South Okanagan-West Kootenay candidates asked at election forum about legalizing marijuana, but Conservative says constituents care more about other issues, like jobs Legalizing pot is not a big priority for constituents in the South Okanagan-West Kootenay riding, Conservative candidate Marshall Neufeld declares. "What I hear consistently from constituents is they don't see this as a top issue in the riding unlike (Liberal Leader) Justin Trudeau, who made this his first policy promise," Neufeld told a crowd of 150 at an all-candidates forum Saturday at the South Main Drop-In Centre in Penticton. "We (Conservatives) are going to stay focused on jobs, the economy and taxation, and not marijuana use." [continues 683 words]
A wide-ranging series of questions and answers at Monday's Penticton Herald election forum provided a broad if not deep overview of the positions of the candidates in South Okanagan West Kootenay and their parties. For two hours, New Democrat Richard Cannings, Liberal Connie Denesiuk, Conservative Marshall Neufeld and the Green party's Samantha Troy took questions from a panel of six area journalists. The subjects ranged from economic policy to the environment, international relations, seniors housing, the legalization of marijuana and beyond. [continues 2155 words]
Dear Editor: Nice hair Rona Ambrose. Stevie is into hair. You couldn't be more wrong on marijuana... what else don't you know? On corporations: Corporate lives don't matter. Corporate monopolies destroy economies. If Berkshire Hathaway and Warren Buffet were around for 300 years they would own everything On fracking: What they frack with being a trade secret is B.S. What about the national park here in Osoyoos? I've answered that before. Those with the "No National Park" signs on their property may want to take them down. [continues 114 words]
In early June the Supreme Court of Canada rendered a judgement with respect to how medical marijuana may be consumed. A brief summary of this ruling is that the Supreme Court decided that medical marijuana, including extracts and derivatives, could be consumed in a variety of different methods beyond the previously defined means of being dried. In essence this ruling opens the door for oral ingestion that does not require "smoking" and allows marijuana laced baked goods, pills and other methods. Also included are cannabis oils along with both dried and now fresh marijuana buds and leaves. [continues 527 words]
Vancouver Becomes First City in Canada to Regulate Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Vancouver has become the first city in Canada to regulate illegal marijuana dispensaries, a move that has "deeply disappointed" the federal government but was declared a common-sense approach by the mayor. "We're faced with a tough situation, a complicated situation," Gregor Robertson said Wednesday after councillors voted 8-3 to impose new regulations. "We have this proliferation of dispensaries that must be dealt with," he said. The city has blamed Ottawa's restrictive medical marijuana laws for the rise of pot dispensaries - to 94 from fewer than 20 just three years ago. [continues 633 words]
Re: "Ruling a victory for family of girl with seizure disorder," (Herald, June 12). I'm glad the family found a way to control their daughter's seizures, but I have these concerns: Did their primary-care epilepsy doctor prescribe cannabis, or did they give a minor an illegal drug? Why are they so happy the Supreme Court says other forms of marijuana are acceptable, when it's illegal to give it to minors without a prescription? How can a doctor prescribe something that has not been clinically tested or has no known dose value? [continues 96 words]
Rockn' for Kids, a fundraiser for sick kids in need of medical cannabis, will be held on Saturday afternoon at Orchard House, 157 Orchard Ave., in Penticton. The event will be a fun afternoon for the whole family. Live music by the Yardkatz, River Line and Forever should have everyone from small children to their grandparents on their feet dancing. A dinner of pulled-pork or veggie burgers, complete with dessert is included in the $25 ticket and participants may come and go during the afternoon. [continues 477 words]
Whistler Blackcomb ski resort made headlines last week, not for a major competition or a facility upgrade, but because it's banning all forms of smoking, including marijuana. Marijuana? That's like not allowing beer after a recreational slo-pitch game. Jokes aside, this is a great thing provided it's properly enforced. Ownership stated in a press release that it's to "preserve the pristine alpine environment for our guests." We can add that smoking is a health hazard and studies prove second-hand smoke causes health problems. Skiing, snowboarding and other forms of alpine sports are healthy forms of recreation. [continues 202 words]
Ontario parents of epileptic girl using same treatment that has worked so well for Summerland family THORNHILL, Ont. - Gwenevere Repetski turns three next month and she is finally able to crawl, a milestone her parents thought they would never see. She was just an infant when she was diagnosed with epilepsy, a debilitating neurological disorder that has left her developmentally delayed. "She was kind of like a bag of Jell-O," says her mother, Reagan Repetski. When she was two years old, she could hardly roll over when she was placed on her back, adds her father, Alex. [continues 1475 words]
Shy, anxious, depressed 18-year-old accidentally overdosed on heroin Heroin killed his daughter, and now a grieving Penticton father is sharing her story in the hopes it will save a life. Coroners have tentatively determined Chloe Highley, 18, died on April 26 after accidentally overdosing on the drug, according to her father, Danny. "Young people need to be aware of the potentially fatal effects of heroin," he said in an interview Wednesday at the family's spacious Pineview-area home. [continues 498 words]
Olympic medallist who champions medical marijuana says politicians must address issue VANCOUVER - On his average day, athlete Ross Rebagliati rises about 4:30 a.m., brews himself a cup of coffee and then stirs in the ingredient he considers most crucial: honey infused with cannabis. "I just wake up feeling great, looking forward to my workout. And it takes care of any aches and pains from the days before," he said Tuesday, before adding the medical-grade marijuana extract doesn't make him high. [continues 535 words]
The family of a two-year-old Summerland girl is willing to break the law to provide her with the cannabis oil that appears to have dramatically reduced the hundreds of seizures she was suffering daily. Kyla Williams, who has a severe seizure disorder, has shown marked improvement during the past five months while her family has been treating her with the illegal oil. The family tried the oil after doctors said they had exhausted their treatment options. "It's a scary place to be," said Kyla's grandmother Elaine Nuessler. [continues 623 words]
The thought of supplying a toddler with marijuana sounds ludicrous, but it's exactly what Kyla Williams needs. The thought of supplying a toddler with marijuana sounds ludicrous, but it's exactly what Kyla Williams needs. The two-year-old from Summerland was born with epilepsy and averages 100 seizures a day. During her short lifetime, Kyla has tried everything from a controversial diet to various pharmaceutical cocktails, and nothing worked long term. In fact, the results made her worse in many ways. [continues 232 words]
When Chris and Elaine Nuessler became semi-retired after careers in policing and business, the last thing they ever imagined being was marijuana advocates. But, unfortunately for this Summerland couple, life dealt them a cruel blow when their only granddaughter, Kyla, was born with epilepsy. Since then, the two-year-old's parents, Jared and Courtney Williams, along with the Nuesslers, have been researching, surfing the Internet constantly, speaking with experts and building what's unofficially known as "Kyla's medical team." They've also discovered a ton of red tape along the way. [continues 761 words]
The first medical marijuana growing facility in the Boundary-Similkameen should be in operation within the next couple of months, says MLA Linda Larson. Larson and Penticton MLA Dan Ashton discussed new federal pot legislation and several other topics during a year-end appearance before the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen board. Larson declined to state exactly where the indoor pot facility is located, but noted it is very isolated. "It is a big facility, but you will never find it. You won't know where it is," she said. "It has the highest security you could possibly imagine." [continues 380 words]
Jon Manchester it is obvious that his editorial was written without actual fact checking, using only Ostatus quo' information and his own beliefs (Okanagan Saturday, July 27). You've Obeen told' it's simple to get a doctor's prescription for medical marijuana? You are obviously unaware that marijuana has a wide range of uses and effects. While pain relief and anxiety reduction are two of the better known benefits, the plant is available in over 100 varieties of subtle effects and a knowledgeable user researches those varieties for their own particular relief. [continues 332 words]
Chronic stoners may see the Sensible BC "reeferendum" campaign and federal Liberal leader Justin Trudeau's comments in Kelowna this week as further cause to waste their lives in a purple haze. But the real argument behind relaxation of marijuana laws is not about your right to get high, it's all about taking criminal gangs out of the equation and providing legal weed to medical patients whose conditions are helped by the drug. And taxation - lots and lots of it. [continues 183 words]
Don Pio is authorized to smoke marijuana, and he wants every sheriff and police officer in B.C. to leave him alone. Six months after his arrest for carrying pot into the Kelowna Law Courts, the 35-year-old Kelowna man is suing the provincial sheriffs service and the RCMP. He claims authorities humiliated him and made him suffer by depriving him of his medicine. Pio is allowed to light up to control his nausea, and he wants people in uniform to stop harassing him, he said. [continues 503 words]
Protesters marched along Penticton's Main Street Saturday afternoon, demanding the federal government relax laws on marijuana use. One or two could be seen lighting up, sending the smell of cannabis wafting through the air as about 30 placard-bearers made their way to MP Stockwell Day's office. There, they lined both sides of the road as motorists passed by, some honking their horns in support. Amanda Stewart, who got the protest rolling, said many people in the Okanagan want the government to pass more-liberal laws with respect to marijuana. [continues 283 words]
Cradled by spectacular mountain scenery, B.C.'s first long-term residential treatment centre for addicted youth is on the verge of welcoming its initial group of clients. The Crossing at Keremeos is situated on a 23-hectare site 10 kilometres west of Keremeos. Its 42 beds are expected to be filled by May and will provide respite for teens aged 14 to 18 who need help to overcome a drug or alcohol addiction. While in the program, the kids, whose stays will last six to 12 months, will receive both individual and group therapy, a chance to complete their high school education if needed, and vocational counselling. At present, addicted B.C. teens are flown to facilities in Quebec or New Brunswick. [continues 655 words]
Disgruntled conservatives, pot smokers and working moms should all consider voting for the Greens, federal party leader Elizabeth May said Friday in Kelowna. The party appeals to "fiscally conservative, but socially progressive," people, May said after arriving at Kelowna's airport. About as many Green party members as members of the media were on hand to greet May, the first national party leader to visit the Okanagan this campaign. However, she said the small turnout of supporters was not surprising, as the event had been organized in a hurry. [continues 244 words]
Penticton's municipal crime rate dropped by nearly 11 per cent in 2007, although the figure remains well above the provincial average, which is at a 30-year low. According to figures released Tuesday by the provincial government, B.C.'s crime rate fell for the third consecutive year to 104 criminal offences per 100,000 people, a nine per cent decrease from 2006. Within the city of Penticton, however, the crime rate was 138 offences per 100,000 people. But the Peach City's rate is skewed, because it's based on resident population and doesn't take tourists into consideration, said Penticton RCMP Insp. Dan Fudge. [continues 430 words]
Protesters carried large placards and stacked wooden crosses on the steps leading to MP Stockwell Day's Penticton office Wednesday to pressure the federal government to keep North America's only safe injection site open. Penticton was the first stop on a cross-Canada protest aimed at generating support for support of Insite, Vancouver's safe injection site which protesters say is critical in saving drug addicts' lives. Last year, the federal government gave a six-month extension to continue to provide funding to allow the site to continue operating. That extension is due to expire at the end of June. [continues 475 words]
A Penticton woman is adamant police targeted the wrong people after its Drug Task Force members swarmed her residence Friday night. About 8:30 Candice Cullum and her boyfriend, Dustin Gee, were relaxing at their rental home located directly in front of the Mid City Manor and adjacent to the 24-Seven store on Eckhardt Avenue. They had their pajamas on and had settled in to watch TV for the evening when a group of police officers marched through their unlocked front door, arrested them and held them in a jail cell before releasing them. [continues 620 words]
A Penticton RCMP officer, who admitted kicking an arrested man in the head while he was lying on the ground, has been given a conditional discharge on an assault charge. Cpl. Brad Myhre, 43, pleaded guilty in Penticton provincial court Thursday to assault stemming from an arrest on May 3, 2006. Court was told how Myhre and another officer apprehended four people after the occupants of a van had stopped to make an alleged drug deal. One of the suspects, Robert William Douglas, later filed a complaint alleging that Myhre had kicked him while he was face down on the ground with his hands behind his back, lying face-to-face with the female driver of the van who had been handcuffed. [continues 474 words]
Drugs have completely ruined her family, Dustin Paul's sister said Wednesday. Anona Kampe was commenting outside the Penticton Courthouse following the sentencing of her brother to life in prison with no chance of parole for 16 years for the Oct. 30, 2004 shooting spree which left three people dead and two others wounded. Kampe said the impact of drugs on her family has been devastating. Her father, Garth Brayshaw was killed in a drug-related shooting at the Riva Ridge mobile home park in June 1999. [continues 238 words]
How else can I sum up my weekly report? I'll try to give you a sense of what filled last week back there on the Hill. First, remember that old TV ad about fitness that said "the average 60-year-old Swede is in better shape than the average 30-year-old Canadian?" (I was never sure how true that was because I knew some portly 60-year-old Swedes who loved inhaling sweets, but whatever.) The point is, the program was called ParticipAction. And guess what? It worked. So we've brought it back to life to get people thinking fitness. [continues 457 words]
The City of Penticton's new anti-grow-op legislation is getting its first test after RCMP seized 250 pot plants, weapons and a quantity of dried marijuana from a local home. Under the bylaw, adopted by Penticton council last April, landlords could face a maximum $5,000 fine upon conviction and be liable for remediation costs. Members of the RCMP drug task force raided a home on Chatham Place at about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. In addition to the marijuana plants, police seized about four kilograms of dried marijuana, five firearms and two crossbows. [continues 287 words]
You can't talk about the devastating drug crystal meth without talking about parenting. "It's mostly kids who have suffered abuse or emotional pain at home who end up on drugs," Dr. Gabor Mate told a crystal meth forum in Peachland on Saturday. "I've been told by so many addicts that they were abused at home and that their first experience with drugs felt like a warm hug." However, even kids who come from seemingly good homes can succumb to drugs. [continues 374 words]
The provincial government is hoping to combat crystal meth - which addicts one in five who try it - with a public education campaign in B.C. classrooms. The $3-million school-based program and public education campaign targets students, parents and teachers. It includes: classroom lessons and resources that help youth make healthy and informed decisions, teacher resources that support classroom lessons, a parents' guide to provide them with the information needed to talk to their children about crystal meth and a website, called www.no2meth.ca. [continues 452 words]
Canadian and U.S. authorities have grounded a massive aerial smuggling operation and taken a major dent out of the cross-border drug trade, says an industry insider. RCMP and American immigration officials announced last week they made 46 arrests in connection with crime networks that used helicopters to transport marijuana and cocaine across the B.C.-Washington border. According to a source with inside knowledge of the industry, authorities have dismantled all aerial smuggling groups in the province. "There weren't that many to begin with, and they're all gone now," said the source, who requested anonymity. "I'd say they've been wiped out. That will have an effect on B.C.'s economy because less pot will go south." [continues 861 words]
Crystal methamphetamine is described as the lowest of the highs but sadly an increasing number of people are finding that out the hard way. Called a dirty drug by those who know it well, crystal meth eats away at the abuser's brain to the point where no one or nothing else matters except the unattainable goal of reaching the initial pinnacle of pleasure. And that's where education comes in, teaching potential addicts the facts before it's too late. [continues 572 words]
Almost two years after first being proposed, a city bylaw aimed at reducing the number of marijuana grow-ops and other drug operations in Penticton is now officially on the books. City council voted unanimously Monday night to adopt the bylaw which outlines fines and other penalties for landlords who turn a blind eye to grow-ops in their rental homes. But after getting an earful from a landlords' spokesperson over the ramifications of the regulations, council also agreed to review the legislation a year from now to determine its effectiveness. [continues 570 words]
Crystal meth is described as dangerous, highly addictive and a growing problem in the community. Penticton residents will soon have an opportunity to educate themselves about the drug under a public awareness program sponsored by the city and the community policing office. Details of the Know More crystal meth project were announced Tuesday by Mayor Jake Kimberley and Penticton RCMP Insp. Dan Fudge. Funded through a $10,000 provincial grant, the program will include a community forum on the drug problem June 14 at the Cleland Theatre. [continues 245 words]
OLIVER -- Police say when tactical teams raided three Oliver-area homes in the early morning hours yesterday they found a significant quantity of drugs that may have been destined for Penticton streets. Five people were arrested and more arrests are expected in connection with the raids which police allege indicate as RCMP crack down on drugs in Penticton, dealers are spreading out to rural areas. "The Penticton drug task force has known for some time their efforts in Penticton may result in criminals and drug traffickers having moved down here," said Penticton RCMP media liaison Cpl. Rick Dellebuur. [continues 401 words]
A controversial proposed city bylaw intended to discourage the use of local residential property for drug-related activities such as grow-ops and crystal meth labs, is back before council. Introduced in 2004, the original document came under attack from a variety of groups including landlords and tenants who felt its terms and conditions were too severe. The major changes contained in the new bylaw, which received second and third reading at Monday's regular meeting of council, included the removal of the provision requiring residences be inspected by owners every 90 days. [continues 510 words]
Don Sismey is a giant step closer to realizing his dream of providing facilities locally to help people addicted to drugs and alcohol who sincerely want to changes their lives. The organization he founded, the Penticton Resource Recovery Society, was recently incorporated under the provincial government's Societies Act, paving the way to begin fundraising for the first of what he hopes will be a series of recovery shelters or homes. "Right now there is nothing, no recovery house in Penticton and there is just a huge need," said Sismey, who battled his personal addictions for more than 30 years before making the big turnaround in his own life and impassioned him to help others. [continues 420 words]
SUMMERLAND -- A local organization is getting $44,500 from the provincial government to aid in its fight against the spread of crystal meth. The Summerland Asset Development Initiative (SADI) will get $10,000 in seed funding -- a portion of the $2 million the government is giving to the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) -- to support community-based drug abuse programs. The remainder of the money will go to the SADI positive lifestyles pilot program to promote healthy and active lifestyles among local youth which is being done through Summerland secondary and middle schools. [continues 225 words]
Okanagan-Coquihalla MP Stockwell Day hopes the U.S. doesn't get the wrong message following a federal justice department decision not to proceed with charges against the driver of a marijuana-laden truck nabbed at the Osoyoos border crossing last summer. Day said Thursday although he does not have all the details surrounding the decision, he acknowledged it could be dimly viewed by U.S. authorities concerned about Canadian border security. "There's at least an appearance that the system here may be more lax - -- in terms of the justice system, not the policing. The policing obviously was effective," he said in a telephone interview from Ottawa. [continues 342 words]
OSOYOOS -- At the time, it was called the largest drug bust ever at the Osoyoos border crossing, but now justice officials and police say they can't make a case. Charges were recently dropped against the man caught trying to drive a transport truck full of pot across the Osoyoos border crossing last summer and justice officials say it's because they just can't win the case. "Criminally, it's going unpunished. Nobody's going to have to answer for it .. criminally, it's about as far as we can go with it," said Sgt. Kevin Schur, of the South Okanagan RCMP detachment about the bust that was considered the largest drug bust in the history of the Okanagan-Kootenay district of the Canada Border Services Agency. [continues 460 words]
City council has agreed to add two more members to the Penticton RCMP detachment this summer -- but it wants them specifically designated for drug enforcement. Council began its 2006 budget deliberations Tuesday, adopting the $31.9-million base operating budget and $6.4-million capital budget presented last month. It then began the month-long process of reviewing supplemental budget requests prior to adoption of the preliminary budget by Jan. 30. Council gave initial approval of $107,000 for two additional RCMP officers to be hired July 1. Due to a one-time administrative saving, the net cost will be $60,000 this year, but will jump to $214,000 in 2007 when the new officers will be on the books for a full year. [continues 492 words]
OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Paul Martin took a break Saturday from the eight-week federal election campaign, allowing Conservative Leader Stephen Harper to once again set the daily news agenda by focusing on crime and punishment For the fourth consecutive day, Harper rolled out a key plank in his platform, this time highlighting the drug-control section of the party's criminal justice agenda with promises of mandatory prison sentences, stiffer fines and an end of conditional sentences "I want to talk about the values of a peaceful, orderly and safe society, and a problem none of the other parties seem to care about -- the problem of crime and the threat it poses to our families and our communities," Harper said at a recreation centre in Burnaby, B.C. [continues 974 words]
OLIVER -- Randy Asling knows it only takes a poke from one hypodermic needle to turn a life upside down And though he's been trying for more than three years to convince local authorities to install disposal containers in public parks, they don't agree it is necessary Asling was removing garbage from Lion's Park in October 1994 when he was stabbed by a dirty needle that he believes led to his contracting hepatitis C "My job was to keep the parks clean, and that is what I was doing that morning," Asling said [continues 620 words]
Penticton Woman Tells Of Struggle To Obtain Treatment For Her Drug-Addicted Brother Editor's note: The following story is the third in a four-part series on substance abuse and rehabilitation issues in the Penticton and South Okanagan area. MARK BRETT Penticton Herald Nadine Meagher knows first-hand the dangers of drug abuse, but she wasn't prepared for the roadblocks she would face while attempting to rescue her brother from the nightmare of crystal meth addiction Her problems began recently when she attempted to have the 23-year-old admitted to the 20-bed Phoenix Centre detoxification facility in Kamloops shortly after he was arrested by Penticton RCMP. "He had punched an Ironman (contestant) in the head and tried to steal his bike and was jumping on cars, so he was charged with assault and mischief," said Meagher. "That evening, he called me, methed out of his tree, told me he was in jail and asked me to come and pick him up." She called the watch commander at the RCMP detachment and told him that she and her mother were coming in to talk to the officer who was looking after the matter [continues 679 words]
# Editor's note: The following story is the second in a four-part series on substance abuse and rehabilitation issues in the Penticton and South Okanagan area. Four years after her mother got her to try crystal meth, Mary continues to abuse drugs at an alarming rate. At 15, Mary (not her real name), is a self-professed authority on Penticton's drug scene. She claims she uses an ounce of crystal meth and two ounces of marijuana every week, numbers which may be exaggerated for effect [continues 805 words]
Editor's note: This is the first in a series of articles about substance use and rehabilitation issues in the Penticton and South Okanagan area. Dr. Lloyd Westby has had enough. Having treated as many as 80 heroin addicts at a time for more than a decade, the Penticton physician plans to write his final methadone prescription Dec. 16 "I'm quitting; I'm burnt out," said Westby, who has worked with drug addicts, including those in Vancouver's notorious east end, since 1992 [continues 748 words]
VANCOUVER -- Penalties for possessing, making and trafficking crystal meth - -- a drug called the poor man's cocaine -- were increased Thursday by the federal government, but it's a strategy that a frontline social worker says has proved worthless in the fight against cocaine and heroin The stiffer sentences on methamphetamine, known as crystal meth, are now in line with offences associated with heroin and cocaine Justice Minister Irwin Cotler said specially designated prosecutors will also deal with the most serious cases and will speak to judges in sentencing about the corrosive, poisonous nature of the drug and how it destroys lives [continues 61 words]
The Same Things That Attract Legitimate Businesses To The Okanagan Lured The Hells Angels Here "Like any enterprise, if the Hells Angels see an opportunity they pursue it," Vancouver RCMP Insp. Bob Paulson said Sunday "The growth of Kelowna, the size of the community and the lifestyle would all be factors in why the Hells Angels are there." On Friday, Vancouver RCMP raided two Hells Angels clubhouses - the Vancouver East End chapter and an East End chapter satellite in Kelowna at the corner of Ellis Street and Roanoke Avenue [continues 326 words]
OSOYOOS -- It was the largest drug seizure in the history of the Okanagan-Kootenay district of the Canada Border Services Agency "I'm pleased to announce that (officers at the Osoyoos border crossing) have seized over 100 kilograms of marijuana," said Alan Prolifi, district superintendent for Canada Border Services Agency The announcement was made Thursday at the border crossing, next to a table stacked high with 192 vacuumsealed bags full of marijuana, worth up to $500,000. It started with a few routine questions for the driver of a tractor-trailer travelling to the United States on Monday, said Robbin Walterhouse, an inspector and detector dog handler. He was on shift with his canine partner, Shad, when he and Prolifi noticed the driver's suspicious behaviour. Jasdeep Singh Litt of Surrey was taking the truck to Washington with a load of recycled paper and cardboard [continues 489 words]
OSOYOOS -- Carrie Pfingsttag loves to take her kids to the beach, but she's having trouble putting up with some of the things that are going on at Osoyoos's prime public beach, Gyro Park "You don't like to bring your kids down here -- they're drinking, doing drugs," Pfingsttag said, nodding toward a group of young people lounging up the beach from where she is playing with her toddler "There's usually three or four dogs. They'll bring them right down to the beach, where the kids are." In past years, Pfingsttag has found used needles, and has seen people strip to their underwear to bathe in the lake. "It's such a turnoff," she said, wondering what it does to tourism in the sunny beach town [continues 381 words]
