Prohibition

Complaint lodged over local officer's gag order

Submitted by Nicole Seguin on Thu, 03/04/2010 - 6:45pm
By Louise Dickson, Times Colonist
 
The B.C. Civil Liberties Association has filed a complaint with the Victoria Police Board after Chief Jamie Graham ordered one of his officers not to speak at a local drug forum.
 
Const. David Bratzer, who does public speaking on behalf of the U.S.-based non-profit organization Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, known as LEAP, was asked to join a panel of speakers at a City of Victoria harm-reduction forum last evening, attended by about 120 people.
 

Canada's rudimentary approach to ‘unselling' drugs

Submitted by Nicole Seguin on Tue, 03/02/2010 - 1:09am
While U.S. hits hard with Hollywood-style ads, Canada takes a rudimentary approach
 
Simon Houpt, Globe and Mail
 
Nancy Reagan would be horrified. Almost 30 years ago, when a young California schoolgirl asked the U.S. First Lady what advice she would offer to help kids resist the pressure of peers to take drugs, she replied: “Just say no.”
 

Prescription drug abuse overtakes street drugs

Submitted by Nicole Seguin on Thu, 02/25/2010 - 11:10pm
Posted By KELLY MCSHANE, SPECIAL TO THE PACKET AND TIMES
 
A crackdown on street drugs may be the catalyst for a rise in the abuse of prescription medications, police say.
 
"The availability of street drugs has declined, which is good, but now people are switching over to prescription drugs, which are more difficult for us to control," said Insp. Don Goard, who heads up Orillia's OPP detachment.
 
Goard said the switch in drug sources was expected.

Specifically, Goard said there has been an increase in the use of OxyContin, a medication generally prescribed for the relief of severe pain.

SFU professor tackles pot policy 'stalemate'

Submitted by Nicole Seguin on Mon, 01/25/2010 - 8:00am
By. CTVBC

Benedikt Fischer, a health sciences professor at Simon Fraser University, has just co-authored a new book evaluating current marijuana prohibition systems -- and considering alternatives that might actually work.

Last February, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced his government's new anti-drug strategy. It amounted to a number of stricter penalties, including mandatory jail sentences for conducting large-scale grow-ops and an increase in maximum prison terms from seven to 14 years.

The message was a loud and clear reinforcement of the status-quo: Prohibition works.

Fischer disagrees.

Tales of waste and futility

Submitted by Nicole Seguin on Wed, 12/23/2009 - 7:33pm
By Kirk Tousaw
 

CBC News - British Columbia - Drug ingredients seized in B.C. bust

The RCMP said the year-long investigation culminated in the seizure of about 20 barrels of the chemicals needed to make the drugs, as well as 14,000 ecstasy pills, more than $250,000 in cash and seven guns.

Seven men and two women ranging in age from 32 to 53 from Richmond, Vancouver and Abbotsford could face a variety of charges including conspiracy to produce a controlled substance and possession for the purpose of trafficking. Link to story here.

MARC OUT ON BAIL! PART 1

Submitted by Mandy Potter on Fri, 12/04/2009 - 10:50pm
Marc sits down with Mandy to bring us up to date on what is happening with his extradition and what it was like in prison and now that he is out. 
 
 
video: 

Virtually legal

Submitted by Nicole Seguin on Sun, 11/15/2009 - 5:35am
Nov 12th 2009 From The Economist print edition

THE Green Relief “natural health clinic” in a bohemian part of San Francisco doesn’t sound like an ordinary doctor’s surgery. For those who wonder about the sort of relief provided, its logo—a cannabis leaf—is a clue. Inside, in under an hour and for $99, patients can get a doctor’s letter allowing them to smoke marijuana in California with no fear of prosecution. In a state that pioneered bans on smoking tobacco, smoking cannabis is now easier than almost anywhere in the world.

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