Pubdate: Thu, 27 Aug 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
Author: Morgan Modjeski
Page: A3

SASKATOON DISPENSARY GUARDS ITS MYSTERY POT SOURCE

Despite questions about quality and credibility from a proponent of
Canada's medicinal marijuana system, the source of the Saskatchewan
Compassion Club's marijuana remains a mystery to the public.

In a recent letter to Saskatoon's city council, Fred Glawischnig,
former head of the now-defunct Canadian Cannabis Solutions Inc.,
claimed the unregulated cannabis sold by the dispensary could be
harmful to the people who use it.

"What is sold in a dispensary - even though it says 'medical marijuana
dispensary' - is not in the same category as medical marijuana under
the licensed producer program," Glawischnig said.

"If we were to test them side-by-side, they would not stand up. They
would be classified as unstable and many of them would be considered
poisonous."

In the three-page letter, Glawischnig says in his experience the
federal program for getting medicinal marijuana is working, as loved
ones he's helped through the system can usually get their cannabis in
roughly 24 hours.

He said he hopes the letter starts a "sober discussion" about whether
or not the dispensary should be allowed to operate in the city.

Mark Hauk, founder of the Saskatchewan Compassion Club, said his
product is grown in a responsible way and tested through Canna Group
Inc., which supplies training, education and consulting services to
multiple dispensaries in Canada. However, he would not say where the
product comes from.

"It's strictly from a security standpoint," Hauk said. "I've got to
acquire product from another province on a very regular basis in large
quantities, and it's technically illegal to do.

"There's some very serious risk and security and safety concerns that
I have around that, and I don't necessarily want everyone to know, all
the time, where exactly those places are and the roads they might be
travelling."

Hauk said his company takes every step possible to ensure his
customers have high-quality cannabis and his company is not involved
with any criminal organization or selling to people without a
prescription.

Based on what he's heard from customers, he thinks Glawischnig's
experience with the current system is uncommon, Hauk said, adding he
has dealt with many patients who have been unable to acquire the type
ofmarijuana they want due to shortage of supply or lack of
affordability.

"We have dealt face-to-face over the last week with dozens and dozens
of them," he said, adding later: "They're not interested in breaking
the law, but the reality is, they come through my door every 15
minutes and they cannot comply with that system."

In Saskatchewan, CanniMed, which sells a minimum order of five grams
plus shipping for between $45 and $60, produced by Prairie Plant
Systems Inc. is the only licensed provider under the federal system.

CanniMed president Brent Zettl said the local producer has a good
track record when it comes to supplying product, but he's aware other
producers have had problems around supply.

For example, BedroCan Canada, one of Canada's 25 licensed producers,
in some instances ran out of certain strains of cannabis due to high
demand up until recent months.

Zettl said his company has concerns about the dispensary.

"True patients that want to have a safe and prescribed, properly dosed
material, if they're really interested in having that as such, they
need to get it from somebody who's got some system of accountability,
including safety and the way it's produced and the way it's measured,"
he said, noting his company and other producers are accountable to
Health Canada.

"If you move outside of that, there's a risk that the material doesn't
have any requirements for production."

Hauk said his dispensary helps people apply for licences through Skype
appointments with compassionate doctors outside of Saskatchewan for
$250, and many of those people turn to current Health Canada producers
to get their cannabis. He added that his dispensary sells more
cannabis-based products than dried cannabis.

Saskatoon police said the Saskatchewan Compassion Club is under
investigation, but noted it's not a typical investigation.

"Right now, a business like this one offering to dispense medical
marijuana is something that is new territory for us, so it falls
outside of your typical drug investigation," police spokeswoman Alyson
Edwards said.

"We want to make sure we are investigating properly and that we are
going to take the proper steps if we need to in responding."

City council has asked the administration to report back on potential
regulations to control how and where dispensaries can operate in the
city.

The report is expected in October.
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MAP posted-by: Matt