Saskatoon police explain marijuana dispensary charges

Five days after the Saskatoon police raided the Saskatchewan Compassion Club and charged four of its employees with drug trafficking, the service has released a public statement clarifying its reasons for the raid and the arrests.

Attributed to spokeswoman Alyson Edwards, the release stated that the Saskatchewan Compassion Club, a medical marijuana dispensary in downtown Saskatoon,"was operating without a licence from Health Canada under the Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations."

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"It is an offence under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to possess or sell (traffic) marijuana.The compassion club received a letter from Health Canada warning them to stop operation or face legal consequences," the release stated.

Both statements are laid out in the decisions made prior to laying charges section.

The Saskatchewan Compassion Club is an unlicensed medical marijuana dispensary that isdesigned to make it easier for clients with medical marijuana prescriptions to access the plant.

The police's statement comes after Thursday's arrests and a rally on Saturday, during which ownerMarkHaukand the club's supporters protested the charges infront of the Saskatoon police station headquarters.

As for how the arrests affect the club's clients, the releasestated that "people who have prescriptions for medicinal marijuana can receive their marijuana through several legally licensed producers and dispensers. They are not left without a supplier."

The release also outlined it's currently "acriminal offence to have in your possession or to sell (traffic) marijuana or it's derivatives. It is also illegal to sell or produce marijuana through a dispensary unless approved by Health Canada under the Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations."

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The release also refuted recent reports that Saskatoon police have thehighest charge rate for the possession of marijuana.

Providing data collected by theCanadian Centre for Justice Statistics, the police service saidthat Saskatoon is fourth on a list of 12cities in pot possession charges per 100,000 people.

You can read the fullrelease here.

On mid-day Tuesday,Hauksaidhe knew arrests were probable, but the longer he operated the less likely he thought it wouldhappen.

• Saskatoon top place in Canada to be charged for marijuana possession

A CBC report from earlier this year looked at some of the data around pot charges in Saskatoon.According to 2014 data fromStatisticsCanada, 77 per centof the time Saskatoon police stop someone suspected of having pot, they lay a charge. The Canadian average was 39 per cent.

Saskatoon ranked fourth for per capita in rates of pot charges.