VICTORIA - B.C.'s largest First Nation is accusing the provincial government of stalling its application for a retail cannabis licence while it races to open its own public store in the community's prime retail location. The Cowichan Tribes on Vancouver Island are in the sixth month of trying to get approval for two retail store licences from the provincial government. As the Cowichan wrestle with a wall of red tape, and are repeatedly rejected for nation-to-nation talks with the province, the B.C. government is competing against the First Nation for the municipal rights to open a store in the community's largest shopping centre. [continues 715 words]
Near the historic native village of Kitwancool in northern B.C., the hereditary chief of the Gitanyow frog clan has his eye on an old logging site that could be the perfect place to grow a new cash crop. "It's already serviced with a power supply," said Will Marsden. "We see an opportunity for our people to be employed in sustainable jobs in our traditional territories." Those jobs would be in the legal marijuana trade, coming soon to British Columbia and the rest of Canada. [continues 740 words]
B.C. has become a haven of drug-dealing and money-laundering that's killing hundreds of people from overdoses and pricing homes beyond the reach of law-abiding citizens. That's the view of Attorney-General David Eby, who's promising bold action to purge B.C.'s casinos and hyper-inflated real-estate markets from the influence of criminals. "We have an international reputation that's in tatters," Eby told me. "We will clean it up. My goal is to have B.C.'s international reputation back on track." [continues 404 words]
I firmly believe that most Canadians don't want recreational marijuana legalized, and that there is still time to stop it. The basic threat to the Liberal party is anti-marijuana voters who will get their attention in the election coming up next year. I don't need to repeat the many solid reasons why legalization of pot is a bad decision by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. It will turn into a disaster, causing major grief to thousands of families. It's sad that most Canadians don't speak up as loudly as the dopers do while breaking the law. What we need is a well-known "champion," like a Jim Pattison type, to start up a campaign against legalization. Bill Davis, New Westminster [end]
Why are people expecting to have marijuana-conviction charges removed from their records and/or expecting compensation for any prison time they may have served? They knowingly broke the law at the time. I don't think any of them would be admitting to their habit if the government were announcing that they were going to criminalize it. Compensating people for breaking the law would be a waste of taxpayers' money. Brian Slade, Pitt Meadows [end]
Comment: Feds should pump the brakes and rethink its token gesture on safety We're only seven weeks into the new year and already there are three major hurdles on the trucking industry's plate. The legalization of marijuana, the electronic logging devices (ELD) and either the total cancellation or just a fine-tuning of the North American Free Trade Agreement. That's more than enough for the trucking industry to swallow, so let me try to shed a little light on each of the three. [continues 647 words]
New Study: Fatal collisions involving young drivers increase by 38 per cent after pot-smoking celebrations The risk of a fatal accident among young drivers spikes by 38 per cent in the hours after 4/20 celebrations, according to new research from UBC and the University of Toronto. The finding suggests that mass marijuana celebrations may not be entirely without consequences. John Staples, a professor of medicine and researcher at UBC's Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, said people aged 20 and younger had a much higher risk of a fatal crash on April 20 from 4:20 p.m. until midnight compared to the same period one week before and one week after. [continues 377 words]
Municipalities across Metro Vancouver are considering their options when it comes to allowing legal cannabis retailers in their communities, following the release of new provincial policy around licensing. This week, the B.C. government said that under its proposed framework for the retail sales of non-medical cannabis, residents aged 19 and older will be able to buy cannabis through privately run or government-operated retail stores and online through the government once it is legalized in July. The Liquor Distribution Branch will operate public retail stores and the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch will license and monitor private stores. [continues 511 words]
Food cart vendors raised concerns about site An open-air weed market operating in downtown Vancouver's Robson Square has been shut down by police. Complaints were filed in recent weeks with the Vancouver police over vendors who had set up tents and carts in the pedestrian-only area, selling cannabis and related products. Nearby food cart vendors voiced concerns about marijuana booths selling to minors, and there were questions about whether they had business licences such as what is required of the food cart vendors. [continues 262 words]
As a longtime consumer of pot, I was highly offended by letter-writer Bozenna Siedlecka's theory that life for marijuana users is not "worth living." You're saying Beatles legend Paul McCartney's life is worthless? How about CNN founder Ted Turner's? The great actor Jack Nicholson? Former U.S. president Barack Obama? That's naming just a few public figures who have smoked marijuana. Any one of these folks has made a bigger contribution to society, I am sure, than Siedlecka. Rod Barron, Surrey [end]
Illegal booths continue to operate in downtown square despite mayor's vow to crack down After Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson said to "stay tuned" to see how the city and police plan to oust illegal pot vendors from the Vancouver Art Gallery square, a handful of vendors were still operating an open drug market there. Darren Tarry, owner of DZ Buddz, is one of the unlicensed marijuana vendors regularly setting up shop on the south side of the Vancouver Art Gallery. [continues 694 words]
One can only hope that people around the world are enlightened enough not to follow Canada's commitment to making its citizens brainless for good all for the sake of a vibrant marijuana industry making big money. The euphoria marijuana creates is short, while the miserable life it sometimes produces for its worshippers is a struggle and not the kind of life worth living. Bozenna Siedlecka, Port Moody [end]
Re: Op-ed by marijuana industry investor Dan Kriznic. It appears Kriznic has been sampling his product. That's the only way I can account for his over-the-top description of what's going on in the money grubbing battle for pot dollars. I get it that this move is in the cards since people refuse to just quit. But to describe the Canadian marijuana model as showing the world "something noble and dignified, a structure that will draw people from around the world seeking education and enlightenment" makes marijuana's legalization sound like the discovery of penicillin. [continues 89 words]
Overdose Crisis: Thousands more kits to be distributed this year through pharmacies Nearly 7,000 life-saving naloxone kits have been used by harm reduction staff in B.C. so far this year and thousands more kits will be distributed by pharmacies to battle the effects of a contaminated drug supply. "That means you can get a kit at no charge if you use opioids or you are likely to witness an overdose," said Mental Health and Addictions Minister Judy Darcy. "Already, 1,900 kits have been distributed to over 200 pharmacies around the province." [continues 609 words]
Federal service drops case involving cannabis activist whose charges were stayed last month Federal prosecutors have decided to drop their appeal of a court ruling that dismissed charges against a prominent B.C. cannabis activist. Dana Larsen was arrested in Calgary during a national tour to give away millions of marijuana seeds to the public. On Monday, Larsen said in Vancouver that the Crown's appeal was to be heard July 2 in the Alberta Court of Appeal. But after a review this week, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada said it is dropping the case. [continues 375 words]
The B.C. government says revenue from legalized marijuana isn't going to create the financial windfall many expected once the province's thriving but illicit industry moves out of the shadows and is taxed like tobacco. On Tuesday, Finance Minister Carole James cautioned against expectations. "There will be revenue coming in after the first couple of years, but I don't see it as a big money-maker for British Columbia," James said at an editorial board meeting with The Vancouver Sun and The Province. [continues 444 words]
Marijuana is a social evil. Legalizing it will encourage naive people to use it. That, in turn, increases the number of potheads and the long list of problems they create. The government should hold a referendum on marijuana so people of sense can confirm the need for penalties. It isn't harmless. Regardless what the government does, don't be a dope. Don't use dope. John Cleghorn, Sechelt [end]
Plans unveiled: Province announces legal age for buying recreational marijuana to be set at 19 Recreational marijuana will be available for sale at private and public retail outlets to people age 19 and older once the drug becomes legal next year, said the B.C. government. With legalization looming in July 2018, Solicitor-General Mike Farnworth unveiled details Tuesday on how B.C. plans to deal with the distribution and sale of non-medical pot - a move that would require amending or introducing 18 bills in the legislature. [continues 503 words]
A man has been acquitted after evidence that he had checked in a suitcase containing a large quantity of drugs at Vancouver International Airport was thrown out of court. David Edward Herman checked in two pieces of luggage when he arrived at the airport for a flight to Toronto on March 17, 2013. One of the suitcases passed through security without incident and was loaded onto the plane, but a screening of the second suggested it might contain explosives. When the suitcase was examined by security officers, they discovered drugs later determined to be marijuana and hashish. [continues 429 words]
A Vancouver cannabis company is scrambling to keep up with a flood of orders for marijuana-filled advent calendars, but the novel take on a popular Christmas tradition has some health experts ringing alarm bells. Lorilee Fedler of Coast to Coast Medicinals said she's been overwhelmed by the response since launching the holiday calendars earlier this month. "We just wanted something fun and different for adults," Fedler said, adding that she came up with the idea after seeing versions containing beer. [continues 289 words]
