vancouver island

Is hemp the future of Cowichan agriculture?

Submitted by Nicole Seguin on Thu, 05/31/2012 - 11:00pm

BY SARAH SIMPSON, CITIZEN

Ted Smith has long argued that marijuana production should be a legal industry, with cultivation regulated, instead of hindered, by the government.

The Victoria-based president of the International Hempology 101 Society and publisher of Cannabis Digest is one of many, from government officials to noted academics, who believe the time has come for a change in the way society views the plant.

In 2008, B.C. Business magazine placed the province's marijuana industry in second place for its contribution to the B.C. gross domestic product.

Smith says it's time to reformat how cannabis is thought about, believing it could do wonders for the province's economic outlook. Read more »

Vancouver Island man faces house being seized despite being acquitted of growing pot

Submitted by Nicole Seguin on Wed, 09/07/2011 - 2:38pm

BY NEAL HALL, VANCOUVER SUN

VANCOUVER - A judge recently acquitted a Vancouver Island resident of growing marijuana after finding the police search warrant used to seize 396 pot plants was based on wrong information, but he still faces his home being seized under the Civil Forfeiture Act.

The RCMP, suspecting Christopher Shoquist was up to no good, obtained a search warrant to search his rural property at 1051 Koskimo Road in Qualicum Beach.

Officers stood behind what they believed was a neighbour's fence to observe an outbuilding that was suspected to contain a marijuana grow operation. Read more »

Heroin users warned as deaths increase

Submitted by Nicole Seguin on Mon, 08/08/2011 - 1:39pm

BY LINDSAY KINES, TIMES COLONIST

A spike in drug overdose deaths on Vancouver Island has prompted the B.C.

Coroners Service to remind the public about risks associated with extra-strength heroin on the streets.

Regional coroner Matt Brown said there were eight confirmed heroinrelated fatalities from January to July with another four suspected cases awaiting toxicology test results.

That compares with six over the same period in 2010.

"There's a definite spike there," he said.

Brown said the majority of the overdoses occurred in January, but cases continue to surface, prompting the concern.

"What we want to do is make sure that the general public is aware that there is a higher potency of heroin out there," he said. Read more »

Vancouver Island medical marijuana group raided by police

Submitted by Nicole Seguin on Mon, 02/28/2011 - 5:51pm

BY SPENCER ANDERSON, COMOX VALLEY ECHO

The North Island Compassion club, a medical marijuana group, was busted by Comox Valley RCMP last week.

On Friday, police executed a search warrant on the club's headquarters on Sixth Street in Courtenay on Vancouver Island.

They seized several pounds of marijuana, and arrested four people. RCMP spokeswoman Const. Tammy Douglas confirmed two were charged and released on a promise to appear in court.

"Police are concerned the club has become a front for marijuana dealing," said Douglas in a statement. "We recognize there are conflicting views on the medicinal value of marijuana but it remains illegal to sell in the manner in which they were conducting business." Read more »

Harm reduction proven helpful to communities

Submitted by Nicole Seguin on Thu, 12/02/2010 - 4:21pm
By Rachel Stern - Nanaimo News Bulletin
 
Harm reduction sites and the distribution of crack kits have been a hot topic in Nanaimo since the health authority rolled out a pilot project without consultation in 2007.
 
That project was cancelled due to public outrage and concerns that neither city council nor residents were made aware of it.
 
This fall, the Vancouver Island Health Authority planned to roll out 10 secondary harm reduction sites across the Island and met with Nanaimo city council earlier this year.
 
There are three in the mid-Island area, but VIHA isn’t revealing exactly where those sites are or when they’re open.

AIDS group wants to spread awareness

Submitted by Nicole Seguin on Wed, 12/01/2010 - 4:33pm
By Dustin Walker, Daily News
 
Public education and better access to harm reduction supplies, such as clean needles, are key to reducing a potential spike in the number of central Vancouver Island residents who contract HIV, says AIDS Vancouver Island.
 
The local chapter of the organization hopes to raise further awareness about these types of issues during an open house today as part of World AIDS Day.
 
Central Vancouver Island's HIV rate was at 4.9 cases per 100,000 in 2008, well below the provincial rate of 7.9, according to B.C. Centre for Disease Control statistics. But the region has among the highest rates of Hepatitis C in the province at 87.6. The B.C. rate was just 55.8 in 2008.

Drug users aim for supervised site

Submitted by Nicole Seguin on Mon, 07/12/2010 - 3:01pm
By Judith Lavoie, Times Colonist
 
Illicit drug users and former users will lead a new Victoria organization that is aiming to open a harm reduction centre with supervised drug consumption services.
 
Those who have the experience and knowledge of drug use should be involved in shaping services, said Heather Hobbs of Harm Reduction Victoria, one of the organizers of the Victoria Harm Reduction Resource Centre Society.
 
The fledgling society will start fundraising at a July 17 event, with the goal of being able to offer comprehensive services, Hobbs said. "We envision a space where people who use drugs are welcomed by their peers and where they can access dignified, practical health supports."

Needle exchange and health care

Submitted by Nicole Seguin on Thu, 05/27/2010 - 7:34am
Editorial: Times Colonist
 
The need for a fixed needle exchange in Victoria is clear to everyone involved -- the Vancouver Island Health Authority, the city, social agencies. Needle exchanges aren't miracle cures. But they save lives, reduce some of the disorder on the streets and connect intravenous drug users to services.
 
Yet for the last two years, this region has been without a proper needle exchange. And the latest plan from VIHA still fails to provide this needed health service.

[Harm Reduction] kits coming to city this summer

Submitted by Nicole Seguin on Mon, 05/03/2010 - 9:37am
By Toby Gorman - Nanaimo News Bulletin
 
A controversial harm reduction strategy will go ahead in Nanaimo, this time with city council’s consultation.
 
The Vancouver Island Health Authority’s original foray into providing safer tools for drug users three years ago was met with outrage from both council and neighbourhood groups because of a lack of consultation.
 
This time, VIHA will use several fixed sites in areas known to be havens for drug users instead of a mobile van.
 
Lorna Medd, a medical health officer with VIHA, spoke to city council Monday, though neighbourhood groups continue to look in from the outside where consultation is concerned.

Residents want conversation with VIHA

Submitted by Nicole Seguin on Mon, 03/29/2010 - 9:00am

Nanaimo neighbourhood associations want in on the conversation about harm reduction strategies the Vancouver Island Health Authority expects to roll out this summer.

The health authority plans to implement an Island-wide harm reduction strategy, including 60 sites in various communities.

About 10 sites are being considered in Nanaimo and will be secondary providers of harm reduction materials that include condoms, needles, syringes, alcohol swabs, push sticks, plastic tubes and cookers.

Read more »
Syndicate content