Largest drug seizure in OPP history has three men facing charges ORILLIA - The OPP showed off the largest ever drug seizure of its nearly 110- year history Monday morning. Three men have been arrested, accused of importing 1,062 kilograms of pure cocaine. The drugs were displayed by police during a press conference in four specially constructed glass containers, each with a dimension of about four feet tall by eight feet wide. "This is a massive seizure, bigger than I've ever seen in my 33 years of policing," OPP Commissioner Vince Hawkes said during the press conference at OPP Headquarters in Orillia. [continues 825 words]
I have not in my lifetime seen a more irresponsible political decision than legalization of marijuana. More addictions on the way. More overdoses. More impaired driving. More deaths. More young people that never get the chance to get their lives on track to success due to introduction to drugs before they understand the damage they can do. Young people need to be encouraged to deal with life with clear heads, not drink or self-medicate when problems confront them. And any talk that legalization will lead to more responsible drug use, or that fewer young people will use drugs, is nonsense. Sadly, our political leaders are the biggest addicts in our country - addicted to finding new sources of tax revenue no matter the cost. Apparently, drug dealers are now officially running our country. Rick Lockman Orillia [end]
After the federal government's announcement concerning legalizing recreational use of cannabis, more than a couple of old hippies have been buzzing. Everyone has an opinion on it, from ethics professors to economic prognosticators. It would appear the broad green leaf that has been demonized for almost a century has coming back into favour. Not to say the medical use of the product hasn't been grabbing attention in the past five years, outside the realm of popular culture. More and more people in the medical profession are agreeing cannabis is a safer substitute to opioids for the treatment of a number of maladies and pain management. [continues 829 words]
If you're old enough, you may remember a time when buying alcohol in Ontario involved walking into a bland, warehouse-like building, filling out a slip of paper and handing it to a clerk who disappeared behind locked doors to retrieve the booze you were looking for. No flashy signs, no staff recommendations for libation of the month. No critics' choice signs dotting the gleaming rows of bottles. Depending on what's in federal legislation expected Thursday, initial legal sales of marijuana may look something like those old days. [continues 341 words]
Medical cannabis use is very much in the news, but not without some enormous challenges, particularly for the family physician. The government has been forced to provide access and has off-loaded this access to doctors, but Health Canada still says that they have not reviewed the data and refuses to provide approval for use. Now, Ontario doctors have to find a way to deal with patients looking for relief from chronic pain. Dr. John Hanlon, the inaugural program director of the University of Toronto Pain Medicine Residency spoke to area doctors by invitation of Canadian Cannabis Clinics. A medical cannabis clinic recently opened in Collingwood, headed by Thornbury physician Dr. Linda Morel. [continues 471 words]
On the occasion of Tommy Chong and his dog Otis' birthday, our own Jim Slotek wishes a couple of old dogs good tidings On Sunday, May 24, a hero of my misspent youth, Tommy Chong of Cheech & Chong, turned 77 years old. Coincidentally, on the same day, my dog Otis turned 12, about 77 in dog years. And I have a story that connects them both. Scenario 1: Otis is a wheaten terrier, emphasis on terrier. In his youth, he was a championship-calibre Frisbee dog. He was also a decent fielder in baseball - which is to say, when my boys and I would play pitch 'n' hit in the field, he'd eagerly wait for a hit ball to get by, race to get it and happily bring it back to the pitcher (me). A TTC employee once watched us and said, "You guys suck, but I'd sign the dog." [continues 672 words]
The number of provincial drunk driving charges are down compared to 2013, but drug-impaired driving rates have substantially increased. According to OPP statistics, in 2014 up to the end of September, 5,685 impaired charges were laid by the OPP, down 17% from the same period in 2013 which saw 6,842 impaired charges laid; however, compared to the same period in 2013, there was a 32% increase in 2014 in the number of drug-impaired driving occurrences. "The number one drug is cannabis, and that's the one that we see the most of," said Sergeant Dave Wallbank, coordinator for the OPP's Drug Evaluation and Classification Program, reminding people that possession and smoking of cannabis is illegal and significantly impairs driving. [continues 743 words]
Is Marc Emery a secret agent for the Conservative Party of Canada? It sure looks that way. It's impossible that you have not heard of the World's Most Famous Pothead. But, in the event that you have been in a coma for the past while, consider this a primer, gratis. Marc Emery is from B.C. Presently, he is a guest of the U.S. prison system, but is returning to Canada this month. He got himself in prison by selling drug stuff in the U.S. His business was called Marc Emery Direct Marijuana Seeds, which pretty accurately describes what he does for a living. [continues 563 words]
When a methadone clinic opens in a community it often brings with it a stigma. Jeff Daiter, the chief medical director of Ontario Addiction Treatment Clinics, which recently opened a Collingwood location, says that stigma is the result on an unfortunate misunderstanding about addiction. The OATC has been offering methadone clinics in Ontario since 1995. Daiter says addiction is a disease and suggests there's a discrepancy in attitude between diseases occurring 'above and below the shoulders.' He says people seem to attach the idea of weakness to addiction and mental disease, and consider it less socially acceptable. [continues 1062 words]
A Meaford man who was busted last week says he's not a drug trafficker, but was growing and using pot for medicinal purposes - with his doctor's knowledge but without a Health Canada licence. Grey County OPP have charged both James Kerr, 35, and his partner, Celena Negovetich, 30, with production of marijuana and possession for the purpose of trafficking on Jan. 4. Kerr said after the bust his family doctor finally signed the medical use of marijuana form, which he'd had for a year. [continues 929 words]
Drug deals may be commonplace in some Simcoe County schools but not in Collingwood, officials say. That's the local reaction to a large drug bust that took place at Nantyr Shores Secondary School in Innisfil last week. Seven people were arrested but only two were charged. Students there said they weren't surprised. "In this school there's definitely a problem," said Laura Batten, a Grade 9 student. "It's because it's easier to lure kids here, especially the newcomers." [continues 275 words]
People Shouldn't Be Misled Into Thinking These High-Profile Drug Seizures Will Stem The Tide Much, Says Eugene Oscapella Police are losing the war against pot and it's time to make it legal and regulate the cultivation and use of it, says Eugene Oscapella, an Ottawa University criminology teacher who co-founded the Canadian Foundation for Drug Policy. Police say the number and size of local marijuana operations they're discovering is increasing. In the last several weeks, police have laid charges after discovering more than $43-million worth of marijuana, mostly from four big busts. [continues 1027 words]
Local News - COLLINGWOOD - It's OK to say no to drugs. That's the message four Jean Vanier students were trying to teach Grade 6 students at St. Mary's school on Thursday afternoon. The Grade 12 students Nathan Ferraro, Matt Curtis, Stephanie Bracken, and Sarah Draper were chosen by the chaplain at Jean Vanier to participate in the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program (D.A.R.E.). This part of the program is to show the Grade 6 students that it's okay to say no to drugs. [continues 227 words]
COLLINGWOOD - Collingwood OPP officials weren't caught off guard by any of the information gleaned from a telephone survey on police services, but knowing what the public is thinking is as important as guns and ammo. "(The results) didn't really surprise us -- it's what we anticipated," said Acting Staff Sgt. John Trude. "We tend to have a pretty good idea what's going on most of the time," he added. The survey was answered by 376 random residents, asking a wide range of questions relating to safety issues to perceptions of violent crime in Collingwood. It was conducted from December 2002 to March 2003 by auxiliary officers and volunteers. [continues 514 words]
COLLINGWOOD - A group of local parents has rallied together to take back their community from the drugs and violence they say has permeated their neighbourhood. Sandra McLeod has lived in Matthew Way since it opened nearly a decade ago, and says the drug problems in the cooperative housing project are the worst they've been for 10 years. "It's had its ups and downs, but this is the worst," McLeod said. "It's always been there, but it's remained within the walls (of individual units)." [continues 490 words]
