Canada

Toronto Star, 05 May 2013 - Chanting "we're here, we're high, get used to it," about 250 activists gathered at Queen's Park and marched on city streets asking Toronto and the province to rethink the rules around marijuana. Many attendees wore colourful costumes or carried flags and signs emblazoned with marijuana leaves or with logos supporting legalization. They also lit up joints and passed around pot-infused baked goods in plain sight during the afternoon event.

Toronto Star, 05 May 2013 - It's the hottest issue Larry Braid, mayor of the township of Georgian Bay, has ever encountered in his 16 years of local politics. A proposal to shut down a community centre and arena in MacTier and turn the building into a medical marijuana factory brought some 300 people to a heated public meeting on Saturday afternoon.

Calgary Herald, 03 May 2013 - Re: "Get smart about pot," Letter, May 1. Wayne Phillips, I'm sorry for your loss. I, too, have known many who have succumbed to addiction. However, your opinion about marijuana as a gateway drug is entirely Illogical. It is akin to saying that drinking juice is a gateway to alcohol, or that driving slowly is a precursor to driving erratically. Politicians have no right to tell me, as a sovereign individual, what I can and can't consume.

Maple Ridge News, 03 May 2013 - Legalization of marijuana has been a recurring theme which has popped up every few years since the hippy dippy days of the 1960s. Until recently the topic has never enjoyed the widespread support of many government officials, but that seems to have changed now that so many old dope-smoking hippies have gained access to the corridors of power.

Goldstream Gazette, 03 May 2013 - Provincial politicians need to step up and reveal their views on the legalization of marijuana, according to several B.C. advocacy groups. Ted Smith, former head of the Victoria-based Cannabis Buyers' Club of Canada, said the province needs to take action on the decriminalization of marijuana and stop deflecting responsibility onto the federal government.

Cowichan Valley Citizen, 03 May 2013 - Coming changes to federal law may pave the way for the establishment of an industrial cannabis grow operation in North Cowichan and council wants to be prepared for if and when that happens. In December, the federal government announced changes to the way it regulates medical marijuana - to move away from personal production licences in favour of centralized commercial-scale indoor marijuana cultivation facilities by April of 2014.

Winnipeg Free Press, 03 May 2013 - The future of three controversial Winnipeg head shops is hazy following a series of police raids and seizures linked to an ongoing investigation. At least two people were taken into custody Wednesday as the RCMP and Winnipeg police executed search warrants at The Joint locations on St. Mary's Road, Pembina Highway and Marion Street. Police also backed a U-Haul truck up to the locations and appeared to remove numerous items from inside.

Nelson Star, 03 May 2013 - BC has the power to decriminalize marijuana. Marijuana is one of the most useful plants on earth. It dulls pain, plus 2,000 other uses, without the side effects of prescription drugs, which are the number one killer of our society today, above cancer and heart disease.

Sentinel Review, 03 May 2013 - Regarding Michel Kelly-Gagnon's April 27 column, now that neighboring Washington state and Colorado have legalized marijuana, Ottawa can no longer claim Canada must uphold marijuana prohibition in order to maintain good U.S. relations. In 2002, the Canadian Senate's Special Committee on Illegal Drugs concluded that marijuana is relatively benign, prohibition contributes to organized crime, and law enforcement efforts have little impact on patterns of use. Consider the experience of the former land of the free and current world leader in per capita incarceration. Despite decades of zero tolerance, the U.S. has higher rates of marijuana use than the Netherlands, where marijuana is legally available. The only winners in the war on marijuana are drug cartels and shameless tough-on-drugs politicians who've built careers confusing the drug war's tremendous collateral damage with a comparatively harmless plant. Robert Sharpe,

Winnipeg Sun, 03 May 2013 - There were no bongs like Donkey Kong, but drug paraphernalia with Luigi and other licensed characters were seized when RCMP raided three city businesses Wednesday. The RCMP's Federal Enforcement Section (FES), with help from Winnipeg police and Manitoba Finance, executed search warrants at retail outlets of The Joint on St. Mary's Road, Pembina Highway and Marion Street.

Kingston Whig-Standard, 02 May 2013 - Regarding Michel Kelly-Gagnon's April 27 column "Make money with pot, not war," now that neighbouring Washington state and Colorado have legalized marijuana, Ottawa can no longer claim Canada must uphold marijuana prohibition in order to maintain good U.S. relations. In 2002, the Canadian Senate's Special Committee on Illegal Drugs concluded that marijuana is relatively benign, prohibition contributes to organized crime, and law enforcement efforts have little impact on patterns of use. Consider the experience of the former land of the free and current world leader in per capita incarceration. Despite decades of zero tolerance, the U.S. has higher rates of marijuana use than the Netherlands, where marijuana is legally available. The only winners in the war on marijuana are drug cartels and shameless tough-on-drugs politicians who've built careers confusing the drug war's tremendous collateral damage with a comparatively harmless plant. Robert Sharpe,

Metro, 02 May 2013 - Insite-Style Model. Debate Over Whether City Should Spend Money on Treatment or Harm Reduction Rages On Any decision on whether Ottawa should have a safe injection and inhalation site for drug users is up to the community, not the police, according to Chief Charles Bordeleau.

Ottawa Sun, 01 May 2013 - No. It's as simple as that. Ottawa does not need a supervised injection site. Got it? Some groups in Ottawa don't.

Nanaimo News Bulletin, 01 May 2013 - Nanaimo city council approved the first two readings of a bylaw last week that will permit the growing and production of marijuana for medicinal purposes in the industrial (I4) zone. Council made the decision after receiving updated information on changes in the federal regulation of medicinal marijuana.

Calgary Herald, 01 May 2013 - Re: "Entry drug," Letter, April 25, and "Momentum grows for legalization of marijuana," Rob Breakenridge, Opinion, April 23. Condolences to the Reynolds family for their loss; I, too, have lost friends and family to hard drug use.

Victoria Times-Colonist, 01 May 2013 - Re: "Leaders' debate akin to watching parents argue," April 30. The sole leader who was unequivocal regarding marijuana was NDP leader Adrian Dix. The Green party's Jane Sterk made an effort, Conservative leader John Cummins was vague and the B.C. Liberals' Christy Clark refused to address the issue at all.

Toronto Star, 01 May 2013 - Charges against a Toronto man who runs a company that sells a controversial chemical alternative to marijuana have been tossed out of court. The Public Prosecution Service of Canada confirmed on Tuesday that the case against Adam Wookey, 28, for two counts of trafficking synthetic cannabis were stayed in the Ontario Court of Justice last week.

Globe and Mail, 29 Apr 2013 - When the televised leadership debate in the British Columbia election campaign turns to law and order issues Monday night, perhaps no one will be listening more closely than Dana Larsen. The long-time pot advocate and former NDP candidate is hoping the topic of legalized marijuana - an issue NDP Leader Adrian Dix addressed on CTV's Question Period over the weekend - will finally get the high-level political discussion he thinks it deserves.

The Beacon Herald, 27 Apr 2013 - Are We About to See the End of the War on Drugs? Following ballot measures last November, producing and selling marijuana are now legal in both Colorado and Washington state. Several other U.S. states have decriminalized simple possession of marijuana, or allowed its medical usage. The latter is also the case in Canada.

The Tribune, 27 Apr 2013 - Are We About to See the End of the War on Drugs? Following ballot measures last November, producing and selling marijuana are now legal in both Colorado and Washington state. Several other U.S. states have decriminalized simple possession of marijuana, or allowed its medical usage. The latter is also the case in Canada.