Despite theĀ pleas of the local medical cannabis community, Saskatoon City Council voted yesterday to accept aFeb. 8 recommendation from staff to not allow the operation of dispensaries in the city.
The operator of the Raided Saskatchewan Compassion Club Mark Hauk sent a letter to council that he hoped would sway their decision, which was largely based on cannabis still being under federal jurisdiction.
āBecause as per a federal court ruling last week (Allard decision), those federal regulations have yet again been found unconstitutional, found to be causing patients to needlessly suffer, and in six months will fully be of āno force and effectā in this country,ā Hauk wrote.
None of the speakers scheduled to appear at city hallĀ on the agenda were in attendance,Ā giving the item a very brief appearance in front of council.
CouncillorĀ Troy Davies spoke for the motion, saying that the city āhad no interest in breaking the federal law at this point in time.ā
āIf any changes were to take place moving forward, council and our committee had asked that it come immediately back to committee so we could bring this back to council at that time,ā Davies said, allowing for future federal changes to open the door back on the local discussion.
Haukās letter was received as information, picking apart councilās attitude toward medical dispensaries.
āHow can this council in good faith continue to defend regulations we now all clearly know to be hurting innocent people?ā Hauk wrote. āAnyone on this council willing to go on record again and once more and repeat āwe know people are suffering, but the laws are the lawsā and shrug their shoulders, should be bloody ashamed of themselves.ā