Detection tools not available yet The Government of Saskatchewan announced Tuesday that there will be a zero tolerance policy for people who drive while impaired by drugs. Earl Cameron, executive vice president of Auto Fund, said the decision was made after the federal government passed new laws in anticipation of marijuana legalization. "It's because of the three new federal laws, we want to make sure that our administrative sanctions that we have now, for impaired driving, mirror these three new charges," he said. [continues 446 words]
Many unanswered questions remain with regards to forthcoming legislation Reactions are coming in from a number of quarters after the provincial government released the results of its survey on marijuana on Thursday. Specifically, the government asked how cannabis should be sold and regulated once it is legalized in July. Acting deputy mayor and city councillor for the City of Moose Jaw Crystal Froese said it is good the province is reaching out to residents. "I am glad to see that the province is engaging our citizens in a survey," she said. The councillor added that the legalization of marijuana is one that will have a large impact on the city and community and that she was happy to see some of the trends that came to light. One of those questions was about where people should be allowed to light up. [continues 349 words]
Saskatchewan Government looking to privatize marijuana Saskatchewan's government is not interested in operating pot shops. Instead, they want to concentrate on regulating the product. "We do not want to be in any ownership or marketing," said Don Morgan, Saskatchewan's Justice Minister. "We want to be responsible for ensuring that there's a regulatory scheme in place and we want to make sure it's a confidently, well-run regulatory scheme, but we don't want to own it, market it or warehouse it ourselves." [continues 555 words]
Province turns to citizens for consultation on how marijuana should be sold in Saskatchewan Love it or hate it, legislation that legalizes pot in Canada is coming. The provincial government launched a survey last week, seeking the public's response to questions ranging from where and how marijuana should be sold, to a minimum age for users, and priorities when it comes to enforcement and education. These are some of the top concerns for users, sellers, legislators, and law enforcement alike. [continues 691 words]
Preparing for the legalization of marijuana nationwide next July, the Government of Saskatchewan is looking to gain public input. The provincial government will be conducting an online consultation survey from Sept. 8 to Oct. 6 with the goal of gauging public opinion on parts of the federal legislation that has been left up to the provinces. "The legalization of cannabis represents a big change," said Don Morgan, justice minister and attorney general. "We want to take the time to listen to and consult with the people of this province to ensure we implement the parts of this legislation that are under our control in a way that works for Saskatchewan." [continues 488 words]
MJPS call recent arrests a success, but more work still to be done Crystal methamphetamine isn't a newcomer to the Friendly City, but it does seem to be getting better acquainted with it. "It's a drug that's much more available than it was even five years ago," Cpl. Kevin Pilsworth of the Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS) said on Thursday. "In the past few years, we've really seen it make its way onto the map in Moose Jaw." [continues 478 words]
It's been a long time coming and it's not here yet, but like the rest of the country, Moose Jaw is getting ready for the rollout of legalized marijuana. "We were invited to provide input and participate in discussions," said Moose Jaw Police Chief Rick Bourassa, who has been representing Moose Jaw and Saskatchewan on committees in Ottawa on this issue. "We'll see as this goes through Parliament, and when the laws are proclaimed, we'll be having more discussions about it." [continues 237 words]
Police are seeing more fentanyl and crystal meth cases in the city and some locals have overdosed on fentanyl, they say. "Prior to, you know, within the last year, 2016, fentanyl really didn't exist here," said Moose Jaw Police Deputy Chief Cliff Froehlich. Moose Jaw is now facing the national problem of increased opiate addiction. On Wednesday, Moose Jaw Police Deputy Chief Cliff Froehlich spoke at the Moose Jaw South Central Drug Strategy luncheon. Two of the most problematic drugs for local police are crystal meth and fentanyl. [continues 833 words]
There was a day where the fight against marijuana was considered crucial to the health of our nation and most people were on the same page. Pass on grass was a common sentiment. Now, as we are well into the 21st century, attitudes have changed dramatically, and recreational marijuana use is more socially acceptable than it has ever been. In more and more jurisdictions in North America, the use of pot has been or soon will be legalized, or decriminalized, and that includes right here in Canada. [continues 374 words]
Local Marijuana Advocates React To The Announce Of Now Pot Laws Next Spring It's the most wonderful time, literally, of the year for marijuana users across Canada. This year's 4/20 (April 20) is extra special for marijuana users across country since federal Health Minister Jane Philpott announced earlier in the day that the federal government plans to begin marijuana legalization by next spring. "I think it's about time," said Brent Bekter, owner and operator of Watch Tower Glass at 420 High St. "I think if they do it with etiquette and intelligence, it should work out for everyone." [continues 339 words]
Call it Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's secret stash. A new report from CIBC World Markets says Canada's federal and provincial governments could reap as much as $5 billion annually in tax revenues from the sale of legal marijuana. CIBC economist Avery Shenfeld crunched the numbers using current estimates of Canadian recreational pot consumption, the revenue experience in U.S. states that have legalized, and other factors - such as prevailing "sin tax" rates on alcohol and tobacco. "The bottom line is that federal (and) provincial governments might reap as much as $5 billion from legalization, but only if all the underground sales are effectively curtailed," writes Shenfeld. [continues 245 words]
Marijuana has been in the news ever since the Liberal government made promises to make "real changes" towards legalization of the controversial drug. Stated on the Liberal website, the official party position is that "Canada's current system of marijuana prohibition does not work." While recreational use of marijuana is still strictly prohibited, doctors have prescribed medical marijuana for some time. Recently, and contrary to federal law, medical marijuana dispensaries have been popping up across the country. This past summer, Vancouver was the first city in Canada to regulate medical dispensaries in the city, despite being technically illegal and drawing criticism from former health minister and interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose. [continues 917 words]
SPECIAL REPORT: This is Part I of a three-part series that will delve into one local man's usage of medical marijuana after he sustained serious injuries. It hasn't been an easy road for the husband and father of two over the past couple of years. He has battled a stigma, lost his job and had been popping all kinds of pills until he found medical marijuana. A Moose Jaw man is frustrated with what he claims is an outdated stigma against the medicine he uses - marijuana. [continues 725 words]
This is Part II of a three-part series that will delve into one local man's usage of medical marijuana after he sustained serious injuries. Part I, which was printed in the Jan. 18 edition of the Times-Herald, outlined the plethora of prescription drugs Chris Kuntz was taking before he tried medical marijuana. He has battled stigma and lost his job over the past couple of years, but claimed marijuana has him feeling as close to full health as he has in the past several months. [continues 744 words]
There's no doubting Stephen Harper's intelligence. The man is wise as he is cunning, and his knowledge of a variety of worldly topics is impressive, hence one of the reasons why he has served as prime minister for the past nine years. But when asked for his two cents on the legalization of marijuana in Canada, Mr. Harper's personal opinion got in the way of the straight facts. The Conservative leader told an audience that 'Marijuana is infinitely worse' than tobacco in his effort to discourage Canadians from wanting to legalize the drug. [continues 438 words]
Canada's Health Minister Rona Ambrose said on Thursday last week that she is "outraged" by the Supreme Court of Canada's ruling on how users of medical marijuana can use it - they will not be restricted to just smoking it. Ambrose is also vowing to fight the SCOC's "normalization" of pot use in Canada. It is a strange response to the unanimous SCOC ruling. First of all, the ruling has nothing to do with the normalization of pot use; it just removes restrictions for those medical users of the drug - a good thing. There is some irony in the fact that some Canadian users were concerned about the harmful effects of smoking the drug, which can be consumed in numerous other ways, including baking into products such as muffins or cookies, brewing as a tea or even taking as a pill. [continues 519 words]
The Supreme Court of Canada is perhaps one of the most misunderstood bodies in this country's system of laws and how they are made. Misunderstood particularly, it seems, by our very own federal government. The Supremes are ultimate defenders of the Constitution and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Their rulings are based primarily on those documents as well as a fundamental understanding of law as it ought to apply in this country. While the federal government has rights to pass legislation, they are still bound by the statutes in the Charter. If they are seen to be overstepping those boundaries, the Supremes are well within their jurisdiction to virtually strike down these laws. [continues 490 words]
Marijuana use may be down among teens and young adults, a new report from Statistics Canada suggests. Younger Canadians are still the biggest consumers of marijuana, with a third of 18 to 24-year-old respondents reporting they had used marijuana or hashish in the past year. But the percentage of teens between the ages of 15 and 17 who reported having ever used marijuana dropped to 25 per cent in 2012 from nearly 40 per cent in 2002, according to the report, published Wednesday in the monthly Health Reports. [continues 325 words]
As of last week, police can search cellphones without a warrant when they make an arrest. The Supreme Court of Canada ruled in this decision in a 4-3 vote with the majority stating that "cellphones are the bread and butter of the drug trade," according to the Globe and Mail. Until now, these types of searches included items such as purses and briefcases. The cellphone search does, however, have to be "tailored to its purpose, which will generally mean that only recent emails, texts, photos and the call log will be available," the Globe and Mail article said. [continues 353 words]
Oct. 19, 2015 will be known across Canada as Legalization Day to celebrate the much-awaited legalization of marijuana. Well, at least according to Marc Emery, it will be. Well, at least according to Marc Emery, it will be. The self proclaimed Prince of Pot is on a political mission to get Justin Trudeau of the Liberal party elected next year. Why? Because Trudeau has vowed to legalize pot if he's elected. For those who don't know anything about Emery, he's been in the U.S. for the past four years serving time for selling marijuana seeds to American clients from his Vancouver-based company, Cannabis Culture. He's a marijuana advocate and have been an icon to many stoners across the country. [continues 203 words]
