CannabisLink.ca - Top Stories

Top Stories (2014-2009) - Chronological (79 items)

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Nov 21, 2013	40,000 Medical Pot Users Outed Medical marijuana users across Canada received this envelope from Health Canada, identifying it was sent by the medical marijuana program. Health Canada has confirmed 40,000 other letters were sent this week in error.
Nov 1, 2013	Medical Marijuana Rules To Be Challenged by Hamilton Man Unfair treatment resulting from a drug arrest, has led Mike Szymczak to launch a legal challenge against the federal government?s new medicinal marijuana laws. He has filed a submission to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice stating the Conservative government?s move to allow licensed growers to produce and sell medical marijuana is unconstitutional.
Oct 23, 2013	Opposition MPs To Hold Press Conference on Parliament Hill with Wife of Imprisoned Marijuana Activis New Democratic Party, Liberal and Green Party Members of Parliament will hold a joint press conference on Ottawa's Parliament Hill with Jodie Emery, wife of imprisoned marijuana activist Marc Emery, to call on the Conservative government to approve Marc's transfer home to serve the remainder of his prison sentence in Canada.
Sep 30, 2013	How To Access Canada's New Medical Marijuana Program - Part 1 1. You need only one doctor, regardless of illness. Gone are the specialists and categories of illness in MMAR. The MMPR is wide-open to ensure, regardless of illness, that if you want to medicate with marijuana and have a doctor's (or in the future, a nurse practitioner's) support, you're going to gain access to legal cannabis. 2. You don't apply to the government for medical marijuana. The burdensome application is not only gone, but so is government involvement. Many believe it's the feds that frightened-off doctors. It could be true. 3. Health Canada has a one-page PDF sample form. The <a href="http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/alt_formats/pdf/marihuana/info/med-eng.pdf">sample medical document</a> <span class="print-footnote">[9]</span> is kind of amazing in its simplicity. It's not an application, but a form. You can print it off take it your doctor. <a href="http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/alt_formats/pdf/marihuana/info/med-eng.pdf">Download it here</a> <span class="print-footnote">[9]</span>. 4. The document looks innocuous, but the third line is the deal-sealer or deal-breaker. "Daily quantity of dried marihuana to be used by the patient" is where all the action is. Convince a doctor to put a number here and you may buy legal cannabis. 5. The rest of the information on the sample form is basic medical office information. 6. Doctor's signature. Most importantly, the doctor is signing that the information on the form is correct ? you intend to use cannabis daily. No endorsement. No recommendation. No obligation. Doctors may still balk at being involved in medical marijuana or they may embrace it. At the moment we still aren't sure about all the possible barriers to access. 7. Nurse practitioner's signature. New under the MMPR is the possibility of nurse practitioners signing for medical marijuana. Health Canada will never admit my court case <a href="http://www.cannabisculture.com/taxonomy/term/2967">R v. Mernagh</a> <span class="print-footnote">[10]</span> forced this option, but Team Mernagh is going to take credit. Currently provincial legislation in every province prevents Nurse Practitioners from actually doing this. 8. Sample Medical Document. Remember, it's only a sample form and Health Canada notes another document may be used as long as the information is identical. Alternatively (and possibly the best method) would be to use a doctor's letterhead, because all the medical business information is already on it. A prescription pad note is also doable if it contains all the required information. Any alternative documents must have all the doctor's information on it and your's too. Stay tuned to <em>Cannabis Culture</em> for "How To Access Canada's New Medical Marijuana Program - Part 2", where I explain how to submit your form and how to get your medicine. <em>Matt Mernagh is a medical marijuana user and the lead advocate for access in <a href="http://www.cannabisculture.com/taxonomy/term/2967">R v. Mernagh</a> <span class="print-footnote">[10]</span>. His book <a href="http://www.pot.tv/video/2013/06/03/Treating-Yourself-Expo-2013-Matt-Mernaghs-Marijuana-Smokers-Guidebook">Marijuana Smoker's Guidebook: The Easy Way To Identify and Enjoy Marijuana Strains</a> <span class="print-footnote">[11]</span> is available in bookstores, head shops, <a href="https://bitly.com/">Amazon</a> <span class="print-footnote">[12]</span> and <a href="http://bit.ly/16hWzEA">Indigo</a> <span class="print-footnote">[13]</span>.</em>
Sep 11, 2013	Marijuana Petition Hits The Streets Canvassers in Nelson and across the province began collecting signatures for the Sensible BC marijuana petition Monday. They now have 90 days to collect signatures from at least 10 per cent of registered voters in every provincial riding if they want to force a referendum on the question of decriminalizing pot possession in BC.
Sep 4, 2013	Chief Supports Ticketing For Marijuana Bridgewater's police chief has joined his counterparts across the country in calling for changes to drug laws which would allow officers to ticket people caught with small amounts of marijuana. They know a cash cow when they see one is why
Feb 1, 2013	Canada's marijuana rules upheld A landmark ruling that could have paved the way for legalizing marijuana in the country was overturned by the Ontario Court of Appeal Friday. The Appeal Court found a lower court judge erred in an April 2011 decision that found Canada's medical marijuana laws were unconstitutional in a decision involving St. Catharines native Matthew Mernagh.
Dec 15, 2012	Notices and Proposed Regulations Vol. 146, No. 50 - December 15, 2012 Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations
Nov 27, 2012	Quebec lawyers to contest mandatory minimum sentences The Quebec Bar Association has announced its plan to contest the constitutionality of minimum sentencing in the Conservative government's omnibus crime legislation. The controversial Bill C-10, the Safe Streets and Communities Act, was passed last March in the House of Commons and lays out tougher jail sentences and mandatory minimum sentencing. The bar association, which represents over 24,000 lawyers in the province, filed its motion with the Quebec Superior Court on Tuesday, asking it to rule on the constitutionality of the specific sections of the law that deal with mandatory minimum sentences.
Nov 16, 2012	MMAR PPL/DPL Coalition against Repeal Health Canada has proposed phasing out the Personal-Use Production License and Designated-Person Production License components of the Marihuana Medical Access Regulations (MMAR). These licenses currently allow over 17, 000 Canadians to legally produce medical cannabis for themselves or on behalf of a patient. Instead of these licenses, Health Canada has proposed authorizing only a small number of large-scale producers and has not yet disclosed the requirements for applicants. A legal challenge is being launched.
Nov 6, 2012	MANDATORY MINIMUMS FOR GROWING 6+ PLANTS NOW IN EFFECT On November 6, amendments to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act imposing mandatory minimum prison sentences for pot offences came into force. For example, possession of at least six cannabis plants is now punishable with six to nine months of imprisonment. If the same offence was committed for trafficking, the maximum penalty is increased to 14 years.
Oct 12, 2012	Mandatory Minimums for Cannabis begin on November 6 REMINDER: Penalties of 6 months or more for growing 6 plants will start next month. Harper is right, we won't recognize Canada when he is through with it.
Mar 12, 2012	Bill C 10 passed by Conservatives The Conservatives have used their majority to pass the so-called omnibus crime bill within the first 100 sitting days of Parliament as promised, despite continued opposition from Canada's largest provinces which vowed Monday not to sit back idly as the measures come into force. <a href="http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Language=E&Mode=1&DocId=5465759" target="_blank">C-10 Document</a>
Feb 28, 2012	Crime Bill to Return to House of Commons With a Few Changes The federal government's omnibus crime bill will be heading back to the House of Commons after senators approved changes to Bill C-10 early Monday. The changes, proposed by Ontario Conservative Senator Bob Runciman, were approved easily, but changes Liberal senators wanted to the Safe Streets and Communities Act received a tougher ride, including a failed proposal to raise the number of marijuana plants one could legally grow to 20 from six
Feb 2, 2012	Nunavut Justice Minister Denounces Tory Crime Bill The Conservative government's massive new crime bill runs counter to a Supreme Court of Canada ruling on aboriginal justice, Nunavut's justice minister said Thursday. New mandatory minimum sentences will overburden the territory's courts and corrections system and fly in the face of Criminal Code provisions on the treatment of aboriginal offenders, Daniel Shewchuk told the Senate's legal and constitutional affairs committee. "The government of Nunavut believes that taking away discretion from judges is not the right approach." Mr. Shewchuk noted that the Supreme Court recognized restorative justice principles in the 1999 Gladue decision, which addressed the over-representation of aboriginal Canadians in prisons. The omnibus Bill C-10 combines nine different pieces of legislation, covering everything from drug and sex crimes to young offenders, criminal pardons and the issue of Canadians jailed abroad.
	Bill C- 15: Bill to Amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act <h1<a href="http://drugsense.org/url/X5oTvm3F">See Mandatory Minimum Sentences</a></h1> <strong> New section 5(3)(a.1) of the CDSA reenacts the current section 5(4) of the CDSA and imposes a maximum punishment of imprisonment for five years less a day if the trafficking offence is for a small amount of cannabis or its derivatives, as listed in Schedule II. Clause 1 amends the CDSA to impose a minimum punishment of imprisonment for a term of two years if certain other aggravating factors apply, including that the offence was committed in or near a school, on or near school grounds, or in or near any other public place usually frequented by persons under the age of 18 years. <u>Defining such places may prove to be difficult.</u> Clause 2 of Bill C-15 imposes a mandatory minimum punishment of imprisonment for one year if the offence is committed for the purpose of trafficking and the substance involved is included in Schedule I and is in an amount that does not exceed one kilogram, or is listed in Schedule II. As in clauses 1 and 3, the maximum punishment of imprisonment for life is retained. Mandatory minimum punishments will also be introduced for the production of cannabis (marihuana), with their length depending upon the number of marihuana plants produced.- The term of imprisonment will be at least six months if the number of plants produced is fewer than 201 and the production is for the purpose of trafficking.- The minimum penalty increases to nine months in these circumstances if any of the health and safety factors apply</strong> <h2>LINKS</h2> <strong>See</strong>:<a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/CannabisFactsForCdns" target="_blank">Video of Senate Hearings testimony</a> <strong>See</strong>:<a href="http://www.cannabisfacts.ca/SenateCtteeMtgs_BillC-15.html" target="_blank">Transcripts from the Hearings</a> <h2>TIMELINE</h2> <strong>December 30, 2009</strong>: Prime Minister Shuts Down Parliament until March, 2010 - Kills Bill C-15 <hr /> <strong>December 9, 2009</strong>: The Senate has voted to amend Bill C-15. The bill will now go to Third Reading in the Senate, and then will be forwarded back to the House of Commons. <hr /> <strong>December 3, 2009</strong>: Canadian Senate Committee Passes Bill C-15 with minor amendments. Now goes to Senate as a whole for a vote, then signed by the Governor General to become law. See: <a href="http://whyprohibition.ca/blogs/kirk-tousaw/what-does-c-15-mean-after-senate-amendments" target="_blank">What does C-15 mean after the Senate amendments?</a> <hr /> <strong>September 17, 2009</strong>: <a href="http://drugsense.org/url/muTL3Xfb" target="_blank">Bill C-15: 2nd Reading</a> - On motion of Senator Wallace, bill referred to Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, on division. <hr /> <strong>June 25, 2009</strong>:It was moved by the Honourable Senator Tardif, seconded by the Honourable Senator Fraser, that debate be adjourned to the next sitting of the Senate. <hr /> <strong>June 22, 2009</strong>: <a href="http://drugsense.org/url/E4jyy46n" target="_blank">Bill C-15 goes to the Senate for second reading</a> <hr /> <strong>June 10, 2009</strong>: <a href="http://drugsense.org/url/FJUAkBQQ" target="_blank">Bill C-15 goes to the Senate for first reading</a> The Hon. the Speaker informed the Senate that a message had been received from the House of Commons with Bill C-15, An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts. <hr /> <strong>June 8, 2009</strong>: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azCCzlVUYQg" target="_blank">Bill C-15, mandatory minimum sentences for drug offences including marijuana passed the House of Commons 195/54. </a> <hr /> <h2 align="center">Bill C-15 Newsfeed</h2> <hr />
Nov 24, 2011	National Day of Action - Stop Crime Bill Canadians are standing together against a fill-the-prisons approach to justice that has failed everywhere its been tried. Join a coalition of groups for two days of action to speak out against the cruel Crime Bill. Time is running out to make Canada safer, not meaner - we need you to help us all make a big impact. Where: Our MPs local constituency offices. When: Focus on Thursday at 1pm, with actions throughout Thursday and Friday. Were going to tell our MPs: Dont mess up like Texas. Stop the cruel Crime Bill. Bring friends, and bring a cowboy hat if you can. We will deliver tens of thousand of petition signatures and a summary of the Canadian Bar Associations powerful argument against the bill. Our goal is to show cross-country solidarity by reaching as many MPs offices as possible, you and a friend are all we need to send a powerful message.
Oct 31, 2011	Sign the Petition -Stop Bill C-10: Make Canada Safer, Not Meaner OVER 70,600 SIGNERS!! PLUS <a href="http://www.leadnow.ca/keep-canada-safe" target="_blank">ANOTHER PETITION WITH 22,000 SIGNERS!</a> Our Conservative government is trying to rush through a cruel Crime Bill with mandatory sentences that will fill new prisons. Even conservative Texans think the Crime Bill is too harsh, costly and ineffective. Send a message to Justice Minister Rob Nicholson to stop the Crime Bill from making Canada meaner and more dangerous.
Sep 23, 2011	Pardon Marc Emery We formally request President Obama pardon and release Marc Scott Emery. Marc Emery, a well-known Canadian political activist, publisher, businessman and leader of the BC Marijuana Party, was arrested in 2005 at the request of the United States for selling cannabis seeds through the mail. The DEA press release by Administrator Karen Tandy on July 29th, 2005 clearly explained the United States extradition request was a significant blow to the marijuana legalization movement because Marc Emerys money had been channeled to marijuana legalization groups active in the United States and Canada and therefore, was for the purpose of prosecuting and punishing him by reason of his political opinion, activity and involvement; [DEA press release seen at www.FreeMarc.ca]
Sep 1, 2011	Canada HARPER GOVERNMENT DECLARES TOTAL WAR ON MARIJUANA, POSSESSION ARRESTS JUMP 14% At the end of July Statistics Canada released their annual crime statistics for Canada, revealing a startling increase in the number of simple marijuana possession arrests. Over 58,000 Canadians were arrested last year for simple marijuana possession, up an astounding 14% over the previous year, and comprising over 54% of all drug arrests in Canada.

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