EDMONTON -- Alberta Solicitor General Harvey Cenaiko wants Ottawa to put an immediate halt to plans to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana. Cenaiko made the plea yesterday, in a phone call with Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan, after 300 pot plants worth $1 million were found at the farm where four Mounties were gunned down Thursday. "Tragically, it has taken this horrific incident to illustrate to the public the seriousness of marijuana grow operations, methamphetamine production and other facets of crime," Cenaiko said. "In the wake of this tragedy, now is not the time for the federal government to weaken illegal drug legislation." [continues 524 words]
Premier Ralph Klein said he was "saddened beyond words" by yesterday's shootings, and called the losses to the officers' families "immeasurable." "Immeasurable, too, is the sympathy and respect that all Albertans feel for the four lost officers and for those who knew them and loved them. These four officers gave their lives for the most noble of causes: upholding the law and maintaining the peace of their community. "That such unspeakable tragedy should befall them weighs heavy on the hearts of all Albertans. It shocks us that bravery is felled by violence. It disturbs us that courage is silenced by anger." [continues 184 words]
EDMONTON -- More than ever, Asian organized crime groups - "the most violent" among outlaw associations in Alberta - are dominating the underworld, police investigators say. In addition to pushing cocaine and marijuana, Asian gangs are delving into the rapidly growing market of crystal methamphetamine in Alberta, and committing more and more commerce fraud, Criminal Intelligence Service Alberta says in its 2003-04 annual report. "It's diversification I guess we'd call it in the business world," Gary Buss, CISA operations co-ordinator, said yesterday. [continues 195 words]
Learning Minister Lyle Oberg is leaving the door open for more school boards in Alberta to use dogs trained to detect drugs in schools. He said while his department has no authority to enforce a provincewide policy, he would have no problems if boards adopted such a process. "It can go ahead," Oberg said yesterday during question period in the legislature. He said he and Solicitor General Heather Forsyth will take a look at funding drug-sniffing dog initiatives. "This is one element we can act on," said Oberg. [continues 233 words]
Province Has Proposal to Check Workers Alberta companies may soon be able to randomly test employees for alcohol and substance abuse under a proposal being examined by Human Resources Minister Clint Dunford. "We're looking at the general issue of not only alcohol, but drug or substance abuse at work," department spokesman Chris Chodan said yesterday. The issue is being pushed by police and industries to make it easier to test employees without prior notice, said Chodan. "We still have to do the testing to determine what constitutes an impairment level for things like cocaine, heroin, acid whatever besides alcohol," he said. [continues 248 words]
Mayor Bill Smith says the war on drugs starts with Ottawa withdrawing its legislation currently before the House of Commons to soften the laws on pot possession. "Certainly, my hope is that with the new prime minister coming through that they won't decriminalize marijuana," Smith said yesterday. The federal move comes after an exhaustive Senate study and subsequent Commons committee found pot to be non-addictive and far less harmful than alcohol or other drugs. Smith has pledged to police Chief Bob Wasylyshen and the Edmonton Police Commission to do "whatever it takes" to conduct a war on drugs after a rash of gangland-style murders and other violent incidents in the city recently. [continues 196 words]
EDMONTON -- Alberta may mellow in its opposition to marijuana decriminalization -- but only if the feds come down from their high first. "The suggestion is the amount be lowered to five grams from 15," Attorney General David Hancock told The Sun about a Quebec proposal that Alberta may support. Currently, the federal government is proposing that possession of up to 15 grams of marijuana be a non-criminal offence. While Alberta remains opposed to any decriminalization, Hancock said the province could accept a lower limit if it's going to lose the battle anyway. [continues 139 words]
Wants More Than 5 Grams to Still Be Criminal Alberta may mellow in its opposition to marijuana decriminalization - but only if the feds come down from their high first. "The suggestion is the amount be lowered to five grams from 15," Attorney General David Hancock told The Sun about a Quebec proposal that Alberta may support. Currently, the federal government is proposing that possession of up to 15 grams of marijuana be a non-criminal offence. While Alberta remains opposed to any decriminalization, Hancock said the province could accept a lower limit if it's going to lose the battle anyway. [continues 341 words]
Visions Of Forsyth, Feds And Klein Differ EDMONTON -- Alberta's top cop is "totally opposed" to a federal Liberal plan to decriminalize possession of small amounts of pot. Solicitor General Heather Forsyth said yesterday marijuana use eventually leads to the intake of harsher illegal drugs such as cocaine or heroin. "Let's be very clear here -- marijuana is a gateway drug," she said. "We have huge grow operations in this province and B.C. we're trying to deal with -- and I think to take it just one step defeats everything, so I am totally opposed to it. Period." [continues 275 words]
Alberta's Top Cop Says No To Decriminalizing Pot Alberta's top cop is "totally opposed" to a federal Liberal plan to decriminalize possession of small amounts of pot. Solicitor General Heather Forsyth said yesterday that marijuana use eventually leads to the intake of harsher illegal drugs like cocaine or heroin. "Let's be very clear here - marijuana is a gateway drug," Forsyth said. "We have huge grow operations in this province and B.C. we're trying to deal with, and I think to take it just one step defeats everything so I am totally opposed to it. Period." [continues 399 words]
Top Cop Says Safe Injection Sites For Junkies Are Worth A Look City police Chief Bob Wasylyshen has endorsed setting up experimental safe injection sites for drug users. And while Edmonton is not one of four cities chosen for the pilot project, Bob Wasylyshen says the experience gained should help determine whether it's worthwhile extending the program to other centres such as Edmonton. The country's big-city mayors earlier this week supported establishing safe injection sites or "shooting galleries," where needle drug addicts can go and inject under medical supervision, in Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and Regina. [continues 200 words]
A former city man sent to Iran after a drug conviction in Canada is "alive and well to this point" in his homeland despite fears of his immediate death, his lawyer said yesterday. Lawyer Marilyn Burns-MacLean said yesterday Morteza (Tom) Borhania, 29, was sent to Iran by Immigration Canada Monday following a failed last-minute appeal. She said Borhania paid the Iranian government cash to be spared, but must still make amends for deserting the army. "Apparently the family was required to post a very large cash bond in the amount of approximately $50,000," Burns-MacLean said yesterday. "But there's still an amount outstanding ... with respect to his army desertion." [continues 134 words]
A city firefighter charged with growing and selling marijuana at his Stony Plain home says he was forced to start a hydroponic operation to help cope with ill health. "It's something a health condition has forced me into and I can't see where I've become a criminal because of it," John Klaver, 50, said last night. He declined to outline the nature of his health problems, but CHQT radio reported last night the captain and 29-year veteran in the city emergency response department has suffered from severe back pain and depression over the last two years. [continues 183 words]
