The Town of Oliver is setting aside a hearing to "hash out" some details in local bylaws prior to the legalization of the sale of recreational marijuana. Council on Monday "decimated," as Coun. Larry Schwartzenberger put it, a staff recommendation to restrict cannabis sales via zoning bylaws in Oliver, as well as a $15,000 ask to hire a consultant to determine the wishes of the community. "We will be able to approve or disapprove an application. If something is in the commercial zone that's too close to a park or school, we will just not approve it," Schwartzenberger said. [continues 259 words]
Can we put the words "illegal" and "marijuana" together and still be making a relevant statement in Canada? Marijuana is going to be legal as a recreation drug. The federal government has committed itself to legalization. The provincial government has stepped forward with a plan for legal marijuana, which included dispensaries as a component. They even went so far as to include early licence application for dispensaries. Marijuana will be sold, consumed by people and I do not believe there is anything that will stop that from happening. This means the political movement to legalize marijuana is no longer of significant relevance. Operating dispensaries as a political statement is no longer required. So, now what? [continues 673 words]
In an interview with The Citizen last April during the 2017 provincial election, NDP leader John Horgan admitted that government and politicians are behind public sentiment when it comes to marijuana. Knowing it and saying it is one thing but Horgan, now the premier, still seems reluctant to act on it, based on the additional details on a provincial pot policy the NDP government announced Monday that will take effect once marijuana is legalized later this year. "Some may think that this work will end in July when non-medical cannabis is legalized by the federal government," Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said. "But the truth is our government will be dealing with this significant change in policy for years to come." [continues 640 words]
Dear editor: When is enough enough? Twelve years ago my wife and I decided that we wanted to move to the Okanagan. After a lot of thought and visits, we chose Penticton. What an absolutely wonderful place: sunshine, beaches, festivals, sports and if you stayed all winter very bearable But what has been happening is more break-ins, both on the personal level as well as businesses, thefts are a regular occurrence (the police know who most of these criminals are, it's mostly drug related) resulting in more and more fear amongst good honest citizens. [continues 340 words]
The region served by Interior Health has been "hit hard" by the opioid epidemic, says the agency's medical health officer, but new tactics are being brought to bear in the fight. "We've come a long way, but unfortunately these deaths continue to occur," Dr. Silvina Mema on Thursday told the board of the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen. Fentanyl is the sole reason for the Interior Health region facing the second highest number of overdose deaths in B.C., behind only the Vancouver area, she said. According to the BC Coroner's Service, almost 90 per cent of overdose victims had fentanyl in their system. [continues 293 words]
The methods Penticton police used to search phones connected to a drug investigation were again called into question on Thursday in B.C. Supreme Court. Jennifer Montgomery, 31, is facing one charge of possession of methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking and two counts of simple possession of heroin and methamphetamine. Her trial began Wednesday. Montgomery's phone was seized by police after a search warrant was executed June 22, 2016, at her Penticton home, where RCMP Const. Chad Jackson testified drugs and paraphernalia associated with drug dealing were found. [continues 310 words]
Jennifer Montgomery, 31, was charged with a number of drug offences after Mounties obtained a search warrant for her home Police had every right to use text messages found on a woman's phone to launch a subsequent drug investigation inside the home she had just left, a judge ruled Wednesday in Penticton. The validity of that tactic was challenged in a voir dire at the outset of the B.C. Supreme Court trial for Jennifer Montgomery, 31, who is charged with possession of methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking, plus simple possession of heroin and methamphetamine. [continues 357 words]
Dear editor: Re: "Looking ahead to 2018," editorial by James Miller (Daily Courier, Jan. 2). Miller's statement that "most Canadians support legalizing pot," where does he get his information on this presumption? I believe it's completely opposite to Miller's so-called facts. Most Canadians do not support Prime Minister Trudeau's pot plan for Canada. We will become potheads all because of just a few potheads from the big cities like Vancouver and back east. I would guess that 80 per cent of Canadians are against it, or maybe as high as 90 per cent. So 10 or 20 per cent doesn't sound to me as "most Canadians." [continues 150 words]
Dear editor: It was shocking to read that a parent and her nine-year-old child had to take on the drug-needle problem in our school grounds (Western News, Dec. 12). That secret Queen's Park shed should never have been secret in the first place. What with such a fuss being made about possible marijuana shops anywhere within sight of schools, how can discarded needles go on being all over the place, right at those schools? Wendy Hyer, school district superintendent, seems not to realize what her priorities should be, and therefore what we are paying her for. [continues 67 words]
Dear editor: Congratulations Mr. Miller, on your promotion. Re: Your Editorial of Nov. 1, 2017. The move on the part of our national government to "legalize" the recreational use of marijuana without putting in place a nation-wide format of what their "legalization" really means is utterly disgraceful. Their offloading this responsibility to each provincial jurisdiction to rush together a set of laws and regulations by next summer is truly unacceptable behaviour. Once again we will have a situation of utter confusion with what is legal or permissible from one local town or city to the next. Such poor performance, to fulfill one campaign promise, at the cost of creating so many new problems across our country. Tom Crawford, Penticton [end]
The majority of Canadians are in favour of legalizing marijuana and for many different reasons. Little Kyla Williams in Summerland became a poster child across North America for the wonderful benefits of medical cannabis. Recreational users affirm that pot is less harmful than alcohol. (Most cops agree that drunks are far harder to deal with than stoners.) A suggestion that the Green party has been saying for years is take distribution out of the hands of organized crime, tax it like they do alcohol and cigarettes, and spend the money on education and treatment programs. [continues 210 words]
Canadian municipalities aren't the only ones trying to figure out how they're going to respond when marijuana becomes legal across Canada next summer. A recent Maclean's story shows universities across the country are also struggling with how to adapt. UNBC is no different. "Senior administration is giving this issue thought and some of our operational units are discussing it as well," UNBC provost and vice-president, academic, Dan Ryan said in a written statement. "UNBC is developing a response but we will have to consult with various people/units around the university, including the Board of Governors, and make sure the response is framed appropriately and that we're going in the right direction." [continues 427 words]
Dealers who hand out drugs laced with fentanyl could face manslaughter charges if their customers die, B.C. Minister of Public Safety Mike Farnworth said recently. It's a harsh measure, but nothing else seems to stem the waves of poison that are killing people across the province. When even dead customers are not enough to stop a callous retailer, society must put its collective conscience where the dealer's is absent. Farnworth's suggestion is not new. Other jurisdictions, fed up with the senseless deaths, are coming down hard on those who, in the minister's words, are "dealing death." [continues 522 words]
The B.C. government is making time to listen as it plans new marijuana regulations, even though the listening will leave only a few months to finish crafting the rules for the coming new era of legal pot. Mike Farnworth, minister of public safety and solicitor general, said this week that the public consultation will be finished by Nov. 1. The government will have to finish writing rules and regulations by next summer. The federal government introduced legislation in April that would legalize recreational marijuana by July 1, 2018, but is leaving it up to each province to determine its own distribution system and usage regulations. [continues 479 words]
B.C. is heading for another record year for fentanyl overdose deaths. Despite making Naloxone antidote kits widely available, the death rate is up 88 per cent over last year, which was also a record year. Last year, according to figures available online, B.C. had 935 deaths from drug overdoses. This year, the province had 780 deaths by the end of June. If the rate continues, the province will hit 1,400 deaths by the end of the year. But in the welter of data, I find two facts interesting. [continues 465 words]
Send addicts immediately to treatment; bust dealers Holiday Mondays are ordinarily a quiet time to work around The Herald office, especially early in the morning. That wasn't the case yesterday as a a Good Samaratan was greeted in our back alley by a woman passed out, looking nearly dead, as a result of what appeared to be a drug overdose. I pulled in a few minutes afterward, having been passed on Winnipeg Street by an ambulance. A 911 call and five emergency personnel responded, reviving the woman before taking her away voluntarily, presumably to the hospital for treatment. [continues 216 words]
Dear Editor: There's been a 35 per cent jump in crime in our little haven of Penticton recently. Now most of the increase in crime is connected to the drug trade and is expected to grow if the economy continues to dwindle especially since jobs began drying up in the oil patch. The justice system must not be weak in their sentencings. It has become a revolving door for most drug dealers and they take full advantage of the situation. We must be the role models and give these people the maximum sentences in order to deter them and send them out of Penticton. If not, our safety will eventually be compromised. James Banko Penticton [end]
Dear Editor: Well I see city council decided against renewing pot permits. Now they have to enforce the existing laws. The provincial leaders are asking for a lot more time and information from the prime minister about the new laws he plans. We all know Justin is an out and out liar. He may use this move to cancel his idea of making it legal. So now we need to get the judges to put the ones who are arrested for breaking the laws in jail. No fines as that does not work. A good stiff jail term might get through to them. [continues 58 words]
Existing businesses will be asked to convert to 'wellness centres' After experimenting with marijuana dispensaries for seven months, Penticton city council voted Tuesday to ban the pot shops outright. And the two dispensaries to which council granted now-expired temporary use permits in December 2016 will now be asked to covert to so-called "wellness centres" dealing only in information and smoking accessories - not bud. The decision not to renew the TUPs was made by a 5-2 vote of council, with Max Picton and Tarik Sayeed in opposition. [continues 278 words]
Two cannabis dispensaries in Penticton may lose permission to operate if council today follows through on a staff recommendation to deny extensions of their temporary use permits. Okanagan Cannabinoid Therapy on Westminster and Green Essence on Martin were the first and only pot shops in the city to be granted TUPs in December, but those expired June 30. Now, with a letter from police clarifying their stance on the issue and two recent court cases in Abbotsford that shut down dispensaries there, plus a zoning bylaw that prohibits such businesses, city staff is recommending council pull the plug on the experiment. [continues 381 words]
With federal legalization of marijuana looming somewhere on the horizon, Penticton city council decided Tuesday to deal with local sales of the drug later. Staff had recommended the council not renew temporary use permits that expired June 30 for two dispensaries, Okanagan Cannabinoid Therapy on Westminster Avenue and Green Essence on Martin Street, but elected officials decided to punt instead. The meeting was a back-and-forth between councillors, city staff and marijuana proponents who were in attendance, and evolved into a philosophical debate around access to cannabis. [continues 350 words]
Penticton city councillors "improperly permitted their bias and personal animus" to impact their December 2016 decision to deny Jukka Laurio a permit to operate a medical marijuana dispensary, he alleges in a new lawsuit. A lawyer for the owner of the Herbal Green dispensary filed a petition June 16 in B.C Supreme Court in Kelowna asking a judge to order the city to grant Laurio the business licence and temporary use permit he needs to legitimize the shop or, alternatively, order council to reconsider the matter. [continues 334 words]
Last Friday afternoon the House of Commons adjourned for the day with a rare event - a unanimous vote in favour of a private members bill from an opposition party. Bill C-211 instructs the government to create a federal framework to better deal with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. I've heard a lot about PTSD from people in my riding - it may surprise some how serious a problem this is in our communities, how widespread and how debilitating. And it bears repeating that PTSD not only impacts men and women who have served in our armed forces in actions overseas. [continues 437 words]
Dear Editor: A letter to the editor on May 23 claims that the driver whose car barreled into a crowd in Times Square, leaving one dead and 20 injured, was under the influence of marijuana. For the record, he was stoned on a potent designer drug, which mimics the effects of marijuana and is extremely dangerous, unlike nature's marijuana that has never caused an overdose in recorded history. Jeff Meyers Westlake Village, CA [end]
As much as the House of Commons is often viewed as an adversarial environment there are also those times, albeit rare, when there is unanimous support for the passage of a Bill. In the last Parliament I was fortunate to have unanimous support for the passage of my Bill to remove a prohibition era Federal restriction preventing the personal movement of wine across provincial borders. Later the government would expand on this bill to also include beer and spirits. Recently in the House of Commons another private member's bill has received unanimous support and has also passed through the Senate and recently received Royal Assent. [continues 355 words]
Dear Editor: When guys like Paul Crossley write letters that are only half truths, it really makes my blood boil. Mr. Crossley claims that the Times Square killer was high on marijuana at the time he went on his rampage ("Driver was high on marijuana," Herald, May 23). This is a true statement. What Mr. Crossley fails to mention is that it was synthetic marijuana (made in a lab) that was laced with PCP (more commonly known as angel dust) which causes unbelievable strength and hallucinations. [continues 57 words]
Dear Editor: In response to Shelley Eberle's letter of May 20, "marijuana legalization is a bad idea." Contrary to popular belief, usage rates among teenagers were monitored the last few years by Scientific American. After Colorado legalized the recreational use and sale of marijuana, they found rates decreasing from 30 per cent of teens using in 2011 to 21 per cent in 2015. This has also been the case in Washington state as well as Portugal, as after marijuana was decriminalized, both usage and addiction rates decreased. [continues 136 words]
DEAR DR. ROACH: What advice do you have for both doctors and patients for approaching medical marijuana use? What is your ideal vision of its future? ANSWER: I look at marijuana as a potentially useful medicinal plant that has several potential downsides. One of the downsides is an unrealistic expectation of its usefulness by believers. I increasingly see claims that marijuana (or one of its extracts) can treat or cure almost every known disease. It also is hampered by its status as a Schedule I drug by the Drug Enforcement Agency, so high-quality research is difficult to do. [continues 557 words]
Dear Editor: This letter is in response to two recent letters to the editor with regards to the subject of marijuana and whether or not it should be legal. The first letter from D. Simpson of Kelowna ("Marijuana not part of God's law, Herald, May 17), I am a little confused. If pot was not part of God's law, then why did He put it on earth to begin with? Marijuana has been around for tens of thousands of years (probably much longer.) Tell me, was alcohol part of God's plan? Did He plan to ruin families, finances, and lives? I thought He was a loving God. I will cite the quote used in the letter. In 2 Peter 1:3, "that we have been given all things that pertain to life and Godliness." This includes marijuana. [continues 346 words]
Dear Editor: Times Square driver was high on marijuana and we here in Canada have a government barreling ahead with plans to legalize the wretched stuff. Makes all kind of sense to me. Does it to you? Paul Crossley Penticton [end]
Editor: In response to S. Rathwell (letter to the editor; Weed Can Help Our Economy in The Daily Courier on May 17). Pot production might bring a few jobs, but the damage to our social fabric would heavily outweigh any gain. Marijuana is currently a leading cause of substance dependence, and, if legalized, the increase in users and addiction would be large and rapid. Legal, recreational pot use is not a safe way to relax. It is a psycho-active, addictive substance that affects our youth in a very negative way. Marijuana is the most commonly abused drug around the world. Those who support its legalization for recreational use fail to recognize that the greatest costs of weed are not related to its prohibition; they are the costs resulting from marijuana use itself. Shelley Eberle, Penticton [end]
Dear Editor: In the New Testament, in Matthew 4:4, it states that "man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." Further, it says in 2 Timothy 1:7 "For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." In 2 Peter 1:3, "that we have been given all things that pertain unto life and Godliness." God did not intend for man to write his own laws that jeopardized his. He is the one taking care of our welfare, but we allow the elected officials of our government to dream up their big plans to get God out of society and do as they like to perfect his directions for life. [continues 279 words]
"We are moving forward to ensure that we keep ... cannabis out of the hands of young people." - Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, May 1 The Canadian Press OTTAWA -During the 2015 election, the federal Liberals campaigned on a plan to greenlight marijuana for recreational use to keep it of the hands of children and the profits out of the hands of criminals. The party's election platform said Canada's current approach - criminalizing people for possession and use - traps too many Canadians in the justice system for minor offences. [continues 934 words]
Herbal Green Apothecary remains in operation despite fines, not having business licence City officials have turned to the courts for help shutting down a Penticton marijuana dispensary. A petition was filed Monday in B.C. Supreme Court to seek a sweeping order to close Herbal Green Apothecary and ban owner Jukka Laurio from even possessing marijuana anywhere in Penticton. "It's kind of heavy-handed. They're wasting time and money. I have no signs up, there's no advertising," Laurio said Tuesday. [continues 284 words]
Dear Editor: I am somewhat confused as to why the pot smokers in Vancouver are allowed a special day each year (April 20th) on which they thumb their noses, and bongs, at law enforcement while they blatantly disregard the law regarding illegal use of marijuana. Why do they get to commit this illegal activity, in public, in front of the police? Because it's their "right?" If that's the case, why don't other law breakers have their special day? Hunting during the day within city limits; driving through red lights; packing a gun wherever they go, etc. [continues 143 words]
Campaigning provincial politicians have dozens of changes in mind for B.C., but they are scarcely talking about the major adjustment that's coming, regardless of who wins the election. For all the competing visions being outlined by provincial leaders, the federal government's move to legalize marijuana is going to be the single biggest revamp on the social and political scene. It was introduced last week and could be in effect by next summer (just in time to help cope with Peter Mansbridge's retirement). Still, Liberal, NDP and Green campaigns have scarcely taken notice. [continues 629 words]
Jukka Laurio says he is closing Herbal Green medical marijuana dispensary effective immediately He assured (city) staff that he was not selling cannabis. Staff were deceived by Mr. Laurio - clearly the products he's selling have cannabis in them. After multiple clashes with city hall, Jukka Laurio has agreed to shut down his Herbal Green medical marijuana dispensary effective immediately. The pot advocate and two-time mayoral candidate was back in front of council Tuesday for "illegally selling cannabis products without a licence." [continues 289 words]
Dear Editor: The law is the law. In Canada, the law is the law until the law, through parliament, actually changes. In theory, if one breaks the law, there should be consequences that follow. As we all know, many times laws are broken and the consequences have been "of little or no consequence where the bleeding heart court system seems to show sympathy to would be offenders." There seems to be little or no consistency in many court proceedings. Our illustrious Prime Pinister Justin Trudeau made a pre-election grandstand announcement that he and his government would legalize marijuana if and when he was elected. He was elected as we all know and yet there has been little if anything put forth in the way of fulfilling his pre-election promise. The rhetoric from him has been that there are several issues that need to be studied before legislation will be happening. In other words, it is not a cut and dried issue. [continues 240 words]
Hand-delivered note says police 'will consider taking action' if the shops continue 'to engage in illegal business practices' Threat letters from the Mounties to three marijuana dispensaries in Penticton have had the desired effect, with one shop already shuttered and the owner of another saying his will close soon, too. The letters, signed by Penticton RCMP acting commander Staff-Sgt. Kirsten Marshall, outline Health Canada regulations for the sale of medical marijuana and note police "will consider taking action" if the shops continue "to engage in illegal business practices." [continues 474 words]
Application denied because marijuana awareness group would be in same building as illegal dispensary The owner of a Penticton marijuana dispensary is now feeling the burn from his decision to do business without proper permits. Jukka Laurio applied to the city in December for a non-profit registration that would allow the Association for Medical Marijuana Awareness to operate out of the same building as his Herbal Green dispensary on Westminster Avenue. The purpose of the association is to "collect, organize and disseminate information about medicinal cannabis products," according to its submission to the city. [continues 361 words]
Jukka Laurio seeking to start a non-profit Association for Medical Marijuana Awareness in the same location as his current store The owner of a Penticton marijuana dispensary is getting another chance today to convince city council to overturn a staff decision to deny the non-profit registration of the Association for Medical Marijuana Awareness. Jukka Laurio intends to run the association separately from his Herbal Green dispensary, but the two entities would share a building. The association is dedicated to informing the public about the benefits of medical marijuana. [continues 178 words]
Dear Editor: Christy Clark said she spent $43 million to combat the overdose problem. If she had spent $1 million to hire sheriffs she would have done more to prevent overdose deaths by getting traffickers off the streets than treating overdosed addicts. This is the only solution is to get the drugs off the street. Ralph Wand Penticton [end]
Editor: I presented the following proposal to the government of B.C. last December. This proposal was, if acted upon, intended to expand our arsenal to fight the losing battle against deaths caused by the drugs fentanyl and carfentanil. Each of these compounds are, by far, the most potent chemicals in the class of drugs known as opiates. Fentanyl is far more powerful than codeine, heroin, oxycontin, morphine, etc. Carfentanil is at least 100 times more powerful than fentanyl. Opiates work by stimulating "opiate receptors" residing on nerve cells in the brain. The part of the brain most richly endowed by opiate receptors is the part of the brain that controls breathing. When certain cells in the respiratory centre are stimulated, the brain becomes insensitive to the presence of carbon dioxide. If there is a build-up of carbon dioxide, the brain dies and the heart stops. The heart stops and the patient dies. [continues 166 words]
Penticton's mayor is applauding a recent B.C. Supreme Court decision that ruled local governments do indeed have the right to regulate medical marijuana dispensaries. "The judge clearly stated that even though the use of marijuana is federally regulated, the federal law does not authorize access to medical marijuana from dispensaries and municipalities are not precluded from putting in regulations to control them," Andrew Jakubeit said in a statement. "This decision is welcomed as it provides further clarity on our rights and obligations to control dispensaries and gives added strength to our enforcement policy." [continues 258 words]
Dear Editor: Weeks ago a writer from Victoria correctly fingered the BC government as responsible for the escalating drug overdose deaths. Right assessment, wrong reason. The heroin deaths do not result from insufficient support to addicts. Conversely, the deaths result, ultimately, from the ever increasing, if unintended, provincial endorsement of this self-destructive behaviour. The patronizing acceptance of this aberration with the milksop pronouncements by Interior Heath officials and Minister Terry Lake serve only to justify and legitimatize this suicidal behaviour. [continues 378 words]
Marijuana dispensaries are back on city council's agenda today during what looks to be a jam-packed set of meetings. McNaughton Support Services, which provides programs for adults and youth with developmental disabilities, has complained about Okanagan Cannabis Solutions opening up next door at 575 Main St., without the proper approvals. "We were relieved when we heard that city council had not issued a licence for this dispensary, but see that it is now open in spite of this," director Warren McNaughton wrote in a letter to council. [continues 367 words]
Dear Editor: I'm a retired paramedic. I did my first ambulance call in 1952 and my last in 1992 in Vancouver. I totally believe that not even five percent of addicts can be rehabilitated so I support the mayor of Coquitlam's suggestion to open up the hospitals at Esondale and get the addicts off the street and away from drugs is a good start. But the only way to stop this disaster and get drugs off the street once and for all is by giving jail time of 15 years for selling drug and 20 years for trafficking. When addicts can't get access to drugs, the problem will go away Ralph Wand Penticton [end]
I have noticed of late that various public commentators are using terms that mask rather than clarify the true meaning of what they are saying. Whether intentional or not, such obfuscation is not helpful to meaningful discussions of some important issues. Consider the current plague inflicting that portion of the population who use "recreational" drugs that contain fentanyl or carfentanyl which, even in extremely minute quantities, can cause death. How risking one's life is be considered to be recreation is beyond me, so maybe it's time to revive an old-fashioned term: illegal drugs. [continues 567 words]
Dear Editor: I am writing today about having the power to be able to choose. Who has to follow the law and who doesn't? I am referring to the licenses that were given recently to the compassion clubs (medical marijuana dispensaries). It surprised me that city council actually did another vote, after months of investigation. It was news to me to learn city council has the power to draw up and issue licenses. I am glad that our laws are made for everybody and not for the chosen ones because one society would certainly result in total chaos. [continues 302 words]
