Vancouver

By Robert Freeman - Chilliwack Progress

 

Chilliwack is looking at a bylaw to stop licenced medical marijuana growers from growing pot for other licence-holders, "similar" to one introduced recently in Pitt Meadows.

 

Coun. Chuck Stam, who chairs Chilliwack's public safety committee, said abuse of the medical marijuana licensing system is a growing problem here, with several licence-holders "parking" their licences on one property, growing more plants than legally permitted.

 

And Health Canada is not living up to a commitment to inspect the sites to ensure compliance with the rules, he said.

 

But medical marijuana users and activists say it's unfair to "punish" all medical marijuana patients because of the actions of a few, and they'll challenge the Pitt Meadows bylaw in court. Read more »

By Stephen Thomson, Georgia Straight

 

A Downtown Eastside group is calling for a stop to gentrification and support for a government-sanctioned drug market in the Vancouver neighbourhood.

 

The proposed actions are part of a “vision” for the area introduced by the Carnegie Community Action Project today (July 20).

 

In a 14-page report, the project organizers call for pressure on the federal government to reform the rules around the drug trade in the Downtown Eastside.

 

“Replacing the illegal drug market with a regulated legal market based on health and human rights principles would improve safety and health in the DTES and in other places,” the report reads.

 

“If the city supports DTES residents to replace the illegal drug market with a regulated legal one, that could be a first for the country and the world.” Read more »

By. Neil Boyd, Vancouver Sun

 

In 1910, Winston Churchill stated that one of the "unfailing tests" of a civilization lies in how it treats crime and criminals. In 1967, Pierre Trudeau told Canadians that the state has no place in the bedrooms of the nation.

 

Pronouncements from our current politicians are rather different in tone. Conservative Public Safety Minister Vic Toews has opposed same-sex unions, argued in favour of reducing the age of criminal responsibility to 10, and suggested that if sexual orientation was to become a protected category under Canada's hate crime legislation, "homosexual activists" might sue hotel chains to remove Bibles as a form of hate literature.

 

As part of a "getting tough on crime" agenda, Justice Minister Rob Nicholson wants to impose a minimum term of six months in prison on anyone who grows more than six marijuana plants, and to lengthen terms of imprisonment in a wide range of other contexts (even though rates of serious violent crime are much lower today than they were 30 years ago).

 

More simply put, the federal government wants to put more people in jail. The approach that they advocate has no empirical support -- no examples from other jurisdictions to establish that crime rates will be affected in any beneficial manner. And yet the opposition, until very recently, has avoided criticism of this legislative package, explaining that they fear being tarred as "soft on crime." The unfortunate reality is that many in opposition, like the Conservatives, are allowing fear to drive their agenda. Worse than that, they appear to believe that Canadians can't be convinced of the unproductive and costly heart of the Conservative agenda. Worst of all, our culture and our country are being shortchanged by a barrage of name-calling and finger-pointing. Read more »

By Tiffany Crawford, Vancouver Sun

 

As a new medical marijuana dispensary is set to open next week in Vancouver's West End, the B.C. Compassion Club Society expressed concern Friday that raids on four pot shops in Montreal could be the start of a disturbing trend of police crackdowns across the country.

 

Desperate medical pot users in Quebec have been calling the society on Commercial Drive asking to become members in Vancouver, Elizabeth Glowacki, a spokeswoman for the society, said. The society has a mail order program for members who do not live in the city.

 

On Thursday, police arrested 35 people in raids on four medical marijuana clubs in Quebec. Montreal police allege many of the clients were not registered with Health Canada and therefore the operators were trafficking an illegal substance. Read more »

By MATT KIELTYKA, 24 HOURS

 

Look out West End residents, there’s a new neighbour moving in.

 

Green balloons and a big banner outside declared that the Cannabis Dispensary Society has set up shop at 1182 Thurlow Street, right next to St. Paul’s Hospital, and is there to stay.

 

The society’s director Dana Larsen couldn’t be happier, especially given the warm welcome most people gave him during Sunday’s open house.

 

“It’s a great place to be,” said Larsen, who believes patients at the hospital stand to benefit greatly from his medical marijuana outlet. “A lot of our members go there, and it’s a very accepting, diverse community. I think we’re going to get along great with the community.”

 

The new location is the second dispensary run by the society.

 

The first opened at 880 East Hastings Street a year and a half ago. Read more »

By. KRISTEN THOMPSON, Metro Vancouver

 

More than 100 people shut down traffic at Cambie and Hastings streets on Thursday for an ad hoc rally protesting the extradition of Marc Emery, hours after the outspoken pot activist was sent to the United States.

 

Jodie Emery, Marc’s wife, planted herself in the middle of the intersection, waving a Canadian flag with a marijuana leaf on it and shouting her outrage at her husband’s extradition.

 

“My husband committed a crime punishable by only a $200 fine in Canada, yet this Conservative government is sending him to serve (time) in U.S. jail,” she said.

 

Jacob Hunter, one of the organizers, said the fact that so many people showed up on short notice underscores the city’s support for Marc’s cause.

 

“If you can do this in three hours, just think what we can do during an election,” he said. “Polling shows Canadians oppose this (extradition).”

 

“The Conservative government wanted a culture war. Well, they have it. We will be at their offices, their campaign stops, their speeches, fundraisers and every public event. We will hound them until this government is defeated.” Read more »

By. The Province Newspaper

Monday’s open house for Maple Ridge’s first legal marijuana dispensary will be a chance to meet the neighbours.

 

“We won’t be providing any medicine on our first day,” said Michael Johnson, director of Always Growing Green Society.

 

Sales will begin Tuesday.

 

Johnson said today’s opening is designed to introduce “our neighbours in the community . . . to our new business,” in the 11600-block 224th Street. Read more »

By. Fram Dinshaw, Vancouver Observer

If California legalizes, the demands for BC marijuana at $2,400 a pound will greatly diminish, said Emery, who faces a five-year jail term in the U.S. for drug trafficking and distributing cannabis seeds over the Internet.

 

According to Emery, the homegrown market will evaporate if Canadian pot users flock to California for cheap, high-quality cannabis that could be available for a little as $10 per ounce, compared to the current rate of C$200 in Vancouver.

 

Should BC also decriminalize pot, Emery said the provincial economy could benefit from industry innovation focused on developing high-quality cannabis strains. Read more »

By Tony Spears and Amy Husser, Canwest News Service

 

As thousands of Canadians took to the streets last week to engage in some public puffing of marijuana for 4/20 -- the unofficial pot holiday -- the debate about decriminalizing the drug was still ablaze across this country.

 

An Angus Reid poll released this month suggests that a majority of Canadians --nearly 65% -- are in favour of legalizing marijuana

 

The evidence was certainly there in Winnipeg and Toronto, as hazy clouds hung over crowds of more than 1,000 people in both cities.

 

In Vancouver, an estimated 4,000 pot-smokers descended on the Vancouver Art Gallery to light up in public view. Read more »

Engaging Human Potential Across the Life Course in the Prevention of Harm from Substance Use

 

April 26th, 12-4.30 pm

 

Segal Centre, 500 Granville Street

 

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Please attend this event and ask what progress is being made toward the City's stated goal of regulated markets for all currently illicit substances.  You might also ask when the position recently vacated by Don McPhereson will be filled.