Supporters vow to fight bid to permanently close businesses "They are looking to set a precedent. I hope they do..." - Britney Guerra, Cloud Nine Owner The city is escalating its battle with illegal storefront pot shops by seeking a court injunction to shutter a popular downtown dispensary and vapour lounge. But owners and supporters of the Hamilton Village Dispensary and Cloud Nine are vowing to fight to save the 275 King St. E businesses. The injunction request obtained by The Spectator cites zoning and bylaw violations in asking a judge to order the businesses permanently closed. It also wants Hamilton police to be required to enforce the order. [continues 399 words]
About 55,000 cases related to marijuana reported to police last year OTTAWA - The number of police-reported cannabis offences declined for the fifth straight year, Statistics Canada said Monday, a downward trend that began long before the Liberals brought forward their plan to legalize the drug for recreational use. The tally of police-reported crime from the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics said there were about 55,000 offences related to marijuana reported to police in 2016, about 6,000 fewer than reported in '15 - despite previous data showing consumption of the drug on the rise. [continues 314 words]
"Go slow take your time," is the excellent advice Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was given last year on his plan to legalize recreational marijuana in Canada. The speaker was none other than Anne McLellan, leader of the federal government's task force on the issue, and her message was do your homework and get the job right the first time around. The caution from this former Liberal deputy prime minister was wise. It seems even more urgent now after nine Canadian premiers told the prime minister last week they have so many concerns about his promise to legalize recreational pot starting July 1, 2018, that they may ask him to postpone the change. [continues 376 words]
Ontario's top court has overturned a man's drug trafficking conviction on the grounds that he was unlawfully detained by a Hamilton police officer during his arrest. Zwelakhe Mhlongo was convicted of possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking in April 2014 following a vehicle stop for a Highway Traffic Act offence two years prior. He filed an appeal based on the trial judge's decision not to exclude the cocaine and cash seized as evidence. While the trial judge found Mhlongo's charter rights around unlawful search and seizure and the right to counsel had been breached, he did not find that to be the case for arbitrary detention. [continues 409 words]
Everyone is making a big fuss about July 1 this year, the country's 150th birthday. But next year's anniversary will have a far greater impact on the nation than this year's bash. That's the day the Trudeau government's landmark policy to legalize weed comes into effect. July 1, 2018, will mark a sea change after almost 100 years of prohibition as Canada becomes the first G7 country to legalize and regulate the production, sale and use of recreational marijuana. [continues 420 words]
Supreme Court affirms landmark ruling on court delays OTTAWA - All players in the justice system need to do their part to target the "root causes" of unnecessary trial delays, the Supreme Court of Canada said Friday in affirming its landmark ruling on timely proceedings. The high court ruled unanimously that a Newfoundland and Labrador man facing drug and weapon charges should not go to trial under new rules spelled out last July for determining unjustifiable court delays. The latest decision comes amid intense public and political debate over the time limits for trials, including a Senate committee report this week that expressed concern over accused criminals walking free. [continues 465 words]
RE: Teens and drugs (June 3) Last Saturday's front page article exposed yet another warning as to the addictive, harmful effects of marijuana on youth. The federal government is not listening. In the same edition of The Spectator, Thomas Froese's piece highlights how assisted dying has removed us from the precious nature of life in both its joys and it sorrows. Once encoded, our laws are there in perpetuity. These dual governmental notions, currently both provincial and federal, have undermined the good health of our nation. Judy Pollard Smith, Hamilton [end]
Guns, yes - but knives, pepper spray, hammers, bats, batons and pipes have all been wielded as invaders strike in Hamilton The number of violent home invasions in Hamilton nearly doubled last year, highlighting a growth in what police say is crime fuelled by the illegal drug trade in the city. Last year Hamilton police investigated 67 violent home invasion robberies, up from 36 in 2015, said police spokesperson Const. Steve Welton. As of March this year there had already been 12 home invasions, according to police records. The Spectator is aware of at least five more since then, including two in which people were shot. [continues 643 words]
Drug use among teens is nothing new. But street drugs are a bigger threat than ever, because they can be laced with deadly substances. The Spectator investigates what youth are using, and how to identify the dangers A GIRL is hanging out with friends after school. One of them has stolen a gram of marijuana from an older brother. They pass around a pipe. It is her first time getting high. She is 14. A 15- YEAR-OLD walks through the hall at school. He sees a classmate selling cannabis-edibles out of a backpack and a friend making a purchase. A GIRL is invited to meet up with friends behind her school. Someone lights a joint and passes it to her. She is in Grade 7. [continues 1911 words]
At least 30 cases linked to drugs missing from a storage locker likely will be dropped, setting accused dealers free A Halton cop who spent years taking drugs off the street is facing five criminal charges after prescription opioids were stolen from a police evidence locker. At least 30 cases connected to the missing drugs likely will be dropped because of the evidence-tampering, setting accused dealers free. Staff Sgt. Brad Murray was in charge of the Drug and Morality Unit at the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) and had authorization to access the locked storage area where all drugs seized by the service were kept and catalogued. [continues 893 words]
As the Trudeau government works overtime to legalize recreational marijuana in Canada by the summer of 2018, there's a huge job to be done outside Parliament. Health officials, educators, parents and the government must somehow persuade young Canadians to swear off a drug that will suddenly be legal for adults all around them to use for fun and relaxation. This won't be easy, especially when teens see Mom and Dad light up a reefer and are told: "Do as we say, not as we do." But the stakes for our youth couldn't be higher. New research out of the University of Waterloo highlights both the harm marijuana is doing to the young as well as the high number of Canadian teens already indulging in the drug. [continues 400 words]
Marijuana has been a concern of late. I am not a user. I feel that Trudeau government has it right. Prohibition of alcohol was never fully imposed in Canada but it was in the United States. Prior to prohibition being enacted in the United States, bars were dominated by men. During prohibition, speakeasies began to pop up and were more appealing to women. Therefore more alcohol was consumed. Also, it unknowingly fostered criminal organizations that are still here today. [continues 78 words]
I envision a future where users can buy a gram from the little old lady next door I don't want to write another LRT column, but I did want to say thank you to the councillors who voted in favour of the LRT for the 53rd time. Or is that the 54th? Does the vote to defer the vote count as a vote? Thank you to those who changed their position from "No" to "Yes". For those who voted "No", I hope you have the grace to accept the will of the people and get on board this exciting new phase of Hamilton's development. [continues 718 words]
Much of the criticism levelled at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about his privileged background is legitimate, at least as it relates to his ability to understand everyday Canadians who don't enjoy the same privilege. But some amounts to partisan silliness. Opposition party charges of hypocrisy around Trudeau's involvement with marijuana fall into the latter category. Let's consider what he's being condemned for this week. He has been found guilty, apparently by association, because his father once used his legal connections to help his late brother, Michel, avoid marijuana possession charges. What his father actually did is reach out to contacts at a legal clinic in efforts to get a good lawyer. It's not clear that he abused his position as a retired prime minister. It's also fair to note there are thousands of Canadian fathers who have done the same thing, or would have if they could. And in any case, it's low even by partisan standards to suggest the son somehow bears the burden of the father's sins, real or imagined. Imagine if that vengeful principle was applied to all Canadian families. [continues 320 words]
RE: Legalizing marijuana I am not against the legalization of marijuana if it will curtail criminal activity and provide a source of funds for our government to spend. However, one aspect needs to be addressed. Like alcohol it must not consumed out in the open, but only in licensed f acilities or private residences. I have no urge to be exposed to second hand dope smoke in public spaces. Al Wilson, Brantford [end]
RE: Legalizing pot Who are these people who sit in our Parliament to represent us? How many of them smoke-up to consume the false pleasure of marijuana, so much as to personally endorse the open use of the weed to each and every Canadian who is beyond the age of 18? With all the charges previous laid for possession of and for illegally growing, then under-the-table selling of it, this drug has now become exempt from the fight against drug usage in our country, whereas, the National Institute of Drug Abuse in the USA has qualified that the plant contains the mind-altering chemical delta-9tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other related compounds. [continues 70 words]
OTTAWA - The federal government has tailored its highly anticipated marijuana legislation to ensure younger teens don't wind up with criminal records for pot possession. Currently, people between 12 and 17 can be charged for having any amount of marijuana, but the newly tabled legislation proposes that people under age 18 would not face criminal prosecution for possessing or sharing up to five grams. Bill Blair, a Liberal MP working with federal ministers on the legislation, said Monday the ultimate goal is to give provinces and territories flexibility to prohibit young people from possessing any amount of cannabis, with the option to introduce non-criminal sanctions for having a small amount. [continues 216 words]
OTTAWA - The federal plan to legalize recreational marijuana does not include the general amnesty for past pot convictions some would like to see, says Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale. Newly tabled legislation would allow people 18 and older to publicly possess up to 30 grams of dried cannabis, or its equivalent in non-dried form. But the Trudeau government is not considering a blanket pardon for people with criminal records for possessing small amounts of the drug, Goodale said in an interview. "That's not an item that's on the agenda at the moment." [continues 261 words]
Hess Village enterprise back in business Thursday, day after visit by drug squad Hamilton police have seized about $21,000 in products from a Hess Village marijuana dispensary and charged a 49-year-old man with four drug-related offences. The Hamilton police vice and drug unit executed a search warrant at Georgia Peach Dispensary on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. The shop is located at 105 George St. Police allege the owner of the dispensary was "committing the criminal acts of possession for the purpose of trafficking marijuana and THC" by selling or giving marijuana or marijuana derivatives to clients. [continues 184 words]
Once again, federal Conservative leadership candidate Kellie Leitch is receiving massive public attention for a massively bad idea. On Tuesday, just two days before Justin Trudeau's Liberals were to unveil long-awaited legislation to legalize recreational marijuana, Leitch abruptly announced she would outlaw this use of the drug if she ever became prime minister. That's right. The woman who wants to screen immigrants to ensure they have "Canadian values" would roll back an initiative most Canadians support because it makes perfect sense. [continues 430 words]
RE: Legalizing pot Although I believe that human lungs are meant to take in nothing but clean fresh air, I support the government's imminent plan to end the stigma of cannabis by legalizing pot. This decision should be countered with a massive education plan to indicate the potential for health problems with regular marijuana use. Pot is a mild drug and no worse than alcohol. If anything should be banned, it should be cancer causing cigarettes. With legalizing pot, police forces can now concentrate on protecting us from hard drugs and real criminals. Allan Avery, Hamilton [end]
OTTAWA - The Liberal government's point man on pot says Canada Day 2018 should not be about legalizing marijuana but about recognizing the country's history. Bill Blair, the parliamentary secretary to Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, said Wednesday he's a proud Canadian who believes July 1 is a day to celebrate the country's birth "for that reason and that reason alone." "I believe that ... a reasonable goal is to have all this work done by the beginning of July, but by that date and on that date are very different things," Blair said in an interview. [continues 246 words]
RE: Legalizing marijuana The first mention of cannabis in the western literature comes from Herodotus, the father of history (484-413 BC). He tells us of the Scythians, an ancient civilization that lived near the Black Sea, who cultivated it and smoked it usually at funerals. They also ate their dead at banquets. In the Scythian culture it was considered a great dishonour not to be eaten (if diseased) by their family when one died of old age. Next time you take a marijuana puff, remember where this custom came from and don't get carried away! Achilles Thoma MD, Hamilton [end]
Re: Legalizing marijuana Hello Ottawa, are you already high on something? What is the Liberal government thinking with their priority on cannabis? Do we have no more urgent problems? They would have us believe that they will be able to control it and keep it out of the hands of young people. What universe are these people from? They can't even come close to controlling regular tobacco sales. Make no mistake, it will be used by young people, it will cause impairment problems and deaths, it will cause societal problems and it will lead some users down the path to harder drug use. There will be criminal involvement and underground sales. [continues 81 words]
RE: Front page photo, March 25 I was disgusted to see that smoky photo on the front of The Spec. I personally do not believe that marijuana (as medicine) relieves pain. It may dull the brain, which affects the senses. Putting any kind of smoke into the lungs has to be dangerous. Therefore your photo is giving encouragement to young people to smoke. Brian Walmsley, Ancaster [end]
Marijuana use could be a predictor for relapse among women undergoing opioid addiction treatment, a Hamilton study has found. A research team from McMaster University and St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton recruited 777 participants from Canadian Addiction Treatment Centre sites across the province as part of an ongoing research file into the risk factors of addiction. About 60 per cent of men and 44 per cent of women in methadone treatment therapy also use cannabis, the study found. The women who smoked pot, the study found, were 82 per cent more likely to relapse and use opioids. [continues 255 words]
The Trudeau government is on track to legalize marijuana. If things unfold smoothly, that should happen about the beginning of July 2018. That doesn't mean we'll be seeing legal pot first-hand at that point. Areas under provincial control, including distribution, are not nailed down yet. Provinces will have some flexibility on implementation timing. But from the federal perspective, this is one election pledge that apparently will be kept. That's not happy news for everyone. A considerable number of Canadians don't agree with legalization, and another group, possibly larger, has concerns about key areas that should be resolved before legalized pot hits our streets. A perfect example is roadside testing. We know how to test for alcohol, but will there be comparable testing available for pot consumption? There has to be, otherwise our roads could be less safe than they are today, and no one wants that. [continues 328 words]
New law will require strategy to deal with use of pot and its effects on student life, learning There is reason to be concerned about legalizing marijuana when it comes to youth, a McMaster University health forum heard. Psychologist and cannabis-use researcher Franco Vaccarino told Tuesday's Cannabis on Campus forum that young people need special attention because their brains don't fully develop until age of 25. Vaccarino, a principal editor of "The Effects of Cannabis Use during Adolescence" report in 2015, said brains undergo dramatic changes during adolescence and youth are vulnerable to drug use. [continues 401 words]
There are at least 18 storefront marijuana dispensaries operating illegally in Hamilton. Despite raids by police, these storefront operations keep bouncing back, primed for the time that pot becomes legal STEP INSIDE ONE OF HAMILTON'S medical marijuana dispensaries and you will find rows of dried marijuana stored inside sealed glass jars, everything from bath balms to shaving cream, and knowledgeable staff - often called bud tenders - willing to help you find just the right product. The businesses range from spa-like to head shop, yet all are in public storefronts, demanding to be seen. But make no mistake - they are illegal. Owners know their businesses are illegal but believe without them, patients would not be able to access relief. They claim the product, which is only available online from Health Canada's licensed providers, is too expensive, can be difficult to access and isn't as good as what's available from seasoned (albeit illegal) growers. [continues 1375 words]
Gone are the days of marijuana-exclusive drug dealers and police busting large grow operations; common are illegal medical marijuana dispensaries in brightly lit storefronts and multimillion-dollar grow facilities clamouring for federal medical licences. "It's everybody trying to get ahead of the game because they think that legislation is going to change," said Hamilton police vice and drug Det. Craig Leishman. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says marijuana legislation to legalize the recreational market should be ready this summer with a federal task force recommending the provinces control the wholesale distribution. But where exactly that marijuana will be legally sold - and when - remains to be seen. [continues 962 words]
Hours earlier, activists Marc and Jodie Emery were arrested at Pearson Toronto police raided a Hamilton dispensary Thursday morning just hours after two prominent Canadian marijuana activists were arrested at Pearson airport. Undercover officers raided the Hamilton location of Cannabis Culture on King Street East - easy to spot from its bright green exterior, between Walnut and Wellington streets - manager Rex Mekkem said. "I'm just letting people know. Metro Toronto is raiding the Hamilton store," Mekkem said in a live cellphone video posted to his Facebook page Thursday just before noon. [continues 378 words]
Drug causes immediate loss of consciousness PUBLIC HEALTH IS WARNING that fentanyl-laced crack has come to Hamilton. The powerful drug - which causes an "immediate and dangerous loss of consciousness" - is known as "takeover" or "dirty fentanyl." Authorities believe it came here from Toronto, and Hamilton public health staff have heard it's becoming more widespread - which is why they're advising drug users to take extra caution. Last week, 56 people sought care in Hamilton emergency rooms for drug-related issues. [continues 495 words]
The city's associate medical health officer, Dr. Jessica Hopkins, recently appeared before city council with a modest request - an extra $69,000 in the public health department's battle against the deadly opioid crisis. Specifically, the department wants the money to distribute more anti-overdose kits containing naloxone, a life-saving medicine that reverses the effects of overdose from drugs like heroin and fentanyl. The request seems more than reasonable. It makes sense. Lives are at immediate risk with the drug epidemic that is sweeping the country. [continues 289 words]
Life-saving overdose antidote kits not available on Sundays, public health says The city will put off a request to distribute more life-saving anti-overdose kits until it finds out whether the provincial or federal governments will cover the cost. The city's public health department requested extra cash in 2017 to expand distribution of naloxone, a life-saving medicine that reverses the effects of overdose on opioid drugs like heroin and fentanyl. The city already hands out kits on request and via the needle exchange van, which travels around Hamilton during the week and on Saturdays handing out clean needles. [continues 354 words]
A 28-year-old man is facing drug trafficking charges after police raided his east-end Hamilton medical marijuana dispensary Tuesday. Officers from Hamilton police's vice and drugs unit executed a search warrant at MMJ Canada - located at 146 Ottawa St. N. - around 1 p.m. and said they found about $100,000 worth of marijuana and marijuana products, including edibles. "It was determined that the operator of this dispensary was committing the criminal acts of possession for the purpose of trafficking marijuana and THC because they were selling or giving away marijuana or marijuana derivatives from their location," police said in a release. [continues 187 words]
City has issued cease-and-desist order and threatened fines up to $50,000 Medical marijuana dispensary owners, employees and patients gathered outside City Hall Wednesday in protest of the city's crackdown against the businesses and to call for regulation. The rally was organized in response to "cease and desist" letters the city sent to 17 medical marijuana dispensaries last week. The letters cited zoning infractions and come with a warning of fines up to $50,000, plus up to $25,000 per day after a conviction. [continues 365 words]
Pot dispensary owners are holding a rally Wednesday in response to a crackdown by the city's bylaw department. Pacifico Life was one of 17 dispensaries to receive a "cease and desist" letter from the city last week. Owner Tamara Hirsch says the notice - which cites zoning infractions - went to her and her landlord. The maximum fine, it notes, is $50,000 upon a conviction, and up to $25,000 per day thereafter. And while no timeline is referenced for this, the message is clear: close up shop. [continues 383 words]
Walking into Pacifico Health and Wellness in Westdale feels much like walking into a spa: white walls, exposed wood beams, chic lighting, and calm atmosphere. Nevermind the fact that it's a medical marijuana dispensary. Tamara Hirsch seems like an unlikely advocate for a controversial industry that exists in a legal grey area. The mom of two, who has blond hair and elfin looks, has opened two successful medical marijuana dispensaries in Hamilton in the past year - one on James Street North and the second in Westdale - and says she'd like to open more. [continues 575 words]
It's not really anyone's fault that medical marijuana dispensaries exist in a legislative Wild West zone. Dispensing medical pot to people with the appropriate documentation is legal. Selling pot products to anyone else is still not legal. But it will be fairly soon, once the federal government and the provinces get together and hammer out distribution channels and a host of other serious questions and issues. Canada is not yet ready for legalized marijuana. It will be soon, which is why entrepreneurs across the nation are trying to stay ahead of the game, and dispensaries are sprouting at a great rate. Hamilton has something like 15, major centres such as Toronto and Vancouver have exponentially more. [continues 368 words]
RE: Seeing through the fog on marijuana (Jan. 24) Excellent article by Howard Elliott on marijuana legalization. It also reinforces my belief that marijuana dispensaries in Ontario will all be outlawed if pot is legalized. The legalization of marijuana will not be welcome for the powerful lobbyists of pharmaceutical industries because they will lose profits. The breweries and distilleries will also lose profits because they are in charge of the "feel good" industry and don't want people buying pot instead of liquor or beer. [continues 106 words]
RE: Seeing through the fog on marijuana (Jan. 24) Editorial chair Howard Elliott has created more fog for Spec readers. Try facts: The fact is Health Canada doesn't allow storefronts! Even licensed producers have to ship it. All "dispensaries" are illegal. Trudeau is causing havoc by not decriminalizing cannabis ... pending legislation changes. Mark Volterman, Hamilton [end]
Safe injection sites, stronger antidote expected to be discussed during 'frank' discussion on growing crisis For a long time, Chrissy Hawkins's drug of choice was "everything." Hers was an addiction that started at age nine with doctor-prescribed Valium and spiralled out of control throughout her adult life. But today, at 62 years old, she is 13 years sober and a prolific volunteer with outreach agencies including Elizabeth Fry, the Mental Health Rights Coalition and public health's needle exchange van. [continues 740 words]
Bylaw enforcement officers to target storefronts, memo says The city is abandoning its hands-off approach to illegal marijuana dispensaries and forming a team to search for possible bylaw violations by the proliferating pot sellers. Planning director Jason Thorne sent an update memo to city councillors Thursday announcing licensing and bylaw officials will team up to examine 15 known storefront pot sellers "to determine if there is any violation of municipal bylaws." The storefront sale of marijuana is illegal, but shops purporting to sell exclusively to medical patients with prescriptions started popping up across Canada after the courts struck down federal rules as unconstitutional more than a year ago. [continues 307 words]
RE: Safe injection sites Providing safe injection sites for drug addicts is fine, but until the federal and provincial governments get really serious about stopping the importation of these illegal drugs by: 1. giving the newest and best testing equipment to our custom officers and police 2. flooding the Internet that our kids watch with warnings of personal death by the use of illegal drugs that are bought on the street and 3. by giving the courts the power to sentence the drug dealers maximum sentences when convicted. This pandering to drug users and dealers has to stop. Barry Kennington, Hamilton [end]
Ontario is committing to fund three supervised injection sites in Toronto, as the city tries to combat rising numbers of overdose deaths amid a broader opioid crisis. Toronto city council approved the supervised injection sites at existing downtown health-care facilities during the summer, and six months later the province has confirmed its support for the plan, with an estimated annual cost of $1.6 million and about $400,000 to create the spaces. Health Minister Eric Hoskins spoke to Mayor John Tory ahead of a meeting Monday with politicians, public health officials and other stakeholders discussing how the city can tackle the growing and fentanyl-fuelled opioid problem. [continues 263 words]
DARTMOUTH, N.S. - What if Walter White was a Mennonite? "Pure," which premieres Monday at 9 p.m. on CBC-TV, is based on actual accounts of Mennonites acting as drug mules. Various reports suggest some members were smuggling cocaine and marijuana into Canada all the way from Mexico by hiding drugs in hollowed-out car batteries and wheels of cheese. Series writer and creator Michael Amo ("The Listener") optioned one such magazine article nearly a decade ago but had a hard time selling networks on a Christian sect version of "Breaking Bad." [continues 521 words]
Barton Street jail, Milton's Vanier Centre for Women, only two Ontario facilities doing this Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre inmates are now receiving opioid antidote kits upon release from jail. It has been months since the province pledged to equip all at-risk Ontario inmates with naloxone in an effort to prevent overdoses after release. With a new year on the horizon, they are falling short in their delivery. Hamilton's Barton Street jail and Milton's Vanier Centre for Women, near Highway 401, are the only two institutions actively providing the auto-injector antidote to people as they are released from custody. [continues 357 words]
Hamilton's emergency rooms are bracing for the seemingly inevitable arrival of carfentanil now that the deadly bootleg opioid is confirmed to have made it to Ontario. "We're just being precautionary," Dr. Bill Krizmanich, chief of emergency medicine for Hamilton Health Sciences, said Tuesday. "We don't know what to expect and that's what's a little bit alarming." Carfentanil - 10,000 times more potent than morphine - was originally developed as a tranquillizer for large animals. It has been slowly popping up across Canada, predominantly out West, though most recently in locations as close to Hamilton as Kitchener. [continues 261 words]
RE: 18 years is too young for legal marijuana (Dec.16) In this editorial, John Roe's first sentence is: "When the recreational use of marijuana becomes legal in Canada in the next few years, how old should you have to be to join in the fun?" Since when did the recreational use of marijuana become fun? Just asking. Jim Margueratt, Burlington [end]
B.C. mom Scarlett Ballantyne wonders if Ottawa's plans to legalize marijuana will make her 14- and 16-year-old daughters more inclined to try it. But she's not waiting to find out. Ballantyne says her family has been discussing the dangers of drug use since the girls were 13 - a preemptive strike as pot shops and marijuana headlines have been popping up everywhere they turn. She's proud to say they are athletic, self-confident kids, but she also gets the impression that their generation sees marijuana as "not that big of a deal." [continues 687 words]
