The sale of pot for medical use will not be allowed in the City of Trail, at least for now. The matter came before council Tuesday evening after two requests, one verbal, one written,were recently submitted to the city. Even though what the media touts the "green rush," or plenty of pot shops popping up around the province, including a handful in Nelson, current federal laws under Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR) allow medical marijuana users to purchase dried marijuana only by mail and only from Licensed Producers (LP). [continues 520 words]
My recent columns on B.C.'s struggle with the growing westward migration of transients have produced responses that fall mainly into two groups. The largest is people relieved that somebody is questioning the urban media narrative. That's the one where drifters, drug addicts, welfare shoppers and thieves are the victims and working people, whose hard-earned communities are being degraded, are the problem because of their selfish, uncaring attitudes. Then there are readers so marinated in our nanny-state education, media and political system they object to anything other than a big-government response. They tend to ask, what's your solution, Tom? [continues 511 words]
There's a whiff of change in the air, so to speak, says Grace McGregor. The board chair and Area C director for the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (RDKB) was speaking about the complex medical marijuana issue often splashed across the country in media headlines. The subject hit home last week when Brian Taylor, a Grand Forks councillor and long time medical cannabis activist, provided insight to the medical marijuana juggernaut in a presentation to regional directors during the Feb. 25 board meeting in Trail. [continues 997 words]
Every highway patrol unit in and out of the region was on duty Monday and Tuesday, as Shambhala drivers headed for home. "This is the first year we had not just our patrol units on the exodus of people from Shambhala," Sgt. John Ferguson of West Kootenay Traffic Services told the Trail Times Thursday. "We had Cranbrook, our region, Kelowna and Vernon patrols out. The reason being, we are not going to be able to catch everyone, but we are there just to make sure if someone is tired, that they pull over and go to sleep." [continues 533 words]
Ticket holders streaming in for Shambhala's 18th year Shambhala Music Festival visitors may choose to experiment during their five-day stay and question whether that pill is, in fact, a safe bet. But the festival doesn't turn a blind eye to drug use and instead leads with a strong focus on harm reduction and safety. "(We're) not about condoning or supporting drug use-it's about understanding that people are going to do what they're going to do-and our goal is for them to be as safe as possible," says Britz Robbins of the Shambhala Music Festival. [continues 1083 words]
B.C. has a strong appetite for marijuana reform with more than 70 per cent of respondents to a new poll urging either legalization or decriminalization. The Insights West survey found 67 per cent said they support outright legalization, 28 per cent opposed it and five per cent were undecided. Support was slightly stronger among women, the under-35 age group and Vancouver Island residents, but at least 65 per cent back legalization in every region and within each age group. [continues 420 words]
Parliamentary committees undertake studies dealing with various topics and then write a report. If Opposition members on a particular committee do not agree with the report, they usually put together what is called a Dissenting Minority Report. The House of Commons Health Committee recently did a study on all aspects of marijuana policy and use in Canada. The NDP believes that this study was unbalanced and was designed to focus on the harms of marijuana policy and use in Canada. According to our Health critic, Libby Davies and other NDP members of the committee, the study and resulting report did not allow for an unbiased assessment of both harms and potential medical benefits. [continues 607 words]
NELSON - A Nelson man who has a herniated disk in his back and buys marijuana to relieve to his pain has found a new source: the newly-opened Nelson Cannabis Compassion Club. "I feel they preform a valuable service to the community. Instead of people basing their reactions to the medical usage of pot on hysteria and past stereotypes, we need to look at the medical benefits,' said the man, who did not want to be identified. The man said he suffers both from severe pain and muscle spasms, and finds the effects of marijuana beneficial. [continues 642 words]
