The owner of a Halifax marijuana dispensary says the province's recreational pot policy announced Thursday will drive more people to the black market. But Chris Enns said he doesn't fear that widespread access to pot next July will threaten his business. "I've had no less than half a dozen individuals call me this morning literally in tears, worried I was going to shut down or be shut down by these new regulations and that they wouldn't have a source for their medicine anymore," said Enns, owner of Farm Assists Medical Cannabis Resource Centre, in an interview Thursday. [continues 338 words]
Top grower says science convinced him despite his initial reluctance Jim Hole is getting into the commercial cannabis game and he couldn't be happier. In fact, the St. Albert greenhouse owner who has dedicated a lifetime to horticulture can't remember the last time he was this excited about growing a plant. This week, Hole's Greenhouses and Atlas Growers, an Alberta-based medicinal and recreational cannabis producer, joined forces to create a partnership that they hope will produce the very best commercial quality harvest of legal marijuana in the industry. [continues 331 words]
On Monday, Nov. 27, The Cannabis Act passed third reading. This was the last vote in the House of Commons before the legislation goes to the Senate for review and approval. The government's plan is to have marijuana on the market for recreational use starting July 1, 2018. I voted "no" to this legislation. Here's why: The Liberal government has been told by numerous authorities, including the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, to slow down. There's no reason the legislation needs to come into effect on July 1, 2018 and law enforcement agents have warned the government of the negative impact its rushed time frame will have on officers and the safety of Canadians. [continues 782 words]
While support for cannabis legalization has grown tremendously in recent years, it's also true that there isn't unanimous consensus that it's the right thing to do. However, it's also the case that legalization is for all intents and purposes a done deal, and so arguments against it are rather moot at this point. Moreover, bizarre and irrational arguments against legalization are not only moot, but really only serve to embarrass and discredit those making them. For Alberta's new United Conservative Party, dabbling in such foolishness would represent a totally avoidable self-inflicted wound. Obviously, the Rachel Notley government did not legalize cannabis, but rather - as is the case with every other province - is designing and implementing regulations around legalization. [continues 554 words]
Issues to be resolved include licensing, zoning and added cost of enforcement Cities and towns across Alberta are looking for details - and possibly cash - from the provincial government in anticipation of legal recreational marijuana next year. The newly elected president of the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association, Barry Morishita, said the NDP government has been good at keeping municipalities in the loop as it works through cannabis legalization. But the Brooks mayor said municipalities are still looking for answers in some areas as the July 1, 2018, deadline for legalization moves ever closer. Money, as usual, is a major issue. "Who's going to fund the cost of services from the change in legislation?" Morishita said in a recent interview. [continues 599 words]
Everyone wants a safe work environment, including the provincial NDP government, which this week introduced a number of measures aimed at reducing injuries and deaths on job sites. Employees will now have the right to refuse work they deem to be dangerous, for instance. They've always had the ability to reject tasks they felt put them at risk, but instead of protection being included in the Occupational Health and Safety Act, it will soon form part of Bill 30, the cleverly titled An Act to Protect the Health and Well-being of Working Albertans. [continues 361 words]
Two Republicans representing Morris County in Trenton want to 'put breaks' on legalization of marijuana by governor-elect. Two Republicans representing Morris County in Trenton are pushing back against the promise by Governor-elect Phil Murphy to sign a bill legalizing marijuana in the first 100 days of his administration. Murphy and the Democratic majorities in the Senate and Assembly have said they want marijuana legalized in early 2018, which could generate up to $300 million in annual taxes to the state. [continues 697 words]
Detection tools not available yet The Government of Saskatchewan announced Tuesday that there will be a zero tolerance policy for people who drive while impaired by drugs. Earl Cameron, executive vice president of Auto Fund, said the decision was made after the federal government passed new laws in anticipation of marijuana legalization. "It's because of the three new federal laws, we want to make sure that our administrative sanctions that we have now, for impaired driving, mirror these three new charges," he said. [continues 446 words]
Re: "Booze, drugs 'profound' woes, Suncor says," Nov. 28. There has been little concern expressed during its committee study by the Trudeau government, in its rush to legalize marijuana, about the real possibility of an increase in accidents in the workplace, once it becomes legal. Unlike alcohol, which is excreted from one's body in about 12 hours, THC remains in the system for many, many days. This means workers can show up on the job still partially stoned. There is also the real likelihood more workers will be using marijuana on the job, thereby placing themselves and co-workers at an increased risk of injury or death. [continues 53 words]
NEW YORK -- It was a telling setting for a decision on whether post-traumatic stress disorder patients could use medical marijuana. Against the backdrop of the nation's largest Veterans Day parade, Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced this month he'd sign legislation making New York the latest in a fast-rising tide of states to OK therapeutic pot as a PTSD treatment, though it's illegal under federal law and doesn't boast extensive, conclusive medical research. Twenty-eight states plus the District of Columbia now include PTSD in their medical marijuana programs, a tally that has more than doubled in the last two years, according to data compiled by the pro-legalization Marijuana Policy Project. A 29th state, Alaska, doesn't incorporate PTSD in its medical marijuana program but allows everyone over 20 to buy pot legally. [continues 714 words]
Allowing private sector to take point on distribution a sensible policy Newfoundland and Labrador made a common-sense decision last week on the distribution of cannabis in that province. They've opted for a private-sector distribution model, breaking away from the ill-considered public-sector monopolies being set up in Ontario and New Brunswick. As part of the Newfoundland and Labrador plan, the government says it will allow the sale of cannabis by private retailers, while the regulation, distribution and online sales will initially be carried out by the Newfoundland Liquor Corporation. On this issue, the government listened to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. [continues 371 words]
Many unanswered questions remain with regards to forthcoming legislation Reactions are coming in from a number of quarters after the provincial government released the results of its survey on marijuana on Thursday. Specifically, the government asked how cannabis should be sold and regulated once it is legalized in July. Acting deputy mayor and city councillor for the City of Moose Jaw Crystal Froese said it is good the province is reaching out to residents. "I am glad to see that the province is engaging our citizens in a survey," she said. The councillor added that the legalization of marijuana is one that will have a large impact on the city and community and that she was happy to see some of the trends that came to light. One of those questions was about where people should be allowed to light up. [continues 349 words]
Why is the federal government in such a hurry to pass its marijuana legalization legislation when there are still so many questions and so few answers? Recently, the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police said that the legislation is coming too fast, stating that, "There is insufficient time to prepare the necessary legislative framework and regulations to ensure the public safety." The Canadian Association of Police Chiefs warned that it will be "impossible" to be ready for the government's target of legalizing marijuana by July 2018. Do these things not matter? [continues 193 words]
Re: "Warnings, plain covers for pot packaging," Nov. 22. Aside from bona fide medical use, it seems pot legalization may help lull a populace into a sleepwalking oblivion from the world and issues. More happy campers, more votes? By the way, will there be surgeon general warnings on pot packages? Marijuana effects can include secondhand smoke, dependency, mental impairment, impaired driving, seizures, psychosis, damaged blood vessels, chronic bronchitis, strokes, heart attack, etc. Cigarette producers may be rubbing their hands with glee, with finally a double standard perhaps exonerating them. Then there's the spectre of bootleg marijuana to underage people. Will the next move be a marijuana leaf Cannabian flag? Will the motto be Qu'ils mangent de la brioche - "Let them eat cake," or translated nowadays, "Let them smoke pot.' Jeff Miller, Calgary [end]
Latest statistics suggest Alberta will see nearly 550 fentanyl-tied deaths this year Fentanyl-related overdoses killed 400 Albertans in the first nine months of the year, according to new statistics on the opioid crisis that also revealed a disturbing rise in the emergence of highly toxic carfentanil. The numbers, released Monday in Alberta Health's latest quarterly report, show the province has avoided any major spikes in fentanyl fatalities this year, but has also failed to stop the death toll from climbing. [continues 401 words]
In this divided nation, we should be able to at least find common cause in the fight to stop and treat opioid addiction, a scourge that knows no single identity, and that does not respect geographic boundaries or common socio-economic factors. This is a fight we must all take up, arm in arm, because in one way or another it affects all Americans. Indeed, the more we know about this menace to our national health, the worse it seems. According to a new analysis released by the Trump White House, the opioid addiction crisis may already be much worse than previously thought. According to the White House Council of Economic Advisers, the true cost of the crisis, as of 2015, stands at $504 billion, a figure more than six times the most recent estimate. [continues 405 words]
Occasionally, Alberta's NDP government manages to demonstrate that it is capable of balance and pragmatism. Unfortunately, that also underscores the frustration of so frequently seeing them do the opposite. In preparing for legalized cannabis, the NDP must have been awfully tempted to follow the advice of their friends in the labour movement and build a network of government-built and government-operated retail outlets. But other than a pre-existing ideological bent, there really wasn't a case to be made for such an approach. The costs would be considerable, and there would not necessarily be any corresponding payoff in terms of better outcomes. Moreover, it would simply delay the rollout of legalized cannabis and prove to be a gift to the black market. [continues 556 words]
A Vancouver cannabis firm with holdings in Alberta and a greenhouse under construction in California expects to debut its shares on a Canadian stock exchange in the coming weeks - with big warnings to investors. Sunniva Inc. will be the first pot stock to hold an initial public offering after securities regulators set out new rules for companies with assets in the United States, where cannabis remains federally illegal. While several U.S. states have liberalized cannabis laws, securities watchdogs in Canada say there are risks with investing in cannabis stocks that have American assets, including that the companies face potential asset seizures and prosecution by federal U.S. authorities. [continues 442 words]
Why is the federal government in such a hurry to pass its marijuana legalization when there are still so many questions and so few answers? Just this week, the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police said the legislation is coming too fast, stating, "There is insufficient time to prepare the necessary legislative framework and regulations to ensure the public safety." The Canadian Association of Police Chiefs warned it will be "impossible" to be ready for the government's target of legalizing marijuana by July 1, 2018. Do these things not matter? [continues 187 words]
Sarasota-based medical marijuana company AltMed Florida is poised to begin growing its first crop of marijuana at a facility in Apollo Beach. The Florida Department of Health authorized Plants of Ruskin -- the nursery that is partnering with AltMed -- to begin operating the cultivation facility. "We have worked diligently to build what we believe will be the most advanced indoor cultivation facility in Florida, and one of the finest in the country," AltMed CEO John Tipton said in a press release Monday. [continues 270 words]
Saskatchewan Government looking to privatize marijuana Saskatchewan's government is not interested in operating pot shops. Instead, they want to concentrate on regulating the product. "We do not want to be in any ownership or marketing," said Don Morgan, Saskatchewan's Justice Minister. "We want to be responsible for ensuring that there's a regulatory scheme in place and we want to make sure it's a confidently, well-run regulatory scheme, but we don't want to own it, market it or warehouse it ourselves." [continues 555 words]
Private operators still await rules for selling legal weed starting July 1 Alberta won't limit the number of private cannabis stores once retail sales are legalized next July, according to new details released Thursday by the NDP government. The province confirmed that private retailers will sell legal weed from brick-and-mortar storefronts, instead of government-run outlets chosen by several other provinces, including Ontario and Quebec. Online sales in Alberta, however, will be available through a publicly run system, which is meant to ensure residents can tell the difference between legal and illicit retailers on the internet. [continues 775 words]
Potential retailers comment as Alberta releases rules for cannabis shops, sales Private retailers who want to sell legal marijuana in Alberta next July 1 won't be able to do so alongside alcohol, or even a bag of chips. Under proposed rules introduced by the province Thursday, retailers will be restricted to sales of cannabis and cannabis-related goods such as lighters and rolling papers. There's no word on how much legal marijuana will cost, but 420 Clinic founder Jeff Mooij says that won't matter to consumers. [continues 407 words]
Marijuana to be legal across Canada July 1 Alberta is putting the legislative pieces in place for legalized marijuana, starting with changes to align its rules with pending Criminal Code amendments. "Impaired driving is the leading cause of criminal death and injury in Canada," Transportation Minister Brian Mason said Tuesday after introducing Bill 29 in the legislature. "If this bill passes, it will support our government's goal of zero impairment (and) related collisions and fatalities on Alberta roads." Marijuana is to be legal across Canada as of July 1, and the federal government is revising and toughening criminal charges for impaired driving to include cannabis and mixing cannabis with alcohol while behind the wheel. [continues 366 words]
Alberta will bear heavy up front costs as Ottawa grabs half the tax on cannabis sales Under the proposed federal tax on pot, Alberta will run a cannabis deficit for several years, according to provincial officials. This is not an appealing prospect for a government with no shortage of other deficits. It explains why Finance Minister Joe Ceci said last week: "I'm not sure what the federal government is smoking but I can tell you ... this is not going to work for Alberta." [continues 605 words]
NDP proposes penalties for being high at the wheel in preparation for legal weed The NDP introduced new legislation Tuesday that aims to fill the gap in impaired-driving rules ahead of cannabis legalization across Canada. The federal government has proposed specific drug limits as well as penalties for drivers who break the law. Ottawa has also touted the development of a roadside drug test in preparation for the July 1 milestone when cannabis becomes legal. Alberta Transportation Minister Brian Mason said Bill 29 - which updates the Traffic Safety Act - will reduce the number of impaired drivers on the road and encourage safe driving if passed. [continues 458 words]
Mayor Dan Mathieson said it was to be expected that Stratford wasn't included in the first wave of municipalities chosen by the province to have government-run marijuana outlets by next year. But more information will be needed from upper levels of governments, he added, to determine the real impacts the rollout of the proposed legislation will have in the city and whether not being included in the first wave was a positive or negative development. The province announced last week the first cities where the province will open stand-alone LCBO-like stores that will be authorized to sell pot. [continues 509 words]
A discussion on medicinal marijuana, its uses and who is using it was the on the menu at the Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs' weekly speakers series. Dr. Ife Abiola, medical director for the 420 Clinic, spoke on the drug and gave anecdotal information on many of the patents seen at the clinic. He said it is important for local residents to get informed on the drug ahead of impending national legalization. "This is going to be changing a lot of different facets of our lives," he said. "You can expect to be seeing whether it's through a medical clinic, dispensary or other people just using in a ubiquitous way in our lives. Everyone needs to have a certain level of education about this. " [continues 231 words]
Rick Hanson spent four decades in policing - more than seven of those years as Calgary's chief - where he made a career out of fighting organized crime and the local drug trade. Nearly three years into his retirement, it may come as a surprise he is now involved in the cannabis industry. But Hanson said Wednesday he is among a growing number of former senior police officers across Canada who are leveraging their experiences to ensure legalization is done safely while eliminating criminals from the supply chain. [continues 549 words]
For months, Ralph (all names have been changed), neighbour to my friend The Chairman, has left his house only for doctor visits and a couple of hospital stints. That's not for lack of trying. Prescribed mind-numbing meds put the former coal miner into a fog. Several times he insisted that he needed to go outside, rolled his wheelchair to the front door, tried to stand but instead tumbled, like laundry out of a basket, like a milk bottle smashed on the floor. [continues 471 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]
As the province wraps up its short consultation period with local governments and the public on the impending legalization of marijuana, city councils - including Merritt - are being put in the hot seat. The federal government will introduce legislation which will see marijuana legalized for recreational use across the country on July 1, 2018. While the feds will retain control over, provinces will be tasked with deciding how to deal with crafting their own rules regarding the enforcement and sale of cannabis products. [continues 444 words]
An Oct. 28 letter to the Daily Herald advocated greater access to marijuana for people suffering chronic pain, citing a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). But if you visit the JAMA website and enter the search word "marijuana," you'll also see dozens of articles showing that marijuana can kill more than just pain: it can negatively impact things like cognitive function, moral clarity and the general health and well-being of users and their children and grandchildren. [continues 157 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]
That should be the extent of government involvement in the sale of pot There may be one upside in organized labour's embrace of government owned and operated retail cannabis outlets in that it may convert some conservatives who were previously opposed to legalization into champions of private pot proprietors. Otherwise, though, it's hard to see any value in the proposition that the Alberta government be tasked with establishing and overseeing marijuana stores come next year. Last Friday marked the end of the government's consultation process, and it had left the door open on this rather fundamental question. [continues 579 words]
NDP MLA mulls hybrid model for sales as marijuana legalization draws nearer Chatting with MLA Craig Coolahan about the Alberta Heritage Fund this week, a more burning topic of public debate sparked up. Should the Alberta government run its own pot stores? The NDP MLA for Calgary-Klein said the topic keeps resurfacing, particularly as the deadline for public feedback on Alberta's new marijuana framework wraps up Friday. "I've been talking about cannabis all week," said Coolahan, who serves as chair of the legislative committee on the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund. [continues 837 words]
New Brunswickers will buy their legal marijuana at a subsidiary of the province's liquor commission - and have sommelier-like staff to guide them. The province also announced Wednesday the stores will be more tightly controlled than liquor outlets, but home delivery will be available. "No one under the legal age will be allowed inside the premises. That will happen at the reception area, after which people will be able to enter the retail environment," NB Liquor president Brian Harriman told a news conference. [continues 539 words]
It would be crazy to hold these stocks into the legalization date, because in my opinion there's just too much exuberance and too much anticipation. Rob Armstrong, an oil camp chef living in northern Alberta, plunked $37,000 of his savings into marijuana stocks a year and a half ago. He's quadrupled his money. Retail investors like Armstrong and larger institutional players have been getting rich from the high-stakes game of betting on the peaks and valleys of cannabis stocks. [continues 1256 words]
The Alberta Party says a network of publicly owned cannabis stores will cost at least $168 million, a price it says is too steep to pay when the private sector is lined up to serve the market when recreational marijuana is legalized next year. The NDP government has mandated that legal weed be sold in stand-alone stores but has not yet decided whether to set up government-owned and operated stores or allow private retailers. In a news release Monday, Alberta Party Leader Greg Clark pegged the cost of a public system at $168.4 million. [continues 383 words]
Did anyone expect the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees to decide the sale of legal marijuana is best put in the hands of private enterprise? Delegates to the union's convention in Edmonton on the weekend passed a resolution that - gasp - "all cannabis retail outlets be publicly owned and operated by the Government of Alberta or one of its regulated agencies." Union members - or more precisely, their executive and the employees they hire - rely on dues to keep the lights on at the AUPE office. The addition of a few thousand card-carrying marijuana retail workers would add a shine to the AUPE's ledgers. [continues 330 words]
Alberta health officials are handing out between 2,000 and 3,000 naloxone kits a month to combat a lethal fentanyl epidemic. In two years of providing at least 30,972 of the free kits that include the anti-narcotic formula, Naloxone has reversed a reported 2,330 overdoses in the province, said Dr. Nick Etches, medical officer of health for the Calgary region. "Certainly, there have been more reversals than reported, the majority of times people are not telling us," he said, also noting those numbers are as of Sept. 30, and don't include naloxone interventions delivered by medical professionals. [continues 468 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]
Supervised drug consumption site set to open Jan. 2 What's old will be renewed again in a bid to save lives from the rising number of drug overdoses in Lethbridge. Government officials and local media received a tour Friday of the city's future supervised consumption site, currently under construction. The former Pulse nightclub is being transformed into what will become a "clean and safe space" area for drug users to snort, inhale, inject or swallow drugs while under the supervision of healthcare professionals and without fear of arrest. [continues 1061 words]
Health Canada approved the first few supervised consumption facilities in Alberta on Wednesday, including a site in downtown Lethbridge. ARCHES and Edmonton-based coalition AMSISE received an exemption from federal drug legislation, allowing them to operate supervised consumption sites. Four sites are slated to open, three in Edmonton and one in Lethbridge, which will operate out of the former night club Pulse. The application process for Lethbridge moved quicker than most and Jill Manning, the managing director of ARCHES, feels that may be a result of the unique issues Lethbridge is facing around substance use. [continues 571 words]
Clinical coordinator at Vancouver's largest supervised injection site says P.A. should open similar facility Prince Albert should open a safe injection site before a bad situation gets worse, says a senior staff member from Canada's first legal facility for injecting drugs. Tim Gauthier, clinical coordinator at Vancouver's Insite, was the keynote speaker at the Prince Albert Parkland Health Region's HIV Education for Change event on Wednesday. He said he was shocked when he heard how many drug users in the Prince Albert area are contracting HIV through needles. The numbers convinced him that the city needs to expand its harm reduction programs. [continues 1807 words]
It doesn't make sense to invest (public) money to set up infrastructure here. Premier Rachel Notley won't say which way her NDP government is leaning when it comes to sales of legal cannabis, but she insists the province is carefully weighing the merits of both the public and private sector options. Under its policy framework unveiled last week, the NDP will allow recreational marijuanato be sold only in stand-alone stores once it is legalized next year, but the government is still weighing whether to set up a system of government owned and operated stores, or leave retail to the private sector. [continues 478 words]
The health implications of legalized cannabis and ways to combat Canada's rising opioid problem are on the agenda when health ministers meet this week in the Alberta capital. Provincial and territorial ministers will hold discussions today and will get an update on the marijuana file from federal counterpart Ginette Petipas Taylor on Friday. Manitoba Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen says he wants to know more about the impacts on health and on the health system. "Many studies show that people are affected by the consumption of marijuana up until the age of 25 because there can be long-term effects if the brain is still developing up until that age," said Goertzen. [continues 308 words]
In more than 35 years as an emergency room physician, Dan Morhaim has learned a lot about opioids. The doctor, Maryland state legislator and faculty member at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health said he has had the opportunity to talk to thousands of drug users while treating patients. "It's given me tremendous insight into what goes on and that's informed a lot of the policies that I've promoted," he said. The physician was in Calgary on Wednesday to speak about that approach as part of a University of Calgary School of Public Policy and O'Brien Institute of Public Health event. [continues 396 words]
The Trudeau government's notice that recreational use of marijuana will be legal on July 1, 2018, has created a number of challenges for provincial politicians. Legalizing the substance is the easy part. More difficult is deciding how the drug will be sold to customers, where retail outlets will be located, where cannabis can be smoked and how police will be able to detect those who have consumed too much pot. The NDP government provided a glimpse this week of what legalized pot might mean for Albertans, but it's waiting for the public to weigh in before it introduces legislation this fall. [continues 334 words]
