Naloxone take-home antidote soon available Dawne Smallwood's eyes filled with tears as she contemplated how a recent announcement could have saved her son, Nathan. "He just had a demon he could not beat," the St. John's woman said as she stood on the steps of Confederation Building at a rally associated with international overdose awareness day. Smallwood said her son, 23, died of an accidental fentanyl overdose in April 2015. "He was the most beautiful person," she said. [continues 812 words]
Arguing national back-to-school "don't do drugs" campaigns are out of touch with reality, some local groups are planning to take to Confederation Building Wednesday to mark International Overdose Awareness Day with a rally. "What we want people to be more aware of is some of those kids are going to chose to use drugs," said Tree Walsh, harm reduction manager for St. John's with the Aids Committee of Newfoundland and Labrador. The goal then is to warn drug users of the dangers of overdosing. [continues 588 words]
Paul Morrissey, marijuana oil advocate, dies at 67 J.P. Morrissey says he couldn't have had a better father than Paul Morrissey, an advocate for an unconventional method of cancer treatment, who died Thursday. "He just was giver. I called him an angel amongst us. ... He was beyond. I couldn't have asked for a better father on this planet," J.P. said Friday of his dad, who was 67. "He taught me so many good values. He had such a good heart. [continues 600 words]
A St. John's man who is convinced marijuana oil cured his cancer is still hoping to convince health authorities to do informal clinical trials. In 2013 and 2014, The Telegram told the story of Paul Morrissey, now 66, who credits marijuana oil treatment with putting him on the mend from prostate cancer. Since then, Morrissey has abandoned medical treatment and said the response he got from some specialists was off putting. "I didn't feel much support at any stage for the marijuana oil and its potential," Morrissey said Tuesday, adding he feels good physically. [continues 287 words]
Numbers Up More Than 50 Per Cent Demand for the Aids Committee of Newfoundland and Labrador's needle-exchange program has increased considerably in the past two years, says its executive director. "We are looking at a 50-60 per cent increase in two years," Gerard Yetman said. "The program is not feasible as it is right now. "The present program is not meeting the demand." In 2011-12, the program distributed nearly 180,000 clean needles, but numbers have surpassed twice that amount, in part because it's become provincial. [continues 349 words]
A St. John's man suffering from prostate cancer that had metastasized is crediting marijuana oil treatment with putting him on the mend. "It makes me feel 20 years younger, that's what the marijuana oil does," said Paul Morrissey, adding he shovelled snow for three hours during the recent blizzard and blackout with no problems. "There was pretty ferocious wind and snow. I came out of it looking like a walking popsicle. However after all that work and so forth I was in excellent condition. Even without cancer, I wouldn't suspect I'd last that long or do that well." [continues 661 words]
ST. JOHN'S - A St. John's man suffering from prostate cancer that had metastasized is crediting marijuana oil treatment with putting him on the mend. "It makes me feel 20 years younger, that's what the marijuana oil does," said Paul Morrissey, adding he shovelled snow for three hours during the recent blizzard and blackout with no problems. Morrissey's prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood levels have improved dramatically and there has been some regression in his lymph nodes and abdomen, said his family physician, Dr. Randy Hart, who was given permission to speak about his patient's case. Hart can't say if the unorthodox treatment helped. [continues 458 words]
The rate of success is poor, the nature of the work often frustrating and the paperwork required under new rules is daunting. But the reward is the amazing transformation of those who are helped by methadone, says Dr. Jeff White, who has been administering the program as part of his family practice for several years. Methadone -- which reduces drug cravings and opiate withdrawal while blocking euphoria -- is used to treat addiction to opiates like OxyContin. Doctors who administer methadone maintenance therapy must obtain a special exemption. There are only a handful who provide the service in the St. John's area. [continues 934 words]
RCMP speculates the difficulty in detecting them in workplace tests could be behind their popularity The rise in popularity of synthetic drugs in the province is the top concern for an RCMP officer tasked with drug and organized crime awareness. The rise in popularity of synthetic drugs in the province is the top concern for an RCMP officer tasked with drug and organized crime awareness. And those drugs include a variety of the highly addictive substance known as bath salts. "Absolutely, because there is not enough known about some of them," said Sgt. Stephen Conohan, the RCMP provincial co-ordinator for drugs and organized crime awareness, and the lead instructor on clandestine drug labs. "Minute quantities can cause very adverse reactions." [continues 1127 words]
Why Advocates Say Marijuana Should Be Legalized In his Torbay home, Mike Dawe slides open an end-table drawer, pulls out a Mason jar and rolls a joint. There are no additives like tobacco. The marijuana - weed or pot as it is most commonly called - is grown by Dawe with an ardent dedication to craftsmanship. As Dawe, a rail-thin man who stands an inch shy of seven feet, takes The Telegram on a tour of the basement of the house he rents, he apologizes, saying the current plants are not his best crop. [continues 1701 words]
A St. John's man had $1,500 of medical marijuana confiscated when he went to pick up a package at Purolator and was met by the RCMP instead. Richard Oakley, who tested positive for HIV 25 years ago, moved back to the province from British Columbia three months ago to be near family. He told The Telegram he received the first package since coming home without a problem from his designated grower in B.C. But last week he kept trying to claim his second delivery of marijuana and marijuana-laced chocolates and Purolator told him to come back Monday. That's when he was met with the RCMP officer. [continues 724 words]
He Worries That People Will Turn To Harder Drugs As A Result The weed supply is waning. "Marijuana (has been in short supply) four or five times in the last year," said Ron Fitzpatrick of Turnings, a community organization that helps drug addicts turn their lives around. Fitzpatrick said the paucity of pot is due, in part, to a police crackdown on drugs - several recent high-yielding drug busts have included a lot of marijuana. He said young police recruits are hip and smart and the drug force is "fantastic." [continues 441 words]
ST. JOHN'S - The weed supply is waning. "Marijuana ( has been in short supply) four or five times in the last year," said Ron Fitzpatrick of Turnings, a community organization that helps drug addicts turn their lives around. Fitzpatrick said the paucity of pot is due in part to a police crackdown on drugs - several recent highyielding drug busts have included a lot of marijuana. He said young police recruits are hip and smart and the drug force is " fantastic." "Police, especially the RNC, are getting ... good at cracking down on the drugs, nailing drug dealers, finding stashes and grow-ops," Fitzpatrick said. [continues 255 words]
The Supreme Court of Newfoundland has said it would be unfair to discipline an officer involved in a random drug search of a St. John's school in 2002. Royal Newfoundland Constabulary members have not set foot inside a school on a random search since then. The complaint was laid by a parent outraged that St. John Bosco was the subject of a search by a police officer and his drug-sniffing dog. "Subjecting Sgt. (Michael) Adams to disciplinary action because he carried out a task requested by the school and sanctioned by his superiors would be unfair and unjust," ruled Justice David Orsborn. [continues 1031 words]
