Pubdate: Tue, 18 Aug 2015
Source: Regina Leader-Post (CN SN)
Website: http://www.leaderpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/361
Author: Phil Tank
Page: A4

SASKATOON'S FIRST POT DISPENSARY OPENS

Site makes it easier to fill prescriptions

SASKATOON - After four months of planning and preparation, Saskatoon's
first medicinal marijuana dispensary is now open for business.

The Saskatchewan Compassion Club opened its doors to the public on
Monday. For many, like Mandy Tarala, the new dispensary will offer a
way to fill medical pot prescriptions quickly and easily.

"It's going to be absolutely huge for me in the aspect that I no
longer have to wait for my medicine (and) I don't have to order it
online," Tarala said. "Also, I have some support (locally) - that way
I'm not waiting for an email back or waiting on hold."

Tarala suffers from a rare chronic skin disease called Hidradenitis
Suppurativa, which creates large and painful boils under her skin that
lead to open wounds in the area of her groin, thighs and part of her
buttocks. She said she's been trying to treat the disease without
success for about eight years.

"They told me about a year ago, prior to starting cannabis oil for my
treatment, that I would have had to go to the Mayo Clinic for skin
surgery," she said, noting doctors planned to give her skin grafts on
all the affected areas.

"I wasn't quite ready for that; it's a pretty big step, so I started
doing some research, looked into cannabis oil and started the
treatment," she said. "Within about three months, all of my wounds
healed up, so it was kind of amazing."

She applies a mixture of cannabis oil and coconut oil to her wounds,
and also eats cannabis oil as part of her treatment. She said she had
to pitch the idea to her doctor and getting a prescription was no easy
task.

Now, she feels she has someone to turn to with questions or
concerns.

"It's nice to have somebody to ask questions to instead of relying on
everything on the Internet," Tarala said, noting she was
cross-referencing online articles constantly, looking for consistent
information.

"Having somebody who has got experience with this, somebody who's
willing to put themselves out there, is huge," she said.

Saskatoon city council's planning, development and community service
committee voted Monday to have city staff report back on possible
regulations to govern medical marijuana dispensaries.

"This is an emerging issue that is important for us to get on top of
as soon as possible and to be as proactive as possible," Coun. Pat
Lorje said at the meeting.

Mark Hauk, head of the Saskatchewan Compassion Club, said Monday he
was pleased to get a supportive reception from council.

"I was certainly hopeful that we could get the support of at least one
councillor, and I think we've got a couple on board," Hauk said after
speaking to the committee and answering questions.

"We help fill the gaps of a dysfunctional federal program," he told
the meeting. "Creating smart regulations just makes sense."

Hauk said 240 similar dispensaries are already operating in Canada,
all of which are "technically illegal."

Lorje asked about the possibility of coming up with rules similar to
those Saskatoon has applied to the sex trade; they restrict certain
businesses to industrial areas.

Hauk said it's important for his business to be centrally located and
easy to access, since many of the people needing its help do not own
vehicles and rely on public transportation.

"For a lot of people, this is their first time using cannabis," Hauk
said, adding the compassion club has about 1,000 local patients.

He said the dispensary stores its products in a safe and only a "very,
very minimal amount" is kept on the premises.

"I think this is great to see," said Coun. Troy Davies, whose motion
to investigate regulations was supported unanimously. It is expected
to get final approval at Thursday's city council meeting.

While it may have the backing of some members of city council and
patients, some residents of British Columbia, where the dispensaries
have become common, are expressing concerns.

Pamela McColl, a Vancouver-based member of the non-profit group Smart
Approaches to Marijuana Canada (SAM Canada), said the only method
people should use to access the medicine is through the federal
government, which distributes the drug through the mail.

McColl said the people who run dispensaries make false claims about
the benefits of marijuana, which she feels could have a lasting
negative impact.

"That would be our one concern, the lack of education of the people
selling it and the false claims they're making of benefit, which could
actually deter someone from actually finding and seeking suitable
medical attention for a condition," she said.

McColl said her group also has concerns about where the medicinal
marijuana comes from, and whether or not the cannabis is tested for
pesticides and other contaminants.

"People who have HIV and different immune suppressed disorders are
very much at risk of obtaining marijuana that is contaminated with
bacteria and getting ill," she said.

"There are people that some of the dispensaries would say that they're
trying to help, they're providing marijuana that is not regulated and
tested."

Mayor Don Atchison also asked that the matter be referred to the board
of police commissioners.

City administrators are expected to report back on possible
regulations by October.
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MAP posted-by: Matt