Pot Proponents Say It Doesn't Go Far Enough; Others Say It's Too, Uh, Liberal Late last month, after years of speculation, the federal government introduced legislation that would fundamentally change the way marijuana is regarded socially and in our courts. The proposed new law takes an unusual approach to meet its goals of educating the public about the perils of drugs and discouraging drug use: it decriminalizes possession of marijuana in amounts between 15 and 30 grams and vows to step up convictions and introduce stiffer penalties for those convicted of more serious drug-related offences than mere possession (full details are available online at: http://canada.justice.gc.ca/en/news/ ). [continues 1534 words]
Children's Services Minister Iris Evans is being accused of jumping on a media-fuelled bandwagon by calling meetings in Edmonton and Calgary to discuss safety at raves, but members of the dance culture say they'll participate anyway. With the growing popularity of raves and sensational news coverage of rave-related drug abuse, rave organizers want to make sure lawmakers are given an accurate picture of rave culture. The scene, organizers say, has become a lightning rod for sensational news coverage. [continues 480 words]
An Edmonton man being released from a four-month jail sentence for trafficking marijuana says Edmonton police interfered in his efforts to raise money to fight drug charges he'll face in April. Ken Kirk, scheduled to be released from the Fort Saskatchewan Correctional Centre March 19, was planning a hall party to help raise money to cover legal fees he'll incur when he faces further drug charges April 6. But the operators of the Eastwood Community Hall backed out of a rental agreement to host the event after police expressed concern over the party. [continues 382 words]
Edmonton's downtown Streetworks program has enlisted the help of inner-city residents - some of them recovering drug addicts - to write a manual offering instruction on the safe use of hypodermic needles and IV drugs. Called the Vein Care Manual, the 32-page booklet will use plain language and drawings to help people who use street drugs to do so safely. Diseases such as hepatitis C and HIV, the virus believed to cause AIDS, can be transmitted through shared needles. And that's just the top of a long list of health risks IV drug users face every day. [continues 848 words]
When Canadian snowboarding gold medalist Ross Rebagliati was temporarily stripped of his medal because a drug test showed marijuana in his system, fans and Olympic Committee members alike began asking questions about the morality of drug testing. In the case of Rebagliati, whose gold medal was returned following an appeal of an International Olympic Committee decision to disqualify him, the test was considered unfair because marijuana is not a performance-enhancing drug. Although fairness wasn't used as an argument in the appeal, most people felt that, if anything, pot would ruin an athlete's performance. [continues 765 words]
