Dear Editor: It is the fault of the U.S. that we have so many grow-ops in Canada. The U.S. consumes, and produces, more cannabis than any other country in the world. They need so much they have to get about 41 per cent shipped in from Mexico, and about two per cent from Canada. It is their insatiable appetite for cannabis that is fuelling the grow-op problem in Canada. The U.S. market throws billions in untaxed dollars at Canadians, then scorns us for supplying their demands. They give us no end of grief about pot, beef, lumber, missile defence shields, Iraq, and gay marriage, and then we are supposed to believe these bullies are actually our friends? The responsibility for the misery caused by the `drug war,' both in Canada and around the world, falls squarely on the U.S. [continues 167 words]
Leduc Representative -- Dear Editor: Canada has refused to participate in the United States' unnecessary and malfunctioning missile defence shield, so the U.S. is punishing us by refusing to open the border to Canadian beef. Without the U.S. market, most Canadian beef farmers will go bankrupt. One simple solution to the problem is to let all the suffering beef farmers grow marijuana. Farmers in every province could grow fields of marijuana that could be used for both medical and recreational uses, right next to fields of hemp that could be used for fiber, fuel, food, paper, building materials, lubricant, and about 25,000 other industrial applications found on www.hempnation.com. [continues 52 words]
Let's picture the problem of drugs like a huge ocean liner, perhaps like the ship that was out of control in the movie Speed 2. To steer the ship, you adjust the trim tab, which in turn adjusts the large rudder, and as a result the entire ship changes course. The point is that addressing the problem of drugs is complex and demands the attention of every facet of a community. How decisions that we take for granted feed the problem might not be obvious, just as the trim tab is not an obvious part of the ship. [continues 404 words]
Boredom is a state devoid of imagination. Ask many kids in rural communities who are meth addicts or methamphetamine users and this is a fairly common answer as to why they do it. Put a bunch of bored kids together, introduce some predatory drug dealers with a marketing plan along with their gang-related networks, let peer pressure take its course and you've got the recipe for a drug problem. Political leaders in the County of Leduc have been actively speaking out about the issue of drugs and drug use amongst area youth. [continues 356 words]
Leduc Representative -- Trish Dunn, a former crystal methamphetamine user said only three things come from using the drug -- jails, institutions and death. "And I only have death left," said 30-year-old Dunn, who'll be clean for one year in May. To counter the increasing problem among individuals, Dunn is partnering with Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) and reaching out to the Leduc community by initiating a Crystal Meth Anonymous group. "I'm really hoping it takes off here because my disaster started in Leduc," she said. "I know Leduc's got a problem and it's become a real epidemic. I've seen it expand to where it's out of control. A lot of communities in and around Edmonton need these groups." [continues 300 words]
Leduc Representative - Over the weekend, a stabbing took place at the Coyote Club in the City of Leduc. Local RCMP said it's drug-related and the Edmonton gang unit has been called into help assist with the investigation. But the facts and history show some of the problems faced by our community are drug and gang related. They are problems that need to be acknowledged and addressed. Geography places Leduc 20 minutes south of Edmonton if you take Strathcona as the point of departure closer if you take Ellerslie Road. [continues 353 words]
The disappearance of anhydrous ammonia from Alberta farms may actually be giving rise to methamphetamine production, said RCMP Sgt. Ian Sanderson with the Drug Awareness Service. "Overall, it's something we've seen as a cause for concern," said Sanderson, adding even though the RCMP is aware of the problem, many farmers and landowners might not be. "A lot of times they might not even realize it or understand it," he said, adding it might be attributed to a more trusting and sharing rural mindset. "(Farmers) might just think somebody needs it more than they do." [continues 500 words]
Leduc Representative -- Crystal Meth is becoming a drug of choice for the younger crowd, and meth use is steadily growing in Leduc. In 2003, 11 cases of Crystal Meth were reported. As of March 2004, the Leduc RCMP had already reported 11 cases. "It's easy to make, therefore easier to sell and get a hold of," said Const. Rich Graydon of the Leduc RCMP. "Meth does not have to be imported from the U.S. either." Crystal meth is a stimulant synthetically produced in labs. It is a smokable form of methamphetamine and is made from ingredients bought in local drug and hardware stores. [continues 256 words]
Leduc Representative - Jack (not his real name) started experimenting with marijuana at the age of 12. By 14 he was selling, and by 20 he had tried most other mind-altering stimulants. But when he started using cocaine -- commonly referred to as the rich man's Aspirin -- he was hooked. "It gives you that false sense of security," Jack explained, adding that without it he had no self-confidence. With it he felt he could conquer most anything. A successful man with a solid career, Jack could manage his addiction without letting it interfere too much with his work in the beginning. [continues 366 words]
Dear Editor, I was appalled at the opinion submitted by Pastor Grant McDowell in the Oct. 24 edition of the Leduc Rep -- What does compassion look like? McDowell's opinion is simply an endorsement of today's outdated drug laws, wrapped in a religious shroud. As a fellow Christian I respectfully disagree. After Jesus gathered his disciples and started teaching his first sermon taught us to "judge not, lest ye be judged." If Jesus were here today he would be standing on the truth, as he taught us to do. [continues 132 words]
Alan and Eleanor Randell, in a recent letter to the editor, wrote that legalizing drugs would protect students from the illicit drug trade. You have to feel for the Randells whose 19-year-old son died after taking heroin that he acquired on the street. No one is prepared for the loss of a child, no matter what the warning signs are. Compassion, however, doesn't look like capitulation. Legalizing drugs just because there is a market for them is completely unprincipled and potentially deadly. [continues 426 words]
Leduc Representative -- If there was ever a time when I thought about trying methamphetamine it was quickly erased from my mind on Oct. 8 when I attended a drug awareness night at the Performing Arts Centre. Sgt. Ian Sanderson, from the RCMP `K' Division in Edmonton, made a phemenol presentation about drugs, focusing on meth, that had a sense of realism, bringing real-life situations to show the extent of the problem plaguing many Alberta communities today. Meth is easily accessible and if it isn't there is over 150 ways to make it. It is emerging as the number one drug problem around the world. [continues 260 words]
Dear Editor: How should Leduc respond to the growing use of methamphetamine? Here in the United States, New York City chose the zero tolerance approach during the crack epidemic of the 1980s. Meanwhile, Washington, D.C., Mayor Marion Barry was smoking crack and the U.S. capital had the highest per-capita murder rate in the country. Yet crack use declined in both cities simultaneously. The decline was not due to anti-drug advertising or the passage of mandatory minimum sentencing laws. Simply put, the younger generation saw first hand what crack was doing to their older siblings. This is not to say that nothing can be done about methamphetamine. Access to drug treatment is critical for the current generation of addicts. [continues 154 words]
Leduc RCMP arrested a city youth for possession of crystal methamphetamine April 6. This is not the first time the dangerous drug has made an appearance in the community, said Insp. Rick Samotej. "This really concerns me because we've noticed an increase in possession of crystal meth. There is zero tolerance here with crystal meth," said Samotej. "This stuff is extremely addictive and dangerous." Predominant users of the deadly drug are between the ages of 14 and early 20's, he added. [continues 144 words]
The prime minister may be backing off but Justice Minister Martin Cauchon says he's ready to decriminalize marijuana as "quickly as I can." I'm not sure why Cauchon seems suddenly in such a big hurry, but it does seem like overkill for individuals to be facing criminal charges for simple possession. The energy should really be focused on the drug cartels -- and those responsible for funding terrorism. A new poll shows that 50 percent of Canadians support the federal government's proposal to decriminalize possession of marijuana. But while he might be in a hurry, perhaps Cauchon really has more to worry about than possession of marijuana and the Criminal Code. Maybe he should be less worried about grass and more concerned with his flailing gun registry. [end]
A pounding headache and a sense that someone has had sex may be all the victim knows and remembers. Alcohol has become a favorite carrier for various "date rape drugs" creating a dangerous and potentially lethal combination. The purpose of a Date Rape Drug is to render a victim incapable of resisting sexual assault. Found just about anywhere, from schools to clubs, these drugs are tasteless, colorless and odorless, and severely increase your chances of being sexually assaulted. Most drugs in current use leave the victim with little, if any, memory of the assault. [continues 417 words]
