A cannabis evangelist who pioneered one of Canada's earliest dispensaries is not sitting back waiting for the Trudeau government to provide Canadians with legal marijuana. "I'll believe it when I see it," said Dana Larsen, who operates a dispensary in Vancouver, served as editor of Cannabis Canada for a decade and is now on a lecture circuit where he gives away 100 marijuana seeds to every guest. He will also mail seeds to those who cannot make it to a lecture. [continues 389 words]
B.C.'s health minister says he came away from a marijuana summit in New York City this week even more convinced pending legalization must protect young people and address public safety. Terry Lake attended the April 18 and April 19 Cannabis Science and Policy Summit, where his daughter Stephanie, a PhD student, was a presenter. (He paid his own airfare and hotel, while billing government for conference fees.) In addition to the personal reason, Lake said with the legalization plan by the federal Liberal government, he wanted to know more about experiences in U.S. states, including Washington and Colorado. [continues 282 words]
Conservatives Prefer Status Quo Illegality; Others Call for Legalization, Decriminalization Voters shopping for a candidate with views on marijuana can pick from the spectrum: today's treatment under the Criminal Code advocated this week by Conservative Leader Stephen Harper to Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau's commitment to legalize it and turn the spoils over to taxpayers. "Colorado, Washington and Europe, they've got it government-controlled where they're protecting kids and protecting people by making sure marijuana is not laced [with other drugs]," said Liberal candidate Steve Powrie. [continues 507 words]
A B.C. Supreme Court Justice ruled an insurance company must pay out losses to a homeowner whose Westsyde house was burned in an arson following an RCMP raid on a marijuana grow operation. Wawanesa Insurance Co. denied benefits to the homeowner, Steven Michael Davidson, arguing he knew about a sizeable grow-op in the basement of his home. Davidson has a dated criminal record for forgery and possession of stolen property. He was working at the time of the raid and arson as a contractor setting up illegal grow operations in the 100 Mile House area. [continues 524 words]
But, Judge Says Pot Plants Don't Need to Be Returned A provincial court judge has criticized a "bureaucratic bungle" created by the Conservative government and Health Canada when the country's medical marijuana rules were changed. But, Judge Roy Dickey said on Tuesday, March 17, despite his sympathy for the plight of a medical marijuana user whose plants were seized by the RCMP, he cannot rule they must be returned. Henry Rhode made an application in Kamloops provincial court for the return of 10 marijuana plants seized from his Yew Street apartment on the North Shore. [continues 374 words]
B.C. JUDGE SAYS MOUNTIES DIDN'T HAVE TO ASK ABOUT MARIJUANA LICENCE BEFORE ARREST A B. C. judge has rejected an argument that Mounties should have asked a driver for a medical marijuana permit before searching his van and arresting him. Cory Eld was stopped at the roadside in Barriere, about 60 kilometres north of Kamloops, in November 2012. The RCMP officer who went to Eld's window to question him testified he smelled a strong odour of unburned pot and saw a tarp stretched over the length of the van's cargo area. [continues 72 words]
A B.C. judge has rejected an argument that Mounties should have asked a driver for a medical marijuana permit before searching his van and arresting him. Cory Eld was stopped at the roadside in Barriere, about 60 kilometres north of Kamloops, in November, 2012. The RCMP officer who went to Mr. Eld's window to question him testified he smelled a strong odour of unburned pot and saw a tarp stretched over the entire length of the van's cargo area. [continues 122 words]
A provincial court judge rejected an argument that Mounties should have asked for a medical-marijuana permit before searching a driver's van at roadside. Cory Eld was arrested by RCMP in Barriere in November 2012 after he was stopped at a roadside check. He was charged with possession of marijuana. The RCMP member who went to Eld's window to question him testified he smelled a strong odour of unburnt marijuana and saw a tarp stretched over the entire length of the van's cargo area. RCMP found 73 one-foot tall marijuana plants inside. [continues 192 words]
A lawyer acting for the proprietor of a Kamloops marijuana compassion club raided by RCMP in November 2011 has filed a constitutional challenge against the law, arguing it prevents those prescribed medical marijuana from accessing a safe and tested drug. The constitutional challenge has been filed in provincial court in the case of Carl Anderson and Wesley Jenkins, both of whom face charges of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking after police found about three kilograms of pot on the premises. [continues 514 words]
Two men involved in a Kamloops compassion club shut down by RCMP in 2011 will mount a constitutional challenge to charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking. Lawyers met Tuesday afternoon with Provincial Court Judge Stella Frame for a pre-trial conference. Carl Anderson and Wesley Jenkins are both charged with possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking. They were scheduled to face trial in July, but Anderson requires surgery that cannot be delayed. The trial date was adjourned and will be held later this year. [continues 141 words]
RCMP Mishandled Search Warrant, Says B. C. Supreme Court Justice A Sorrento man busted with nearly 800 pot plants in a barn grow-op walked free Friday after a B.C. Supreme Court justice ruled that RCMP made too many errors in information used to obtain a search warrant. Darren Farrell was charged with production, possession of more than three kilos of marjuana for the purpose of trafficking and theft of hydro after police raided his property April 15, 2011. Police visited Farrell's property one week earlier, a visit defence lawyer Julian van der Walle suggested was done on a false pretence so that police could do a "snoop and sniff" test. [continues 284 words]
Interior Health is considering a pilot project that would put Narcan - - a safe drug used to counteract heroin overdose - into the hands of addicts. Public health officials believe the measure may help bring down the number of people in the Southern Interior who end up in hospital due to a heroin overdose. The University of Victoria's Centre for Addictions Research released a report this week on overdose events within the B.C. Interior Health Authority, which includes areas ranging from Kamloops to the Okanagan and Kootenays. The region has the highest per-capita rates for hospitalizations due to drug and alcohol overdose. [continues 460 words]
Her father was part of the establishment, a fighter pilot, former commander at the Mount Lolo radar base and a city councillor. Jeanie Dunsdon, who now calls herself Watermelon, is also part of the establishment. But this establishment is made up of the personalities who campaign for marijuana legalization and make a mostly legal living from a mostly illegal drug. The self-styled marijuana diva and former Westsyde secondary grad now living in Vancouver has been charged and acquitted three times on charges of selling baking that contained marijuana ingredients at Vancouver's clothing-optional Wreck Beach. [continues 597 words]
Kamloops - Chiefs of three Shuswap bands have leveled accusations of racism at Chase council over comments made at a recent meeting about a harm reduction strategy for youth. The three chiefs, Neskonlith's Judy Wilson, Little Shuswap's Felix Arnouse, and Adams Lake band chief Nelson Leon, took offence at comments made at the council meeting. "It is of great dismay that (Chase) council takes the view that First Nations youth should stay on their side of the river," states the letter. [continues 434 words]
The Interior has a choice on whether to help people with drug addictions -- a choice an addict digging through a garbage bin for a needle doesn't share. A panellist at an addictions forum Thursday evening told his story of rooting through a bin outside a veterinary clinic in Los Angeles in a desperate search for a needle to satisfy his heroin addiction. "It's a hellish existence," said James Giles. Giles said both his grandfather and father died of heroin overdose. [continues 373 words]
The skull-adorned axe and eagle-head sword had the flavour of Halloween, but RCMP say the seizure of assault rifles, swords and gang patches sends a chilling message about an armed city drug trade. "These guys meant business," said Insp. Yves Lacasse, who showed reporters Monday an arsenal that is becoming increasingly common as drug dealers arm themselves for confrontation. Amid the two AK-47-copy assault rifles, $35,000 worth of cocaine and $17,000 in cash was a jacket bearing the words "Redd Alert," the name of an aboriginal street gang in Alberta. [continues 267 words]
Kamloops MP Betty Hinton favours small fines rather than criminal records for marijuana possession. Hinton said Monday she would vote in favour of a private member's bill from fellow Canadian Alliance MP Keith Martin this week that would decriminalize possession of small amounts of pot. "You're not allowed in law school or across the border with a criminal record," she said. "It would take that out, which is a good thing." Hinton originally said she was uncertain what way she would vote on the issue and got opinion on both sides. She spoke with medical experts, law enforcement officials and local citizens. [continues 309 words]
The B.C. Marijuana Party plans to establish a "compassion club" in Kamloops to supply pot to those with documented illness. Vern Falk, the party's provincial election candidate in Kamloops-North Thompson, said Tuesday he will be involved setting up a non-profit society here. "It will probably happen near where my office is," said Falk, who opened an election office in the 700-block of Victoria Street. "I've talked to the landlord and he doesn't have a problem." [continues 334 words]
Kamloops MP Nelson Riis called Tuesday for the decriminalization of marijuana and pledged to make it an issue in the next federal election campaign. "I think the time has come," Riis said. "It takes up an inordinate amount of police and court time." Possession of a small amount of marijuana for personal use, whether it's a joint found in someone's pocket or a couple of plants growing in their garden, should result in a fine, not a criminal record, he said. [continues 192 words]
