Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
A Saskatoon medical marijuana advocate is hoping to open a storefront in the city this week where he can help people obtain prescriptions and in some cases sell them their cannabis.
Mark Hauk, proprietor of the Saskatchewan Compassion Club, said he submitted a formal offer with a landlord in the Exhibition neighbourhood on Friday. If his lease is approved, the business, which he describes as a clinic, dispensary and community centre, will open as soon as possible.
"The minute I get those keys, I plan to open the clinic," he said.
Hauk said has been very open with the prospective landlord about the business he wants to run, and plans to operate the clinic as legitimately as possible in an industry he said exists in a legal grey area. Saskatoon police say they will monitor the situation.
Currently, Hauk operates by going to visit his clients, who he said suffer from a variety of ailments including Crohn's Disease and cancer.
The majority of his time is spent helping people navigate the regulatory process to obtain a licence for medical marijuana. Every province has its own rules, and he said Saskatchewan's are the most restrictive in the country.
"It's been (a mindset) of open and blatant discouragement of any prescription," Hauk said.
In some cases, he has helped people find doctors out of province who will provide prescriptions.
Once someone has a licence, Hauk advises them to purchase from a licensed producer, such as Saskatoon company CanniMed, something he says makes him different from almost any other dispensary in Canada. For those who received their licence after a change in the federal rules in April 2014, producers licensed by Health Canada are the only legal suppliers of medical marijuana. Hauk said there are several problems with licensed producers for some people. First, the law currently only allows for the purchase of dried cannabis, which is administered by smoke or vaporizer. Some of Hauk's patients, such as those with lung cancer, are unable to use those methods. Hauk provides edibles, oils and other delivery methods for these people. Another problem is the size of order required from the producers. Hauk told a story about a person with epilepsy who had a medical card but couldn't afford the almost $400 minimum order from a company.
Prior to April 2014, some medical licence holders were allowed to grow marijuana for themselves and other medical users. Although the system has changed, there is an ongoing legal battle and an injunction allowing those with the older licences to continue growing for the time being. Hauk said any marijuana he sells to his clients comes from legal growers.
"I've never grown a plant in my life, nor do I want to," he said.
Medical marijuana dispensaries have proliferated in many Canadian cities. Some municipal governments, such as Vancouver and Victoria, have moved toward licensing and regulating the businesses. Others, like North Vancouver and Surrey, have passed zoning bylaws prohibiting the shops from opening. In preparing to open his Saskatoon shop, Hauk said he has paid attention to other cities. For instance, he made sure his location is more than 300 metres from any schools or community centres, something Vancouver has proposed as a rule.
Insp. Jerome Engel of the Saskatoon Police Service said what happens in Vancouver has nothing to do with Saskatoon.
"There's no grey area. The law is pretty simple. It says you're not allowed to traffic, you're not allowed to possess. We're not Vancouver. We enforce the law as it's written," Engel said.
He added that should Hauk's business open, police will investigate and decide if what he is doing is illegal.
"He can do what he wants. We'll do the investigation, and if he's breaking the law he's certainly going to be charged," Engel said. Hauk said he has been trying to set up a meeting with SPS to discuss what he is trying to do.
"What we're doing is above board. We're strictly helping medical patients," he said, adding there will be no smoking or administering of drugs on the premises. He also plans to seek a business licence at city hall, although there is some question about how his clinic might be categorized.
"I anticipate I could probably get a business licence on the clinical side of things, where we're simply consulting patients and giving them information," he said.
Hauk understands there could be a legal battle in his future, but said many such cases have been thrown out due to problems with the current federal regulations. He said that in an ideal situation, his business wouldn't be needed.
"I'm hopeful I work myself out of a job. I'm hopeful we create so much public awareness we push the government to change their regulations, so medicine is affordable and comes in the right methods and people can actually get prescriptions for it," he said.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Saskatoon could get first pot dispensary
Author: Sean Trembath
Contact: Contact Us - Saskatoon StarPhoenix
Photo Credit: Liam Richards, The StarPhoenix
Website: Saskatoon News - Breaking News & Latest Headlines | Star Phoenix
Mark Hauk, proprietor of the Saskatchewan Compassion Club, said he submitted a formal offer with a landlord in the Exhibition neighbourhood on Friday. If his lease is approved, the business, which he describes as a clinic, dispensary and community centre, will open as soon as possible.
"The minute I get those keys, I plan to open the clinic," he said.
Hauk said has been very open with the prospective landlord about the business he wants to run, and plans to operate the clinic as legitimately as possible in an industry he said exists in a legal grey area. Saskatoon police say they will monitor the situation.
Currently, Hauk operates by going to visit his clients, who he said suffer from a variety of ailments including Crohn's Disease and cancer.
The majority of his time is spent helping people navigate the regulatory process to obtain a licence for medical marijuana. Every province has its own rules, and he said Saskatchewan's are the most restrictive in the country.
"It's been (a mindset) of open and blatant discouragement of any prescription," Hauk said.
In some cases, he has helped people find doctors out of province who will provide prescriptions.
Once someone has a licence, Hauk advises them to purchase from a licensed producer, such as Saskatoon company CanniMed, something he says makes him different from almost any other dispensary in Canada. For those who received their licence after a change in the federal rules in April 2014, producers licensed by Health Canada are the only legal suppliers of medical marijuana. Hauk said there are several problems with licensed producers for some people. First, the law currently only allows for the purchase of dried cannabis, which is administered by smoke or vaporizer. Some of Hauk's patients, such as those with lung cancer, are unable to use those methods. Hauk provides edibles, oils and other delivery methods for these people. Another problem is the size of order required from the producers. Hauk told a story about a person with epilepsy who had a medical card but couldn't afford the almost $400 minimum order from a company.
Prior to April 2014, some medical licence holders were allowed to grow marijuana for themselves and other medical users. Although the system has changed, there is an ongoing legal battle and an injunction allowing those with the older licences to continue growing for the time being. Hauk said any marijuana he sells to his clients comes from legal growers.
"I've never grown a plant in my life, nor do I want to," he said.
Medical marijuana dispensaries have proliferated in many Canadian cities. Some municipal governments, such as Vancouver and Victoria, have moved toward licensing and regulating the businesses. Others, like North Vancouver and Surrey, have passed zoning bylaws prohibiting the shops from opening. In preparing to open his Saskatoon shop, Hauk said he has paid attention to other cities. For instance, he made sure his location is more than 300 metres from any schools or community centres, something Vancouver has proposed as a rule.
Insp. Jerome Engel of the Saskatoon Police Service said what happens in Vancouver has nothing to do with Saskatoon.
"There's no grey area. The law is pretty simple. It says you're not allowed to traffic, you're not allowed to possess. We're not Vancouver. We enforce the law as it's written," Engel said.
He added that should Hauk's business open, police will investigate and decide if what he is doing is illegal.
"He can do what he wants. We'll do the investigation, and if he's breaking the law he's certainly going to be charged," Engel said. Hauk said he has been trying to set up a meeting with SPS to discuss what he is trying to do.
"What we're doing is above board. We're strictly helping medical patients," he said, adding there will be no smoking or administering of drugs on the premises. He also plans to seek a business licence at city hall, although there is some question about how his clinic might be categorized.
"I anticipate I could probably get a business licence on the clinical side of things, where we're simply consulting patients and giving them information," he said.
Hauk understands there could be a legal battle in his future, but said many such cases have been thrown out due to problems with the current federal regulations. He said that in an ideal situation, his business wouldn't be needed.
"I'm hopeful I work myself out of a job. I'm hopeful we create so much public awareness we push the government to change their regulations, so medicine is affordable and comes in the right methods and people can actually get prescriptions for it," he said.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Saskatoon could get first pot dispensary
Author: Sean Trembath
Contact: Contact Us - Saskatoon StarPhoenix
Photo Credit: Liam Richards, The StarPhoenix
Website: Saskatoon News - Breaking News & Latest Headlines | Star Phoenix
