Re: Drug costs eroding medicare, May 28. If we were truly free in Canada, we could all grow a little cannabis. Then we wouldn't need so many pills and syrups, we wouldn't need to see doctors as often, and our health-care system would be under far less strain. Beyond that, legalizing, regulating, and taxing a commercial cannabis market would save us about a $1-1.5 billion dollars every year, and generate an estimated $3 billion in tax revenue. That could go a long way to finance our struggling health-care system, but Layton would never have the guts to say that publicly, because he is basically a Grit with an orange tie. Russell Barth Ottawa (All our problems would go up in smoke?) [end]
A Chinese immigrant from Toronto who was duped into working on one of Manitoba's largest-ever marijuana grow operations has been hit with a stiffer sentence by the province's highest court. Fai Tan Ng was originally given a one-month penalty after pleading guilty to production of marijuana. The Manitoba Court of Appeal has now agreed with the Crown's argument the penalty is too light and increased it to a full year. However, Ng "poses no danger to the community" and will be allowed to serve his sentence in the community, the court ruled. [continues 253 words]
SPENDING more money on the treatment of drug addicts is perhaps a useful thing, even though it is hardly ever successful. Treatment centres at least offer a hope of rehabilitation to drug users. Spending more money on educating people about the dangers of drug use is certainly more useful. Although its effectiveness is hard to measure -- it is difficult to gauge how many people are not doing something because of a newspaper article or advertisement they once read -- the decline in the number of cigarette smokers in the last 40 years is a clear indication that continuing, relentless education about the dangers of drug use can work. [continues 346 words]
Re: Wrong on drugs, May 24. The Free Press has it right on every count. It is wrong and foolish to spend money enforcing Canada's antiquated drug laws. It is hard to understand why the federal government is allocating even more money to an approach that clearly does not work. It is time we began to treat drug abuse in exactly the same way we treat the abuse of alcohol and tobacco -- have government control the supply and educate. This approach has eradicated neither alcohol nor tobacco abuse but it has worked far better than prohibition and placing addicts in jail. Thankfully, no one is suggesting we initiate a war on tobacco or alcohol. The war analogy is useless and should be discarded when it comes to addictions. [continues 65 words]
Justice Officials May Seek Outside Advice AN internal investigation into an allegation two police officers committed perjury in a drug case that later collapsed is now in the hands of provincial justice officials, police confirmed Thursday. But it's anyone's guess when Manitoba Justice will decide on possible charges, sources said. That's because the file, prepared by the Winnipeg Police Service's professional standards unit, will likely go to an out-of-province Crown attorney for an independent review to remove any appearance of conflict of interest. [continues 545 words]
As painful as it is to be addicted to drugs, it's also agonizing to be the parent/family/friends of an addict. Watching a loved one self-destruct, hurting those they love while doing so, is extremely difficult to endure. The following was sent to me by a dad who loves his addicted son, but doesn't know where to turn. Hoping to help his son, he penned the following piece, which he sent to me earlier this week, prefaced by his reasons for doing so. [continues 456 words]
A new treatment centre for recovering alcoholics and drug users will be located in the same building as a soon-to-open downtown bar. Earlier this week, St. Raphael Centre told the Free Press about its plans to expand into a day treatment facility for addicts at 456 Main St. But on Friday, club owner Sabino Tummillo revealed he is turning the main floor of 456 Main St. into Pearl Nightclub and Ultralounge -- a night spot for the 25 and older crowd. [continues 557 words]
MERVYN YULE should be enjoying the golden years of his retirement, but the 68-year-old Winnipegger is waiting to find out if he's going to prison after pleading guilty to selling crack cocaine out his North End home. He is believed to be one of the oldest drug dealers ever arrested in the city. Yule, who retired from general labour work at the age of 65, found himself deep in debt and unable to catch up with his $1,400 monthly pension, said defence lawyer Hope Buset. [continues 218 words]
If the first step to solving a problem is admitting that one exists, Flin Flon has some work to do when it comes to street drugs. That's the assessment of RCMP Cst. Bryan Bowskill, who says that while busts of recent years have opened many eyes, the community as a whole fails to fully grasp the situation. "I think it's Flin Flon just not wanting to believe it," says the officer. "Like the sleepy small town of 6,000 people doesn't want to believe that crack is here and doesn't want to believe that there's cocaine being dealt at the kilogram level." [continues 629 words]
A less than 10-minute guest appearance in a massive drug bust of the Hells Angels by Winnipeg police and the RCMP has cost a man several months of his life. Sam Thorsteinson, 42, was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to trafficking 275 grams of cocaine. He was arrested with 12 others last year as part of the joint police operation dubbed Project Defense. In accepting a plea bargain, Madam Justice Brenda Keyser of Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench agreed that Thorsteinson only has to serve six more months in jail because he had already spent the equivalent of two and a half years in custody. [continues 174 words]
Latest Addition To The Exchange District Is Set To Open This Fall AN addiction treatment centre that will help young adults struggling with alcohol, gambling and drug abuse will be the latest addition to The Exchange this fall. St. Raphael Centre is relocating to 456 Main St., where it will offer addiction recovery services that are tailored uniquely to individuals with help from psychiatrists, doctors, nurse practitioners, and mental health counselors. The move is expected to be publicly announced in upcoming weeks. [continues 517 words]
IN search of a wedge issue in the election campaign, Conservative Leader Hugh McFadyen soldiers on to out-do the New Democrats on law and order. But on Sunday, his promised reforms slipped from a get-tough agenda into the bizarre. Mr. McFadyen pledged a Tory government would deny legal aid to anyone previously convicted of drug trafficking, benefiting from the proceeds of crime or being part of a criminal organization. As a lawyer, Mr. McFadyen should know he cannot wield that kind of power over the courts. [continues 399 words]
I read with interest your online article New report suggests Vancouver's safe-injection site a failure, May 2, featuring former Reform party MP Randy White's remarks regarding Vancouver's supervised injection site. The article that White is touting is written by Colin Mangham and is published in an American magazine that was established just two months ago with funding from the U.S. Department of Justice. This is only its second issue. In contrast, the 24 Canadian studies, funded by Health Canada, have been published in established peer-reviewed journals that have existed since the early 1800s. (The New England Journal of Medicine was founded in 1812, and The Lancet was founded in 1823.) The research published in these journals indicates that the injection site has a positive contribution to make in our collective fight against addiction. [continues 105 words]
But Hells Angel Found Not Guilty Under Anti-Gang Legislation A mountain of evidence that gave the public rare insight into the inner workings of the Hells Angels still wasn't enough to convince a Winnipeg jury that biker Ian Grant should face legal sanctions for participating in a criminal organization. Grant, a full-patch member of the Manitoba chapter, dodged a legal bullet Sunday morning when jurors found him not guilty under anti-gang legislation that some critics feel doesn't have enough teeth and still has never resulted in a single Manitoba conviction. [continues 1012 words]
Want New Facility And Help For FASD Children More treatment beds for drug addicts and a plan to help kids with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder capped off "crime week" for the Tories Friday. Leader Hugh McFadyen pledged to create 100 more spots in drug treatment centres for addicts, costing about $2 million. And he promised more prevention programs, diagnostic services and support for people with FASD, which McFadyen said police say is a common denominator among young car thieves and criminals they arrest. [continues 238 words]
Ndp Justice Minister Dave Chomiak Brands Idea A 'Publicity Stunt' CONVICTED gang members will be barred from accessing legal aid, Tory Leader Hugh McFadyen pledged Sunday. "That means the taxpayers will no longer fund the legal aid defence of those involved in drug trafficking or other gang-related activity," said McFadyen. Drug trafficking, proceeds of crime and participating in a criminal organization are the three convictions that would preclude someone from ever using a Legal Aid Manitoba lawyer under a Tory government. [continues 381 words]
The owner of a massive clandestine drug lab put many Winnipeggers at risk -- from the harmful "designer" drugs he was making and of a potential explosion -- and should be sent to prison for six years, the Crown argued Friday. David Grace, 38, was found guilty last year of several drug charges stemming from a November 2002 raid on Valour Road. His dangerous drug operation was only the second of its kind ever found in Manitoba. The Crown is seeking a lengthy sentence for Grace as a means of sending a message that these types of drug operations will be taken seriously by the courts. [continues 238 words]
Judge Furious Orders For Discrete Security Disobeyed POLICE and justice officials nearly derailed the high-profile criminal trial against Hells Angel Ian Grant by disobeying a judge's order surrounding security issues for undercover agent Franco Atanasovic. The near-miss occurred several weeks ago but can only be reported now because jurors are sequestered. Deliberations began just after 1 p.m. Thursday and will resume this morning after jurors spent the night in a hotel. Queen's Bench Justice John Scurfield was furious after learning a total of 14 officers -- many carrying sub-machine guns and wearing camouflage -- had filled the second-floor hallway of the downtown Law Courts on the first day Atanasovic was to testify. [continues 567 words]
Re: Dial-a-dealers target high school kids, April 27. Winnipeg police are to be commended for making arrests in the alleged selling of crack cocaine to high school students in Tuxedo and Charleswood. But what about those allegedly buying the drugs? If there were no customers, we wouldn't have to contend with drug dealers in our communities. Police should visit these high schools with drug-sniffing dogs and arrest all caught in possession. AL Yakimchuk Winnipeg [end]
RARELY a day goes by without reports of some fresh outrage in Manitoba's justice system. High-profile cases collapse in courts, some of which are so overwhelmed that there exists concern that justice delayed is becoming justice denied. Remand centres and provincial jails are packed beyond capacity so that conditions are inadequate, leading to double-time-served reductions in sentences as compensation. Investigations too often fail to produce evidence sufficient to yield convictions beyond a reasonable doubt. Arrest warrants are issued but seldom served. Conditions of probation are flouted with impunity for lack of resources to enforce them. There are not sufficient programs to prevent predictable recidivism, among drug addicts, for example. In areas where there has been significant increases in resources -- gangs and car theft -- there has not been much evidence of success. [continues 383 words]
Inside Manitoba
