Great Debate

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" height=65 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="8994c8cc1dvldtc.png"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="1" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="751" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#66CC66" BORDERCOLORDARK="#669966" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 55 WIDTH="37"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="55" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="37" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="37"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="55" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="37" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="37"><div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Giant Dwarf"><U><IMG SRC="897013170.png" border=0 width="19" height="23" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> HOME</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=BOTTOM><NOBR><div>  <img src="HTMLobj-35223/aniGif.gif" alt="Left Leaf" border="0" align="bottom" width="50" height="50">  <IMG SRC="896d03260.png" border=0 width="259" height="38" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  <img src="HTMLobj-35224/aniGif.gif" alt="Left Leaf" border="0" align="bottom" width="50" height="50">  </div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="59"><div> Page</div> <div> 1 of 1</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> <A HREF="mailto:giantdwarf@thot.net" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:giantdwarf@thot.net"><U><IMG SRC="5a72d190.png" border=0 width="45" height="25" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> E-mail G.D.</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <bR> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=415 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="8992c8a93.png"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="1" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="751" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#66CC66" BORDERCOLORDARK="#669966" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ROWS" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#000000 > <tR> <tD VALIGN=BOTTOM ROWSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 22 ><NOBR><div>  <img src="HTMLobj-35225/aniGif.gif" alt="Pick A Diamond" border="0" align="bottom" width="20" height="29">  </div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="717"><div> <B>The pros and cons of medical cannabis!</B><B> <A NAME="top"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=BOTTOM WIDTH="717"><div> <I>To view past articles, click a diamond below to see its contents.</I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="27"><div> <A HREF="#when" TITLE="Great Debate"><U><IMG SRC="43fc0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <B>When children get caught up in grow-op busts</B><B> . . . . . . . . . . . . </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Arial Black" ><B>New Article</B></FONT></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="27"><div> <A HREF="#rulling" TITLE="Great Debate"><U><IMG SRC="43fc0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="717"><div> <B>Ruling could affect inspections of suspected grow-ops</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="27"><div> <A HREF="#feds" TITLE="Great Debate"><U><IMG SRC="43fc0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="717"><div> <B>Feds should hold monopoly on medical marijuana: lawyer</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="27"><div> <A HREF="#pot_bust" TITLE="Great Debate"><U><IMG SRC="43fc0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="717"><div> <B>Pot busts rise after decriminalization bill kille</B><B>d </B><I><B>. . . !</B></I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="27"><div> <A HREF="#small_but_growing_number_of_seniors_using_drugs" TITLE="Great Debate"><U><IMG SRC="43fc0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="717"><div> <B>Small but growing number of seniors using drugs</B><I><B> . . . !</B></I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="27"><div> <A HREF="#medical_marijuana_hydrponics_vs" TITLE="Great Debate"><U><IMG SRC="43fc0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <B>Which is best when it comes to Medical Cannabis: </B><B><U>Soil Vs. Hydroponic Vs. Aeroponic</U></B><B>? </B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="1" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="752" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#66CC66" BORDERCOLORDARK="#669966" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#000000 > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 189 WIDTH="746"><div> <B>WARNING</B></div> <div> <U>Important</U>:- I must warn you that setting up a garden for the purpose of growing marijuana is completely illegal. <I><B><U>You must have a have a government issued permit that was prescribed by your doctor</U></B></I><I><B>.</B></I>  Out here in the Nipissing area; police are busting home gardens left & right.  How do they do that?  With a new tool coming to your town soon - if not already there.  It's a device that is capable of detecting heat signatures in any organic matter and object(s).  They simply pass with a car, van, helicopter or plane equipped with this device and they can see / detect any heat signature present inside ANY HOME THEY CHOOSE.  And a garden can emit a large heath signature.  They often conduct random sweeps in various neighborhoods & in the countryside.  Eventually, all buildings / homes will be monitored on an annual / monthly basis.</div> <div> <I>So if you think you can hide the heat signature created from </I><I>your garden - </I><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#00FF00" FACE="Arial" ><I>Good Luck - 'Cause You Can't </I><I>. . . !</I></FONT></div> <div> <I>YOU WILL GET CAUGHT & THEY WILL PROSECUTE YOU TO THE FULL EXTEND OF THE LAW - THUS, MAKING AN EXAMPLE OF YOU!  </I><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFFF00" FACE="Arial" ><I>SO PLEASE, BE WISE AND DON'T BREAK THE LAW...!</I></FONT></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 851 WIDTH="746"><div>  <A NAME="when"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Great Debate"><U><IMG SRC="44003f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="739" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 575 WIDTH="574"><div> <B>When children get caught up in grow-op busts</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Tue. Apr.  07  2009  21:09  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: April 8th, 2009</div> <div> <B>When police bust a grow-op they're supposed to find bags of marijuana plants.</B></div> <bR> <div> But during a recent bust in British Columbia's central Okanagan region, they also found a little girl celebrating her second birthday. </div> <bR> <div> This may sound ridiculous and pathetic. But it's apparently not rare.</div> <bR> <div> "It's quite common. said Const. Doug Marshinew, a member of an Okanagan marijuana investigation team.</div> <bR> <div> "That's why we involve our partners in the Ministry of Social Services. Hopefully [we can] take these kids out of an environment like this,'' Marshinew said</div> <bR> <div> In a month-long crackdown in the central Okanagan, the Mounties busted 25 marijuana grow-operations, yielding 1,500 kilograms of marijuana.</div> <bR> <div> Six of those grow-ops, were home to children.</div> <bR> <div> Neighbours can only shake their heads.</div> <bR> <div> "I've got a little angst in me,'' said a woman named Susan, who lives beside one of the busted grow-ops.</div> <bR> <div> "I don't want to be involved with any of these kinds of people making their money off that, and feeding the kids. and a two year old's birthday? " Susan said.</div> <bR> <div> The police say there are risks of electrical shock or fire. There are impacts from mould and fungus, and the entire household faces a higher risk of violent crime.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="165"><div> <IMG SRC="e0c4a0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Over 1,500 kilograms of B.C. bud was seized during a month long blitz on grow-ops in the Central Okanagan. Police also grabbed 18 firearms, and $50,000 in cash. April 7, 2009.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="e0c6a0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Too often, young children get caught in the middle when police raid marijuana grow-ops. April 7th, 2009.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="e0c5a0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Social worker Janet Douglas says children are often used to harvest crops in marijuana grow operations. April 7, 2009.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> "And into all of this you're bringing children,'' said RCMP Const. Steve Holmes.</div> <bR> <div> Initially, in such situations, the child is taken from the parents.</div> <bR> <div> But in most cases, they will be returned to them when the parents are release from custody, which is usually within hours.</div> <bR> <div> During the recent crackdown, an arsenal of guns was also seized, and the police allege that several of the grow-ops have links to organized crime.</div> <bR> <div> It's a dangerous world for anyone, including the children who have no choice but to be a part of it.</div> <bR> <div> Written by CBC News Online staff <I>with files from ctvbc.ca and by CTV British Columbia's Kent Molgat</I></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="#top" TITLE="Great Debate"><U><IMG SRC="44003f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 1259 WIDTH="746"><div>  <A NAME="rulling"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="739" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 233 WIDTH="574"><div> <B>Ruling could affect inspections of suspected grow-ops</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Tue. Oct. 28  2008  08:17  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: October 31st, 2008</div> <div> <B>VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Provincial legislation that allows electrical inspections of homes identified as having high electricity usage -- and therefore suspected of being marijuana grow-ops -- is sound but police cannot accompany those safety teams without a warrant, a B.C. Supreme Court judge has ruled.</B></div> <bR> <div> The decision came after two Surrey residents went to court against the City of Surrey, BC Hydro and the province's attorney general, arguing that police could not enter their home without a warrant.</div> <bR> <div> Justice William Smart ruled in a recent judgment that the provincial Safety Standards Act permits a reasonable balance between efficiency and individual privacy.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="165"><div> <IMG SRC="d757a0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> An Ontario Provincial Police officer carries marijuana plants after a huge bust in Eastern Ontario on Sept.19, 2008. (THE CANADIAN PRESS / HO-Ontario Provicial Police)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 654 WIDTH="741"><div> But he also ruled that such inspections, which have involved police accompanying the inspectors, are reasonable under the Charter of Rights.</div> <bR> <div> In the case before him, however, the police do not have the authority to enter a residence without a warrant, said the judge.</div> <bR> <div> The judge also ruled that it was unlawful for the city to have disconnected the power to the Surrey residents after the police were refused entry.</div> <bR> <div> The petitioners, Jason Arkinstall and Jennifer Green, were approached in May 2007 by Surrey's electrical and fire inspection team in order to conduct an inspection under the act.</div> <bR> <div> Arkinstall told the inspectors they could enter but he refused entry to the RCMP officers who did not have a warrant.</div> <bR> <div> Since he refused the police entry, the city had BC Hydro disconnect their power.</div> <bR> <div> The ruling also made clear how widespread is the possibility of inspections.</div> <bR> <div> Since 2006 BC Hydro "had forwarded the residential consumption records of approximately 6,000 properties to Surrey for review," the judge said. "Of those, approximately 1,000 have been identified for inspection."</div> <bR> <div> Grace Pastine of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, called it an important ruling.</div> <bR> <div> "It has a great deal of significance for British Columbians and Canadians in general who value their privacy and the protection of their homes from warrantless searches.</div> <bR> <div> Lawyer Joseph Arvay, who represented Arkinstall and Green, said his arguments weren't full accepted.</div> <bR> <div> "We challenged the act which would have prohibited everyone from going in (a home) but in the alternative we said even if the city folks and fire folks can go in police can't without a warrant," said Arvay.</div> <bR> <div> The court, he said, didn't accept the first argument but accepted the second.</div> <bR> <div> He also said the ruling by the judge provided a more restrictive interpretation of the act than the city intended.</div> <bR> <div> Arvay said the City of Surrey argued that it could go in anytime it believed there was an inordinately high consumption of electricity.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> "I said if the act is interpreted that broadly, that high power consumption alone is enough to let people tramp through a private home, the act has to be unconstitutional."</div> <bR> <div> He said the judge's ruling did not interpret it that broadly but did require the city to have reasonable grounds before it went in.</div> <bR> <div> The court said each case must be looked at individually, said Arvay.</div> <bR> <div> But Arvay said he was not sure from the ruling how the City of Surrey will be able to determine when it has reasonable grounds.</div> <bR> <div> "That's the part about the judgment that I'm troubled by and that's a part of the judgment I'm thinking of appealing."</div> <bR> <div> The inspections team also said they would not go into homes without being accompanied by police, and Arvay isn't sure what they would do now.</div> <bR> <div> "It will be interesting to see if they stick with that or change their tune.</div> <bR> <div> "If they're saying the only way they're going to go in is with police officers in tow, then I guess they're not going to go in."</div> <bR> <div> Written by CBC News Online staff <I>with files from The Canadian Press</I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 1736 WIDTH="746"><div>  <A NAME="feds"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Great Debate"><U><IMG SRC="44003f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="739" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 126 WIDTH="574"><div> <B>Feds should hold monopoly on medical marijuana: lawyer</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Mon. Oct. 27  2008  21:48  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: October 30th, 2008</div> <div> <B>TORONTO -- A Federal Court of Appeal decision on Monday that upholds a lower court ruling loosening Ottawa's tight grip on access to medical marijuana is being reviewed, the federal government says.</B></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="d756a0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 613 WIDTH="741"><div> A three-judge panel dismissed an appeal from government lawyers who argued Ottawa's monopoly on medical pot was the only way to provide a safe and reliable supply.</div> <bR> <div> The panel strenuously challenged arguments made by Justice Department lawyer Sean Gaudet that there was a lack of hard evidence to back up a Jan. 10 decision by Federal Court Justice Barry Strayer.</div> <bR> <div> "We're not persuaded (Strayer) committed any error," Justice John Evans said in the ruling that came just hours after the government had started laying out its case.</div> <bR> <div> Strayer's decision, which noted fewer than 20 per cent of patients actually use the government's supply, also struck down a provision limiting one grower of medical marijuana to supplying just one user.</div> <bR> <div> As well, the judges rejected a request for a one-year delay to enforce their ruling in order to give the government time to come up with an alternative solution.</div> <bR> <div> Gaudet declined to comment after the ruling, but a spokeswoman for Health Minister Tony Clement said the government is studying the decision.</div> <bR> <div> "We will review it, and respond accordingly," Laryssa Waler wrote in an email.</div> <bR> <div> Lawyer Alan Young, who represented medical users, said the decision is "good for the patients."</div> <bR> <div> He said Health Canada could now determine on a case-by-case basis how many patients a grower could supply. Or, he said, the government could come up with a new limit, which could send the case back to court.</div> <bR> <div> One key government argument challenged by the appeal panel was that the federal supply policy established in 2003 ensured there was an effective, legal supply being provided to users.</div> <bR> <div> "The problem with the policy is it's just a policy," said Justice Karen Sharlow. "The government can rip it up ... tomorrow."</div> <bR> <div> The judges also challenged Gaudet on the lack of hard statistical evidence on whether government-provided marijuana met the medical needs of users.</div> <bR> <div> "I don't see that," Sharlow said. "That troubles me."</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 671 WIDTH="741"><div> Justice Michael Ryer questioned whether the government petitioned buyers to determine what they required.</div> <bR> <div> Gaudet conceded there wasn't a conclusive study from Health Canada on the issue.</div> <bR> <div> The government argued that allowing one grower to supply a large number of users creates security risks, but that logic was rejected by Young.</div> <bR> <div> "They're saying that it's easier for them to control 1,600 individual grows ... as opposed to consolidating into maybe 30 large grows," Young said.</div> <bR> <div> "That just doesn't make any sense."</div> <bR> <div> Before the January ruling, medical users could grow their own pot but growers such as Carasel Harvest Supply Corp. couldn't supply the drug to more than one user at a time.</div> <bR> <div> "The question isn't whether the government's medicine is good, the question is whether the government has acted arbitrarily in restricting patients' choice," Young said.</div> <bR> <div> "God forbid we get into a situation where government's going to dictate to us whether Aspirin or Advil is the painkiller of choice."</div> <bR> <div> Ron Marzel, a Toronto lawyer who brought the matter before the Federal Court, also said the government didn't properly consult with stakeholders before implementing its supply policy.</div> <bR> <div> "Then they receive complaints from patients ... (and) they still entrench the policy," Marzel said.</div> <bR> <div> Users of medical marijuana on hand for the decision were delighted.</div> <bR> <div> "I can't always get what I need," said former corrections worker Alison Myrden, 45, of Burlington, Ont., who suffers from MS and another affliction that causes severe facial pain.</div> <bR> <div> Myrden said she has to go to the street to get a strain of marijuana called "William's Wonder" to properly treat the latter condition.</div> <bR> <div> "We've asked for (the government's) help for years, and they still pass us off like a political football," Myrden said.</div> <bR> <div> "This is a wonderful decision in our favour," said Marko Ivancicevic, 27, of Toronto, another licensed user of medical marijuana. The substance has helped increase quality of life "100-fold," he said, adding that the government produces a product of "subpar quality."</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> Health Canada guidelines posted in 2006 state that potential users must indicate when they apply for a licence to possess medical pot if they plan to access the government supply, grow their own or designate someone to grow it for them. In the latter case, a designated person production licence must also be obtained by the grower.</div> <bR> <div> Health Canada had said it planned to eventually end its licensing of homegrown weed, which would force all medical users to buy their supplies directly from Ottawa, perhaps through pharmacy distribution.</div> <bR> <div> Saskatoon-based Prairie Plant Systems has been running the government-approved pot-growing operation deep in a northern Manitoba mine since it won the contract in 2000. It is bidding to keep the contract, which expires at the end of October.</div> <bR> <div> Organic growers from Vancouver Island, like Eric Nash of Island Harvest, also hope to bag the new federal contract with the promise of supplying better, cheaper and different varieties of weed.</div> <bR> <div> "I can guarantee you (Nash is) on the phone right now saying, `What's happening with the application for my 75 patients?"' Young said.</div> <bR> <div> Written by CBC News Online staff <I>with files from The Canadian Press</I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 2922 ><NOBR><div>  <A NAME="pot_bust"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Great Debate"><U><IMG SRC="44003f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="739" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 126 WIDTH="574"><div> <B>Pot busts rise after decriminalization bill killed</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Mon. July  09  2007  15:45  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: July 11th, 2007</div> <div> <B>OTTAWA -- The number of people arrested for smoking pot rose dramatically in several Canadian cities last year after the Conservatives took office and killed a bill to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana.</B></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="bd2ba0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 809 WIDTH="741"><div> The spike in arrests for simple possession of cannabis appears in data compiled by The Canadian Press from municipal police forces through interviews and Access to Information Act requests.</div> <bR> <div> National statistics will only be released next week but preliminary figures suggest the number of arrests jumped by more than one-third in several Canadian cities.</div> <bR> <div> Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa and Halifax all reported increases of between 20 and 50 per cent in 2006, while Montreal and Calgary saw their number of arrests dip a few percentage points from the previous year.</div> <bR> <div> As a result thousands of people were charged with a criminal offence that just recently was within a whisker of extinction.</div> <bR> <div> Every party in the House of Commons except the Conservatives supported a bill to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana, but the Liberal government that sponsored it never brought it to a final vote.</div> <bR> <div> Several police officials say the trend is linked directly to that legislation, which died as a result of the federal election on Jan. 23, 2006.</div> <bR> <div> The head of one police association said many forces simply stopped laying charges after the Liberals first introduced a decriminalization bill under Jean Chretien in 2003.</div> <bR> <div> "There were several police jurisdictions not laying the simple ... possession charges," said Terry McLaren, president of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police.</div> <bR> <div> "Everybody was waiting for what was going to happen. ... There'd be no use clogging up court system with that decriminalization bill there.</div> <bR> <div> "'When that was defeated, I'd say it was business as usual."</div> <bR> <div> The number of people charged plunged from 26,882 in 2002 and remained relatively steady, below 19,000, for the three years that decriminalization was being debated in Parliament.</div> <bR> <div> But police say many pot-smokers - especially younger ones - appear unaware that the bill never actually passed.</div> <bR> <div> So even if marijuana consumption remains as illegal in Canada as it has been since 1923, police say some people are toking more boldly than they've ever toked before.</div> <bR> <div> Which makes it far easier to arrest them.</div> <bR> <div> "You'd have a youth smoking a joint out on the street without any fear of being caught," said Toronto police Det. Doug McCutcheon. </div> <div> "You go to any high school and do a quiz. Find out how many kids realize that it takes three readings (in the House of Commons), plus Senate approval, before something happens."</div> <bR> <div> The stillborn bill by the previous Liberal government would have made possession under 15 grams a non-criminal offence punishable by fines starting at $150.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 739 WIDTH="741"><div> Nearly half of Canadians have committed the crime spelled out in Section 4 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. It sets out a maximum six-month prison sentence and a $1,000 fine for anyone caught with 30 grams of marijuana or less.</div> <bR> <div> Liberalization advocates say 600,000 Canadians unfairly carry a criminal record because of existing laws. They call the decision to scrap decriminalization wrong-headed.</div> <bR> <div> "It seems to me that the clock is turning backwards here," said New Democrat MP Libby Davies, a persistent critic of current laws. </div> <div> "'They may charge more people - but they're not deterring youth, they're not putting in funds for education or prevention.</div> <bR> <div> "The (Tories) have a very regressive policy that's in line with what the U.S. is doing in its so-called war on drugs - which is a total failure."</div> <bR> <div> If this is a war on marijuana, the public is getting mixed messages about the declared enemy.</div> <bR> <div> The reality is that about only half the people arrested for simple possession even get charged, and the vast majority of those who are charged for pot possession alone never do any time.</div> <bR> <div> In some cases people are handcuffed, brought to jail, and strip-searched by police after being stopped. In other cases they just get told to toss away their joint, or get served papers ordering them to appear in court.</div> <bR> <div> That erratic application only serves to infuriate critics of the status quo.</div> <bR> <div> Several pot-smokers interviewed for this story shared anecdotes that illustrate how inconsistently the law is applied.</div> <bR> <div> One pot activist has been arrested at least seven times, been strip-searched, forced to ride in a police van with more violent criminals, and was once stopped for carrying just enough weed to roll a tiny joint.</div> <bR> <div> Marc-Boris St-Maurice compares that with the last time he was stopped by police, just a few weeks ago on a trendy Montreal boulevard.</div> <bR> <div> The former leader and founder of the federal Marijuana party tossed away his joint on the sidewalk and ended up chatting casually with two officers about politics.</div> <bR> <div> One Montreal cop who asked not to be identified said some officers can spend an entire career on the force without ever arresting any of the people they catch smoking a joint.</div> <bR> <div> "I'd rather stop someone breaking into a house or stealing a car," he said.</div> <bR> <div> He said some officers might lay charges in conjunction with an unrelated offence to increase the likelihood of a criminal conviction - for instance, if they detect pot during a domestic-abuse investigation.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 720 WIDTH="741"><div> McLaren agrees that most possession arrests occur when officers are investigating another incident. He estimates that seven out of 10 pot busts stem from things as diverse as busted brake lights, break-and-enters, or traffic stops.</div> <bR> <div> A 2002 Senate report expressed alarm that the law is not applied equally to all Canadian citizens.</div> <bR> <div> While pot-smokers are regularly prosecuted in some parts of the country, the RCMP detachment in Richmond, B.C., told the Senate that only five per cent of cases resulted in charges there.</div> <bR> <div> The Senate committee - led by then-Progressive Conservative Sen. Pierre-Claude Nolin - proposed going even farther than the Liberals did, suggesting the legalization of marijuana.</div> <bR> <div> A 1972 royal commission headed by Gerald Le Dain also recommended liberalizing marijuana laws but its suggestions were immediately rejected by the government.</div> <bR> <div> The Nolin committee cited 1996 figures that pegged the annual cost of policing and prosecuting drug offences at $400 million, but suggested in its final report that the actual number could be more than double that.</div> <bR> <div> One police drug-policy expert said the cost to society of substance abuse is far greater. He said years of decriminalization talk has sent mixed messages.</div> <bR> <div> Barry McKnight expressed hope that the Conservatives' coming $64-million National Anti-Drug Strategy, promised in the last federal budget, will drive home one simple point.</div> <bR> <div> "I'm hoping for a clear message: ... that drugs are bad," said McKnight, a drug-policy expert with the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police.</div> <bR> <div> "Marijuana is a harmful drug. It's as simple as that - no ifs, ands, or buts. Period, end of sentence."</div> <bR> <div> The Nolin committee reported that excessive marijuana use can cause chronic bronchitis, create psychological problems, and affect learning. It also noted a higher concentration of some cancer-causing carcinogens in marijuana than in cigarettes.</div> <bR> <div> But the report also called pot less addictive than either alcohol or cigarettes.</div> <bR> <div> One criminology professor and drug-policy expert points out that alcohol consumption and cigarette-smoking rates have plummeted since the 1970s, while pot use has risen.</div> <bR> <div> Tighter controls and public awareness of the dangers associated with booze and cigarettes have succeeded where prohibition failed, said Eugene Oscapella, a lawyer and criminology professor at the University of Ottawa.</div> <bR> <div> "Going into the 21st century we should know better than to bludgeon the use of this drug with criminal law," he said.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 488 WIDTH="741"><div> "It doesn't work, hasn't worked, never has worked, there's no prospect that it ever will work. Yet we continue to do it."</div> <bR> <div> The Senate committee also questioned the popular wisdom that marijuana is a so-called gateway drug that leads people to more dangerous substances.</div> <bR> <div> Philippe Lucas, an addiction researcher at the University of Victoria, says marijuana is more of a buffer than a gateway.</div> <bR> <div> He describes marijuana as a lesser evil that helps reduce the use of hard drugs, cuts into drinking and therefore prevents alcohol-related injuries. Lucas works at the local Compassion Club which supplies medical marijuana, and says many visitors believe pot keeps them out of worse trouble.</div> <bR> <div> "People don't view it as a gateway drug. They view it as an exit drug," he said.</div> <bR> <div> "They use cannabis to stay away from more dangerous substances. They use it because they've just quit heroin, they use it because they want to stay away from crystal meth and alcohol."</div> <bR> <div> But Oscapella says the status quo is still not justified by the traditional view - that marijuana is just plain bad.</div> <bR> <div> "Prohibition has been an utter and total failure," he said.</div> <bR> <div> "Not only has it failed to do anything, it has actually made the problem worse. It's not like some government programs that fail to do anything at all - this one does actual harm.</div> <bR> <div> "Instead of just keeping us static and wasting money, it actually moves us backwards. And wastes money. And destroys lives. And finances terrorism, and insurgent groups around the world."</div> <bR> <div> Written by CBC News Online staff <I>with files from The Canadian Press</I></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div>  <A NAME="small_but_growing_number_of_seniors_using_drugs"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0099CC" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Great Debate"><U><IMG SRC="44003f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></FONT></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 980 WIDTH="746"><div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="739" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 182 WIDTH="574"><div> <B>Small but growing number of seniors using drugs</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Sun. May 13  2007  22:01  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: May 14th, 2007</div> <div> <B>Seniors constitute the fastest growing population group in Canada, and some of them use illicit drugs. Researchers say older adults tend to be an under-recognized group of drug users but it's a trend that needs study and attention.</B></div> <bR> <div> Mavis Becker is a senior who enjoys drugs. The Vancouverite, who's about to turn 65, says she has a lot of stress on her plate, caring for her 93-year-old father who suffers from dementia. When she gets wound up, Mavis rolls herself a joint.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="165"><div> <IMG SRC="ba2da0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> A small but growing number of seniors are using drugs like marijuana.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> "I do have a habit of getting on the hyper side. And I find if I go out on my balcony and smoke a doobie, I feel way more relaxed and I don't get too excited about it," she says.</div> <bR> <div> "I hope my grandchildren will be willing to roll a doobie for me if my arthritis gets too bad," says Becker.</div> <bR> <div> It seems that the baby boomers who discovered recreational drugs decades ago are bringing them along into their golden years, saying they don't intend to stop just because they are older. The numbers of seniors using illicit drugs are likely small but seem to be increasing.</div> <bR> <div> "This idea that a grandmother or grandfather doing drugs, while it doesn't quite fit the stereotype, yes, this is an emerging trend," says Charmaine Spencer, a member of Simon Fraser University's Gerontology Research Centre.</div> <bR> <div> Researchers say they are seeing more pot smokers in nursing homes, as well as cocaine and crack users in long-term care facilities.</div> <bR> <div> One nursing home resident, who spoke to CTV News and asked not to be identified, says he has used cocaine and marijuana and says many other seniors he knows do too.</div> <bR> <div> "Marijuana, it calms you down. It makes you eat good and sleep good," he says.</div> <bR> <div> Some seniors use drugs legally, prescribed as a medicine. But a recent national survey reported about one per cent of seniors report using marijuana recreationally. Many suspect the number is larger.</div> <bR> <div> Some of these adults are discovering drugs for the first time in their older years, turning them to help them with physical aches and pains that come with age, or as a way to escape loneliness or emotional pain.</div> <bR> <div> "They are self-medicating in a safe way, and they are not coming to our attention because they are using it successfully," says outreach worker Marilyn White-Campbell.</div> <bR> <div> Some who use drugs to mask the isolation become addicted to harder drugs and prescription pills, leading to dementia, falls and even death.</div> <bR> <div> "There are signs and symptoms to look for. But if you are not even imagining older adults can even possibly use these kind of substances, they will go completely undetected," says Robert Eves of Community Outreach Program in Addiction.</div> <bR> <div> According to the Canadian Addiction Survey, 12.8 per cent of Canadians aged 64-74 have used marijuana in their lifetime. But among those aged 44-54 -- the seniors of the future -- a much larger percentage of 50.1 per cent have used drugs.</div> <bR> <div> If the trend continues as many expect it will, nursing homes will need to deal with the question about what to do with residents who want to use drugs.</div> <bR> <div> And addiction counsellors say special drug treatment and prevention programs customized for seniors may have to be created.</div> <bR> <div> Written by CTV.ca News Staff  w<I>ith a report from CTV's Avis Favaro and Elizabeth St. P</I><I>h</I><I>Philip</I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 2033 WIDTH="746"><div>  <A NAME="medical_marijuana_hydrponics_vs"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0099CC" FACE="Times New Roman" ><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Great Debate"><U><IMG SRC="44003f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></FONT></div> <div> <I> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="555" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#66CC66" BORDERCOLORDARK="#669966" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFFFF HEIGHT= 91 ><NOBR><div> <I><B>Growing Mediums For Medical Cannabis:</B></I></div> <div> <I><B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="426" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 33 WIDTH="63"><div> <A HREF="#growing_in_soil" TITLE="Great Debate"><U><B>Soil</B></U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="37"><div> <B>Vs</B></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#hydroponic" TITLE="Great Debate"><U><B>Hydroponic</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="39"><div> <B>Vs</B></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#aeroponic" TITLE="Great Debate"><U><B>Aeroponic</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></I></div> <div> <I><B>When it comes to growing real "Medical Cannabis"; Aeroponic wins hands down...!</B></I></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></I></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > <A NAME="growing_in_soil"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></FONT><I><B><U>Growing In Soil</U></B></I><I><B>:</B></I></div> <div> <U>Growing In Soil</U>:<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#CCCC00" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" >- starts growth in a small pot with potting soil.  Nutrients are absorbed by the roots from the soil; later nutrients are added to the growing process.  As the plant grows it is usually transplanted to a bigger pot to accommodate the root ball of the plant. When flushing the plant is possible; however 0% of the root is exposed. Thus leaving a lot of residue and mold is still trapped in the soil and cannot be removed completely.</FONT></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="b4e9c52c0.jpg" border=0 width="197" height="300" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><IMG SRC="b4ea2ce10.jpg" border=0 width="300" height="225" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></FONT></div> <div> <U> <A NAME="hydroponic"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0099CC" FACE="Times New Roman" ><A HREF="#medical_marijuana_hydrponics_vs" TITLE="Great Debate"><U><IMG SRC="44003f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></FONT></div> <div> <I><B><U>Hydroponic</U></B></I><I><B>:</B></I></div> <div> <U>Hydroponic</U>:<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#00FFFF" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" >- starts growth in a small rockwool cylinder (1.5"x 1"); then it's transferred to a bigger rockwool cubes (4"x 4"x 3") and placed in a E&B Flow Table to grow.</FONT></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="b4ecd2d80.jpg" border=0 width="210" height="216" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">   <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><IMG SRC="b4ef97ed0.jpg" border=0 width="151" height="237" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></FONT>   <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><IMG SRC="b4f0e0ed0.jpg" border=0 width="224" height="237" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></FONT></div> <div> <IMG SRC="b4f240af0.jpg" border=0 width="320" height="175" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> A timer & water pump feeds the blocks by immersing the table with water from the reservoir tank with the required nutrients. The roots get well anchored and eventually merge form the bottom of the cube. Only part of the root is exposed.  When flushing the crop only 10%-35% of the root that is exposed is truly flushed; a lot of residue and mold is still trapped in the cube and cannot be removed completely.</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="b4f440f00.jpg" border=0 width="320" height="240" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFFF00" FACE="Arial" ><IMG SRC="b4f540f00.jpg" border=0 width="320" height="240" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></FONT></div> <div> <IMG SRC="b4e8bcf40.png" border=0 width="700" height="500" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <U> <A NAME="aeroponic"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0099CC" FACE="Times New Roman" ><A HREF="#medical_marijuana_hydrponics_vs" TITLE="Great Debate"><U><IMG SRC="44003f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></FONT></div> <div> <I><B><U>Aeroponic</U></B></I><I><B>:</B></I></div> <div> <U>Aeroponic</U><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#33CC66" FACE="Arial" >:</FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#A6CAF0" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" >- starts growth in a small rockwool cylinder (1.5"x 1"); then it's transferred to a plastic basket with clay pellets surrounding it. The basket is then placed/suspended in mid air where it will be fed by high pressured mist-water and nutrients. The roots are well anchored and eventually merge from the basket.  Flushing the crop is very accurate because 90%+ of the root ball is exposed.</FONT></div> <bR> <div> 2. More to come; so check daily <I><B>. . . !</B></I></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I><B>To Be Continued </B></I><I><B>. . . !</B></I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 17 WIDTH="746"><div> <A HREF="#top" TITLE="Great Debate"><U><IMG SRC="44003f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="1" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="752" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#66CC66" BORDERCOLORDARK="#669966" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#000000 HEIGHT= 205 WIDTH="746"><div> <B>WARNING</B></div> <div> <U>Important</U>:- I must warn you that setting up a garden for the purpose of growing marijuana is completely illegal. <I><B><U>You must have a have a government issued permit that was prescribed by your doctor</U></B></I><I><B>.</B></I>  Out here in the Nipissing area; police are busting home gardens left & right.  How do they do that?  With a new tool coming to your town soon - if not already there.  It's a device that is capable of detecting heat signatures in any organic matter and object(s).  They simply pass with a car, van, helicopter or plane equipped with this device and they can see / detect any heat signature present inside ANY HOME THEY CHOOSE.  And a garden can emit a large heath signature.  They often conduct random sweeps in various neighborhoods & in the countryside.  Eventually, all buildings / homes will be monitored on an annual / monthly basis.</div> <div> <I>So if you think you can hide the heat signature created from yo</I><I>ur garden - </I><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#00FF00" FACE="Arial" ><I>Good Luck - 'Cause You Can't . . . !</I></FONT></div> <div> <I>YOU WILL GET CAUGHT & THEY WILL PROSECUTE YOU TO THE FULL EXTEND OF THE LAW - THUS, MAKING AN EXAMPLE OF YOU!  </I><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFFF00" FACE="Arial" ><I>SO PLEASE, BE WISE AND DON'T BREAK THE LAW...!</I></FONT></div> <div> <A HREF="#top" TITLE="Great Debate"><U><IMG SRC="44003f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>