Setbacks will be a setback to medical marijuana production on industrial land within the District of Sicamous. This was the argument presented last week to municipal council by legal counsel for Waterway Houseboats during a public hearing on proposed zoning amendments to accommodate medical marijuana production within the district. Lawyer Jeff Robinson of the firm Rush Ihas Hardwick, told council the zoning changes being considered, particularly the proposed increased setbacks, intended to address security, access, noise and odour concerns, could prevent Waterway from making its former manufacturing facility available for the production of medicinal marijuana under new federal regulations. [continues 630 words]
Busting marijuana grow ops and providing on-lake enforcement will continue to be priorities for the RCMP in Sicamous. Last summer was one of the best years yet for enforcement on the lake, Sicamous RCMP Sgt. Carl Vinet explained to district council at its Feb. 23 committee of the whole meeting. The successful season, Vinet said, was largely due to a relationship with other detachments and government agencies who worked together on a lake enforcement initiative that included a multi-agency blitz on the August long weekend. [continues 671 words]
Leslie Johnson wants to help bring medical marijuana into the mainstream and the first step is getting users and growers licensed. The Malakwa resident has begun something of a grassroots venture in the form of Eagle Valley Medical Marijuana (EVMM). Johnson, through EVMM, is offering assistance to anyone who may use or is considering using medical marijuana, but who finds the federal licensing process, and the related paperwork, intimidating. The same goes, he says, for growers in the Shuswap area whose product could be legitimately sold to help people with a variety of medical conditions. [continues 522 words]
Leslie Johnson wants to help bring medical marijuana into the mainstream, and the first step is getting users and growers licensed. The Malakwa resident has begun something of a grassroots venture in the form of Eagle Valley Medical Marijuana (EVMM). Johnson, through EVMM, is offering assistance to anyone who may use or is considering using medical marijuana, but who finds the federal licensing process, and the related paperwork, intimidating. The same goes, he says, for growers in the Shuswap area whose product could be legitimately sold to help people with a variety of medical conditions. [continues 468 words]
Put a police officer in the middle of a classroom of elementary students and you're bound to get some interesting questions. This is something Cst. Jeffrey Bond knows firsthand. In 2009, Bond taught the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program to students at Malakwa Elementary and this year he's at Parkview. "I've had a few questions asked of me in the past that were kind of, 'Wow, I wasn't expecting that,'" says Bond with laugh. "One question that always seems to come up is what is the worst drug. And they list off every drug that's out there and I say, the worst drug that I think is the one you're addicted to. and their eyes light up and it's, 'oh, I never thought of it that way.'" [continues 619 words]
Drug issues continue to be the biggest threat to the health and safety of the community. Salmon Arm RCMP Staff Sgt. Kevin Keane emphasized this point when delivering an update to city council Monday. "When you look at it from other priorities, such as youth, traffic, the increase in property crime, it seems to be at the core of everything," said Keane. Keane said the detachment has made several high-profile arrests and that is going to be the norm. "Down at the shop, we're starting to get a little mean-on these days, we're starting to get angry about it. We just don't tolerate anybody anymore who kind of flaunts it." [continues 116 words]
Special Report: Colin Martin Talks About Life Choices. Colin Hugh Martin considers himself an honest, responsible, God-fearing man. Martin was labeled the ringleader of a Canada-U.S. marijuana smuggling operation between 1997 and 1999. It ended following a 13-month RCMP investigation. Of the 17 arrested, including his father Donald and brother Damyen. Colin was the only one to face a major conviction. Currently, Martin is facing a U.S. extradition order for his alleged involvement in a second cross-border drug smuggling operation that was taken down in 2009 through a Canada-U.S. investigation dubbed Operation Blade Runner. [continues 1609 words]
Notorious: Colin Martin Talks About His Life Choices. Colin Hugh Martin considers himself an honest, responsible, God-fearing man. Martin is the man who was labeled the ringleader of a Canada-U.S. marijuana smuggling operation between 1997 and 1999. It ended following a 13-month RCMP investigation. Of the 17 arrested, including his father Donald and brother Damyen, Colin was the only one to face a major conviction. Currently, Martin is facing a U.S. extradition order for his alleged involvement in a second cross-border drug smuggling operation that was taken down in 2009 through a Canada-U.S. investigation dubbed Operation Blade Runner. [continues 1433 words]
A Shuswap man wanted in the United States for his alleged involvement in a cross-border smuggling operation may have reason to fear for his life. U.S. authorities have begun the process to extradite Colin Hugh Martin of Malakwa, and three other B.C. residents, Sean William Doak, James Gregory Cameron and Adam Christian J. Serrano, for their involvement in a Canada-U.S. smuggling ring where quantities of marijuana and ecstasy were flown from B.C. to Washington by helicopter and exchanged for cocaine. [continues 480 words]
Council To Look At Cleaning Up Grow Operations The District of Sicamous is considering a new bylaw that targets the premises of former drug production or grow operations. At its Feb. 28 committee of the whole meeting, Sicamous council received for its consideration a copy of the Safe Premises Bylaw adopted by the City of Salmon Arm. Such a bylaw would be enforced following a drug-related bust by RCMP, typically on rental properties. According to the Salmon Arm bylaw, after arrests have been made, a "Do Not Occupy" notice is posted on the premises and occupants must leave. Onus would then be placed upon the property's owner, particularly absentee owners, to have the building professionally cleaned and inspected by a certified hygienist. Property owners would also be required to pay to the city service fees for an infraction, a minimum of $1,000 plus staff time spent on a file. Other costs faced by the property owner include a $500 fee for each inspection, a $500 fee for a special safety inspection, a $90 hourly rate for a peace officer and a $33.75 hourly rate for each visit from a bylaw enforcement officer. [continues 447 words]
Traffickers in harmful drugs such as crystal meth and GBL (gamma buytrolactone -- also referred to as a date-rape drug), will be a key target for Sicamous RCMP in 2007. The details of RCMP Sgt. Jim Harrison's annual report, delivered to Sicamous council at their regular meeting of Feb. 1 4, ranged from good to disconcerting. "Basically we saw some improvements in 2006 in regard to our crime rate," said Harrison. "We saw some things go down, we saw some things go up." [continues 646 words]
Recognizing there's a drug problem in Salmon Arm is easier than taking the next step in dealing with it. "They say vigilante isn't good -- well it isn't," said Duane Dewart. But when the Vernon man learned his son Michael was being taken advantage of by a bad crowd in Salmon Arm, Dewart found the response by local authorities lacking. "I've given them the names of these drug dealers, I've given them the phone numbers of the drug dealers, and they do absolutely nothing," said Dewart of his experience with local RCMP. "I am still trying to get hold of the one in charge of this bank fraud because it cost me $644. There are these two girls that used his card and made false deposits into the bank =85In all they've got probably about $2,500 worth of stuff." [continues 958 words]
Decongestants: B.C. Chooses to Leave Products on Shelves. There is no plan for B.C. pharmacies to move common decongestants behind the counter to counter the production of crystal meth. Although the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA), an umbrella association of Canada's pharmacy regulatory authorities, has recommended that pharmacies move over-the-counter cold and allergy medications such as Sudafed, in which the sole ingredient is pseudoephedrine, behind the counter as of April 10, the final decision on the matter is up to the pharmacy regulatory authorities of individual provinces. [continues 338 words]
Jack Witty's dream is to see the South Cariboo bloom from a plant that's rich with potential yet rife with misunderstanding. For the past five years the 108 Mile resident has been researching the feasibility of growing and processing industrial hemp in and around 100 Mile. Over that time the 72-year-old retired economic development specialist has amassed a four-inch thick folder. Its contents include features from established Canadian magazines, European scientific studies, socio-political backgrounders and comprehensive analyses undertaken by the governments of Canada and B.C., all of which focus on the much-maligned plant. [continues 1378 words]
Penalties for possession of illegal drugs in or around secondary schools may double next year with the implementation of Drug Free Zones in 100 Mile. To curtail illicit drug activity on or around the grounds of Peter Skene Ogden Senior Secondary (PSO) and 100 Mile Junior Secondary, School District No. 27 will be meeting with the RCMP and community service agencies to discuss a Drug Free Zone (DFZ) around both schools. Superintendent Wayne Leckie said that based on the model established last year around Williams Lake's two secondary schools, the school district plans to work in conjunction with the RCMP, Crown and the District of 100 Mile House to have the two-block radius around the secondary schools recognized as DFZs. [continues 1310 words]
Waste was plentiful for the picking last week when many people pitched-in to clean up their community. Over 500 bags of garbage was collected from throughout the municipality April 19 when local schools, municipal representatives, the RCMP, Interior Roads and eager volunteers took part in Pitch-In Canada Week, a national voluntary campaign intended to keep communities clean. The four-hour effort, based by the South Cariboo Visitor Information Centre and the 100 Mile Marsh, began with the district handing out garbage bags to volunteers. For each full bag of garbage returned a hot dog and pop was received. [continues 172 words]
