trafficking

New 'Serious Offence' Language Includes Marijuana

Submitted by Jacob Hunter on Sat, 08/07/2010 - 8:20am
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By. Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy
 
The 'Regulations Prescribing Certain Offences to be Serious Offences' came into effect July 13, 2010, and was publically enacted by the Federal Government early in August 2010. Regulations, unlike legislation, do not need to be approved by Parliament. Regulations are the specifics of legislation; in this case it is what particular offences are included as a 'serious offence'. The Criminal Code sets out that the federal government has the power to include activities into the defintion of 'serious offences' without Parliamentary debate. These regulation changes were made to the Criminal Code and Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Read more »

Executions mark UN anti-drug day

Submitted by Jacob Hunter on Mon, 06/28/2010 - 11:18am
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By. Agence France-Presse
 
Six people were executed as China prepared to mark a global anti-drug day, state press said Thursday.
 
The punishments, for four separate cases of manufacturing, smuggling and selling ketamine, methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana, bring to 14 the number of executions announced this week.
 
June 26 marks the United Nations' International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, a date when China has traditionally executed and sentenced convicted drug traffickers to illustrate its resolve in fighting the scourge.
 
The latest executions were announced by the Supreme Courty, Xinhua News Agency reported, without detailing when they took place.
 
Xia Zhijun and He Pingquan manufactured more than 320 kilograms of ketamine in the southwestern province of Sichuan in 2007, Xinhua said. Officials confiscated more than 280 kilos of the drug, along with a gun and 14 bullets.
 
In another case in southern Yunnan province, Zhu Yufeng and Wang Zhengyuan were executed for organizing the cross-border smuggling of 35 kilos of methamphetamine and 38 kilos from Myanmar in 2008, the report said. Read more »

Civil disobedience no excuse for breaking laws, judge rules

Submitted by Jacob Hunter on Thu, 06/03/2010 - 1:01am
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By Ian Mulgrew, Vancouver Sun
 
Civil disobedience took it on the chin in a B.C. Court of Appeal judgment Wednesday that said such behaviour undermines the rule of law.
 
In a unanimous ruling that took aim at those advocating an end to the current criminal marijuana prohibition, the court said disagreeing with the law does not permit you to break it.
 
Nevertheless, the three-justice panel gave a break to the owners and an employee of the now-defunct-but-once-renowned Holy Smoke Culture Shop in Nelson, reducing the length of their sentences for trafficking pot and sparing them jail time.
 
At sentencing hearings in Oct. 2008 and Jan. 2009, Paul Stephen De Felice, and Alan Steward Middlemiss were given one year in jail while Kelsey Windrawn Stratas received eight months. Read more »

What does C-15 mean after the Senate amendments?

Submitted by Kirk Tousaw on Tue, 12/08/2009 - 10:00pm
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Bill C-15:  What it means for cannabis producers and sellers

Bill C-15 imposes mandatory minimum jail sentences for a variety of CDSA (Controlled Drugs and Substances Act) offences including the sale and production of cannabis.  It also raises the maximum penalty for producing cannabis from 7 years to 14 years.  This article will focus on the impact on cannabis producers and distributors, though we should be aware that the negative consequences of this Bill will affect all Canadians.

Read more »

Morocco Dogged by Drug Scandal

Submitted by Ellis Worthington on Sun, 09/27/2009 - 4:47pm
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Written by Rachelle Kliger
Published Sunday, September 27, 2009
The Media Line

Moroccan security forces have uncovered a drug cell involving incumbent and former high-ranking officials.

A recent crackdown on a drug cell in Morocco, in which a former member of parliament was arrested for drug dealing, has highlighted corruption and the widespread use of drug money in the North African country.

But though the crackdown has brought to the fore the issues of fraud; dubious funding sources for election campaigns; and the link between drugs and politics in the country, the involvement of officials has not been seen as an unusual occurrence in Morocco.

“Marijuana farms are literally by the roadside and hash production takes place on roads and near police checkpoints.” Geoff Porter, director for the Middle East and Africa at Eurasia Group told The Media Line. Read more »

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