Back in 2001, the year medicinal pot was first grown in Flin Flon, a local novelty shop began selling t-shirts proclaiming the community as the "Marijuana Capital of Canada." Seven years later, there are concerns that title could wind up elsewhere. Prairie Plant Systems, which currently grows the marijuana for Health Canada in a vacant portion of the Trout Lake mine, is facing serious competition from at least one organic grower from Vancouver Island. Island Harvest, a company in the Cowichan Valley that already legally supplies medicinal pot to a few authorized users, has reportedly put in a bid for the federal contract, due to be renewed. [continues 393 words]
Group's Revival Nothing To Fear: Spokesman This time, they promise to come in peace. The resurgence of the notorious Rock Machine motorcycle gang in Canada - -- eight years after they vanished following a long and bloody war with the Hells Angels in Quebec -- is no reason for police or the public to be alarmed, the group's spokesman insists. That's because they claim to be more interested in selling you a house than pushing drugs in your neighbourhood. "There's lots of money to be made legally. The real estate market is looking really good right now," long-time biker "J.D.", who didn't want his full name published for security concerns, told the Free Press this week in a telephone interview from his Saskatchewan home. [continues 574 words]
Perry Fontaine, the man at the centre of the Virginia Fontaine Addictions Foundation scandal, has pleaded guilty to charges of theft and mischief. Fontaine, the foundation's former executive director, had been set to stand trial next month, but instead entered guilty pleas to the charges. The Crown and defence will jointly recommend a sentence of between two and three years in prison. Police launched an investigation seven years ago after accusations the centre spent $115,000 to take employees on a Caribbean cruise, claiming it was a training seminar. The police probe uncovered millions of dollars in fraudulently obtained funds, kickbacks and inflated expenses. [continues 143 words]
Re: Back to the Dark Ages, Aug. 29 I really had to shake my head over the comment article published by the Leader Aug.29. Where exactly did you find this "writer"? Condoning the outright legalization of drugs and promoting his liberal agenda are a slap in the face of any Manitoban who has suffered through the consequences of drugs and criminal activities. If wanting a justice system that works in favor of the victims and not the criminal is considered neo-conservatism, then where do I sign up? People are sick and tired of the revolving door in our court system. Honest hard working people are victimized while the criminals laugh all the way to the..... living room couch??? What's next, Manitoba Crack Control Commissions in every town? The type of fear mongering Mr.Zienkiewicz is trying to promote has no place in the pages of your publication, but then again I guess that's what a "neo-liberal" does. Mr. Zienkiewicz has been watching too many Micheal Moore movies -- time to step out of the neolithic era and into the dark ages. St. Clements, MB [end]
Provencher MP Vic Toews' new pre-election propaganda campaign arrived in mailboxes this week, and the dreadful, shameful message the Conservatives are sending reeks of the sick agenda perpetuated by American neoconservatives -- that breed of politician that wants to rewind time and return to the ignorant and reactionary style of government that's slowly been on its way out since the 1960s. The mailing features a stereotypical "young punk" sitting lazily on a couch with a smug "I don't care about anything" look on his face. He's wearing a so-called "wife-beater" undershirt and a beer bottle is in his hand. [continues 802 words]
Re: 'Docs needled over safe injection site,' Aug. 19. Fishing for votes while standing on the backs of sick and poor people is absolutely monstrous. I think that punishment-happy prohibitionist types like Tony Clement and his cronies are the truly harmful people in our community -- the people that are keeping this country from moving forward with a sensible and affordable drug policy. Maybe it is time that the rest of us started locking up people like Clement for our safety. Russell Barth Nepean, Ont. (The fish are biting too.) [end]
Activist Wants Kids Stiff-Scared James Lathlin used to be hooked on crack cocaine. Now the addict turned activist is warning youth about the destruction caused by drug abuse. He's teaming up with funeral director Curtis Monkman of Prairieland Aboriginal Funeral Home on Selkirk Avenue to show children drug victims in their caskets. "I tell kids you only live once, and you've seen where my old lifestyle took me," said Lathlin. "I could easily be dead but I chose education instead." [continues 355 words]
But Won't Comment On Recent Violence Prime Minister Stephen Harper, usually quick to trumpet his party's tough-on-crime platform, instead touted a new government television commercial during a pitstop in Winnipeg Wednesday, and made no mention of Manitoba's string of summertime violence. In brief remarks to the media prior to a closed-door meeting, Harper trumpeted his government's anti-drug strategy and a new public service announcement aimed at parents. He said drug use among young people is a concern for him as prime minister and as a parent. [continues 378 words]
Bad doper movies are like bad kids' movies. The makers of both kinds of film assume their audiences won't be overly discriminating, as long as you throw in lots of diverting visuals and jokes that hit the target audience where they live. Fortunately, Pineapple Express is not a bad movie. Quite the contrary. Unlike most Cheech and Chong movies of the '70s and '80s, or more recent examples of doper cinema, such as the 1998 comedy Half Baked, this comedy scripted by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (Superbad) actually has a plot: [continues 432 words]
Sam: (Tim Meadows, caught in a smoky room with miscellaneous groupies): Get outta here, Dewey! Dewey Cox (John C. Reilly): What are y'all doin' in here? Sam: We're smoking reefer and you don't want no part of this sh--. Dewey: You know what, I don't want no hangover. I can't get no hangover. Sam: It doesn't give you a hangover! Dewey: Wha...? I get addicted to it or something? Sam: It's not habit-forming! [continues 1415 words]
He's remembered as a funny guy who loved making movies, playing video games and entertaining family and friends. Eddy Smith was only 15 when he died last month from an overdose of a highly toxic "designer drug." His death was the most tragic incident of four recent cases that involved young people who thought they were popping an ecstasy pill. Instead, the pill contained "an unknown quantity of methamphetamine... which may be contributing to the medical conditions of the individuals," according to Winnipeg police. [continues 241 words]
Winnipeg police have sounded the alarm again about ecstasy use, announcing yesterday that a 15-year-old boy recently died after taking a meth-laced capsule of the so-called party drug. Sgt. Rod Hourd of the force's organized crime unit said it is believed the illicit drug contributed to or caused the boy's death about four weeks ago. "These pills are dangerous and they're now starting to kill people," Hourd said yesterday. "This is not a fun party drug for people to take at a rave." [continues 260 words]
A 15-year-old boy has died and three others rushed to hospital in recent weeks after a highly toxic batch of "designer drugs" made its way on to the streets of Winnipeg. The alarming rash of medical emergencies has triggered a warning from city police. "The pills are dangerous and they're now starting to kill people," Sgt. Rod Hourd of the organized crime unit said Friday. Police say the four reported incidents have all occurred in the past month and involved young people who thought they were taking ecstasy. Police say it appears these pills contain "an unknown quantity of methamphetamine... which may be contributing to the medical conditions of the individuals." [continues 402 words]
Winnipeg police didn't breach a man's charter rights when they went to check on his emotional well-being and found a marijuana grow operation inside his home. Ryan Tereck tried to fight his drug conviction on the grounds police had no right busting into his home and seizing about 300 pot plans found inside. The Manitoba Court of Appeal disagrees, ruling this week police were only looking out for his best interests and can't be faulted for stumbling across a crime in the process. [continues 203 words]
Education, recreation, health funding, along with calls for harsher punishments or more police -- these are the kinds of things that often come up whenever people wonder what should be done to address Manitoba's growing problem of youth crime and gangs (Youth homicide rate cause for concern, July 20.) But why doesn't anyone ever mention religion? It's a surprising omission, considering the number of studies showing the important role religion plays in preventing young people from becoming involved in crime, or abusing drugs and alcohol. [continues 647 words]
Two British Columbia men caught driving through Manitoba with a $3-million stash of cocaine are now headed in very different directions in life. James Oddleifson faces the prospect of a lengthy prison sentence after being convicted Tuesday of possession for the purpose of trafficking. But his co-accused, [redacted], can begin planning for his future after being acquitted of the same offence. The pair was arrested in July 2004 after a seemingly routine traffic stop on the Trans-Canada Highway just west of Winnipeg proved to be anything but -- police found 46 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside a secret compartment in their van. [continues 171 words]
A crackdown on crack could lead to an overall crime crackdown. Or so such a belief seems to be indicated by the actions of the city polices' new community support units (CSU's), formed in late May to help communities "problem solve" and target specific neighbourhood crime issues. Early Tuesday morning, the latest drug bust by the District 3 unit took out a suspected crack den in an apartment block on Anderson Avenue in the North End, netting three arrests and a cache of crack cocaine. [continues 421 words]
Cocaine, Dresses, Fur... Oh My! This just in ... doing cocaine is no longer cool. OK, OK, it never was, and in light of recent events that beg to be ridiculed, it certainly never will be. Now granted, back in the day the likes of Richard Pryor, Robin Williams, George Carlin, Robert Downey Jr., and former Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley made the lure of cocaine seem attractive to those who would be considered rich and famous. None of us were at all surprised when we heard of them using the nose candy. [continues 495 words]
Invading Afghanistan. Bludgeoning Baby Seals. Inducting Abortionists Into An August Order. Yes, we Canadians have been trying our best to rebrand ourselves as something other than a country populated by politically correct bores amid a few acres of Voltairean snow. Now, thanks to Barenaked Lady Steven Page and his recent arrest for cocaine possession, we might have hit the motherlode. No longer will Americans like Stephen Colbert be able to mock us as duller versions of themselves, and the Brits must reluctantly acknowledge that we are mad, bad and dangerous to know. [continues 553 words]
Re: 'Not peeing in a bottle but close,' Paul Rutherford, July 17. How does the new "drug" laws level the playing field, when there are no "legal" limits for how much "legal drugs" one can consume before driving? What are the "legal limits" for how much "illegal drugs" one can have in their system before being considered impaired behind the wheel? How many parts per million of any body/mind altering substance (other than alcohol) might one consume, without being considered impaired? Malcolm Ratcliffe Winnipeg (Drive when drug-free, it won't matter.) [end]
Inside Manitoba
