Trending threads
Well, the other Canada truck protest thread turned into a complete trainwreck, so let's start over....
- Off Topic
- 95 Replies
(CNN)Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday implored protesters to end their demonstration that has blocked roads and disrupted life across the country for more than a week.
"Individuals are trying to blockade our economy, our democracy, and our fellow citizens' daily lives. It has to stop," Trudeau said in parliament, his first public appearance since testing positive for Covid-19.
Sparked by truckers who drove into the heart of Ottawa on January 29 to protest new coronavirus vaccine and testing rules, more demonstrations with trucks left idling in roads sprouted over the weekend.
The demonstrations began as an objection to a vaccine mandate requiring truckers entering Canada to either be fully vaccinated or face testing and quarantine requirements. Other protesters then joined to rail against mask mandates, lockdowns, restrictions on gatherings and other Covid-19 preventative efforts.
"The whole event has gone beyond just vaccines, and it is now about the entire ordeal," protester James MacDonald told CNN, adding he's been in Ottawa since last weekend and has no plan to leave until health measures are dropped.
Canada has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, with about 4 in every 5 Canadians fully vaccinated, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
In Toronto, trucks blocked a major intersection for hours, impeding emergency responders. Protests also erupted in Winnipeg, Vancouver and Quebec City.
On Monday, traffic at the busiest US-Canada border crossing was interrupted. Canada's Windsor Police were advising travelers to avoid the Ambassador Bridge crossing and use the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel or Blue Water Bridge instead.
Earlier Monday, Windsor Police posted a photo to its Twitter account showing a long line of trucks appearing to be at a standstill.
Trucks and hundreds of protesters on Monday still occupied the downtown core in Ottawa, where fuel is banned from entering the protest "red zone" in front of parliament.
Adding to the turmoil is criminal behavior. Of more than 60 criminal investigations underway in the capital, most involve alleged hate crimes, property damage, thefts and mischief, police there said.
Ottawa's city council was set to meet Monday, a day after Mayor Jim Watson declared a state of emergency because of the "Freedom Convoy" protests. Most businesses in downtown Ottawa have been closed for more than a week or have reduced hours, with owners complaining of financial losses as customers dwindle.
The police department has asked the mayor for a "significant increase" in resources to deal with the unrest, Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly said Monday.
"We have been 100% full out on this for the last 10 days straight, and we will not rest until it's done, but we need more help," Sloly said.
The chief has been "advocating for all three levels of government to bring whatever they can bring to bear on the permanent, sustainable, lawful, safe resolution of this demonstration," he said.
Many in the city are at their "breaking point," Sloly said.
"This is crushing for those residents and their businesses," he said. "It has to stop, and we are doing everything we can possibly do to stop it. We need more help; we're asking for that help; and we're starting to receive that help, but we need more to get this done."
Watson sent letters to Trudeau, Canada's minister of safety and Ontario's premier and solicitor general, asking them to "help the City secure 1800 officers to quell the insurrection that the Ottawa Police Service is not able to contain."
"People are living in fear and are terrified," Watson wrote, adding the constant honking of large trucks over nine days "is tantamount to psychological warfare."
"Our hope is that your department can help coordinate a response that matches the scale of the challenge we are facing," Watson wrote.
www.cnn.com
"Individuals are trying to blockade our economy, our democracy, and our fellow citizens' daily lives. It has to stop," Trudeau said in parliament, his first public appearance since testing positive for Covid-19.
Sparked by truckers who drove into the heart of Ottawa on January 29 to protest new coronavirus vaccine and testing rules, more demonstrations with trucks left idling in roads sprouted over the weekend.
The demonstrations began as an objection to a vaccine mandate requiring truckers entering Canada to either be fully vaccinated or face testing and quarantine requirements. Other protesters then joined to rail against mask mandates, lockdowns, restrictions on gatherings and other Covid-19 preventative efforts.
"The whole event has gone beyond just vaccines, and it is now about the entire ordeal," protester James MacDonald told CNN, adding he's been in Ottawa since last weekend and has no plan to leave until health measures are dropped.
Canada has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, with about 4 in every 5 Canadians fully vaccinated, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
In Toronto, trucks blocked a major intersection for hours, impeding emergency responders. Protests also erupted in Winnipeg, Vancouver and Quebec City.
On Monday, traffic at the busiest US-Canada border crossing was interrupted. Canada's Windsor Police were advising travelers to avoid the Ambassador Bridge crossing and use the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel or Blue Water Bridge instead.
Earlier Monday, Windsor Police posted a photo to its Twitter account showing a long line of trucks appearing to be at a standstill.
Trucks and hundreds of protesters on Monday still occupied the downtown core in Ottawa, where fuel is banned from entering the protest "red zone" in front of parliament.
Adding to the turmoil is criminal behavior. Of more than 60 criminal investigations underway in the capital, most involve alleged hate crimes, property damage, thefts and mischief, police there said.
Ottawa's city council was set to meet Monday, a day after Mayor Jim Watson declared a state of emergency because of the "Freedom Convoy" protests. Most businesses in downtown Ottawa have been closed for more than a week or have reduced hours, with owners complaining of financial losses as customers dwindle.
The police department has asked the mayor for a "significant increase" in resources to deal with the unrest, Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly said Monday.
"We have been 100% full out on this for the last 10 days straight, and we will not rest until it's done, but we need more help," Sloly said.
The chief has been "advocating for all three levels of government to bring whatever they can bring to bear on the permanent, sustainable, lawful, safe resolution of this demonstration," he said.
Many in the city are at their "breaking point," Sloly said.
"This is crushing for those residents and their businesses," he said. "It has to stop, and we are doing everything we can possibly do to stop it. We need more help; we're asking for that help; and we're starting to receive that help, but we need more to get this done."
Watson sent letters to Trudeau, Canada's minister of safety and Ontario's premier and solicitor general, asking them to "help the City secure 1800 officers to quell the insurrection that the Ottawa Police Service is not able to contain."
"People are living in fear and are terrified," Watson wrote, adding the constant honking of large trucks over nine days "is tantamount to psychological warfare."
"Our hope is that your department can help coordinate a response that matches the scale of the challenge we are facing," Watson wrote.
Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau to protesters: 'It has to stop' | CNN
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday implored protesters to end their demonstration that has blocked roads and disrupted life across the country for more than a week.
U.S. drug control agency will move to reclassify marijuana in a historic shift, AP sources say
- By cigaretteman
- Off Topic
- 12 Replies
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, the Associated Press has learned, a historic shift to generations of American drug policy that could have wide ripple effects across the country.
The DEA’s proposal, which still must be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget, would recognize the medical uses of cannabis and acknowledge it has less potential for abuse than some of the nation’s most dangerous drugs. However, it would not legalize marijuana outright for recreational use.
The agency’s move, confirmed to the AP on Tuesday by five people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive regulatory review, clears the last significant regulatory hurdle before the agency’s biggest policy change in more than 50 years can take effect.
Once OMB signs off, the DEA will take public comment on the plan to move marijuana from its current classification as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin and LSD. It moves pot to Schedule III, alongside ketamine and some anabolic steroids, following a recommendation from the federal Health and Human Services Department. After the public-comment period the agency would publish the final rule.
It comes after President Joe Biden called for a review of federal marijuana law in October 2022 and moved to pardon thousands of Americans convicted federally of simple possession of the drug. He has also called on governors and local leaders to take similar steps to erase marijuana convictions.
“Criminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities,” Biden said in December. “Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It’s time that we right these wrongs.”
The election year announcement could help Biden, a Democrat, boost flagging support, particularly among younger voters.
Schedule III drugs are still controlled substances and subject to rules and regulations, and people who traffic in them without permission could still face federal criminal prosecution.
Some critics argue the DEA shouldn’t change course on marijuana, saying rescheduling isn’t necessary and could lead to harmful side effects.
Jack Riley, a former deputy administrator of the DEA, said he had concerns about the proposed change because he thinks marijuana remains a possible “gateway drug," one that may lead to the use of other drugs.
“But in terms of us getting clear to use our resources to combat other major drugs, that’s a positive,” Riley said, noting that fentanyl alone accounts for more than 100,000 deaths in the U.S. a year.
On the other end of the spectrum, others argue marijuana should be treated the way alcohol is.
Last week, 21 Democrats led by Senate Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York sent a letter to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram and Attorney General Merrick Garland arguing marijuana should be dropped from the controlled-substances list and instead regulated like alcohol.
“It is time for the DEA to act,” the lawmakers wrote. “Right now, the Administration has the opportunity to resolve more than 50 years of failed, racially discriminatory marijuana policy.”
Federal drug policy has lagged behind many states in recent years, with 38 having already legalized medical marijuana and 24 legalizing its recreational use.
That’s helped fuel fast growth in the marijuana industry, with an estimated worth of nearly $30 billion. Easing federal regulations could reduce the tax burden that can be 70% or more for businesses, according to industry groups. It could also make it easier to research marijuana, since it’s very difficult to conduct authorized clinical studies on Schedule I substances.
The immediate effect of rescheduling on the nation’s criminal justice system would likely be more muted, since federal prosecutions for simple possession have been fairly rare in recent years.
But loosening restrictions could carry a host of unintended consequences in the drug war and beyond.
Critics point out that as a Schedule III drug, marijuana would remain regulated by the DEA. That means the roughly 15,000 cannabis dispensaries in the U.S. would have to register with the DEA like regular pharmacies and fulfill strict reporting requirements, something that they are loath to do and that the DEA is ill equipped to handle
Then there’s the United States' international treaty obligations, chief among them the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, which requires the criminalization of cannabis. In 2016, during the Obama administration, the DEA cited the U.S.’ international obligations and the findings of a federal court of appeals in Washington in denying a similar request to reschedule marijuana.
www.thegazette.com
The DEA’s proposal, which still must be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget, would recognize the medical uses of cannabis and acknowledge it has less potential for abuse than some of the nation’s most dangerous drugs. However, it would not legalize marijuana outright for recreational use.
The agency’s move, confirmed to the AP on Tuesday by five people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive regulatory review, clears the last significant regulatory hurdle before the agency’s biggest policy change in more than 50 years can take effect.
Once OMB signs off, the DEA will take public comment on the plan to move marijuana from its current classification as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin and LSD. It moves pot to Schedule III, alongside ketamine and some anabolic steroids, following a recommendation from the federal Health and Human Services Department. After the public-comment period the agency would publish the final rule.
It comes after President Joe Biden called for a review of federal marijuana law in October 2022 and moved to pardon thousands of Americans convicted federally of simple possession of the drug. He has also called on governors and local leaders to take similar steps to erase marijuana convictions.
“Criminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities,” Biden said in December. “Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It’s time that we right these wrongs.”
The election year announcement could help Biden, a Democrat, boost flagging support, particularly among younger voters.
Schedule III drugs are still controlled substances and subject to rules and regulations, and people who traffic in them without permission could still face federal criminal prosecution.
Some critics argue the DEA shouldn’t change course on marijuana, saying rescheduling isn’t necessary and could lead to harmful side effects.
Jack Riley, a former deputy administrator of the DEA, said he had concerns about the proposed change because he thinks marijuana remains a possible “gateway drug," one that may lead to the use of other drugs.
“But in terms of us getting clear to use our resources to combat other major drugs, that’s a positive,” Riley said, noting that fentanyl alone accounts for more than 100,000 deaths in the U.S. a year.
On the other end of the spectrum, others argue marijuana should be treated the way alcohol is.
Last week, 21 Democrats led by Senate Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York sent a letter to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram and Attorney General Merrick Garland arguing marijuana should be dropped from the controlled-substances list and instead regulated like alcohol.
“It is time for the DEA to act,” the lawmakers wrote. “Right now, the Administration has the opportunity to resolve more than 50 years of failed, racially discriminatory marijuana policy.”
Federal drug policy has lagged behind many states in recent years, with 38 having already legalized medical marijuana and 24 legalizing its recreational use.
That’s helped fuel fast growth in the marijuana industry, with an estimated worth of nearly $30 billion. Easing federal regulations could reduce the tax burden that can be 70% or more for businesses, according to industry groups. It could also make it easier to research marijuana, since it’s very difficult to conduct authorized clinical studies on Schedule I substances.
The immediate effect of rescheduling on the nation’s criminal justice system would likely be more muted, since federal prosecutions for simple possession have been fairly rare in recent years.
But loosening restrictions could carry a host of unintended consequences in the drug war and beyond.
Critics point out that as a Schedule III drug, marijuana would remain regulated by the DEA. That means the roughly 15,000 cannabis dispensaries in the U.S. would have to register with the DEA like regular pharmacies and fulfill strict reporting requirements, something that they are loath to do and that the DEA is ill equipped to handle
Then there’s the United States' international treaty obligations, chief among them the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, which requires the criminalization of cannabis. In 2016, during the Obama administration, the DEA cited the U.S.’ international obligations and the findings of a federal court of appeals in Washington in denying a similar request to reschedule marijuana.
U.S. drug control agency will move to reclassify marijuana in a historic shift, sources say
Once OMB signs off, the DEA will take public comment on the plan to move marijuana from its current classification as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin and LSD. It moves pot to Schedule III, alongside ketamine and some anabolic steroids.
www.thegazette.com
