Editor: Re: Greed turns governments into bookie, bootlegger and dealer, Community Comment, Jan. 19 Just a small clarification on Greg Hoover's column. He stated, "The entire reason for this (marijuana) legalization is money and nothing else." That's a very non-researched and inaccurate assumption. There are many good reasons to take this useful and comparatively harmless herb out of courts, off the streets, out of the hands of organized crime and, hopefully, away from children. Of course, teens will still manage to access it just as they're able to get alcohol and cigarettes, but it won't be quite as easy with proper laws in place. If we follow Amsterdam's lead, which seems to help society there, prostitution may be another "vice" worth looking at controlling. Gary Gibbons [end]
A recent illegal cannabis grow operation in North Delta, busted by Delta police, is highlighting the challenges law enforcement will soon face when new marijuana legislation comes into effect later this year. Chief Neil Dubord updated Delta police board members last week on the illegal operation police raided in late November. Dubord said a complaint was received by the mayor's office on Oct. 17 regarding concerns over a potential cannabis grow operation in a home. "Upon investigation, it was learned that Health Canada issued a licence dated Nov. 28 allowing 93 plants to be grown at that location," Dubord said. "Although licensed, drug investigators continued with the investigation due to evidence that suggested the operation was not consistent with 93 plants." [continues 339 words]
Two vices are poised to potentially descend on Delta in the coming months, but it's curious that the reception they're getting from city leaders is markedly different. The federal government is expected to legalize marijuana sometime later this year, which has prompted those over at city hall to compile a laundry list of concerns. Delta doesn't want to see pot grown on local farmland due to its impact on food security and public safety, worried that large-scale pot farms could be a draw for organized crime. The city is also raising questions over public consumption, where marijuana will be sold, how tax revenues will be split and more. [continues 285 words]
A few days before Christmas my son and I were in the site office with a friend of ours solving the problems of the world as we sometimes do. The topic of government taxation came up and how every aspect of life is taxed. As the conversation continued, our friend Mike expressed a point of view we had never considered so I asked and received his permission to use it here, with some background and explanation. When I was a teenager I worked part-time at my dad's General Motors dealership and every now and then this old fellow walked through the shop saying hello to all the mechanics and would wind up going out the back door where he would just stand around. Over the next few minutes the mechanics would lay down their tools one at a time and go out to talk to him, as well as the car salesmen and fellows from the parts department. After a few minutes of this, the old fellow left just the same way he came in, which was all a mystery to a teenager in the early 1960s. [continues 402 words]
Having worked as a police officer for many years, I have to admit, it requires a shift in thinking to look at marijuana as a legal substance. Countless policing hours were dedicated to keeping it out of our homes, schools and communities, but the future will be different. Since the federal government announcement earlier this year, the law enforcement community began work to determine what public safety issues might arise with the availability of legal marijuana. Much of the public discourse was simple: legalize it, regulate it, tax it and use the revenues for everything, from health care to education spending. Unfortunately, it is not that simple from a public safety perspective, and the Delta police, along with our policing partners have done a great deal of work to identify and address key issues. [continues 302 words]
Lois Jackson says municipal hall is receiving five to 10 inquiries a day as legalization date less than a year off There are a lot of questions that need answering before recreational marijuana is legalized, says Mayor Lois Jackson. There are a lot of questions that need answering before recreational marijuana is legalized, says Mayor Lois Jackson, who's troubled Delta could become the pot growing capital of Canada. Jackson is attending the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in Vancouver this week where members on Wednesday endorsed a resolution asking for cities to have meaningful consultation on legalizing pot. [continues 572 words]
Editor: Re: Police want date pushed back on legalizing pot, Sept. 20 The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police insists it needs more time to adapt to cannabis legislation. Well, too bad for the chiefs. The Liberals have been in power for close to two years, medicinal cannabis has been around for even longer and models from other jurisdictions (Holland, Portugal, etc.) have long matured. More delays mean more otherwise unnecessary criminalization, imprisonment and benefits for violent gangs. Legalization is long overdue and prohibition's time is up. Victor Yao [end]
Editor: There is no doubt in my mind that the proposal by the prime minister to legalize marijuana has not been well thought out, especially with the devastating drug problems we are now facing. The effect of narcotics on the development of the brain has been well researched. Scientific studies have proven that mental disorders, schizophrenia, suicides, etc. are much higher among those who take these drugs than those who do not. Postnatal brain development occurs over a long period that lasts into adolescence and some say into the 20s. Our youth are at risk. We certainly do not need more soft drugs on the street that are available to an impressionable age group trying to cope with their own stresses at school, at home, on the street, etc. [continues 288 words]
Over the past few weeks, the talk has really started to ramp up on one topic in Canada. It's not hurricanes, earthquakes and a war of (hopefully just) words between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un - all very serious, global problems. Not in Canada, dude, we're talking about pot. As if we need any help with our reputation as the growers of ganja. B.C. has long been seen as a premier supplier of the best pot in the world, even when it was illegal to grow. [continues 504 words]
Editor: Re: Greenhouse signs deal to grow pot, June 9 Reading reports out of the U.S. regarding increased and decreased pot consumption in states that have legalized, across the board there has been no notable increase or decrease in usage. That being said, before people start losing their minds over this, take a look at a couple positives. No more shady dealings in dark corners. No more time spent by the local police chasing down these hardened criminals. No more local grow-ops that affect our neighbourhoods and home insurance costs. There will also be increased local revenue and taxes. [continues 283 words]
The number of illicit drug deaths in B.C. continues to be a major cause of concern, with April showing the second-highest recorded numbers in a single month in the province, according to the latest statistics from the BC Coroners Service. Provisional data show that 136 people died as a result of illicit drug use during April, an average of 4.5 each day, and almost double the April 2016 total of 69. The April deaths bring the provisional numbers for the year-to-date to 488, and they show that more than half of all illicit drug deaths involved persons between the ages of 30 and 49 years. Four out of five who died were male. [continues 310 words]
Ruling Shuts Dispensary on Scott Road, but It Re-Opens Days Later Under a Different Name The B.C. Supreme Court has ordered a medical marijuana dispensary in North Delta shut down. In a ruling earlier this month, and posted on the court's website last Thursday, Justice Shelley Fitzpatrick ruled WeeMedical Dispensary Society didn't have a business licence and contravened Delta's zoning bylaw. Since a permanent statutory injunction preventing the dispensary from operating was put in effect earlier this month, the store obeyed the order, shut down, but then re-opened a few days later under a different name. [continues 535 words]
Editor: A friend just told me that their teenage granddaughter is addicted to drugs. Drugs are "rife" in Tsawwassen, apparently. The girl had a crush on her soccer pal's brother, a user, and he turned her onto drugs. I told my son who has a teenage daughter about this and he says drugs are rife everywhere, and went on, "Do these kids wake up in the morning and say, 'Today I'm going to ruin the rest of my life?'" Boys: Any dumbs@#t can take drugs. The prisons are full of them. Drugs don't make you smarter/hip/more popular. [continues 72 words]
Ladner man getting closer to developing roadside screening device for police use A local man's efforts to create a breathalyzer to test for marijuana are getting closer to having the device in the hands of police. Ladner's Kal Malhi, a retired RCMP officer, has been working on developing a roadside breathalyzer since last year. In August, his company, Cannabix Technologies, signed an agreement with the Yost Research Group at the University of Florida. The partners have developed a prototype and begun testing. Malhi said right now they're getting accurate readings about 80 per cent of the time and the team is working to refine the system to reach 100 per cent accuracy. [continues 313 words]
Delta's Bid to Prevent Medical Marijuana From Being Grown on Farmland Foiled by Province Delta's attempt to regulate where medical marijuana is grown has been quashed by the provincial government. Civic politicians approved legislation in February that would prohibit the production, storage, research or sale of medical marijuana in Delta, although applications would be considered on a case-by-case basis. Delta council has subsequently approved two such applications. The move was made to steer medical marijuana operations to industrial sites and away from farmland. Delta even joined with three other municipalities - Langley Township, Abbotsford and Kelowna - to seek the province's support in banning medical marijuana operations in agricultural areas. [continues 401 words]
Ladner man joins forces with pair of doctors to develop device police can use roadside A local man is hoping to give police a new tool to help in the fight again driving under the influence of drugs. Ladner's Kal Malhi, a retired RCMP officer, has developed a roadside breathalyzer that can test for marijuana. "It's a very new concept that breath testing can work for drugs," he said. Malhi got the idea for the Cannabix Breathalyzer while doing some reading on a family trip to India late last year. While waiting at the airport, he came across a study out of Sweden about breath testing technology developed at Karolinska University in Solna. [continues 448 words]
Tilbury Proposal Sent to Public Hearing Later This Month Delta council this week reluctantly gave preliminary approval for another medical marijuana facility, this one in Tilbury. On Monday, civic politicians agreed to see what the public had to say about a rezoning application by David Rose to open an industrial medical marijuana growing operation in the 7300-block of Vantage Way. Canapacific Engineering Inc. would remain on the main floor of the building and the grow operation would occupy the second storey. [continues 419 words]
Civic Legislation Prohibits Growing or Selling of Medical Marijuana Delta council has approved a bylaw amendment prohibiting the production, storage, research or sale of medical marijuana anywhere in the municipality. Civic politicians unanimously agreed to grant third reading to the bylaw Tuesday following a public hearing at municipal hall. "The new methods of producing medical marijuana are coming, there is no question about that," said Coun. Bruce McDonald. "What Delta's intention here is to create a situation where the community has some control of the things that are happening within our community." Tougher new federal rules that take effect April 1 will dramatically change how medical marijuana is grown and distributed. The regulations are aimed at permitting larger-scale operations over smaller, home-based ones. [continues 441 words]
Editor: Re: Medical marijuana isn't welcome in these parts, Feb. 12 This decision is very counter-productive by limiting the amount of medicine available to patients who happen to use medical cannabis for treating their symptoms. And prohibiting people from growing their own as well is somewhat Orwellian. I travel by public transit, and if I were a patient who happened to use medical cannabis, I would be annoyed at the fact I have to travel all the way into Vancouver to buy my medicine from a dispensary, then travel all the way back, and risk getting it stolen from me, not to mention possible harassment from the police. [continues 78 words]
CBSA Urging Caution As Washington State Closes in on the Legal Sale of Marijuana With the deadline for a marijuana business licence in Washington state having closed just before Christmas, more than 400 business owners have applied to open retail pot shops around the state, including one in Point Roberts. It still remains to be seen, however, how many applications will be approved. Business owner Ingrid Johnson, who applied to open a location in Point Roberts, said she has heard the decision on retail outlets will take a number of months. [continues 288 words]
Editor: Re: Crime Beat, Dec. 20 I read in the Crime Beat that a person was reported to police for allegedly smoking cannabis on Central Avenue in Ladner. My first thought was: Are you kidding me? My second thought was: Don't the police have something better to do than investigate a person smoking cannabis? I have nothing against what the police do. They are trying to keep us safe, but getting involved in what somebody does to temporarily alter their state of mind is ridiculous. [continues 198 words]
Less than 10 per cent of registered voters in Ladner and Tsawwassen signed the petition calling on the government to decriminalize marijuana possession Over five per cent of registered voters in Delta South signed the Sensible BC petition, according to the group. Sensible BC, which for the past three months has been campaigning to trigger a provincial referendum on decriminalizing marijuana possession, wasn't able to collect the signatures of more than 10 per cent of registered voters in each of the province's 85 electoral districts by Monday. [continues 158 words]
Sensible BC Has Until Dec. 9 to Collect Almost 3,500 Signatures in Delta South Sensible BC's campaign in Delta South is entering the final stretch. Local organizer Ralph Howey couldn't say exactly how many signatures have been collected so far in the riding but did say, "We still require hundreds more to sign the petition. "We are out canvassing every day, mornings in Tsawwassen at the Town Centre Mall and afternoons in Ladner in Trenant Square," he said in an email to the Optimist. [continues 101 words]
Editor: Re: Legalizing marijuana opens the door to host of social problems, Nov. 16 If marijuana were just decriminalized, then alcohol needs to be de-legalized. Remember prohibition? Alcohol is a drug. I have also worked in the field of alcohol and drug abuse, and am more than 28 years clean and sober. Did Jim Stimson's family members overdose on marijuana? Did his sister die from marijuana? Is his son addicted to marijuana? I think not. The three separate car crashes resulted from alcohol abuse, not marijuana. [continues 281 words]
Re: Policing a 'perfect storm,' Nov. 23 How nice. CityTV decides to "entertain" us by showing the poor and the mentally ill desperately trying to survive in the dangerous environment of the Downtown Eastside and you decide to promote this sick freak show. I'll bet my pension CityTV will never mention that most of the harm done by illegal drugs is because the damn stuff is prohibited. Alan Randell [end]
It's a long way from Ladner to Downtown Eastside for A/Sgt. Kalwinder Dosanjh A/Sgt. Kalwinder Dosanjh has been working the streets of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside for half a dozen years. He moves through the throng of people at Main and Hastings with ease. He's part of a small team trying to deal with the myriad of problems plaguing the area that's been described as Canada's poorest postal code. A man walks by. He's slightly hunched, his eyes glued to the ground, head swiveling back and forth. [continues 997 words]
As part of the U.S. election last week, two states - Washington and Colorado - on state-wide ballots voted in favour of the legalization of marijuana that would make recreational use of the drug legal (although it is only a matter of time before the U.S. federal government steps in). I have to shake my head at such short sighted thinking on the part of these two states. This September a majority of mayors here in B.C. voted to "decriminalize marijuana and research the regulation and taxation of marijuana." It might be helpful to look at the difference between decriminalization and legalization. [continues 968 words]
Editor: Re: Mayor opposed to legalizing pot, Oct. 12 At a recent Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in Victoria, a majority of municipal leaders voted in favour of a resolution calling for the decriminalization and taxation of marijuana. Legalize pot and - presto - gang-related violent crime in our communities and fear among our citizens would disappear. But wait, that's not all! The collateral benefit of a "potted" Canada will be of having solved, virtually overnight, Canada's problem of declining tourism from south of the border and elsewhere. [continues 175 words]
Lois Jackson Calls UBCM Resolution 'Wrong-Headed' And Says It Would Create More Problems Than It Would Solve Mayor Lois Jackson believes her B.C. municipal colleagues made a terrible decision in calling for the decriminalization of marijuana. At the recent Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in Victoria, a majority of municipal leaders voted in favour of a resolution calling for the decriminalization and taxation of the drug, although the power to change the laws rests with Ottawa. The motion, which was brought forward from the community of Metchosin on Vancouver Island, was a divisive one among the delegates. Those opposed maintain decriminalization will lead young people to more harmful drugs, while those in favour claim the current system helps organized crime reap big profits. [continues 182 words]
Editor: Re: Just because it's legal doesn't mean it's moral, letter to the editor, Feb. 24 The writer posits that a proposal to legalize marijuana is tantamount to ensuring that "criminals are never morally culpable for their deeds." This is wildly off the mark. Many so-called immoral activities are not criminal offences, lying to your spouse, for example. The hammer of criminal law should fall upon only those who directly harm others. The use of criminal law to prohibit activities that are adjudged by the state to be harmful to those indulging in them is a clearly egregious abuse of the law. [continues 74 words]
Editor: Re: Make it legal, letter to the editor, Feb. 8 In Robert Sharpe's twisted world, the etiology of crime is the law itself, not the nefarious actions of humans. This egregious logic suggests that criminals are never morally culpable for their deeds. First of all, the Supreme Court of Canada declared in R. v. Malmo-Levine (2003) that the criminal prohibition of marijuana did not offend the Charter of Rights. Parliament will ultimately settle the controversy. Advocates for the legalization of drugs and other vices, in my view, have something sinister in their past which they are desperately trying to hide. They see no evil and hear no evil. [continues 108 words]
Editor: Re: Federal politicians must look at big picture on new laws, Community Comment, Feb. 3 Ian Robertson's column is right on target. Hazardous marijuana grow-operations are a direct result of marijuana prohibition. Legitimate farmers do not steal electricity to grow produce in the basements of rented homes. If legal, growing marijuana would be less profitable then farming tomatoes. As it stands, the drug war distorts market forces such that big money grows on little trees. Canadian policymakers should ignore the reefer madness hysteria of the U.S. and instead to look their own Senate for guidance. In the words of Senator Pierre Claude Nolin, "Scientific evidence overwhelmingly indicates that cannabis is substantially less harmful than alcohol and should be treated not as a criminal issue but as a social and public health issue." Robert Sharpe Policy Analyst Common Sense for Drug Policy [end]
Our MP, Kerry-Lynne Findlay, recently spoke to the Delta Chamber of Commerce about pending federal legislation. While she spoke about a number of matters, I want to focus on one subject - the crime and punishment bills coming before parliament. In her letter to the Optimist last month, she referred to statements made by the Surrey fire chief about the number of fires in homes with marijuana grow-ops. They are 24 times more likely to catch fire than a home without one. [continues 434 words]
Anti-Drug Strategy Aims to Make Communities Safer And Healthier Editor: Re: Mayors come up with way to increase taxes, reduce crime, Community Comment, Dec. 2 Ian Robertson asks if I support making marijuana as readily accessible in our community as tobacco or alcohol. I don't and our government does not intend to decriminalize or legalize marijuana. The government of Canada continues its efforts under the National Anti-Drug Strategy, which focuses on prevention and access to treatment for those with drug dependencies, while at the same time getting tough on drug dealers and producers who threaten the safety of our youth and communities. It is made up of three action plans: [continues 436 words]
Rumour has it that many decades ago the inlets and waterways surrounding Westham Island were useful to more than just ducks and migratory birds. During prohibition, rumour is that fast speedboats were able to make runs between Canada and alcohol-free U.S., eluding the RCMP and American police. Prohibition proved to be a flawed policy and we now see alcohol available in a wide variety of retail stores and in almost every restaurant. Much more recently five former and current mayors of Vancouver have declared it's time to reconsider the laws against marijuana. They state that organized crime has accumulated billions of dollars from running an underground economy supplying marijuana to many in our society who see it as "no big deal" to consume. [continues 401 words]
Rookie MP Kerry-Lynne Findlay will be involved in trying to pass a new sweeping crime bill introduced by her Conservative government in Ottawa this week. Elected in Delta-Richmond East in May, Findlay was appointed parliamentary secretary to the minister of justice shortly after the federal election. That means she'll "be in the thick of it" with the new crime bill. She's also vice-chair of a justice committee that will go over the comprehensive legislation once it gets second reading in the House of Commons. [continues 439 words]
Little House Society Series Allows Women to Share Painful Stories Of Their Children's Substance Addictions The small group of women gathered in a room in a Tsawwassen church has experienced a pain known by only a few, a pain rarely talked about. The women are all mothers of addicts. The group came together for six Saturdays in April and May for The Heart of a Mother, a series of workshops aimed at women concerned about a child or grandchild's substance use. They came seeking help and guidance to better deal with their child's addiction and the effect it has on the family. [continues 1059 words]
Jim Stimson Pens Act Of Surrender In Collaboration With Friend Jim Stimson has taken a lifetime of training, education, and personal and professional experience and channeled it into a book that promises hope for recovery from addiction. The idea for the book was born several years ago. Stimson, who lives in Ladner with his wife Janet, said it was over a Christmas dinner with friends. The idea of things they would like to do before they died came up, he said, and longtime friend and colleague Nancy Lee told the group she wanted to write a book. [continues 614 words]
Largest Of The Recently Dismantled Marijuana Growing Operations Contained More Than 1,200 Plants Delta police have dismantled several large-scale marijuana grow-ops in the past few months, netting thousands of pot plants, equipment and weapons. As well, a number of individuals have been arrested and are facing charges. In late 2008 and early '09, officers dismantled three large operations in Ladner alone. More recently, between March and May, officers in Delta's drug section dismantled seven grow-ops in North Delta. [continues 391 words]
Colourful Independent Looking For Honest Representation And Legalizing Of Marijuana This is the third and final installment in a series of interviews with the five candidates running in Delta South in the May 12 provincial election. Independent candidate John Shavluk maintains he is the one who is in the best position to fight for what South Deltans want. "I can't think of anyone better to take on [Premier Gordon] Campbell for Delta South than me," he said in a recent phone interview. [continues 397 words]
A sixth candidate has entered the race in Delta South in next month's provincial election. Running as an independent, North Delta resident John Shavluk, an advocate for legalizing marijuana, had plenty to say at the all-candidates meeting Thursday at Delta Secondary. He said the Liberal government may brag about its record on the economy, but that supposed good fortune, which was based more on luck than policy, didn't trickle down to adequate school funding. Saying education should be a guarantee, Shavluk said he's in favour of removing post-secondary tuition to give everyone a chance to get ahead. [continues 184 words]
Editor: Re: Team to take aim at grow-ops, March 11 Mayor Lois Jackson is quoted as saying that neighbours have to let us know and have a zero tolerance for this type of activity. In the next sentence, fire chief Dan Copeland said the program will start on a small scale with only one or two safety inspections a month. Question: If there are over 230 properties in Delta that warrant further investigation, then is there not a contradiction in those two statements? Neighbours are to have zero tolerance but the Delta team will take supposedly 10 years to investigate the current 230 suspect properties? Why? Is that to allow the grow-ops to move to another property rather than to shut them down? Vera Ganderton [end]
Council approves plan for municipal personnel to inspect homes that have unusually high electrical usage Delta is going to make it tougher on those who have marijuana grow-ops and drug labs. Delta council approved a proposal Monday to follow the lead of several other municipalities and create a public safety team that would target grow-ops by conducting inspections. Saying they will look at what has worked and what mistakes have been made in cities, such as Coquitlam and Surrey, that have already established teams, fire chief Dan Copeland and deputy chief Byron Funnell outlined the Public Safety Initiative, a plan to create a Delta team involving the fire department and municipal hall staff. [continues 573 words]
Editor: Re: Eroding rights not the answer, letter to the editor, Feb. 28 Defeatists like Thomas Falcone have a superficial understanding of the Charter of Rights and choose to ignore its caveats like "reasonable limits." These qualifications allow Parliament to elucidate investigative powers. To borrow an aphorism from an American jurist: The constitution is not a suicide pact. I find it ironic when nefarious civil libertarians condemn "simplistic" conservative justice policy but demand a dangerously simplistic solution for every social problem that crops up: legalization. If all dangerous drugs were to be legalized does that mean all of the despicable thugs who dwell in our cities are to be given amnesty? [continues 101 words]
Editor: Re: Delta police take aim at gangs, Feb. 18 What exactly does Delta police chief Jim Cessford have in mind when he suggests replacing the Canadian legal system with a "justice system?" What in particular about the Charter of Rights and Freedoms does he think needs to be reassessed? And does he really believe it is a bad thing police are "bound to a process?" The answer to gang violence in B.C. is not chipping away at our society's safeguards of liberty. Documents such as the Charter of Rights and Freedoms are crucial because they guarantee certain liberties that are crucial in protecting us from the authoritative tendencies of the state. [continues 188 words]
Editor: We would like to take this opportunity to thank the entire Delta police department for all the dedication and hard work in keeping the streets and community of Delta safe. That dedication and hard shone through on Jan. 28 when police shut down a very sophisticated grow-op that was in full swing down the block from our home. We can't thank you enough for removing this illegal operation from our neighbourhood. It's too bad the media only has time to focus on the "bad" goings on within the Delta police department. If they weren't so wrapped up in criticizing the department, maybe they would have more time to report on all the great things they have done and continue to do for the community of Delta. Thanks, Delta police. Keep up the great work. Rose & Michael Hayes [end]
Delta police have seized more than just marijuana after busting a Ladner grow-op. In addition to confiscating 423 plants valued at about $266,000, the department announced this week it has now restrained the home of the two accused as offence-related property under the Controlled Drug and Substance Act. "The offence related property targets the 'tools and instruments' individuals use to commit their crimes," said Delta police spokesperson Const. Sharlene Brooks. "If convicted, Crown counsel will seek forfeiture of the house as offence-related property." [continues 155 words]
Editor: Re: Wardrobe varied, but not enough to buy bamboo, Living Matters, Sept. 24 Barbara Gunn wrote: "Other folks, I understand, have T-shirts -- and probably jeans and cardigans and even boxers -- that are made out of hemp. Not me. I do not have a single piece of apparel that's made from hemp. To me, hemp clothing sounds decidedly uncomfortable, and possibly even illegal." Even though it may sound illegal to Barbara, hemp is legal and it is grown in Canada. You can find more information on this on Vote Hemp's Canada page at www.votehemp.com/canada.html. Member Services Hemp Industries Association [end]
Delta South MLA Val Roddick was on hand at the Delta Shoppers Mall last Friday for the official unveiling of the No2Meth and Stolen Lives School Vehicle Awareness campaigns. In October 2006, the province launched its No2Meth public awareness campaign, a website, booklet and learning resources aimed at students in grades 6 to12, parents and teachers. It's to help get kids talking about meth addiction and stop drug use before it starts. In September of this year, the provincial Ministry of Education announced that Stolen Lives, a DVD on auto theft and its links to crystal meth use, would be available to all B.C. schools with students in grades 9 to 12. Roddick said the province expanded its commitment by forming partnerships with many community groups, including the Delta school district, to display large ads discouraging crystal meth use on all district vehicles. [end]
A firefighter and his wife have now been charged with drug trafficking after the Delta police raided their North Delta home three weeks ago. Charged is Vancouver fire captain Randy Jones, 44. His spouse, Shirley Hum, who works at a law firm, was also charged. The couple allegedly ran a marijuana grow-op out of their home in the 9200-block of 112th Street. Delta police executed a search warrant April 12. Officers found 380 plants in the basement of the home, which sits across the street from Annieville elementary, a fact noted by the police at the time. [continues 244 words]
