A majority of interest groups want the government to sell cannabis through a Crown corporation like the NL Liquor Corp., whereas most members of the public want to see stand-alone stores selling marijuana once it's legalized. The issue of how legalized marijuana will be sold is shaping up to be one of the most thorny issues for the provincial government to address, based on a report on public sentiment around legalization. Today, the government is releasing a document summing up what people said in consultations marijuana legalization, as the province gets ready for full legalization next year. [continues 363 words]
Marijuana business already thriving in St. John's ahead of legalization In a cluttered workspace in an undisclosed location in St. John's, Rosin709 operates a strange, makeshift device. He wraps about a gram of marijuana in parchment paper, and then sticks it between two metal pucks with wires coming out of them. The whole contraption sits inside a vice-grip on a worktable. Using temperature controls, Rosin709 heats the metal pucks to about 80 degrees before cranking the vice-grip to squeeze the metal pucks together. [continues 699 words]
Parsons promises public consultation soon on legal marijuana The government will start public consultations within the next month or two on how to implement marijuana legalization in Newfoundland and Labrador, Justice Minister Andrew Parsons said. On Thursday, the federal government will unveil the legislation for legalization of marijuana use, which will set out the overall framework for how things will work. But according to a news report by the CBC, important aspects of the new marijuana system will be up to provincial discretion - the age that you can legally buy the drug, how it's distributed and what the retail price will be. [continues 245 words]
"I'd like to think there'll be consultation among the different stakeholders and people that have an interest in this, but again, that's a cabinet decision and a premier's decision." Justice Minister Andrew Parsons Federal MP Bill Blair confirmed to reporters Tuesday that Ottawa is aiming to make marijuana legal for recreational use by July 2018, although he was at pains to downplay any sense that it might be fun. In nearly every question about marijuana, Blair talked about how the government's legalization effort is all about "strict regulation" and control in order to keep the drug out of the hands of kids, and the profits out of the hands of organized crime. [continues 283 words]
New legislation will allow the province to involuntarily detain young people at the Hope Valley Centre in Grand Falls-Windsor for drug withdrawal and treatment. The new law, which will be debated in the House of Assembly on Thursday, lays out steps for a court order that will allow officials to detain young people between 12 and 18 years old. The detention in the Hope Valley Centre's secure treatment unit can be from five days up to a maximum of 10 days. [continues 233 words]
Marijuana dispensaries: how is this legal? It's complicated As news broke this week that CannaLeaf Medical Dispensary on Water Street was selling marijuana to anybody older than 19, and dozens of other dispensaries have opened in cities across the country, one question hangs over it all: how is this legal? The answer, depending on who you ask, is somewhere between, "It's definitely illegal," "It's a legal grey area," and, "It's really, really complicated." The first thing to understand is that according to the law, as it's written now, selling marijuana out of a storefront to anybody is still definitely illegal. [continues 680 words]
The CannaLeaf marijuana dispensary at 448 Water Street was closed on Wednesday, after a nighttime raid by police on Tuesday. The raid happened just past 10 p.m. Tuesday, and according to the police, four people were arrested and charges are pending. "Seized was a large amount of cannabis products including marihuana and shatter," a release from the The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU) said. "Also seized were edibles infused with Tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly referred to as THC, such as brownies, cookies, gummy bears, sour keys, lollipops, medicated bath fizz, and oils, along with a vehicle and a large quantity of Canadian currency." [continues 146 words]
City inspectors will visit marijuana dispensary The Canna Leaf marijuana shop on Water Street will be getting a visit from city inspectors, because they violated municipal bylaw in setting up business. Ward 2 Coun. Jonathan Galgay said that any time a business opens in St. John's, it needs a change of occupancy permit. "I made a call to our inspection division, and I have been advised that no application was made to the city," Galgay said. "So what I have done now is I have asked for building inspectors to go into that building and do a full inspection, because they have failed to follow city bylaws in submitting an application." [continues 424 words]
Marijuana advocate approached N.L. police months ago about starting a dispensary Marijuana advocate Ryan Stratton said when he first heard about pot dispensaries popping up in St. John's, he was a little bitter. Back in May, he approached the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary about starting a marijuana dispensary in town, and he got a firm, unequivocal "No." "I can't help but feel really slighted and bitter about that," he said. "Are you kidding me? I would love to own the first dispensary down there, make it professional, make it well done, get the best product out there." [continues 302 words]
Editor's note: Reporter James McLeod had a tip: A shop in Downtown St. John's was selling pot to people who never had a prescription. He asked if we wanted him to try and buy some for a story. We said yes. The sale of marijuana is already a big issue in our community. That importance will only grow in the coming months as the federal government prepares legislation to legalize. So James proceeded and this story reflects his experience. Our hope is it informs the community and prompts necessary debate on this issue. [continues 1079 words]
All Three Parties Support Legalization, but Specifics Are Scanty Justice Minister Andrew Parsons, Opposition Leader Paul Davis, and New Democrat MHA Gerry Rogers have all smoked marijuana, and all three are in favour of legalizing it. But when it comes to the nitty-gritty of legalized weed in Newfoundland and Labrador, the picture is still very hazy. "There's plenty of meetings, plenty of work, but all of it sort of based on a wait-and-see," Parsons said. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau campaigned on a promise of legalizing marijuana in Canada, and since taking office last year, the federal government has started to make moves in that direction. [continues 394 words]
Mothers Against Drunk Driving CEO Andrew Murie was in the lobby of Confederation Building Tuesday, with a mouth swab that he says can detect up to six different drugs in an impaired driver's system. Murie was in town for meetings, along with representatives from the Newfoundland and Labrador MADD organization, to talk about provincewide 911 and stepping up efforts to catch drunk drivers. "Newfoundland and Labrador has kind of fallen behind," he told reporters. "Saskatchewan and New Brunswick are a lot worse than Newfoundland and Labrador, but these are all preventable deaths and injuries, and there's more that can be done." [continues 331 words]
Neither IOC nor the Steelworkers' Union are backing down when it comes to a new drug-testing policy announced in early December. A spokesman for IOC says it's a vital step in the company's continuing safety efforts. The president of the union says it's an unnecessary policy, and could further deteriorate an already-strained relationship between workers and management. "We don't condone alcohol and drugs in the workplace, but we want to confirm that everything is done in a respectful manner, and right now things aren't done in that way," said George Kean, president of United Steelworkers Local 5795. [continues 229 words]
