CannabisFacts.ca
Essential information for an informed debate about cannabis policy.
Pictou County "Shock-and-Awe"

Source: CTV.ca News
Feb. 18 2006
Pictou County, NS  [Pictou County is home district of Foreign Minister Peter MacKay]

Police arrested several teenagers on marijuana charges.

RCMP in Nova Scotia's Pictou County arrested 13 high school students for drug use on Friday.

The police used eight vehicles, a helicopter, ten officers and a police dog in a quick arrest of the students at a convenience store in Alma, N.S. [*following two weeks of police video surveillance of the students]

A quantity of marijuana and hash was also seized.

Cpl. Al Affleck oversaw the arrests in the helicopter, saying, "It was done basically for the impact."


The convenience store Alma, N.S., where the first 13 students were arrested.

Police had been watching the Northumberland Regional High School students smoke marijuana and hash in the store's parking lot and in their cars for the last several weeks.

"They were doing it any place that they felt comfortable and that was the problem," said Affleck. "They felt comfortable doing it in a public area."

Four of the students are under the age of 17, while eight are 18 years old. One student is 19. They all face criminal charges under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

The police aren't finished arresting students, according to Affleck. "We're viewing the video tapes from our surveillance.

"Before our investigation is over, it will have involved between 30 to 50 students from the school."

Affleck believes the majority of students arrested this weekend will be issued a warning in the presence of their parents or legal guardians.

A court date for the 13 arrested so far has not been set yet.

Additional photos and information resources:

Northumberland High School (grades 9 to 12) has a student population of 1,100 students.

MAP of Pictou County, Nova Scotia
Home district of Foreign Minister Peter MacKay




Pictou County RCMP arrest of high school students in Pictou County, Nova Scotia

Summary of Details

WHERE: Pictou County, Nova Scotia (at a convenience store in Alma, N.S.)
WHEN: Friday, February 17, 2006. Approximately 12 noon.
WHO: - Pictou County RCMP
- Northumberland Regional High School students

SUMMARY OF WHAT HAPPENED:

Pictou County RCMP arrested 13 high school students for drug use in a dramatic show of force on Friday, February 17, 2006. Four of the students are under the age of 17, while eight are 18 years old. One student is 19. They all face criminal charges under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

By Sunday, February 19, 2006, Pictou County RCMP had arrested 9 more students recorded on surveillance videotapes.

By Monday, February 20, 2006, morning, police had identified a total of 43 students, many of whom are being dealt with under special provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

RCMP RESOURCES USED DURING THE BUST:


8 cruisers, 10 mounties, a helicopter, a police dog

POLICE RESOURCES USED BEFORE THE BUST:
- two-week RCMP surveillance operation (videotaping of the students at the convenience store)

POLICE RESOURCES USED AFTER THE BUST:
- the cost of processing the teens - 30 to 50 students

DRUGS CONFISCATED:
A "quantity" of marijuana and hash was also seized. [specifics not publicized]

ESTIMATED NUMBER OF STUDENTS INVOLVED:
"Before our investigation is over, it will have involved between 30 to 50 students from the school."

 
RCMP to crack down on underage drinking
May 8, 2007 - The News
Excerpt:
"As in every year, now's the time that we have to flex our muscles a bit and go up there, and – to keep it simple – show them who's boss."

Politicians who support prohibition are supporting organized crime

Cannabis prohibition is expensive, ineffective, and causing significant harms to Canadian society.
For the good of ALL Canadians, it's time to end cannabis prohibition.

Help educate the Canadian public about the cannabis issue and raise the quality of the debate.
Add a Cannabis Facts for Canadians banner to YOUR web site!





Drug Policy Central