Pubdate: Wed, 04 Nov 2015
Source: StarPhoenix, The (CN SN)
Copyright: 2015 The StarPhoenix
Contact: http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/letters.html
Website: http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/400
Page: A6

POT BUST DEBATE HAS NO WINNER

Chief Clive Weighill's argument that his police service had no option
but to crack down on a storefront medical marijuana dispensary has
found a ready audience among Saskatoon's law-and-order advocates,
while store owner Mark Hauk's supporters argue that he was filling a
huge void left by Canada's inadequate pot law.

While both sides in the debate that has divided Saskatoon over last
week's police raid on the dispensary after a month-long investigation
provide some justifiable arguments, it's difficult not to wish a pox
on both houses in the context of pending legislative changes that
could render the entire issue irrelevant.

In proceeding to set up his dispensary, Mr. Hauk knew that he was
contravening legislation that strictly limits the production and
distribution of medical marijuana to federally approved, high-security
companies.

However, as he argued in the these pages in June, his intention was to
help sick people get access to a medicine to which they are legally
entitled but have difficulty in obtaining under a flawed law that
restricts pot use only to smoking the drug instead of ingesting it in
an edible form or as a tincture. He cited the refusal of doctors to
prescribe marijuana, product shortages and delivery problems as
reasons why patients needed an alternative supply.

The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that restricting patients only
to smoking dried marijuana arbitrarily violates patients' rights to
liberty and security, and that they should be able to consume it in
other forms as they see fit.

The commitment by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose cabinet is
sworn in today, to legalize marijuana had no bearing on the Saskatoon
Police Service's decision to charge Mr. Hauk and three of his
employees, with Chief Weighill saying, "As the law stands in Canada,
it is illegal to sell marijuana and (Hauk) was allegedly selling
marijuana in his shop. We can't pick and choose which laws police will
enforce."

Certainly, when it comes to marijuana use, Saskatoon police are among
the national leaders in laying criminal charges nearly 80 per cent of
the time, compared to 20 per cent in Vancouver and 47 per cent in
neighbouring Regina.

But given the potential changes to the law, the timing of the latest
crackdown seems to have less to do with safeguarding the public than
an attempt to get in some last licks at "drug traffickers," as Insp.
Dave Haye bluntly called the dispensary operators after the raid.

With both the Saskatoon Integrated Drug Enforcement Street Team and
the Integrated Organized Crime North units, consisting of members of
the SPS and the RCMP's F Division involved in the investigation,
obviously considerable policing resources were dedicated to this case.

Whether that's the wisest use of manpower at a time when fentanyl and
other deadly drugs are taking a heavy toll across the province also
should be part of this debate, along with the resources that will be
dedicated to drag this case through the judicial system. Pity the
judge in whose docket this will land.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Matt