Let me start by saying that I am in favour of making illegal drugs legal, provided they are given to registered addicts in regulated doses to be used in situ. The addict arrives at the clinic (or opium den, or whatever you want to call it); shows his/her photo permit; gets the dose in a needle; and either uses it or is injected by an employee. I don't care whether he/she pays or not. If the feds/province/municipality buys the stuff from the producer, with no middleman (sorry, middle person), the cost per dose will be about 50 cents. Chump change. [continues 193 words]
I wish to express my gratitude for the "Our View" item in the Aug. 13 PNR, Time not on their side. I am very grateful for Councillor Erin Bremner-Mitchell, who did her own homework on other municipalities that had decided to adjust their business licence bylaw to accommodate medical marijuana dispensaries and has been holding this issue before council with the importance it well deserved. Clearly the staff of Sidney who rebuffed her request for further research and the councillors who changed their mind or continued to vote against changing this bylaw, have not had a loved one or family member for whom medical marijuana has been as vitally important and as essential as the prescriptions filled by our pharmacies. [continues 232 words]
Let's start by being as fair as possible. The Town of Sidney is busy. There's no question about it. Start with the pace of development going on right now and throw in a variety of high-profile, high-angst projects and one can imagine local politicians and municipal staff pulled this way and that. The latest kerfuffle? Why, the SHOAL Centre just isn't big enough to accommodate a meeting on the proposed Gateway retail site. It apparently doesn't matter that larger venues are already booked. And that's not the real issue anyway - those opposed to Gateway would like to see the meeting moved or rescheduled as a result, thereby delaying the further advancement of the project. They are looking for an advantage and, after all, all's fair in love and war. [continues 280 words]
Town won't consider changing rules until a review of their strategic priorities Changing Sidney's business license bylaw to include medicinal marijuana dispensaries appears to be work Town council doesn't want to do. Council voted on Monday night instead to revoke the license of the Dispensary by the Sea on Second Street, citing the fact that the business had been selling cannabis products - contravening not only the Town's bylaw but federal laws as well. Councillor Erin Bremner-Mitchell says she researched three other municipalities that had decided to adjust their business license bylaw to accommodate marijuana dispensaries. She had, at council's July 11 meeting, spoke in support of the Dispensary by the Sea by suggesting the Town look into ways to allow the business to function during a time of transition - rather than revoke their business license outright. [continues 353 words]
Sidney's Dispensary by the Sea will not lose its business license outright and the municipality will investigate what other communities are doing about the proliferation of medical marijuana store fronts. Chris Porter, a director with the society that runs the Dispensary, says the decision by Town council Monday night to not revoke their business licence puts them in a better position. The licence is still under suspension and they cannot open their doors, but Porter said they find it positive that Councillor Erin Bremner-Mitchell has taken it upon herself to research what other cities are doing by allowing such dispensaries to operate. [continues 530 words]
Canadian have a right to access medicinal marijuana. That was a February Supreme Court of Canada decision that has set in motion a flurry of activity in Ottawa - and in any communities across B.C. including Sidney. The court gave the federal government a deadline to come up with new legislation that would keep pace with their decision. Justin Trudeau's Liberals are now working on those laws that they say should be ready by summer, 2017. This week, the Liberals announced they would form a task force of learned individuals to hit the road and talk to Canadians as part of a public consultation requirement en route to the big changes. [continues 254 words]
Sidney Put Hold on Business Licence After Dispensary Raided Proponents of the Dispensary-by-the-Sea are trying to convince the municipality to get in on the ground floor of changes to how people access medicinal marijuana in this country. That is, how supporters of pot dispensaries hope the laws will change in Canada, once the federal Liberals get around to proposing new legislation on how users can access their supply. The Dispensary-by-the-Sea was raided by the RCMP earlier this spring. They had, according to police, been operating contrary to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. As well, Health Canada regulations state that the only way registered users can get medicinal marijuana is through the mail, directly from a licenced producer. [continues 531 words]
Lawyer says they will challenge arrest RCMP arrested one person at Sidney's Dispensary by the Sea after serving a search warrant there Thursday, April 28. The lawyer representing the Dispensary acknowledges the store does sell medicinal marijuana - and is therefore in contravention of current laws - but added those current laws have been found unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Canada. Kirk Tousaw, who represents marijuana dispensaries across the country, said should charges be filed by the Crown following the arrest of one employee, he would challenge it based on a lack of public interest in prosecution and likelihood of conviction. He said that stance has so far worked after four dispensaries in Nanaimo were raided by police in November, 2015. [continues 294 words]
Sidney and the local police force seem to be doing everything they can to nip a proposed medicinal marijuana dispensary in the bud. Better to try and prevent a retail pot shop up front, one would suppose, rather than have police conduct raids later on. The proponent of Dispensary by the Sea - planned to open on Second Street just off Beacon Avenue, has applied to the Town to open the storefront facility. That's not legal, according to the RCMP - and Health Canada, which states that legal, licenced and registered producers of medical marijuana can only direct mail the product to registered customers. [continues 256 words]
With unlicensed marijuana dispensaries popping up in urban areas and thousands of unregulated medical licences for home growing still in legal limbo, the Trudeau government is starting work on its promise to legalize recreational use. Marijuana was a media darling in the recent election, but meeting in Vancouver with provincial ministers last week, federal Health Minister Jane Philpott found herself preoccupied with issues deemed more urgent. These include shifting our post-war acute hospital model to community primary care, tackling aboriginal health care needs, pooling pharmaceutical purchases to slow rising costs, and meeting an urgent Supreme Court of Canada directive to legalize assisted dying. [continues 518 words]
Town says they will not issue a business licence, police vow to enforce drug laws A proposed pot dispensary will not be getting a business licence from the Town of Sidney. What proponents of the medicinal marijuana storefront might be getting, is attention from the police. A new sign was recently painted on a retail storefront on Second Street at Beacon Avenue in Sidney, advertising Dispensary by the Sea, directing people to an entrance leading to an upper floor. A sign on the door stated the dispensary would be opening soon, as it seeks an inspection. However Randy Humble, chief administrative officer for the Town of Sidney, said based on the proponent's application, it will not get a business license. [continues 541 words]
Eileen Nattrass missed one key factor in her argument against pot (PNR, May 7) - facts. If you want to make a legitimate argument in today's Google-able world, you need clear cut facts. Not half truths copied and pasted from 1950s propaganda films. She starts by attacking users as addicts, forgetting to mention the facts on Cannabis dependency [wikipedia], that "overall addiction potential for cannabis to be less than for caffeine, tobacco, and/or alcohol." She than segues into its detrimental effect on the lungs, forgetting to mention that pot users are restrained from purchasing anything but tobacco rolling papers (heavy in bleach and carcinogens), when there are alternatives available that are non-harmful [vaporizers] to the user, but these products are stigmatized as addict tools. [continues 82 words]
The media can sure pick and choose who they try to eliminate or puff up - even when they are not good. Justin Trudeau made another serious faux pas, critiquing the Russians and the Ukraine situation - something he knows little about. But the very next day the CBC is back on about the senate, "robo-calls", the same old, same old. Canadians have to realize that our PM does positive things, like keeping the country financially stable, helping kids to have sports, to name a few. So if he is not legalizing marijuana, he does not feel it's good for Canada. Be thankful we have a man that believes in families. Quit harping against Harper. Eileen Natrass Saanichton [end]
On April 1, medical marijuana growing licences expire across the country, and only licensed commercial growers will be able to legally fill a prescription for pot. Ottawa is moving to clean up the mess it created by issuing medical licences all over the country. Since then, municipalities have complained that small-scale medical licences have been greatly exceeded, with many used as fronts for a criminal drug trade that has made B.C. infamous around the world. How big is the problem? There are about 38,000 Canadians licensed to carry marijuana for medical purposes, and half of them live in B.C. Their permission to grow their own or buy it from designated small-scale growers is withdrawn in a couple of months. [continues 496 words]
Proposed McTavish Road medical marijuana project squeaks in North Saanich will prohibit the production of medical marijuana for at least six months. Councillors, in a 5-2 vote Monday night, reinstated the ban they had initially agreed to late last year, but had overturned in December to consider the issue further and get feedback from various local citizen commissions. Since then, residents have spoken loud and clear that they are not supportive of such production facilities in North Saanich and made that voice clear on Monday night. Of the 19 speakers during council's public participation period, a majority called for the ban, citing potential for crime, odour and pollution. Bob Williamson told council it wasn't a matter of marijuana's medical benefits, but one of industrial production on agricultural land. Other speakers said much the same thing. [continues 448 words]
North Saanich councillors have taken a step back from fear and have decided to allow the legal production of medical marijuana on local agricultural land. Deemed a legitimate agricultural product by the federal government, which controls the medical marijuana program through Health Canada, a majority of council has pulled back from a plan to prohibit its production within their boundaries. As long as that majority holds in a ratification vote this week, at least one application for such a facility will proceed to the approvals process with the federal government. [continues 258 words]
Application Comes As North Saanich Council Votes To Allow Medical Marijuana A grower of medical marijuana has given notice to the District of North Saanich that it wants to set up a grow operation on McTavish Road and a recent council vote would allow it. Those plans added a twist to council's recent debate over whether to allow medical marijuana production sites in their community. Cannan Growers Inc. wrote on Jan. 16 to the District, fire department and local RCMP indicating their intent to seek a licence to produce medical marijuana. In the letter, Cannan spokesperson Roberto Bresciani stated they intend to make formal application to Health Canada "on or around Feb. 7." [continues 411 words]
North Saanich politicians are on the verge of changing their minds over the production of medical marijuana in their community - but first they want to seek the opinions of local farmers. On Dec. 2, the District council actually enacted an outright prohibition on licensed medical marijuana production within North Saanich boundaries. By Dec. 16, however, several councillors had changed their minds thanks to the lobbying of Ted Daly who was the lone holdout in the Dec. 2 vote. When the prohibition was brought back to council by staff for another vote this week (this time to add further rationale to the bylaw), it was apparent a majority of council no longer wanted the prohibition. [continues 449 words]
Mr. Fletcher's recent editorial misrepresented the Sensible B.C. campaign, and could lead to confusion about our efforts for a marijuana referendum. The ultimate aim of Sensible B.C. is to have B.C.'s marijuana industry regulated in a similar manner to wine. Our proposed legislation, the Sensible Policing Act, is designed to bring us closer to that goal. The Sensible Policing Act has four components, all carefully designed to be within provincial jurisdiction. [continues 295 words]
I won't be signing the "Sensible B.C." petition to demand a provincewide referendum on marijuana enforcement. You shouldn't either, and here are a few reasons why. Let me start by saying I've been calling for legalization and regulation of pot for 20 years, to conserve police resources and reduce violent crime. Our war on drugs is a failure even for heroin and cocaine, and marijuana is obviously much easier to produce. But the current effort led by Dana Larsen, B.C.'s clown prince of pot, is not only misguided, it's dangerous. [continues 516 words]
