Come as city officials prepare to discuss future of storefronts Police are cracking down on illegal storefront pot shops across Hamilton even as dispensary advocates prepare for "roundtable" discussions with city officials about their future. Operators of five MMJ and Pacifico medical marijuana dispensaries - spread across the lower city and on the Mountain - told The Spectator they were raided by police late last week. Britney Guerra, a vocal dispensary advocate and former owner, said she has heard from four other raided shops - one as recently as Monday - but none of those operators were willing to speak to The Spectator. [continues 377 words]
Two community agencies on hand to lend support for initiative which is expected to be paid for by province The city has endorsed a supervised injection site for downtown Hamilton but it's up to a community agency to step up to run such a facility. The city's board of health endorsed the findings of a long-awaited study Monday that recommend adding at least one permanent site in the core for people to safely inject illegal drugs under the watchful eye of health professionals. [continues 575 words]
Advocates say one way or another, private dispensaries are here to stay The number of illegal storefront pot shops in Hamilton is growing even as police raids continue, municipal zoning charges pile up in court and the province moves to take over retail marijuana sales next year. The trend is prompting some councillors to call for a renewed police crackdown - but dispensary advocates and patients argue politicians should recognize the private marijuana outlets are here to stay - with or without a legal blessing. [continues 638 words]
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]
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]
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]
The city has found a funding partner to help study if Hamilton should offer supervised injection sites for drug users. A report that goes to councillors this week says the anticipated $250,000 cost of a study can be cut to around $90,000 thanks to a proposed partnership with a health program and institute at McMaster University. The report also shows 84 per cent of 1,690 respondents to a community survey supported the idea of having a supervised injection site in Hamilton. [continues 83 words]
Hamilton will join the vanguard of Ontario cities studying whether to give drug users a legal, supervised site to inject opioids such as heroin. The board of health voted Monday to study supervised injection sites - so long as the cost fits within the 2017 budget. But the panel asked for emphasis on public consultation in areas that could host such a centre. The vote was one of several Monday that will move the city from laggard to provincial pioneer in public health "harm reduction" strategies, including a decision to offer free, clean crack pipes and potentially expanding distribution of anti-overdose kits. [continues 607 words]
Draft regulations consider freelance dispensaries illegal It turns out police have already raided at least two Hamilton storefront medical marijuana sellers this year. The raids raise questions about the fate of all self-styled dispensaries in the city - particularly since newly released draft regulations for medical marijuana now specifically label freelance storefront sellers as illegal. The owner of a King Street East medical marijuana dispensary, Bright Moments, was the first to publicize an apparent local police raid in July. Luke Williams argued at the time the shop catered to "800 patients who are sick, who have prescriptions, who need help." He said he didn't understand why police would crack down in the midst of a federal effort to rewrite marijuana regulations. [continues 320 words]
Owner says he'll plead not guilty to three trafficking charges A downtown marijuana dispensary was raided by police Thursday, but was open again Friday. Brighter Moments Dispensary set up shop on King Street East near Ferguson Avenue last September offering to sell medical marijuana products exclusively to patients with prescriptions. The dispensary had operated "without incident" for several months until eight police officers with a warrant searched the facility around 2 p.m., said Cory Kaus, who identified himself as a patient and volunteer operator. [continues 418 words]
Growers Have Been Told To Solve Bylaw Standoff With City Or Leave The owner of a bar-turned-medicinal pot grow-op in east Hamilton has told tenants to "solve" a bylaw standoff with the city or get out. The city only learned the former Boomers bar and strip club on Kenilworth Avenue North had quietly morphed into a medical marijuana facility after residents complained about pungent odours wafting down the street. Police investigated, but found the growers had three federal licences to cultivate and store medical marijuana. The city has issued a zoning violation giving the owner until June 20 to either stub out pot production or apply for rezoning. [continues 525 words]
Federally Licensed Grow-Op on Kenilworth Slapped With Zoning Violation After Complaints From Neighbours of Strong Smell Municipal bylaw enforcement is trying to shut down a federally licensed medical marijuana grow-op that set up shop on Kenilworth Avenue North without the city's knowledge. Coun. Sam Merulla said he asked bylaw and Hamilton police to investigate in late March after residents complained about a "strong smell" of pot around the former Boomers Bar and Grill, which backs onto a street of small homes. [continues 535 words]
Hamilton Considers Marijuana-Growing Operations in Industrial Areas Hamilton councillors want our old industrial buildings to go to pot. The city is poised to limit medical marijuana growers to rural areas by labelling them agricultural operations - but councillors Tuesday asked city staff to explore zoning exceptions to allow the booming, federally licensed businesses in industrial areas. Several large-scale pot producers want to set up shop in Hamilton now that the federal government requires medical marijuana users, as of April 1, to buy cannabis exclusively from security-conscious, indoor commercial operations licensed by Health Canada. [continues 423 words]
City unsure of how to handle inquiries Large-scale medical pot producers are sniffing around rural and industrial Hamilton for a place to grow. As of April 1, new federal regulations will force medical marijuana users to buy cannabis exclusively from security-conscious, indoor commercial operations licensed by Health Canada. In the past, licensed pot users could grow their own plants or buy from cottage industry producers, a tough-to-monitor regime unpopular with police. Hamilton is now racing to figure out how to deal with the changes as would-be mega pot producers kick the tires on sites in Flamborough and east Hamilton. [continues 571 words]
The head of Hamilton's rank and file wants Chief Glenn De Caire to help "clear the air" after a judge suggested a possible coverup of officer wrongdoing during a botched drug raid last year. Mike Thomas, president of Hamilton's Police Association, said the looming OPP investigation of the raid -- a review ordered by the chief - -- could expand to include officer testimony from the trial of Detective Constable Ryan Tocher. Tocher, a member of a police SWAT team that mistakenly raided the home of a Karen refugee last year, was found not guilty Thursday of assault causing bodily harm. But in his decision, Ontario Court Justice Paul Currie said the testimony of four police witnesses "raises the spectre of a coverup." [continues 485 words]
Health Canada is betting almost half a million dollars Niagara's young people are their own best weapon against drug and alcohol abuse. St. Catharines Conservative MP Rick Dykstra announced more than $450,000 for the Niagara Youth Drug Strategy Tuesday. A host of local agencies combined to add another $487,000 to the three-year effort, which is meant to cut alcohol and drug abuse among Niagara's young people. Youths themselves can be a big part of the solution, said Stephanie Clark, the new strategy co-ordinator hired to establish "youth-led" substance-abuse prevention efforts in local high schools. [continues 473 words]
You won't see Joe Adams carrying marijuana plants out of a busted grow house along with police. He doesn't fight fires that erupt from the crazily wired buildings, either. But the Garden City man has helped shut down a dozen big marijuana growing operations across Niagara - and likely helped save the lives of firefighters and police officers. Adams, a senior inspector with the Technical Standards and Safety Authority, received a fire safety advocate award from the Ontario Fire Marshal Wednesday. [continues 444 words]
Proposed Legislation Boon To Grow Operations: Chief Local News - A federal plan to decriminalize simple marijuana possession will lead to more grow houses in Niagara and higher pot usage among local youth, Niagara's police chief said Tuesday. Under legislation introduced by Justice Minister Martin Cauchon May 28, possession of up to 15 grams of pot would be a minor offence that carries a fine, but no criminal record. The legislation also proposes stricter penalties for large-scale grow operations. Chief Gary Nicholls said the new bill puts political expediency ahead of safety where possession laws are concerned. [continues 300 words]
