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Current Affairs 2008 - Reform (80 items)
| Jun 28, 2008 | Fatties For All There is enough serious crime out there for our already under-funded police force to tackle. Abuse of dangerous drugs like OxyContin comes to mind. Violence against women is a huge issue which remains largely unaddressed. Some corporate crime in this city doesn't even get investigated.
I don't think police should be wasting their time chasing around after two-bit grow-ops and small-time smugglers. ( Granted, Pearce seems to have been called up to the majors. )
We, the dope smokers of Newfoundland and Labrador, should be given some recognition and some respect.
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| Jun 5, 2008 | What A Parent Will Do For A Sick Child never thought I would be buying "pot" at my age, but that's what's so interesting about life -- you just never know what's around the corner, do you?
There are no limits to what a parent will do for their sick child. On July 9, 2007, we made our first trip to the Medical Compassion Clinic in Toronto.
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| Jun 4, 2008 | Romancing The Bottle In some communities, the horrors associated with alcohol extend into every household. These include many Canadian native reserves, where booze has generated nothing short of a liquid holocaust. Even the staggering fatality statistics don't include the legions of victims who never take a sip: children born with fetal alcohol syndrome, abused spouses of alcoholics, the prey of drunk drivers. In Mexico, this week, one of those drunks fell asleep at the wheel and plowed into a group of bike racers -- a horrific scene captured by a local photographer. There but for the grace of God.
Oh wait, sorry -- scratch all that. I just read last week's column by Barbara Kay on the subject of marijuana policy, and it turns out I've gotten it precisely wrong.
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| Jun 4, 2008 | No Hope In Fighting Dope The war on drugs has been fought. We lost. So what now?
For starters, we should admit defeat and legalize marijuana.
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| Jun 3, 2008 | Legalizing Marijuana Would Cripple the Profits of the Violent Drug Lords When any law is regarded with complete and utter contempt by a significant part of the public, then it demeans all laws and erodes respect for the system. Such is the case with the marijuana law.
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| May 29, 2008 | ON: 'I Just Want The Same Access As Tobacco Users' And now Mr. Barth has become the latest marijuana user to file a complaint with the Ontario Human Rights Commission, after being prevented from smoking outside an Ottawa comedy club after a May 7 performance.
Absolute Comedy management told the couple that liquor licence rules prevented them from lighting up on the front patio near cigarette smokers.
They left "embarrassed and humiliated," according to Mr. Barth's complaint, which claims the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario is violating the provincial Human Rights Code -- specifically, his ability to use marijuana in designated smoking areas. Marijuana helps his appetite, prevents anxiety attacks and allows him to walk without "jangled nerves," Mr. Barth said.
Health Canada's Marijuana Medical Access regulations allow for Mr. Barth and his wife to use marijuana. But the provincial Liquor Licence Act prohibits the possession or consumption of controlled substances on an establishment's premises.
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| May 27, 2008 | Study Shows Marihuana Use Not A Threat Augustana sociology professor Geraint B. Osborne is of the opinion that people who use marihuana are no more a criminal threat to society than are alcohol and cigarette users.
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| May 23, 2008 | Barbara Kay vs. Mary Jane Ms. Kay has assembled a file of evidence -- of varying quality -- on some dangers that cannabis may legitimately pose. Having presented it, she thus "respectfully ask[s] the Post to reconsider its editorial stance on the legalization of pot." Our stance was, and is, that as terrible as you can possibly make marijuana sound by the use of anecdote and by cherry-picking the scientific literature, you cannot make a credible argument that its public health and other social effects are as bad as those of alcohol and tobacco.
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| May 23, 2008 | Canada's Laws Going To Pot They fought the law and the ... law lost.
In fact, Canada's petty, nanny-state prohibition on simple marijuana possession has been repeatedly revealed as either non-existent or as murky as well --used bong water.
Except, you'd never know it as the charges continue to be laid and judicial resources go up in smoke.
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| May 21, 2008 | BC: Compassion Club Seeks Expansion NANAIMO I A group that provides marijuana to sick people hopes to expand into a storefront location in downtown Nanaimo within a few weeks.
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| May 19, 2008 | High Cost Of Toking A human rights settlement between a medical marijuana user and the owner of a Burlington sports pub has left behind a cloud of controversy.
Afroze Edwards of the Ontario Human Rights Commission said people who partake of marijuana for medical reasons have a right to reasonable accommodation of their disabilities.
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| May 13, 2008 | AB: Marijuana Advocates Mount Campaign Advocates of medicinal and recreational use of marijuana are promoting a Toronto university professor's legal self-defence kit to help people avoid criminal convictions for a law they believe is unconstitutional.
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| May 12, 2008 | Laws Go To Pot Over Religion Things have really gone to pot for the Church of the Universe in Hamilton, Ont. Church founders Walter Tucker and Michael Baldasaro are facing hefty jail terms and have had their east-Hamilton "church" seized. ....Canadians should ask two questions of prospective members of Parliament during the next federal election. When religious beliefs come into conflict with the laws of the land, does Canadian criminal and civil law trump religious freedom? And why should the tokers at the Church of the Universe in Hamilton do hard time while the married satyrs of Bountiful, B.C., can keep saying; "I do?"
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| May 7, 2008 | City Going Too Far Witch hunt. Police state. Overzealous. Heavy handed. All of these terms -- and probably a lot more we couldn't print -- are being used to describe the City of Coquitlam's approach to rooting out marijuana grow operations. ...And before the legalize-marijuana lobby starts writing letters about how the problem could be avoided if pot were legal, we agree.
Pot, however, is not legal. And illegal grow-ops pose a huge fire hazard. That means the inspection approach to shutting down grow-ops is a good thing -- when one key ingredient is factored in: common sense.
[Indoor gardens do not pose significant fire risk] |
| May 7, 2008 | A Pothead's Pursuit of Justice Marc Emery is standing behind the counter at his former business, the City Lights bookstore on Richmond Street, talking about his quixotic quest to end society's prohibition on marijuana.
[Why is it okay to be derogatory when you are referring to cannabis consumers?] |
| May 5, 2008 | BC: Holy Smoke Trial Wraps Testimony wrapped up in the Holy Smoke drug trafficking trial Friday after four Nelson-area witnesses took to the stand to testify that cannabis has helped them deal with disease, alcoholism, and drug addiction.
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| May 4, 2008 | AB: Marchers Push Marijuana's Medical Merits Calgary - Close to 500 protesters took to the streets Saturday in favour of marijuana's medicinal use and making it more accessible to those suffering debilitating pain.
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| May 4, 2008 | ON: Pot Fans Rally In Big Smoke Thousands Pushing For Legal Weed Peacefully Mark Freedom Festival, 10th Global Marijuana March
Queen's Park may have been soggy from yesterday's rain, but sparks were flying as thousands spent the day smoking pot just north of the Legislature.
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| May 2, 2008 | Expert Testifies Cannabis Helps Slow Aging .C. Provincial Court heard Thursday that cannabis is safer than aspirin and can restore the balance in people's bodies to help fight illness.
That was the testimony of Dr. Robert Melamede, an associate professor at the University of Colorado, who was brought in by the defense team for the four men accused in the Holy Smoke Culture Shop drug trafficking case taking place in Nelson this week.
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| Apr 29, 2008 | Tiresome Debate This week's Holy Smoke trial is a waste of time and money, but who is to blame?
The Holy Smoke crew are back in the courts this week. They couldn't be happier. They will once again climb up on that pedestal and shout to anyone interested in hearing these two words - legalize it!
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