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