Despite the 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.
“Because 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 ‘no force and effect’ in this country,” Hauk wrote.
None of the speakers scheduled to appear at city hall on the agenda were in attendance, giving the item a very brief appearance in front of council.
Councillor Troy Davies spoke for the motion, saying that the city “had no interest in breaking the federal law at this point in time.”
“If 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,” Davies said, allowing for future federal changes to open the door back on the local discussion.
Hauk’s letter was received as information, picking apart council’s attitude toward medical dispensaries.
“How can this council in good faith continue to defend regulations we now all clearly know to be hurting innocent people?” Hauk wrote. “Anyone on this council willing to go on record again and once more and repeat ‘we know people are suffering, but the laws are the laws’ and shrug their shoulders, should be bloody ashamed of themselves.”
