After 11 years of bringing you local reporting, the team behind the Vancouver Observer has moved on to Canada's National Observer. You can follow Vancouver culture reporting over there from now on. Thank you for all your support over the years!

Health Canada

Insite Supervised Injection Site

Health Canada plans to restrict chemicals used to make fentanyl

Health Canada plans to restrict six chemicals used to make fentanyl as part of Ottawa's attempt to address what it calls the national opioid crisis. Health Minister Jane Philpott says a bill brought...

13 pot shops in B.C. threatened with police raids in Health Canada crackdown

B.C. Compassion Club Society - North Americas oldest medical marijuana dispensary - demands to know why it's being targeted in clampdown.
Access to marijuana, Health Canada, Canadian marijuana laws

Lawyers cultivate final arguments in marijuana growth trial

"I could't even eat this morning," said medical marijuana patient Anne Genovy as she sat in the front row of audience seats in Vancouver's Federal Court on Thursday.  "My hands were shaking. The...
Health Canada, Medical Marijuana, Marijuana dispensaries, Rona Ambrose

Federal government disapproves of Vancouver plan to regulate medical pot shops

VANCOUVER — The federal government is telling the City of Vancouver it does not have the authority to legitimize pot with its proposal to regulate "illegal" medical marijuana dispensaries. Health...
Canada's marijuana laws, medical marijuana, Health Canada, Access to mediciation

Medical marijuana patients struggle to access pot under federal rules: study

VANCOUVER — A University of British Columbia study suggests medical marijuana patients are struggling to access cannabis under current regulations and many are turning to the black market. The study...

Zombie survival class cancelled, children left untrained for apocalypse

Despite the fantastic popularity of all things zombie, an Oregon middle school has cancelled zombie preparedness class. But what of the children? And their brains?

Step aside firearms: it’s the great soda debate

Even with a third of its citizens medically obese, Mississippi legislators have passed an anti-Bloomberg law, banning restrictions on portion sizes.

"Pink slime" scare sensationalized: UBC food safety expert

North American consumers are all worked up about “pink slime” in beef. But the product isn’t used in Canada, and experts say the scare is based on “fabricated sensationalism”.

Despite death and overdose, therapeutic Ecstasy shows promise

Recent overdoses from the illegal drug Ecstasy have led to warnings from police, but some worry that misconceptions about the drug will stall important research into trauma treatment.

Fight the bad weather with Vitamin C: Three easy recipes

Fatigue fighter extraordinaire.