Dear Editor, Thanks for publishing retired police officer Howard J. Wooldridge's outstanding letter: "Legalize drugs to combat gang violence" (11-30-2007). Of course, many drug war cheerleaders will proclaim that re-legalizing all self-medicating and recreational drugs would be giving in to the drug dealers and drug cartels. When we in the U.S. re-legalized alcohol in 1933, did we give in to the alcohol cartels? No. We put them out of business. KIRK MUSE [end]
A Montreal daycare was closed Monday because of flooding caused by a marijuana-growing operation. The Yeshiva Gedola daycare on Pratt Street in Outremont was forced to close on the weekend because of a leaky pipe originating from the floor above, where the illegal grow-op was uncovered. Source: Canada.com To whom it may concern, I am writing to say how outraged I am after reading this news item last Monday. As a mother of three, I can understand how parents across the country must feel. While it seems that we live in a fairly liberal society where we respect the rights of our children, there are some things that should remain sacred. No matter how many reasons parents might give, there is just no excuse for letting toddlers run a large-scale marijuana grow op. [continues 687 words]
In Laurentians. Police Arrest At Least 22 As Part Of Joint Investigation Operation Channel A 35-year-old man from the Laurentians is to appear in court today to face allegations that he was the mastermind behind several criminal conspiracies where illicit drugs flowed across the Canada-U.S. border. Andre Chartrand, of Prevost, was arrested yesterday as part of Operation Channel, a joint police investigation led by the RCMP. The Surete du Quebec and several municipal police forces north of Montreal were also involved. [continues 460 words]
3,000 Pot Plants, Leaky Water Pipe Gave Away Renters On Second Floor About 18 months ago some mysterious people took over the commercial space atop the Yeshiva Gedola daycare in Outremont, without introducing themselves to their neighbours. Whoever was renting the second-floor space on Pratt Ave. kept their business under wraps until a leaky water pipe finally gave them away over the weekend. Firefighters called in Saturday morning to inspect damage to the daycare ventured to the floor above, uncovering a marijuana grow operation with more than 1,500 mature plants - and an equal number of younger plants. [continues 224 words]
As a retired, Michigan police officer, I heartily endorse legalizing and regulating drugs. I know from our history that the violence and death from the drug trade will disappear, once the government allows the legal manufacture and sale of dangerous drugs. Legalization is a solution to the violence of prohibition. If you have a drug problem, see a doctor. HOWARD J. WOOLDRIDGE (retired) [end]
Dear Editor: The "Untouchables" never made Chicago safer (Legalize Drugs to Combat Drug Violence, Nov. 16, 2007). Chicago only became safer when the original prohibition ended. After the end of alcohol prohibition murder rates decreased for 10 years. There is reason to believe ending the sequel will produce the same decline in crime. At the very least it is time to re-legalize the relatively safe God-given plant cannabis (kaneh bosm/marijuana). Truthfully, Stan White [end]
As a retired, Michigan police officer, I heartily endorse legalizing and regulating drugs. I know from our history that the violence and death from the drug trade will disappear, once the government allows the legal manufacture and sale of dangerous drugs. Legalization is a solution to the violence of prohibition. If you have a drug problem, see a doctor. Howard J. Wooldridge (retired) [end]
[Re: "Criticize it," Nov. 22] All humour aside, who really stands to gain if pot stays illegal? The people that stand the most to lose-if the relatively safe God-given plant cannabis (marijuana) is re-legalized-is the law enforcement community, which includes the prison industry. The focus of the failed war on drugs is cannabis; the financial boon to the enforcers is a gravy train like no other, complete with jobs, power and corruption opportunities. End cannabis prohibition and their labour unions will hurt worse than they have hurt the humans they've caged for using the beneficial plant. And that's pretty bad. Stan White, Dillon, Colorado [end]
Like Raf Katigbak, some of the excesses of pot culture and the circus that goes along with it are not for me. However, the "cheesiness" that comes with it is simply an expression that comes when any culture is looked down at. While sometimes I tire of gay friends' love for Liza Minnelli and buttless chaps, when it comes down to it, I strongly support their right to associate, live with, love and marry the person of their choice. The same goes for cannabis users, be it medical or recreational. Tim Meehan [end]
Conflicting Government Branches Impede Success Of Needle And Syringe Programs Without access to clean needles, illicit drug users (IDUs) must resort to desperate measures. "I would be using a needle for 30 hits where I was taking a hammer and knocking it into my arm because it was so not sharp anymore," said Darlene Palmer, a community worker with local harm reduction centre CACTUS Montreal, and a former drug user. Palmer spoke at a panel at McGill on Monday night, "Directions of Harm Reduction Policy in Canada," one of the events of World AIDS Week, organized by McGill Global AIDS Coalition. The panellists decried the government's failure to provide Canadians with effective Needle and Syringe Programs (NSPs). [continues 614 words]
There was lots of good news in the latest statistics on consumption of tobacco, alcohol and illegal drugs by teenagers in Quebec. Cigarette smoking has been cut in half since 1998, with one in seven teenagers now saying they smoke, compared with nearly one in three back then. Marijuana consumption was also down, to 29.4 per cent of teens last year, from 36 per cent in 2004. These victories suggest that the word is getting out: Smoking, drinking and drugs really can do young people a lot of damage. This points the way forward in the battle to wean more of them off harmful habits and substances. [continues 140 words]
[Re: "Take me to your dealer," Nov. 15] Wow. I never thought the Mirror would openly publish a story about pot smoking from one of its columnists-but they did. And I for one celebrate this. Honestly, I don't think I've read anything that resembles so closely how I sometimes feel when I abuse the almighty ganja. I started smoking about a year ago and I'm 36. I too was of the "non-smoking militant" sort until I dared to try it out and was eternally glad I did. If you're anything like I am, dorky, a bit strange and definitely not one to fit in, you're probably as stressed an individual as I am. In fact, you probably bite your nails as if your life depended on it-like it's a bloodsport-like I do as well. If it is the case (and if not, I apologize for assuming) then you probably have acknowledged that as well as the incredibly pleasing effects this substance has, it is appeasing and oh so unbelievably relaxing. [continues 112 words]
Speed and Ecstasy Took Over Her Life At almost 5-foot-8 and 125 pounds, she is lithe and slender in the manner of many 16-year-old girls - except for one thing. "I've put on 30 pounds in the past year," she said. Let's call her Nancy, because as an underage minor in an alternative downtown high school for kids with drug problems, she can't be identified by her real name. A year ago last month, Nancy's dependency on two illegal drugs, speed and ecstasy, came to a head when she fainted outside the Rosemont metro station. Friends notified her father, who came to get her. It wasn't hard to lift her up. She weighed only 95 pounds. [continues 416 words]
Newsflash: I'm not a pothead. I say this because ever since I wrote that column last week about getting too high, my Inbox has been flooded with e-mails of support for my "plight to spread the good word about the ol' Mary Jane." While I appreciate the encouragement and feedback, the truth is I don't really give a crap about weed. Not that I hate the stuff, or have anything against anyone smoking it-it's good for a laugh every now and then and it definitely enhances the consumption of Frito Lay products-but really, it's no big whup. So I smoked a joint. I don't think it's that big of a deal. It's not like I admitted to killing a man, chopping him into pieces, hiding some of his remains in a Burger King dumpster and then eating the rest in a Satanic ritual that involved 36 candles and listening to Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell album over and over again three weeks ago. [continues 654 words]
Agency Calls For More Rehab Cash. 2 Out Of 3 Quebec Youths Referred For Help Score High For Attention Disorders Two-thirds of Quebec youths referred for English-language drug-rehabilitation services in the past year have been found to score high or moderately high for problems that indicate attention disorders. The finding is the result of a new diagnostic software tool designed in the United States and being used for the first time in Canada by the Foster Pavilion, the agency that co-ordinates public English-language rehab services in Quebec. [continues 481 words]
Cannabis, Booze, Tobacco. But 'Hard-Core' Use Has Increased Since 2004, Quebec Study Finds Although recreational drug use among Quebec high school students has declined markedly since 2004, teens who do use drugs are experiencing higher rates of social and health problems, according to a new study. The study, published yesterday by the statistical agency of the government of Quebec, shows that authorities need to start paying more attention to abuse of two particular kinds of stimulants - speed and ecstasy. The Institut de la statistique du Quebec study found that the broad category of amphetamines was the only one of a wide number of legal and illegal drug classifications - from tobacco to hallucinogenic drugs - not to show a substantial decline in consumption over the past two years. [continues 691 words]
Monday night, I accidentally smoked too much weed and had a baby freak-out. I mean "accidentally" not in the same way my friend John "accidentally" forgets to stock up on contraceptives when his girlfriend comes over, or how my friend "accidentally" leaves her wallet at home every time we go for an expensive meal. Monday night was really accidental, as in, I am new to this whole smoking drugs thing and I did not know my limits. Now I do-apparently it's less than half of a joint the size of a baby carrot. [continues 768 words]
Former Con Suing RCMP for $47.5 Million, 20 Years After Being Involved in Police Operation Recruiting a small-time drug addict for an undercover sting operation in Thailand was like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, a lawyer for Alain Olivier said during closing arguments yesterday. On the first day of what he says will be three days of pleading, Francois Audet claimed the RCMP and an informer built Olivier up to be a bigger player than he was. [continues 284 words]
More Gun Incidents. Police Say They Need Help From Public to Fight Local Crime Street gangs operating in the city's western districts are becoming more violent and are using handguns more often to commit crimes, Montreal police said yesterday. The number of homicides linked to street gangs has jumped to seven in 2007 from none in 2005. Attempted murders have risen to nine this year from just one in 2006. As well, the number of crimes known to have been committed by street gang members using handguns have risen to 51 this year from 33 in 2005. [continues 167 words]
Inside Quebec
