November 18, 2002

FLIN FLON POT TO ESCAPE FIERY FATE

Crop won't be burned, but used for testing and germinating, McLellan's office says

[Read more ....]

November 17, 2002

CROP UP IN SMOKE

OTTAWA -- The first batch of marijuana grown by a private company under a Health Canada contract was useless for clinical trials and had to be burned, Health Minister Anne McLellan said yesterday.

[Read more ....]

October 10, 2002

FIRST CLINICAL POT TRIAL TO USE U.S. STASH

OTTAWA -- Canada's first clinical study on the use of medicinal marijuana will use cannabis grown in the United States while a large, Canadian-grown stash of the drug sits on ice.

[Read more ....]

See: Canadian Studies and USA Cannabis

October 9, 2002

Canada's first marijuana study to begin

TORONTO, Oct. 9 /CNW/ - The Community Research Initiative of Toronto (CRIT) and St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto announced today the start of the first Canadian study evaluating the therapeutic effects of smoked cannabis in HIV/AIDS. The study represents more than two years of development and planning with Health Canada, the scientific and HIV/AIDS communities.

[Read more ....]

October 3, 2002

Police withhold pot stolen from patient

KILLALOE - The Ontario Provincial Police is refusing to return marijuana plants to a cancer patient, even though the man has a federal permit.

Health Canada has told the police the man has a legal right to the pot plants. However, police say they haven't yet decided what to do with the drugs.

[Read more ....]  

September 4, 2002

Senate Committee recommends legalization of cannabis

NEWS RELEASE

The Special Senate Committee on Illegal Drugs Senate Committee recommends legalization of cannabis

OTTAWA, September 4, 2002 - The Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs today released its final report on cannabis. In an exhaustive and comprehensive two-year study of public policy related to marijuana, the Special Committee found that the drug should be legalized. The 600 plus page Senate report is a result of rigorous research, analysis and extensive public hearings in Ottawa and communities throughout Canada with experts and citizens.

"Scientific evidence overwhelmingly indicates that cannabis is substantially less harmful than alcohol and should be treated not as a criminal issue but as a social and public health issue², said Senator Pierre Claude Nolin, Chair of the Special Committee, in a news conference today in Ottawa. ³Indeed, domestic and international experts and Canadians from every walk of life told us loud and clear that we should not be imposing criminal records on users or unduly prohibiting personal use of cannabis. At the same time, make no mistake, we are not endorsing cannabis use for recreational consumption. Whether or not an individual uses marijuana should be a personal choice that is not subject to criminal penalties. But we have come to the conclusion that, as a drug, it should be regulated by the State much as we do for wine and beer, hence our preference for legalization over decriminalization."

See: Highlights of the Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations

See: Press Release

Final Report at: http://www.parl.gc.ca/common/Committee_SenRep.asp

Steaming video at: http://cpac.ca/index_e.asp

Press Conference at: http://drugpolicycentral.com/real/cmap/iddi.rm  

Aug 20, 2002

OTTAWA SHELVES MEDICINAL POT

Uneasy McLellan Backs Off Plan To Supply Patients With Federally Grown Marijuana

Canada's Health Minister has all but snuffed out the government's much-ballyhooed plans to supply marijuana as medicine.

Anne McLellan says that she feels uncomfortable with the idea of people smoking pot to relieve pain, and that Ottawa will not distribute marijuana for medicinal purposes until clinical trials are completed -- trials that have yet to begin.

[ Full Story... ]

Aug 9, 2002

U.S. AGENTS RUN ROUGHSHOD OVER OUR LAWS

If U.S. police are prepared to walk all over Canadian law, why is the federal government willing to allow more of them into the country?

[ Full Story... ]

Related: BC justice calls illegal US Drug Enforcement Administration activities in Canada an "abuse of process:"

July 15, 2002

Just days after Britain announced plans to soften its laws on possession of marijuana, officials with the office of Canadian Justice Minister Martin Cauchon said Canada might follow the British lead.

[ Full Story ...]

Friday, July 05, 2002

"In the medicinal sense, the drug clearly has value, and this value probably outweighs the risks to the individual and the community.

An absolute discharge is appropriate in this case because he needs no rehabilitation, which is normally done through a conditional sentence or probation order.

There has been no harm done to victims or the community.

In fact, quite the contrary is true, according to the evidence,"

B.C. Provincial Court Judge Robert Higinbotham

See: MEDICAL MARIJUANA ADVOCATE FREE AFTER GUILTY PLEA

In my judgment, it is not in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice to criminalize this accused ( Oates ) while he waits for a medically approved source of raw marijuana to be made legally available to him,"

Alberta Provincial Court Judge P.G.C. Ketchum

See: CHARGES STAYED FOR MAN EATING MEDICINAL POT

June 25, 2002

Tuesday, May 21, 2002

Canadian Press

NINE SICK CANADIANS PLAN TO SUE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR ACCESS TO MARIJUANA

KITCHENER, Ont. (CP) - Nine Canadians who are allowed to smoke marijuana for medical reasons plan to launch a civil lawsuit this week against the federal government in an effort to ease access to pot.

The lawsuit - to be announced at a news conference Thursday - will demand that Canadians who have legal exemptions to smoke pot be given access to experimental marijuana crops being grown by Health Canada in an abandoned mine shaft in Flin Flon, Man. In the lawsuit, Toronto lawyers Alan Young and Leora Shemesh will also ask judges to rule that existing pot laws are unconstitutional.

May 17, 2002

There is no longer any pretext that the U.S.A. is attempting to control Canadian drug policy:

If Canada does not halt what Washington perceives as a slide toward the legalization of drugs and act more vigorously to stamp out drug smuggling, the United States is prepared to retaliate by using the stick of tougher customs regulation, something which could have disastrous effects on Canada's U.S.-dependent economy.

"Canada is a sovereign country, but there are consequences when neighbours cannot co-operate on serious issues and this is a very serious issue," said Robert Maginnis, an advisor to White House drug czar John Walters. "It appears as if it's a trend going in the wrong direction and it is incumbent on the U.S. administration and the U.S. Congress to communicate that this is a key concern." National Post, May 17, 2002

May 10, 2002

DEA KIDNAP ATTEMPT ON KEN HAYES BACKFIRES:

Outraged by DEA Special Agent John Pickett's illegal attempt to kidnap Ken Hayes, a Canadian court grants relief to Hayes and Steve Tuck.

Pot TV News for May 10, 2002
http://www.pot-tv.net/archive/shows/pottvshowse-1318.html
Running Time: 25 min

Top Story: Tuck and Hayes Safe In Canada for A Year Or So. DEA Overplays Hand... Again. Attempt to Intimidate Hayes Family Backfires, Offends Canadians. Special Report to MarijuanaNews.com By Richard Cowan
http://marijuananews.com/news.php3?sid=510

May 9, 2002

OPPOSITION MPS PRESENT PETITION TO REINTRODUCE PRIVATE POT BILL

OTTAWA - More than 80 opposition MPs from three parties are calling for reintroduction of a private member's bill in the Commons after it was defeated by what they say was a dirty government trick.

Through a petition presented Thursday in the Commons, 81 Alliance, Bloc Quebecois and NDP members asked Commons Speaker Peter Milliken to revive Alliance MP Keith Martin's bill to decriminalize marijuana.Ê The Liberals set a dangerous precedent when they passed a motion to refer the bill to a committee without Martin's permission last month, NDP MP Bill Blaikie said Thursday. [ Read more...]

Thursday April 18, 2002

On March 15 Mr. Justice Pitt extended the constitutional exemption granted to Terry Parker by the Ontario Court of Appeal until such time as the government has complied with the court's ruling. Today that Order has been set aside by Justice Sandra Chapnik.

Terry is open once again to being arrested for using medical cannabis.

See: Justice Chapnik's decision

Wednesday April 17 2002

OTTAWA - Canadian Alliance MP Keith Martin's private member's bill calling for the decriminalization of marijuana was effectively defeated by a Liberal amendment this evening.

Tuesday April 9, 2002

Terry Parker filed his counter-motion for remedy A, a declaration that the prohibition of marijuana in the CDSA is of no force and effect because the new Marijuana Medical Access Regulations are too hard to comply with the ruling of the court.

Wednesday April 17 2002
Superior Court of Justice
393 University Ave
Toronto
10am.
Biggest case in Canadian medpot history.

See: http://www.medpot.net/tpdocs.htm

Sat, 02 Mar 2002

Silence greets invitation to appeal drug convictions - Narcotics tests flawed

When Health Canada discovered that one of its drug testers had botched the analysis of contraband in more than 200 narcotics cases, officials braced for a flood of appeals and re-trials.

But months after the department advertised the flawed tests across Canada, not a single person affected by the affair has launched an appeal of their possibly tainted conviction, stunning the government and defence lawyers.

[ Read more ... ]

February 18, 2002

The House resumed from November 7, 2001 consideration of the motion that Bill C-344, an act to amend the Contraventions Act and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (marijuana), be read the second time and referred to a committee. [ Debate on-line ]

Link:
Government debate on C-344

January 31, 2002

The war on domestic cannabis and cannabis consumers heats up.

"Operation Green Sweep" - The modern day tale of a medieval inquisition.

January, 15, 2002

In a Cabinet shuffle in the House of Commons today, Anne McLellan becomes the new Minister of Health, responsible for the Office of Cannabis Medical Access. The new Justice Minister is Martin Cauchon and former Health Minister Allan Rock moves to the portfolio of Industry.