Ruling on marijuana edibles 'fantastic', says Sask. pot advocate

One pot advocate in Saskatchewan says the Supreme Court of Canada's ruling on medicinal marijuana in edibles is 'fantastic.'

"It's great to see that patients will be able to access their medicine in the forms they need to," Mark Hauk told CBC Saskatchewan's Blue Sky. "It's a huge game changer for Canada."

• POLL: Should patients have better access to a wider variety of medical marijuana products?

Medical marijuana patients will now be able to consume marijuana in edible form and use other extracts and derivatives, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled today.

It's great to see that patients will be able to access their medicine in the forms they need to.- Mark Hauk, founder Saskatchewan Compassion Club

The ruling expands the definition of medical marijuana beyond its current "dried" form. 

The country's highest court found the current restriction to dried marijuana violates a person's right to liberty and security.

Hauk plans to open what would be the first pot dispensary in Saskatoon. He is founder of the Saskatchewan Compassion Club. A group that has accumulated over 70 members. 

Hauk said he has many clients with lung cancer who can't smoke medicinal marijuana. Other patients suffering extreme pain need higher concentrations of the drug than you can get from smoking pot. Some patients have already turned to alternative methods.

"It'd probably be safe to say that about 75 per cent of the members we have are using products outside of dried marijuana," Hauk said. "There's been no legal way to access those products, so they have been made illegally."

He said it is going to take some time for regulations from Health Canada to change before people can get good access to products. This move highlights the need for regulations on the production of edibles and who can sell them.

"There's certainly a lot that needs to go into regulating edibles – in dosing them properly, ensure that they are created in sterile food-safe kitchens, and are packaged in child-proof packaging," Hauk said.

In the lab

President and CEO of Prairie Plant Systems Inc. has seen this coming for some time now. He believes that the courts are leading the charge on an ongoing evolution of this industry.

"Patients today want to have access to cannabinoids, the active ingredient in medical marijuana, in different forms," Brent Zettl said. "I think it's a win for patients because they can actually get it in a form that's more manageable to their specific condition."

Prairie Plant Systems Inc. is working to figure out alternative methods of medicinal marijuana that is more user friendly for younger children and patients in palliative care, Mainly in forms that can be orally ingested with the proper dosage amounts.

"This is what Canadians are asking for and I think it's just the responsibility of our governments and the systems to make sure we get it to them in a safe and consistent manner," Zettl said. "The danger is to not do anything because then the patients will turn to illegal outlets in order to get their products."

Zettl believes that whether or not the licensed distributor will be able to manufacture and provide other forms of medical marijuana to patients depends on the decision of the federal government.

"As soon as we have the licensable freedom, we can start rolling out the product immediately," Zettl said.