Operators of Vancouver's other -- and lesser known -- supervised injection program will share their harm-reduction model with Canada's highest court as a high-profile federal appeal to shutdown Insite gets underway in Ottawa tomorrow. "It would be unconscionable for health-care providers such as us and Insite to send people back out on the street," said Maxine Davis, executive director of the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation, an intervener in the case. "While the outcome is specifically about Insite, we also provide a supervised injection service. [continues 194 words]
VPD 'Single Rogue Officer' Arrested, Charged on Four Counts A "rogue" Vancouver police officer was arrested at VPD headquarters yesterday and charged for allegedly peddling marijuana while on-duty. Peter Hodson, 31, a Vancouver constable with less than five years experience, faces four charges, including trafficking marijuana. He was arrested at 11:30 a.m. at the department's headquarters on Cambie Street. "There will be no discussion here of discipline or suspension," said Chief Const. Jim Chu. "I have taken the step of firing Hodson as of today. He is no longer a member of the Vancouver Police Department." [continues 159 words]
PARLIAMENT - MPs representing three political parties stood in the House of Commons yesterday in support of "Prince of Pot" Marc Emery. Ontario Tory Scott Reid with Vancouver MPs Libby Davies (NDP) and Ujjal Dosanjh (Liberal) together presented a 12,000-signature petition asking Canada's justice minister to refuse Emery's extradition. The Vancouver marijuana activist faces five years in a U.S. prison after agreeing in September to a plea bargain for one count of conspiracy to manufacture marijuana. Dosanjh, a former B.C. premier and attorney general, called Emery's possible extradition "inherently unfair." "Countries don't usually extradite people to countries where they could face inordinate penalties," Dosanjh said. [continues 108 words]
B.C.'s Prince of Pot has been granted bail and could temporarily be released from jail as early as today as he continues to await extradition to the U.S. to plead guilty to selling marijuana seeds. Marc Emery has been held at the North Surrey Pre-Trial Centre in Port Coquitlam since turning himself over to authorities on Sept. 28. He anticipated the extradition process would take 30 days, but his lawyer, Ian Donaldson, is ill with pleurisy and has been unable to file submissions. [continues 131 words]
'Unrepentant' Cannabis Crusader Turns Himself in for Extradition With his wife Jodie at his side, Prince of Pot Marc Emery ended his last press conference as a free person yesterday by raising his hand to his temple and saluting supporters outside B.C.'s Supreme Court. "I feel proud about everything that I've done," Emery told reporters before he entered the Law Courts and surrendered himself for extradition to the U.S. "I don't feel bad about anything. I won't be repentant. I won't be apologizing to any judge. My only regret is that I couldn't do more." [continues 210 words]
Canada's Prince of Pot is handing his crown to his princess. Pot activist Marc Emery told a Vancouver business licence hearing yesterday that he was transferring control of his Cannabis Culture Headquarters to his wife, Jodie Emery. "She is an exemplary person and she'll be an excellent business person," said Marc Emery, who was at city hall for a third day to appeal the city's rejection of his business licence renewal. Emery is surrendering himself to authorities on Monday for extradition to the U.S., where he will plead guilty to selling marijuana seeds through mail. [continues 111 words]
Offer Of Expenses To Delegates Misconstrued: Drug Reform Advocate A former federal NDP candidate from B.C. plans to sit across the street from the party's convention in Halifax Friday morning with a sign that reads: 'I was banned from the convention. Ask me why.' Dana Larsen, a marijuana advocate who ran as an NDP candidate during the 2008 federal election, claims he was escorted from Halifax's World Trade and Convention Centre Thursday on allegations that he tried to buy delegate votes. [continues 175 words]
A former federal NDP candidate from B.C. plans to sit across the street from the party's convention in Halifax Friday morning with a sign that reads: "I was banned from the convention. Ask me why." Dana Larsen, a marijuana advocate who ran as an NDP candidate during 2008 federal election, claims he was escorted from Halifax's World Trade and Convention Centre Thursday on allegations he tried to buy delegate votes. NDP national director Brad Lavigne confirmed Larsen was deregistered as a convention delegate earlier in the week. [continues 126 words]
Federal Justice Minister Rob Nicholson was in Vancouver yesterday to drum up support for a bill that would impose mandatory sentences for drug producers and traffickers. "Illicit drug production is the No. 1 source of income for gangs and organized crime," said Nicholson after touring a mock grow-op at the fire department's training facility. The fake pot plants were green plastic bags sitting on bamboo stems. "Drug labs and grow-ops . threaten the safety of B.C.'s neighbourhoods and particularly our children." [continues 68 words]
B.C. drivers are more likely to be under the influence of drugs than of alcohol, a new survey suggested yesterday. Preliminary findings from the 2008 British Columbia Roadside Survey found that 10.4 per cent of people driving at night showed evidence of drug use. By comparison, 8.1 per cent of drivers had consumed alcohol. "We've spent the past 25 to 30 years dealing almost exclusively with alcohol and driving," said Doug Beirness, senior research and policy analyst at The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA). [continues 168 words]
Supervised drug injection sites, like Vancouver's Insite, are a 'terrible mistake' that will exacerbate drug problems, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani said yesterday in Surrey. Giuliani, the Republican mayor of New York City during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, said he favours prosecuting drug dealers and funding drug rehabilitation programs. "I think we can rehabilitate people who use drugs," said Giuliani, a former prosecutor, prior to his speech at the Surrey Regional Economic Summit yesterday. "But we should not encourage them to use drugs. That's a terrible mistake, it's just going to make the drug problem worse." [continues 290 words]
The co-founder of the B.C. Marijuana Party resigned yesterday as the federal NDP candidate for the West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast riding. Dana Larsen, 37, resigned after questions about his involvement in the Vancouver Seed Bank and Tokers Lounge on East Hastings Street. He used to manage the retail outlet, which sells seeds of rare and medicinal plants, including coca plants, the basis for cocaine. He is no longer associated with the store and according to an employee coca seeds are not stocked anymore. [continues 146 words]
The Number 420 Emblazons The Arms And Back Of Marc Emery's Vancouver Canucks Jersey. Emery, Vancouver's preeminent marijuana-activist, said the jersey is one of a kind and even required special permission from Canucks brass to get it made. "I told them, 'You should sell 420 uniforms.' They said, 'We're not having a bunch of 420 uniforms running around the stadium. You're the only one, and yours is the only one we'll ever make.' It was kind of nice to know." [continues 163 words]
Bulletproof Vest Saves Life of New West Westminster Policeman During Drug Raid A plain-clothed police officer was shot in the abdomen by a fellow policeman during a drug raid in New Westminster yesterday afternoon. The injured New Westminster officer was wearing a bulletproof vest, which stopped the bullet, but left the officer with severe bruising. "It's like someone taking a huge baseball bat and hitting you full force. There'll likely be some internal injuries as a result of that," said Staff Sgt. Casey Dehaas, spokesman for the New Westminster Police Service. [continues 266 words]
Wrong Place To Seek Drug Advice, Phillip Owen Says "I'd just as soon he (Tony Clement) go to North Korea or Thailand or China." -- Former Mayor Phillip Owen on Clement's trip to Sweden A former Vancouver mayor and proponent of the city's supervised injection site is concerned about reports that Canada's Health Minister could be looking to Sweden for drug policy advice. "I'd just as soon he go to North Korea or Thailand or China," said Phillip Owen of Health Minister Tony Clement's recent visit to Sweden. [continues 194 words]
So-Called Prince Of Pot Emery, Bride Share Wedding-Day Bliss, Spliff Marc Emery and his bride Jodie Giesz-Ramsay share smiles during their wedding ceremony at Queen Elizabeth Park yesterday. Emery faces extradition to the United States for allegedly selling marijuana seeds over the Internet to buyers in the States. Despite facing possible future incarceration in a U.S. prison, Vancouver's so-called Prince of Pot tied the knot to his smokin' fiancee yesterday evening. Marc Emery, 48, exchanged vows with Jodie Giesz-Ramsay, 21, assistant editor of Emery's pro-marijuana magazine Cannabis Culture. [continues 370 words]
Attributes High Potency Myth to Vocal Pot Advocates B.C.'s formidable reputation as the province with the highest potency marijuana is a myth sustained by its pro-marijuana environment, one of B.C.'s top drug cops said yesterday. "You can grow equally potent marijuana in Manitoba, or Ontario or Quebec," said Sgt. Scott Rintoul, an RCMP drug awareness officer. On Monday, the United Nations released its annual World Drug Report, concentrating heavily on cannabis, a drug consumed by 162 million people annually. [continues 138 words]
Proposed legislation that targets marijuana grow-ops by requiring B.C. Hydro to hand over electricity usage information to municipalities is "troubling" and nothing more than a "breathtaking fishing expedition," the B.C. Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) said yesterday. Murray Mollard, executive director of the BCCLA, said if Bill 25, Amendments to the Safety Standard Act, passes, municipal governments and police would have access to everybody's electrical records. "We find it troubling," said Mollard. "We think there is a privacy interest in people's electrical consumption data -- just as there is a privacy interest in who we make phone calls to, and what Internet websites we visit." [continues 83 words]
Gangs, Drugs Become Focus As Vote Looms Metro Poses Key Questions To Local Candidates What Steps Would You Take To Combat Gang-Related Violence In The Riding? The Liberal and New Democrat candidates in Burnaby- New Westminster agree that any attempt to stamp out gang-related violence must involve stopping the flow of guns from the U.S. Incumbent NDP MP Peter Julian wants a three pronged attack to combat gang violence -- shoring up border crossings; imposing minimum mandatory sentencing; and repairing Canada's social safety net. [continues 131 words]
Marijuana Party President Not Planning To Run The president of the B.C. Marijuana Party is free to campaign in the upcoming federal election. Marc Emery, who appeared in B.C. Supreme Court Thursday to set a date for his extradition trial to the U.S. for allegedly selling marijuana seeds over the Internet, will be allowed to campaign in January's federal election, ruled Associate Chief Justice Patrick Dohm. Dohm said if Emery wishes to participate in the election he should first discuss with his counsel, and should not advocate the sale of marijuana seeds. [continues 150 words]
