Dana Larsen, the British Columbia man who calls himself a cannabis crusader, will be in St. John's this weekend spreading his message of cannabis freedom as part of his cross-country campaign. But the police officer heading this province's drug unit is warning the public to be leery of what Larsen has to say. RNC Supt. Marlene Jesso is concerned Larsen may send the wrong message to people when it comes to the legalization of marijuana. "It's not against the law for him to come down here and speak to people," said Jesso, who is in charge of the Newfoundland and Labrador combined forces special enforcement unit, a joint RCMP-RNC team. [continues 359 words]
A recent Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court decision tested the weight the justice system places on confidential police informants. The case revolved around a British Columbia man arrested and charged in Newfoundland with drug-related offences in February 2015. The accused applied to the court to have certain police evidence excluded from his case - particularly the police informant information - - stating that his rights under Section 9 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms were breached. He claimed police did not have reasonable grounds to make the arrest nor search his vehicle. [continues 866 words]
It is evident by recent cuts to our public sector that the provincial government's commitment to austerity measures will undoubtedly continue through the upcoming spring budget. However, as the rise of violent crime and introduction of dangerous new drugs to our province risks tearing apart our families and communities, it remains clear that we cannot afford further cuts to justice and public safety initiatives within our province. Appealing to relevant statistics about drug use and crime in our province brings only heartwrenching conclusions. Drug-related deaths within Newfoundland and Labrador increased 42 per cent from 2014 to 2015. Fentanyl, an extremely dangerous street drug, has been the subject of a recent public warning by the RCMP after the fatal opioid was spotted on the Burin Peninsula. Furthermore, this warning comes merely a month after a St. John's drug bust seized over 250 fentanyl pills that were manufactured to appear like OxyContin, an often abused prescription painkiller. [continues 296 words]
If there was ever a time that people needed to talk to their kids about drugs it would be now. The importance of education and communication were the key topics brought up during an information session on the drug fentanyl held at The Merge on Feb. 9. Staff Sgt. Dale Foote, of the Burin Peninsula detachment of the RCMP, was one of the invited speakers for the evening. "Everyone thinks that the overdose at the hospital is going to be the individual that is addicted to drugs, that's not (always) that case," said Foote during his presentation. [continues 796 words]
The Merge hosts fentanyl information session If there was ever a time that people needed to talk to their kids about drugs, it would be now. The importance of education and communication were the key topics brought up during an information session on the drug fentanyl held at The Merge on Feb. 9. Staff Sgt. Dale Foote, of the Burin Peninsula detachment of the RCMP, was one of the invited speakers for the evening. "Everyone thinks that the overdose at the hospital is going to be the individual that is addicted to drugs, that's not (always) that case," said Foote during his presentation. "We're living in a time right now where the types of drugs people are using are lethal if they're inhaled by anybody, they're lethal if some one comes in contact with them - that's very important for our teenagers to know." [continues 211 words]
Get ready for the worst, intervention counsellor warns province Andy Bhatti has spent the majority of his life surrounded by hard drugs. As an interventionist, he can talk to you eloquently about the dangers of drug use, quote Canadian statistics, and offer his ideas about what programs and services are needed in order to help drug users and stop overdoses. He can just as easily slip into the language of a drug user, calling drugs by their slang names, giving you a list of his acquaintances who have died, and talking like living in stolen cars and dirty motels while committing crimes in order to support an expensive addiction is a regular fact of life. [continues 950 words]
What can we expect with the legalization of marijuana? Proponents argue that legalization will reduce crime, lower criminal justice costs, improve public health, improve traffic safety and stimulate the economy. Opponents argue that legalization will spur marijuana and other drug and alcohol use, increase crime, diminish public safety and lower educational achievement. There is research available with some interesting results, but the most important point to be made is that at this stage research must be considered preliminary, since there has been insufficient time for conclusive evaluation and predictive results. [continues 449 words]
Part 3 in an occasional letter series exploring marijuana use and legalization What can we expect with the legalization of marijuana? Proponents argue that legalization will reduce crime, lower criminal justice costs, improve public health, improve traffic safety and stimulate the economy. Opponents argue that legalization will spur marijuana and other drug and alcohol use, increase crime, diminish public safety and lower educational achievement. There is research available with some interesting results, but the most important point to be made is that at this stage research must be considered preliminary, since there has been insufficient time for conclusive evaluation and predictive results. [continues 448 words]
Part 2 in an occasional letter series exploring marijuana use and legalization By the end of the 19th century, the Temperance Movement and the Progressive Era had acquired considerable political strength based on a simple but fallacious idea: that the human condition can be improved through vigorous and persuasive government involvement in the economy, and society generally. The First World War saw a major expansion of government activity that did not diminish significantly with the end of the war. In 1919, the United States Congress passed the Volstead Act, which led to the Prohibition Era in the U.S. (which would not end until 1933). Marijuana and drug prohibitions increased in many jurisdictions and the war against marijuana was given a major boost with the film "Reefer Madness," which hit screens in 1936. [continues 456 words]
Part 1 in an occasional letter series exploring marijuana use and legalization The federal government has indicated that it will introduce legislation in the spring 2017 session of the House of Commons making the cultivation, sale and consumption of marijuana legal in Canada, to take effect in 2018. What can we expect in this braver new world of marijuana legality? In the vernacular, it will be legal to grow "weed" in Whitbourne and to have a "toke" in the confines of your own domicile. [continues 198 words]
As the lunatic fringe has long said, allowing people to grow their own marijuana would kill the illegal drug trade as soon as the first crop was harvested. But the task force, being an arm of government, had to be stupid. Watching sanity finally seep into the country's drug laws, you have to marvel at the stubborn narrow-mindedness that kept marijuana illegal for so long, causing suffering and injustice for half a century. Once again, the lunatic fringe is proven right. We could have listened decades ago, and prevented people from being imprisoned for pot possession. The impending legalization of marijuana will be vindication for the vocal lunatic fringe who long argued the laws against it were illogical, hypocritical and indefensible. [continues 565 words]
Man secretly smoked medical marijuana All may not be lost for a Muskrat Falls worker fighting his dismissal last year for secretly smoking medicinal marijuana on the job. Brendon Uprichard - a structural assembler of the transmission line for Valard Construction on the Lower Churchill project - had a prescription for medical marijuana to control chronic back pain and anxiety since December 2014. The 37-year-old hid this from his employer, and discontinued its usage to pass the mandatory physical examination and testing for drug and alcohol use upon being hired. [continues 431 words]
New legislation will allow the province to involuntarily detain young people at the Hope Valley Centre in Grand Falls-Windsor for drug withdrawal and treatment. The new law, which will be debated in the House of Assembly on Thursday, lays out steps for a court order that will allow officials to detain young people between 12 and 18 years old. The detention in the Hope Valley Centre's secure treatment unit can be from five days up to a maximum of 10 days. [continues 233 words]
Whether or not cannabis (marijuana) dispensaries are legal is no longer the issue, and it's less complicated than grey areas. Never has cannabis prohibition not been treated with contempt from citizenry. Presently, the level of contempt is greater than at any other time in history. Laws are being challenged and are changing and citizens are not waiting on government to do it. Cannabis prohibition is over. The only thing left is to create regulations, and in the meantime, people across North America are going to continue acquiring the plant and are no longer tolerating a prohibitionist stance in the equation. [continues 58 words]
Province to provide suboxone as a treatment for opioid addiction Health Minister John Haggie's latest announcement received a round of applause when he presented it at the Provincial Opioid Addiction Forum Tuesday morning. As part of an action plan to address opioid addiction in Newfoundland and Labrador, the province will provide suboxone as an alternative to methadone for people undergoing addictions treatment. Calling opioid addiction a "public health crisis" in this province, Haggie said suboxone is considered much safer than methadone. It's a mixture of a synthetic opioid and the antidote naloxone that is available in tablet form and is less likely to cause an overdose. Suboxone can be given to a patient early, unlike methadone, which requires a patient to wait until opioids are out of their system in order to start taking it. [continues 359 words]
Drug awareness session held for parents in the Lewisporte area You could hear a pin drop. Retired RCMP officer Harold Nippard was addressing a crowd of about 60 parents at a drug awareness session at Lewisporte Collegiate on Nov. 28. The parents were of students from Grades 5-12. Collegiate principal Krista Freake explained why they invited parents of younger children - Grade 5 students are 10-11 years old. "Drug use is happening in much lower grades than in the past," she said. "Some parents have little to no information about what drugs are available, what they look like and the side effects they have and we want to start the conversation." [continues 763 words]
Marijuana dispensaries: how is this legal? It's complicated As news broke this week that CannaLeaf Medical Dispensary on Water Street was selling marijuana to anybody older than 19, and dozens of other dispensaries have opened in cities across the country, one question hangs over it all: how is this legal? The answer, depending on who you ask, is somewhere between, "It's definitely illegal," "It's a legal grey area," and, "It's really, really complicated." The first thing to understand is that according to the law, as it's written now, selling marijuana out of a storefront to anybody is still definitely illegal. [continues 680 words]
Police forces are warning parents after a raid Tuesday night at the Canna Leaf marijuana dispensary in downtown St. John's that the cannabis candies and cookies seized are similar to what can be purchased in regular stores in the province, but can be harmful to children. "They are infused with (THC) tetrahydrocannabinol, which is the psychoactive constituent of cannabis," the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU - NL) stated in a news release. Members of the CFSEU-NL executed a search warrant at Canna leaf Medical Dispensary around 10 p.m. Tuesday, which the release describes as "an illegal marijuana dispensary in downtown St. John's." [continues 159 words]
The CannaLeaf marijuana dispensary at 448 Water Street was closed on Wednesday, after a nighttime raid by police on Tuesday. The raid happened just past 10 p.m. Tuesday, and according to the police, four people were arrested and charges are pending. "Seized was a large amount of cannabis products including marihuana and shatter," a release from the The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU) said. "Also seized were edibles infused with Tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly referred to as THC, such as brownies, cookies, gummy bears, sour keys, lollipops, medicated bath fizz, and oils, along with a vehicle and a large quantity of Canadian currency." [continues 146 words]
City inspectors will visit marijuana dispensary The Canna Leaf marijuana shop on Water Street will be getting a visit from city inspectors, because they violated municipal bylaw in setting up business. Ward 2 Coun. Jonathan Galgay said that any time a business opens in St. John's, it needs a change of occupancy permit. "I made a call to our inspection division, and I have been advised that no application was made to the city," Galgay said. "So what I have done now is I have asked for building inspectors to go into that building and do a full inspection, because they have failed to follow city bylaws in submitting an application." [continues 424 words]
Inside Newfoundland
