Canada

News

OTTAWA - When Robert was 18, he was arrested by Montreal's police for possession of a small amount of hashish, an event that would upend his young life.

43.5 per cent of study participants who used marijuana as a substitute for alcohol decreased the frequency of their drinking.

A recent poll suggests 51 per cent of British Columbians are buying all product legally B.C. has had a difficult road to getting cannabis users interested in purchasing from legal retailers over their neighbourhood dealer, but a recent poll suggests that the province may finally be winning the battle over bud.

SMITHS FALLS, Ontario - When Canada became the first major industrialized nation to legalize recreational marijuana, visions of billions of dollars in profits inspired growers, retailers and investors, sending the stock market soaring in a so-called green rush.

Letters

Letter writer Cristina Adam asserted that abstinence-based drug education is the best, adding that "in no uncertain terms there is NO way to take drugs safely." ("Letter: Say no to drugs the best message," May 3)

Like myself, I suspect many citizens of Lethbridge were alarmed by the finding of misappropriated funds within ARCHES, and the subsequent withdrawal of provincial funding to their supervised consumption site (SCS). As an RN who has worked for a number of years in harm reduction, I am reeling for our clients and their families in terms of how this will impact them.

It is indeed sweet victory to see the B.C. Liquor Corp. selling cannabis. In the B.C. election of 2001, I, as a B.C. Marijuana Party candidate, was arrested at the behest of the Victoria Hillside liquor store for campaigning for legal cannabis.

Dear Editor: Contrary to Joe Fries' editorial "Abstinence works best" (Courier, Aug. 16), Rhode Island treats addicted prison inmates with methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone. Like methadone, buprenorphine is an opioid agonist, or replacement opioid. Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist that blocks opioid receptors.

Re: "Legalizing pot is proving to be a public-health disaster," column, Aug. 11. Lawrie McFarlane's verdict is premature. Legal regulation in Canada isn't analogous to legalization in Colorado, for among other reasons, Colorado allows advertising and initially allowed edibles and extracts with inadequate labelling, packaging and dose limitations.

Re: "Legalizing pot is proving to be a public-health disaster," column, Aug. 11. In his opinion piece on cannabis legalization, Lawrie McFarlane cites a short-term increase in the numbers of adolescents visiting emergency rooms for cannabis in Colorado - a jurisdiction with a commercialized approach to cannabis legalization - as evidence that Canada's much more restrictive public health-oriented approach to legalization has failed.

The costs and benefits of cannabis and cannabis policies are difficult to calculate, but cannabis legalization will remove many impediments to research.

Jason Kenney stated recently that the best way to combat drug addition in general, and the opioid crisis in particular, is by controlling supply. This demonstrates that he is little more than a cynical, career politician. He will say whatever he thinks will resonate with his base in the hope of becoming the next premier.

Opinions

In July, the Canadian province of British Columbia experienced its fifth straight month with more than 100 overdose deaths - and its third above 170 lives lost.

If the idea of decriminalizing possession of small amounts of illicit drugs once sounded radical, the coalition of people who now espouse the idea would certainly seem to be strange bedfellows.

Listen to the police Let's talk about decriminalizing all drugs We're having a national conversation about policing and criminal justice. Examining our drug laws is a natural extension of this debate

Canada has been at the forefront of cannabis research, education and regulation for the past 2 decades, yet uncertainty remains about how the drug should be used in medicine. Physicians lack evidence-based information and formalized training about cannabis, which stems, in part, from the drug's previously illegal status that hindered research. Among the public, however, many perceive cannabis as a natural and safe medical treatment. Patients increasingly seek advice about cannabis from physicians, request prescriptions or experiment with cannabis for medical problems on their own. However, physicians must adhere to good medical practice regardless of public pressure and provide counselling to patients based on up-to-date knowledge and evidence. Now that cannabis is legal in Canada more research should be forthcoming, but the evidence base remains weak.

Links

Calgary based cannabis community for ALL cannabis consumers.

Dedicated to facilitating access to a safe supply of cannabis through research, education and advocacy.

A non-profit organization working to minimize the harm associated with the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.

The CDPC envisions a safe, healthy and just Canada in which drug policy and legislation as well as related institutional practice are based on evidence, human rights, social inclusion and public health.

The Canadian Foundation for Drug Policy (CFDP) is a non-profit organization founded in 1993 by several of Canada's leading specialists in drug policy. Its founding members include psychologists, pharmacologists, lawyers, health policy advocates and public policy researchers. The Foundation is funded entirely by its members and by contributions from other organizations with an interest in drug policy reform.

The Canadian Harm Reduction Network is an umbrella organization for individuals and organizations across Canada dedicated to reducing the social, health and economic harmsassociated with drugs and drug policies.

The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network is based in Montreal (Quebec), Canada. It is the only national, community-based, charitable organization in Canada working exclusively in the area of policy and legal issues raised by HIV/AIDS. It was formed in November 1992 and has over 200 members across Canada and internationally.

The Marijuana Party of Canada's political platform is to end prohibition of cannabis.

Canadian wing of the Media Awareness Project

CSSDP is a national grassroots student network concerned about the negative impact our drug policies have on individuals, families and communities. The criminal justice approach to drug use is failing our generation and our society, leading to increased harm from drug use. Criminalizing young people who use drugs ensures that drugs remain in the hands of organized crime and marginalizes those that develop problems with drugs.

Canadians for Safe Access (CSA) is an action-oriented, grassroots campaign of patients, supporters and suppliers working at the local, provincial and national level to change the unjust laws that prevent Canadians from accessing therapeutic cannabis.

Cannabis facts for all Canadians

The Canadian Medical Marijuana Journal

Canadian trends, education, information and resources connected to cannabis.

A public hospital providing direct patient care for people with mental health and addiction problems. The Centre is also a research facility, an education and training institute and a community based organization providing health promotion and prevention services across the province of Ontario, Canada, and is designated as a World Health Organization Centre of Excellence.

Crystal Meth, JIB, Ice, Addiction and Recovery info. includes medical, pictures, street youth artwork, Q&A, treatment, community services, user stories, and much more.

All cannabis consumers in Canada need to speak out. Don't be a spectator to the marijuana law reform movement. Calling all activists!

Mobile Access Compassionate Resources Organization Society We are a non-profit society seeking to fill a vacuum by Assisting Canadians To Exercise Informed Consent in Choosing Cannabis/Marijuana as Medicine to Treat Their Illness and/or Symptoms

The Medical Marijuana Information Resource Center is established to provide patients, caregivers, and clinicians with a source of scientific and current information about the use of marijuana (cannabis) as a medicine.

Papers