Opinions
Legal pot: Wait to see how things will play out
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on October 18th, 2018
With dread, elation or a shrug of the shoulders, marijuana is legal this day. We’ve all spent a long-time debating the merits of removing criminal prohibition of the narcotic substance, hypothesized about the effects on society, and tried to imagine what the brand new industry would look like. As a society, we’ve come to few ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Pot legalization another turning point for Canada
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on October 17th, 2018
It could be seen as a turning point in a province that wasn’t yet 20 years old. But not many Albertans will remember what happened on Nov. 5, 1923. Not sure? That was the day Albertans voted to end Prohibition. Rejecting half-way measures — beer sales allowed but no hard liquor, or beer only in ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!It’s time Ottawa moved to expunge criminal records forpot smokers
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on October 16th, 2018
If police brass who vigorously enforced cannabis laws can reinvent themselves as pot promoters then it’s high time to give Canadians with possession records their own second chance. The legalization of cannabis this week is a welcome step forward for Canada, and an overdue acknowledgement that criminalizing pot-smokers was a costly and dangerous mistake. But ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Mental health therapies should be fully funded by medicare
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on October 15th, 2018
Troy Media Media headlines tell us in detail about the mental health struggles of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain before their deaths by suicide.But what too often goes untold are the stories of thousands of people who die by suicide every year in Canada — our friends, relatives, colleagues and neighbours. What’s also not well ... Read More »
1 responseAdditional funding for legal aid a step forward
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on October 15th, 2018
“Justice delayed is justice denied,” we’re told. So for Albertans who can’t afford a lawyer, there’s no justice at all. That’s why it’s crucial that Albertans have access to a legal aid service to help them through some of life’s biggest challenges. That access has been difficult in recent years, as the population has grown ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Legal cannabis around the corner; don’t mess it up, Canada
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on October 13th, 2018
On Wednesday, Canada will make history by being the first big country to legalize marijuana nation-wide, which if successful could serve as a model for other developed nations. Uruguay is the only other state to have legalized it across the country, which it did in 2013, but with a population of 3.4 million, it’s about ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!National Affairs: PM salutes media,but hasn’t acted
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on October 13th, 2018
Last week being National Newspaper Week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau decided to send out a tweet extolling the value of newspapers to our democracy. “In an ever-changing world with an ever-changing media landscape, our local newspapers play a vital role in protecting our democracy,” he wrote. “We salute the papers — big and small — ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Gov’t driver testing a long time coming
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on October 12th, 2018
A tragic highway crash last weekend reminds us once again. If we want to reduce deaths and injuries on our roads, we must have common-sense road laws — and enforce them. Eighteen people on their way to a birthday celebration and two pedestrians in New York state became the victims, apparently, of a driver without ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Guest Column: Turning the sex ed clock back to 1998 puts our youth at risk
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on October 12th, 2018
Troy Media It’s now widely known that the Ontario Ministry of Education will be reverting to the 2010 sex education curriculum to teach youth — despite widespread criticism. Worse, youth in Grades 7 and 8 will actually be taught the 1998 sex ed curriculum. In 1998, U.S. President Bill Clinton got in trouble over Monica ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Governments faced with trying to solve oilpatch’s problems
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on October 11th, 2018
An increasingly hostile campaign that accuses Eastern Canadians of supporting “dictator oil,” “terrorist oil” or worse is increasingly off-base and not helping win over average Canadians. To be frank, your average Canadian doesn’t import any oil, doesn’t own a refinery and doesn’t have the financial resources to make a pipeline happen. Do you? Yet, politicians, ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!NAFTA negotiations showed U.S. willing to play rough in order to win
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on October 10th, 2018
We’re in Canada, so perhaps it’s all right to use a hockey analogy. You’re playing in an important game, out there on left wing, and the way the lines are juggled, you end up playing opposite the same player on the other team. He used to be on your team; you even liked him then. ... Read More »
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