As a province, Saskatchewan is not known to be on the cutting edge as a national trendsetter. When it comes to the opioid crisis, we should be thrilled to be behind the curve. Recent stories about opioid deaths should prompt officials in Saskatchewan to ramp up activities to prevent an increase in deaths here. In Abbotsford, B.C., five people ages 40 to 67 died of overdoses in a nine-hour period on Friday. The two women and three men all died alone. [continues 357 words]
The federal government will be spending an additional $36.4-million over five years to educate Canadians on the dangers of using cannabis at a young age and impaired driving, hoping to address growing concerns over the drug's legalization. The new money comes in addition to $9.6-million in previously announced spending on public awareness campaigns, with eight months to go before the government's July 1 deadline to legalize cannabis for recreational use by adults. The federal campaign will target young Canadians and other vulnerable groups, such as Indigenous people, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and Canadians with a history of mental illness. Health experts have pointed out that cannabis users under the age of 25 face greater long-term risks than adults. [continues 623 words]
Legalizing marijuana will dramatically increase the workload for police forces across the country, says Victoria Police Chief Del Manak. "The Cannabis Act will legalize cannabis, and I can assure you that the work for the police department and every police agency across this country is going to exponentially increase," Manak told city councillors during a budget workshop on Tuesday. Efforts to keep drugs out of the hands of organized crime and youth and to deal with drivers who are impaired by cannabis "will not happen overnight," Manak said. [continues 474 words]
Urban governments in Saskatchewan are getting "anxious" about the provincial government's plans to deal with legalized marijuana, according to the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA). The association on Tuesday called on the provincial government to start consulting about its plans for when the federal government follows through on its promise to legalize recreational cannabis in eight months. SUMA president Gordon Barnhart said the pending legalization of marijuana looms as one of the chief concerns expressed during seven regional meetings held last month. [continues 245 words]
Here in Vancouver, it's tempting to praise ourselves for our forward-thinking approaches to illicit drug use. We're home to Insite, the first supervised-injection facility in North America, the success of which paved the way for Health Canada to start approving prospective supervised-injection sites in other cities across the country this year. We're also home to the first and only prescription heroin program on the continent, which has proven how life-changing it can be for a person entrenched in opiate addiction to have access to a clean, regulated supply of drugs. [continues 970 words]
Canadian municipalities aren't the only ones trying to figure out how they're going to respond when marijuana becomes legal across Canada next summer. A recent Maclean's story shows universities across the country are also struggling with how to adapt. UNBC is no different. "Senior administration is giving this issue thought and some of our operational units are discussing it as well," UNBC provost and vice-president, academic, Dan Ryan said in a written statement. "UNBC is developing a response but we will have to consult with various people/units around the university, including the Board of Governors, and make sure the response is framed appropriately and that we're going in the right direction." [continues 427 words]
With the coming legalization of recreational marijuana, the Ontario government has stumbled toward readiness like a teenager cramming for a big exam. To begin with, the government decided to grant itself a monopoly over legal sales, a move that was widely criticized for failing to meet market needs, thereby ensuring a thriving black market would remain intact. That pill was followed by a spoonful of sugar for the law-and-order crowd when Premier Kathleen Wynne and her Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca unveiled their proposal for stiffer impaireddriving penalties that would "ensure that Ontario's roads remain safe after July 1st, 2018." [continues 678 words]
Cannabis sales to be handled by subsidiary of LCBO after legislation passes, Wynne says Ontario's forthcoming cannabis legislation should spell the end of the illegal marijuana"dispensaries" that are still operating, warns Premier Kathleen Wynne. Attorney General Yasir Naqvi will table a bill on Wednesday that will outline the provincial rules surrounding recreational marijuana when the federal government legalizes cannabis next July 1. The premier said Monday there would be no surprises in the new law, which will restrict weed consumption to those19 and older and confine its use to private homes. [continues 282 words]
That should be the extent of government involvement in the sale of pot There may be one upside in organized labour's embrace of government owned and operated retail cannabis outlets in that it may convert some conservatives who were previously opposed to legalization into champions of private pot proprietors. Otherwise, though, it's hard to see any value in the proposition that the Alberta government be tasked with establishing and overseeing marijuana stores come next year. Last Friday marked the end of the government's consultation process, and it had left the door open on this rather fundamental question. [continues 579 words]
