Vancouver's controversial supervised-injection site should stay open indefinitely, the country's top court ruled Friday, calling the federal government's move to shut it down a violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Supreme Court of Canada's unanimous decision was a defeat for the Conservative government, which has said it favours prevention rather than "harm-reduction" programs. Insite, which opened in 2003, provides a haven for addicts to inject drugs using sterile needles under a nurse's supervision. [continues 406 words]
OTTAWA -- Vancouver's controversial supervised-injection site should stay open indefinitely, the country's top court ruled Friday, calling the federal government's move to shut it down a violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Supreme Court of Canada's unanimous decision was a defeat for the Conservative government, which has said it favours prevention rather than "harm-reduction" programs. Insite, which opened in 2003, provides a haven for addicts to inject drugs using sterile needles under a nurse's supervision. [continues 454 words]
AIDS Group Wants Victoria to Have Venue for Supervised Injections OTTAWA -- The federal government says it will comply with a Supreme Court ruling Friday that Vancouver's supervised-injection site should stay open indefinitely. The ruling could pave the way for similar facilities around the country. AIDS Vancouver Island has been pushing for a supervised injection site in Victoria as well as the return of a fixed-needle exchange -- shut down three years ago -- as part of a network of services for people at different stages of addiction. [continues 471 words]
Similar to Alcohol Usage Recommendations Introduced In '90s New guidelines were published this week that promote safer use of marijuana. The low-risk use guidelines, which are similar to alcohol guidelines introduced in the 1990s, are set to be published in the September/October issue of the Canadian Journal of Public Health and offer safer usage practices for those who choose to use the drug. The study's lead author says that while it will take some time for the guidelines to ingrain themselves into public thinking, they are necessary because of the prevalence of marijuana use in Canada. [continues 585 words]
If Federal Government Doesn't Respond Within 90 Days, Drug Will Be Legal to Possess in Ontario When Nick Bala started chemotherapy, he asked his doctor for something to help with the nausea and vomiting that followed each treatment. After about four months, Bala asked his doctor for a prescription for medicinal marijuana. "I found that it made a huge difference to the nausea," Bala said Wednesday. "For me and many other people, it made chemotherapy much more bearable. It's very important this be made available to people who are suffering." [continues 184 words]
Drug Will Be Legal to Possess If Ruling Not Challenged When Nick Bala started chemotherapy, he asked his doctor for something to help with the nausea and vomiting that followed each treatment. After about four months, Bala asked his doctor for a prescription for medicinal marijuana. "I found that it made a huge difference to the nausea," Bala said Wednesday. "For me and many other people, it made chemotherapy much more bearable. It's very important this be made available to people who are suffering." [continues 605 words]
