancouver. The legal move, which would compel the 17 shops to close, comes after city inspectors issued more than $61,000 in violation tickets to businesses that did not meet the city's regulatory requirements and refused to cease operation. Coun. Kerry Jang said another round of injunctions is coming next week for the other shops defying civic rules. [continues 660 words]
Dogs Affected by Marijuana Toxicity Could Be Growing Problem in Canada Canadians can expect federal marijuana legislation to be introduced in the spring of 2017. According to Minister of Health Jane Philpott, the legislation will aim to keep marijuana out of the hands of children, but will it also keep it away from our pets? Research conducted in some U.S. states where marijuana has already been legalized, suggests that marijuana toxicity in Canadian dogs is going to be a growing problem over the coming years. [continues 600 words]
Re: Curious dog munches mistakenly on pot, May 21 Since Colorado legalized marijuana, veterinarians are seeing a rise in the number of dogs ingesting marijuana products. In Jefferson County, staff at the emergency animal hospital report attending to at least five cases a day for dogs who have ingested marijuana. Denver emergency rooms are also reporting admitting at least one person, each and every day for marijuana overdosing and the same is happening in Seattle. Where are the statistics for British Columbia for our pets, for hospital admissions, and for the number of kids dropping out of school or being expelled as a result of their use of marijuana products? Pamela McColl, SAM Canada, Vancouver [end]
Re: High-potency pot poses risks to the developing brain, Opinion, May 16 While we were pleased to see The Sun devote attention to the important topic of adolescent cannabis use, we were disappointed to read Dr. Diane McIntosh's op-ed in which she stated that adolescent cannabis use increases the risk of developing schizophrenia. After intense study, scientists have concluded the evidence to date does not support the claim that cannabis causes schizophrenia. While the correlation between living with schizophrenia and using cannabis has often been observed, much of the research has suggested that the association can be explained, at least in part, by the use of cannabis as a means of self-medication among individuals predisposed to, or living with, schizophrenia. [continues 67 words]
B.C. cannabis producer hopes to give the straight dope to Canadians Western Canada's largest licensed medical cannabis producer is launching a cross-country tour next month to put potential customers in touch with doctors who can prescribe it on the spot. Tilray, a federally licensed medical cannabis producer based in Nanaimo, is sending its Mobile Cannabis Clinic across the country to offer Canadians increased access to physicians knowledgeable about medical cannabis. "We've found there are a lot of regions in Canada where patients have had trouble finding a supportive physician to access medical cannabis," said Philippe Lucas, vice-president of patient research and advocacy for Tilray, based in Nanaimo. [continues 415 words]
A review of the 420 marijuana protest event last month showed it cost the city $148,000. A joint release from the City of Vancouver, the Vancouver park board and Vancouver Police Department on Wednesday said the unsanctioned, illegal marijuana events at Sunset Beach Park and the Vancouver Art Gallery on April 20 required additional resources to ensure the public's safety because of the organizers' decision to hold events at the two locations. Costs included $99,400 for police, $24,000 for the park board, $13,600 for streets and sanitation, $6,900 for Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services, and $4,100 for traffic, special events and emergency management. In 2015, the total combined costs associated with the 420 event at the Vancouver Art Gallery was $92,500. The city and park board will work with organizers to find an appropriate venue for 420 events, the release stated. [end]
Health officials in B.C. are applauding the federal government for taking steps to allow doctors to prescribe heroin for certain patients. Health Canada announced Friday that it will propose a regulatory amendment to allow access to prescription heroin, or diacetylmorphine, under Health Canada's special access program. "A significant body of scientific evidence supports the medical use of diacetylmorphine, also known as pharmaceutical-grade heroin, for the treatment of chronic relapsing opioid dependence," Health Canada said in a news release. [continues 388 words]
The THC Potency Of Street Marijuana Has Increased, Writes Diane McIntosh In my psychiatric practice, I treat patients with psychotic illnesses including schizophrenia. Most were born with a genetic vulnerability to develop the disorder, but many share another important life experience: they smoked pot from an early age. Debate has raged across Canada about the impending legalization/decriminalization of marijuana. Canadian physicians, in their role as advocates for physical and mental health, have been conspicuously absent from the debate. This troubling void in leadership is apparent from the lack of informed discourse exhibited across all forms of media. Our failure to educate Canadians regarding the potential risks of street pot, particularly for a developing brain, has important social, physical and psychological implications. [continues 916 words]
Similar pleas for marijuana business licences can shake out differently Vancouver pot shops have won seven of 10 at the city's board of variance since March, having brought forward successful arguments for second cracks at marijuana business licences. While it's a tidal shift from the first two months of hearings when every decision went against shopkeepers, even the most keen observers, appellants and their lawyers would have a difficult time divining the precise ingredients that make for a successful pot shop appeal. In some cases, shops with nearly identical characteristics have received opposite decisions at the board. [continues 826 words]
The City of Vancouver began cracking down on unlicensed medical marijuana shops over the weekend, but owners say they're still committed to keeping their doors open. Prominent pot activist Jodie Emery said at least half a dozen dispensaries were issued $250 fines on the weekend, the first weekend inspectors enforced regulations that the city put into place last year. Emery said Saturday she'd talked to two businesses and they remained open. "They're not going to deny accessibility to their patients," Emery said. [continues 198 words]
Yet since August, the city has received 230 store applications Even as Vancouver gears up to shut down pot shops that failed to meet new licensing conditions, city hall faces a non-stop flow of new requests to open such stores. At last count, another 230 prospective pedlars have jumped in line since the initial application period to operate a pot shop in the city closed last August, all seeking business licences of their own, according to city staff. Another three stores have popped up without bothering to apply. Despite the trio being slapped with 20 violation tickets between them, one remains open and in a legal battle with the City of Vancouver, said Andreea Toma, city director of licensing. [continues 379 words]
This stupid, hypocritical war on drugs is in its long, slow retreat The United Nations General Assembly special session on drugs took place in New York last week, and the UN, as it has so many times before, reached a consensus as to what it would do to counteract the world's drug problem: Nothing. "It was a wash," said Donald MacPherson, executive director of SFU's Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, who attended the three-day session. "There was serious resistance to any kind of drug policy reform initiatives from Asian countries and China and Russia. So (the UN's) consensus-based model is not where change will happen. Even the legalization of cannabis in some American states was not talked about there. So things that were actually happening in the world were not discussed." [continues 669 words]
Special needs teacher Mariya Astashenkava has a morning ritual when she arrives at Lord Roberts Annex elementary school in Vancouver's West End. Before the kids can use the playground, Astashenkava and other staff comb the area looking for used hypodermic needles left behind by drug addicts who frequent Nelson Park at night. "Every morning we walk around looking for used needles," she said Tuesday after the ongoing problem was made public by the school's Parent Advisory Committee. "We even find used condoms and lots of cigarette butts." [continues 297 words]
Psychedelic drugs have made a resurgence as medications to treat illnesses from post-traumatic stress disorder to end-of-life anxiety, but researchers at the University of B.C. say the substances might also rein in domestic violence. The UBC Okanagan study, published last week in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, found that 42 per cent of imprisoned men in the U.S. who did not take psychedelic drugs after their release were arrested within six years for domestic battery, compared to 27 per cent for those who had taken drugs such as LSD, psilocybin - also known as magic mushrooms - and MDMA, which is known by the street name ecstasy. [continues 594 words]
In the final days before the City of Vancouver's deadline for unsuccessful marijuana dispensary applicants to shut down, some rejected shop owners said they plan to stay open and "stick to their guns." B.C. Pain Society owner Chuck Varabioff was one of 176 who applied last year for a dispensary licence. Then, he was one of 62 rejected applicants to appeal to Vancouver's board of variance, and in February, his appeal was one of the first heard. The appeal was unsuccessful, and Varabioff received a 60-day notice from the city advising him to close his Commercial Drive operation by Friday. [continues 704 words]
