Hamilton man charged at Harvester Road unit A Hamilton man has been charged after police raided a Burlington business allegedly selling medical marijuana to people directly and also to those without a licence to possess it. Members of the Halton Regional Police Services Burlington Street Crime Unit, in collaboration with City of Burlington bylaw enforcement, conducted an investigation into Budtanica Pain Relief Group operating out of 5125 Harvester Rd., Unit 1, east of Appleby Line. Police and city officials allege the business was operating outside the city's zoning bylaws, which requires premises used for the growing, producing, testing, destroying, storing or distribution of medical marijuana or cannabis be authorized and licensed by the federal health ministry under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. [continues 239 words]
Re: Halton police enlist aid of pharmacists to combat fentanyl abuse, the Burlington Post, Aug. 14, 2015. At least there was one positive outcome from this article. The fact a young man's parents weren't awoken by the knock of a police officer at their door to inform them that their son is deceased is a success. A dangerous message is sent, however, by pressing criminal charges in cases like this. The fear of police involvement and criminal prosecution for calling 9-1-1 to save someone's life could potentially lead to that call never being made. And that son, potentially, becomes another statistic. [continues 60 words]
Public health departments freely hand out condoms to promote safe sex yet when it comes to drug use you're effectively on your own. In the case of heroin and MDMA (ecstasy), it will be of little help to the victims that the drugs will be analyzed after the fact. The misrepresentation of drugs on the black market is perhaps the biggest threat to a user because they can't easily answer such questions as What's the purity? Has it been cut (diluted) with a toxic substance? Is it even what was paid for? [continues 145 words]
Reading the Wednesday issue (July 2) of the Post, I'm sure I was not the only one soured by the recent police seizure of 150 lbs. of marijuana and the arrest of two men. In light of Colorado's recent attempt at legalizing and taxing cannabis, which has increased the state's tax revenue by 10 million US and decreased the state's violent crime rate by 5.2 per cent since its inception six months ago, it makes this recent bust feel like a bittersweet victory against crime. [continues 69 words]
Re: Retired minister's letter of support for clinic, the Post, Sept. 16. I find it objectionable the Burlington Post would publish a letter in its entirety in support of the proposed "pain clinic/with methadone availability" from someone who requested anonymity in fear that his home might become a target for seekers of drugs! This is further evidence that locating such a clinic across from an elementary school is the wrong location. What is to prevent an upsurge in crime in the area of the proposed clinic from people looking for drugs - such as methadone - as has reportedly happened in Vancouver, Waterloo, Durham, Bowmanville and Welland. Bottles of methadone are like liquid gold on the street. Aldershot homeowners have a right to be concerned and not called narrow minded and our concerns labelled "embarrassingly stupid humbug." Murray Thompson, Burlington [end]
Pain Management / Dependency Clinic Divides A Community Michele Poulin does not have a problem with the opening of a pain management and dependency clinic in Burlington - in fact, she applauds it. However, a clinic that offers methadone treatment, only steps away from her daughter's Grade 4 classroom, is where problems arise for her. "In that entire church full of people, not one of them raised their hands and said they were against the clinic when the question was specifically posed to the crowd," said Poulin of a Sept. 5 public information meeting addressing the controversial Plains Road East site. [continues 603 words]
Why on earth would people think that someone coming to a pain management clinic is a threat to their children? I guess they have never suffered severe pain. The last thing on your mind would be child molesting. Oh, wait, you are assuming they are drug addicts and gang bangers aren't you? This is the last group of citizens that will likely come here. They are busy chasing another fix and not trying to get better. It seems typical "not-in-my-backyard" thinking that is seen again and again in Burlington. This is the worst money waster I have seen. [continues 154 words]
Pain Management / Dependency Clinic Divides A Community Gary and Janet Coates are frustrated and angry at how some in the community are portraying methadone users. The Coates have been following the news about the Wellbeings pain management and dependency clinic proposed to open in Aldershot at 444 Plains Rd. E. at the end of October. Methadone is to be one of its treatment options. The couple was ecstatic to hear such a clinic would be opening in their city. Gary, 73, has been using methadone for the last two months, in combination with Oxycontin, to treat the painful nerve condition neuralgia he developed last year. [continues 583 words]
Planning Staff Reporting To Oct. 5 Committee Meeting City council's decision to review the site plan of a controversial pain management and dependency clinic in Aldershot may delay the health centre's fall opening. Politicians approved at Tuesday's city council meeting a motion from Councillor Rick Craven that gives the city's community development committee meeting of Monday, Oct. 5 responsibility to approve the site plan for Wellbeings. A spokesperson for the controversial clinic remains confident the site plan submitted last month will be approved, paving the way for a late October opening as originally planned. [continues 930 words]
Armed with protest signs, a crowd of around 30 people gathered outside of the proposed site for a pain management and dependency clinic in Aldershot yesterday (Tuesday) morning, decrying it's too close to Maplehurst Public School. On the first day of the new school year, residents convened in front of 444 Plains Rd. E., just west of the grade school, carrying signs stating 'Say No To The Meth Clinic' and 'Meth Isn't Cool Near A School'. Some are fearful of the kind of clientele that will frequent the clinic, co-owned by well-known businessperson Peggi DeGroote, as it offers methadone as one element of its treatment options. It's slated to open by the end of October. [continues 382 words]
Protest Staged Tuesday Aldershot residents remain fearful that a pain management clinic offering methadone treatments will attract dangerous drug addicts and traffickers - despite assurances from the owner that it won't. Anywhere else but here, a crowd of about 150 Aldershot residents repeatedly drummed into Peggi DeGroote's ears on Saturday afternoon during a public information meeting held at East Plains Church. They want her to break the 10- year-lease she signed to establish a practice at 444 Plains Rd. E. The clinic, called Wellbeings, is slated to open in late October. [continues 560 words]
Methadone Treatment in Halton An ominous letter that has been circulating around Aldershot in recent weeks has whipped some residents into a frenzy about this fall's arrival of a Plains Road health clinic that will offer, among other things, methadone treatment to drug-dependent patients. The letter, along with media reports about the pain management and dependency clinic - called Wellbeings - has upset some who believe the clinic will spawn drug trafficking and other related crime. The clinic's proximity to a nearby school has also been challenged. [continues 429 words]
Peggi Degroote Dispels Rumour She's Opening a Methadone Centre A private pain management and dependency clinic is slated to open its doors this fall in Aldershot and will offer methadone as one element of its treatment options. However, well-known local businesswoman Peggi DeGroote, co-owner and executive director of Wellbeings, said it is not a methadone clinic. A recent letter written by the owner of a neighbouring business has been circulating, DeGroote said, and is putting a negative spin on the clinic she hopes will only do good for the community when it begins operation in late October at 444 Plains Rd. E. [continues 1259 words]
Ontario Women in Law Enforcement recognize Det.-Const. Bev Meehan Halton Regional Police Detective-Constable Bev Meehan was recently honoured by the Ontario Women in Law Enforcement (OWLE) for the work she does seizing the assets of criminals. Meehan was one of 10 winners when the organization held an awards ceremony in Mississauga last Friday. She was named OWLE's Excellence in Performance category winner for her efforts as a member of the Provincial Asset Forfeiture Unit. The Halton officer was one of 10 female police officers across Ontario named by OWLE as a winner in an individual category. More than 100 officers had been nominated over the 10 categories. [continues 460 words]
A comedy night benefit is being held Friday for a local business owner who is involved in a human rights case. Ted Kindos of Gator Ted's Tap & Grill has been embroiled in a legal disagreement with fellow resident and former customer Steve Gibson since last year. The two have been at loggerheads for about four years, as Kindos didn't want Gibson - who has a federal government exemption to smoke medical marijuana - to smoke his pot too close to the front entrance of his business. The restaurant owner said the smoke was a nuisance to passing customers. [continues 250 words]
Criminals don't stop. They don't stop for constitutional emergencies. They don't stop for presidential visits and they certainly don't stop during global economic crises. For a while, the media focus was off crime and onto the challenges facing Canada during these troubling economic times. But recent examples of extreme gang violence in British Columbia are a stark reminder that the safety of Canadian families requires constant vigilance. We cannot afford to take the security of law abiding citizens for granted. [continues 396 words]
Queen's Park's Conflicting Message Three years and more than $30,000 later, Ted Kindos, owner of Gator Ted's, is still trying to keep his restaurant doors open. Unfortunately, at a time when government should be making it easier to operate in tough times, Dalton McGuinty's government has wedged this owner into a no-win situation. Two separate arms of the Ontario government are demanding that Ted follow their contrary rules and, if he agrees to the demands of either one, the other will shut him down. [continues 350 words]
Burlington Conservative MPP Joyce Savoline has accused the Ontario government of being two-faced in its dealings with a Burlington restaurant owner. During Question Period in the legislature at Queen's Park yesterday (Tuesday), Savoline asked the Liberal government what it is going to do to solve a conundrum facing Ted Kindos, owner of Gator Ted's. Kindos has been given contradictory instructions from two divisions of the Ontario government, said Savoline. She said the Ontario Human Rights Commission has demanded that Kindos allow Steve Gibson, a former patron, to smoke his medical marijuana on the premises. She said failure to permit him to smoke could result in penalties from the OHRC. At the same time, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario has stated it will revoke the liquor licence for Gator Ted's if Kindos allows Gibson to smoke the medical pot on the business' property. [continues 295 words]
Re: The Post, Feb 11, Gator Ted's owner to fight pot-smoking case. It was with great frustration to read an article about a small business owner pitted against the Ontario Human Rights Commission over an individual who wants to execute his right as a citizen to smoke marijuana right in front of a local family establishment. There is no question that Mr. Gibson has rights, and they need to be respected and upheld. What I do question is the manner in which he decides to express them. There must be some sense of logic, suitability, and common sense that appears to be absent in this story. What is considered "legal" does not need to be exploited. Perhaps what is also legal is the freedom to protect one's reputation and business to avoid a negative perception that the establishment is of ill repute, and as any Burlington resident knows, that is not the case. [continues 56 words]
Ted Kindos faces two choices: Continue to be called a bigot or break the law. Either way, he risks going bankrupt. Kindos owns Gator Ted's Tap & Grill in Burlington. Four years ago, he asked a marijuana smoker to step away from his front door. The medically-licensed toker complained to the Ontario Human Rights Commission of bias against a disabled person. He won. Kindos was about to pay the fine and post obligatory signs saying, "We accommodate medicinal marijuana smokers," when a different government agency told him he could lose his liquor licence. Serving anybody possessing a controlled substance - prescribed or not - is against the law. [continues 261 words]
Believes Son Would Still Be Alive Had Help Been Available Betty-Lou Kristy wishes there had been help available to her son before he died of a drug overdose at the age of 25. It wasn't as if they didn't try. For years, Kristy and her son, Peter Beattie, tried to find effective help but couldn't. It was a mixed drug overdose that killed him - and a part of Kristy. "There are no words to describe the loss of a child and the journey of grieving that follows - a journey that will be with me for the rest of my life," said Kristy, pointing to four photos of her son projected onto a screen. [continues 475 words]
The room itself is unassuming. Considering what lies within you would expect to see a guard posted outside or something, but this is not a movie and the room is accessed with the simple turn of a key. The room has the faint smell of marijuana, which makes sense because there is quite a bit present, along with just about every other illegal drug imaginable. Even prescription drugs, which have been stolen for resale, can be seen, sealed within plastic bags on a nearby shelf. [continues 1742 words]
Many much-awaited and completely stress-free kudos to licensed medical marijuana patient Steve Gibson for standing up for the rights of those of us in the country who choose to use cannabis as medicine outside of our homes. (May 14, the Post) I don't think people in this country understand. We didn't choose to be critically and or chronically ill but we have been given a right in this country to use cannabis as medicine. Do you understand now? Many thanks and much love also to family, friends and people who believe that we, too, should be treated as equal. Alison Myrden, Burlington [end]
It's Not A Done Deal Yet. The owner of Gator Ted's restaurant in Burlington says he is going to take the weekend to mull over the contents of an 11-page tentative settlement in his fight with medical marijuana user Steve Gibson. Ted Kindos told the Post that he is re-considering what appeared to be an agreement between he and Gibson. He refused to comment further. The owner of Gator Ted's Tap and Grill on Guelph Line had initially said that he and local resident Steve Gibson had reached a deal over the latter's smoking outside Kindos' business and other related issues. [continues 95 words]
Is Reconsidering An 11-Page Tentative Deal Ted Kindos said he is taking this weekend to reconsider an 11-page tentative deal that was supposed to put an end to a three-year dispute over a customer's medicinal marijuana use. Late Friday afternoon, Kindos told the Burlington Post that after seeing the tentative agreement the previous day; he is now reviewing the details with his family and lawyer. He refused to comment further. The owner of Gator Ted's Tap and Grill on Guelph Line had initially told the Post Thursday that he and local resident Steve Gibson had reached a deal over the latter's smoking outside Kindos' business. [continues 669 words]
Steve Gibson says he will be back at Gator Ted's sometime later this year puffing his medical marijuana outside the local restaurant. Gibson told the Post yesterday (Tuesday) that he has accepted an offer from Ted Kindos, owner of Gator Ted's Tap and Grill on Guelph Line, to settle a dispute over his medical marijuana use outside the eatery. Gibson and Kindos had been locked in a battle before the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) for nearly three years. The case had involved three OHRC mediation sessions that could not produce an agreement. The issue escalated to a Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario hearing that was to have started Monday in Toronto. The agreement came soon after the tribunal hearing was set to start, said Gibson. [continues 327 words]
Burlington Mpp Sought To Close Loophole In Anti-Smoking Legislation Burlington MPP Joyce Savoline has been unsuccessful in convincing the ruling Liberals to consider changing provincial smoking legislation that would require medical marijuana smokers to stay a minimum of 10 feet away from some public and private buildings. Conservative Joyce Savoline had her private member's bill, Bill 42, an attempt to amend Ontario's Smoke-Free Ontario Act, defeated in the legislature at the committee level last Thursday. The MPP expressed dismay that the life of her bill was cut short not long after the previous week's first reading of her proposed changes to existing smoking legislation and before any public consultation occurred. [continues 261 words]
High School Students Tell Regional Committee About The Realities Of Drug Use In Halton Alcohol and marijuana are the most common substances being used by Halton teens, according to local students. A group of high school pupils from both north and south Halton told the region's health and social services committee recently about the realities of teen drug use. Oakville Grade 12 student Kayla Bulatovich said even though there are a lot of drugs available, alcohol and marijuana are the biggest problems in local schools. [continues 345 words]
So let me see if I understand Alison Myrden's letter in the Feb. 22 Post. Is she really asking that because she is a cannabis smoker that the rest of the world is supposed to give up their rights because these medicine takers require their hourly toke? Am I reading this correctly? Am I supposed to hold my breath as I pass by a legal cannabis smoker (so as not to breathe in secondhand smoke) outside my favourite family restaurant? Did you read the story about Mr Gibson, where he states that his friends built him a shed so his own family does not have to see him or smell it? Or was I the only one that read that part? [continues 161 words]
Ted Kindos versus Steve Gibson, the Post, Feb. 10. I am writing this letter in full support of Ted Kindos in this dispute. I have sympathy for Steve Gibson's situation and if smoking marijuana eases his pain that's a good thing. However, smoking pot is legal only for him and not for the rest of us. We do not want to smell as though we have been smoking marijuana and have to explain this to our families and maybe the police because Mr. Gibson believes he has the right to stand with us while he smokes his medication. [continues 272 words]
The following is an open letter to Burlington Post, restaurant owner Ted Kindos and Halton MP Garth Turner. I don't think the people across Canada understand the issue of medical marijuana patient Steve Gibson and owner of Gator Ted's Restaurant, Ted Kindos, in their disagreement involving the accusation of blatant discrimination and the Ontario Human Rights Commission. I know many people in Canada know who I am by now; I've been doing this for many years. For those who have been away or have been hiding under a rock with Mr. Turner and Mr. Kindos, my name is Alison Myrden and I am a medical marijuana patient just like Mr. Gibson. [continues 480 words]
Garth Turner pleased with health minister's reply to recent letter Halton's Member of Parliament has convinced Canada's health minister to re-examine the use of medical marijuana in public places following recent news reports of a Burlington bar owner being taken to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario by a former patron. Garth Turner, Liberal MP for the riding of Halton, which includes parts of north Burlington and Oakville, told the Post last Thursday he received a response to a Feb. 11 letter he sent to federal health minister Tony Clement. [continues 931 words]
Medical Marijuana Challenge Does the right of a Burlington resident to smoke marijuana as a legally-recognized form of pain relief supercede the right of others in society not to be exposed to it? That is one of the many legal questions the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario will be facing when it hears the case of Burlington's Steve Gibson versus Gator Ted's Tap and Grill owner Ted Kindos later this year. The two men have been deadlocked in a 2 1/2-year battle before the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) over Gibson's contention that he should be allowed to smoke his medical marijuana in the same area outside the Guelph Line restaurant as cigarette smokers. [continues 364 words]
Sports Bar Owner Pitted Against Former Customer Medical marijuana smoker Steve Gibson wants the owner of a local sports bar to let him smoke his legal joints in the same spot outside the business where tobacco users are permitted to light up. Ted Kindos, the owner of Gator Ted's Tap and Grill, says he simply wants Gibson not to smoke his pot close to the front doors of his Guelph Line restaurant. The two men are locked in a battle that has been before the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) for about 2 1/2 years. [continues 1400 words]
There have always been enormous stresses placed on teens throughout their high school years. That is never going to change, but what seems to be changing are the ways in which teenagers learn to cope with the many pressures. With the constant emergence of new technology, a logical way to relax would be to turn on the television or listen to music on an iPod. However, recent research suggests an alarming trend in the way teens choose to relax. On Wednesday, Dec. 5, a drug awareness meeting was held for parents, students and teachers in the library of M. M. Robinson High School. It was put on by the Halton Regional Police Service in partnership with the Halton Health Department. [continues 428 words]
B.C. Man Brings Powerful Message To Educators, Police, Health-Care Workers A police officer and politician are doing more than just thinking about the powerful presentation last Friday (Sept. 7) by Mark McLaughlin, president of the Crystal Meth Society of British Columbia. McLaughlin's information set Oakville Ward 1 Councillor Ralph Robinson on a mission to put in place a bylaw that allows a municipality to shut down suspected clandestine labs. Halton drug enforcement officer Det.-Sgt. Robert Waller assured McLaughlin he would look into testing future drug seizures for crystal meth content. (It's an inexpensive filler sometimes used to bulk up other drugs such as ecstasy, cocaine and marijuana). [continues 513 words]
Local Police Program Not Involved In Coupon Books, Merchandise Burlington residents are being asked to make sure they take a 'DARE' on behalf of Halton Regional Police. The Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program is gearing up again for the new school year, with Halton police officers returning to the classrooms. But there's concern that some fundraising companies have been selling coupon books and DARE merchandise at local doorsteps this summer. The Halton program's supporters say they do not sanction this fundraising and noted its proceeds are going elsewhere. [continues 271 words]
Young Pastor Has NRG For His 24/7 Church Kevin 'Kip' Philp didn't find God in drugs but rather because of the effect they were having on his mind and soul. An overnight stay in a jail cell after a drug-fueled odyssey was the second similar event in a matter of months that convinced the teenager from North Bay that he needed to turn his life around, or else. Fast-forward 14 years and the stereotypical image of a long-haired druggie teen is long gone, having been replaced by a clean-cut, 32-year-old, married father of three. However, he still retains some vestiges of his youth -- six tattoos scattered about his arms, legs and back, what he describes as mainly abstract symbols, except for the image of an iguana. [continues 1164 words]
The Halton Youth Action Alliance (HYAA) is working to get the title of the annual quit smoking day -- Weedless Wednesday -- changed for 2008. The group believes the title is misinterpreted by youth and is drawing attention to marijuana. In early January, the HYAA surveyed 56 youth aged 13 to 18 in Halton to explore their understanding and awareness of the term Weedless Wednesday. The results of the survey indicated that: - - 95 per cent hadn't heard of Weedless Wednesday - - 88 per cent didn't think the title Weedless Wednesday represented the ideas behind the day [continues 252 words]
A number of the letters in the Oct. 4, Burlington Post defend the recent surplus-going-to-debt reduction while cutting programs. I'm currently reading about the fall of the Roman Empire in the fifth century AD. One element that contributed to the fall was the almost complete extinction of 'Res Publica' or the Public Thing, i.e. social concern. Research that helps us to better understand the medical uses of marijuana and programs that reduce the amount of smoking-related illnesses in any part of our population are far from "silly". I guess we are starting to see the value system of neo-cons who have certainly lost the "Res Publica". Dan Griffin Burlington [end]
Where's the Deterrent? Last week's police raid of three Burlington high schools was a waste of policing resources that likely did little to stem the tide of increasing drug use among Halton teens. Let us be clear that this newspaper fully supports the fight against the illicit drug industry and spinoff crime perpetrated by those who buy and sell them. However, we seriously doubt last Thursday's drug enforcement exercise by Halton police officers accomplished much more than getting two dozen students in trouble with their parents and possibly suspended from school. [continues 365 words]
But None Were Charged Some Burlington students face discipline after being burned on the marijuana smoking celebration day known as '420'. Twenty four people were arrested for marijuana possession on Thursday (April 20) following police drug enforcement at Notre Dame, M.M. Robinson and Central high schools. Arrests occurred outside of the high school buildings but on school property. A Halton police constable said most of those arrested were students at the high schools, while about eight were their friends or former students. [continues 459 words]
Disturbing Statistics Revealed By Provincial Survey; Confirmed Locally Through Informal Query By Public Health Nurses Cocaine and crack use among area youth is on the rise. That's one of the startling findings of a recently-conducted provincial survey on student drug use, and a fact that was validated by professionals who work with Halton youths. A report presented recently by Halton Medical Officer of Health Dr. Bob Nosal to the health and social services committee notes that in western Ontario -- which includes Halton -- cocaine use among students has gone from 3.6 per cent in 1999 to 6.2 per cent in 2005 - -- representing the highest prevalence in the province of among teens surveyed. [continues 491 words]
Health and social service providers in Halton say they expect to see an increase in the number of residents using the dangerous illegal drug crystal meth. This is one of the findings of a recent informal study conducted by the region's public health nurses to determine the scope of crystal meth use in Halton. Halton Medical Officer of Health Dr. Bob Nosal reported to the health and social services committee recently that while a majority of the professionals questioned aren't seeing much crystal meth use in the region, there's a general belief that the number of users will soon increase. [continues 563 words]
'Serious Threat To Public' Defusing the 'chemical time bomb' of clandestine drug labs -- as well as the sale of methamphetamine, ecstasy and other illegal substances produced in them -- is a major focus of law enforcement across Canada, said participants in a special two-day conference held in Halton this past week. In fact, said Corporal Brent Hill of the RCMP National Chemical Diversion Program, it is a global problem that has reached the point where these secret -- and very dangerous -- labs have sprung up in residential neighbourhoods and now pose a real hazard to first responders like police, as well as firefighters and even children. [continues 720 words]
The reason behind the recent donation of a Mini Cooper to DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Halton is simple, says Daryl Budd of Budd's BMW in Oakville: it's all about the kids. "It's always important to support the community," said Budd, who praised the ideals of the program. "It teaches children to challenge and not accept drugs and violence." The vehicle was presented at last week's Halton Regional Police Services Board meeting to DARE Halton board chair Joe Zukiel, who believes it will give the program a higher profile when it appears at schools and special functions. [continues 204 words]
Alison Myrden is excited yet somewhat apprehensive about becoming one of the first people in the world to try a new prescription drug designed to alleviate the intense pain experienced by some multiple sclerosis patients. The 41-year-old local resident, who says she has suffered intense facial nerve pain related to MS on a constant basis for about 10 years, has begun using a new medication that is derived from the cannabis plant. Long an advocate and also one of a small group of legal users of prescribed medicinal marijuana in cigarette form -- to help ease her daily discomfort -- Myrden hopes that Sativex is not only a more potent analgesic than traditional pot, but will become more socially acceptable too. [continues 880 words]
Last week, RCMP Constables Anthony Gordon, Lionide Johnston, Brock Myrol and Peter Schiemann were all gunned down at a marijuana grow operation near the hamlet of Rochfort Bridge in Alberta. These men were all killed in the line of duty. We should praise them for their bravery and their dedication. We should mourn their loss. We should not however be using their deaths to pursue a particular political agenda. Unfortunately, some of us seem to be doing exactly that. Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan held a press conference shortly after the events and announced she would consider legislating tougher penalties for marijuana grow operations. Fellow Liberal MP Dan McTeague went further and called for a mandatory minimum sentence of four years imprisonment for marijuana growers. [continues 529 words]
Welcome to the Burlington Post's advice column Teen Care. In it, Halton resident Diane Shea answers questions from parents and young people about day-to-day teen issues. Teen Care appears in the Post every other Friday. To submit a question to Shea, please see the end of this week's column. Q: I'm in my last year of high school. I like to party and have fun as much as the next guy and I occasionally do a little harmless underage drinking at parties or at school proms. [continues 563 words]
The otherwise -- presumably -- intelligent principal, Anthony Scarfone, has decided to punish every kid in his school who wants to play basketball because one of the (parent) coaches has a 23-year old conviction for possession of a joint? (Jan. 26, the Post) Looks like another case of "reefer madness". George Kosinski, Gibsons, B.C. (By e-mail) [end]
