Planetary Pride and SWW Farms CEO Rob Waddell released a statement to SaultOnline in response to the upcoming resolution (to be discussed at council on June 11th) put forth by Councillors Myers and Hollingsworth which seeks to ban retail cannabis stores in the Sault.

The statement reads as follows,

“The upcoming legalization of cannabis Bill C-45 for recreational usage is a step forward in policy for Canada, and the fear mongering motion put forth by Councillor Myers and supported by Councillor Hollingsworth is five steps backwards.

Yes, our city has an opioid problem, just like many cities and towns across our country. Cannabis is used as a exit strategy for many people who find themselves addicted to this drug. It is not a gateway drug that leads people into a life of chemical dependence and crime, as they (the Councillors) claim. This myth has been debunked by many scientists and researchers world wide.

As evidence provided to the Canadian Senate recently as they debated and amended the bill before eventually passing it, there’s little evidence that legalized marijuana poses a threat to public health and safety. In fact there may be benefits, says a new study from Canadian doctors and researchers.

Dr. M.J. Milloy with the B.C. Centre on Substance Use worked on the study and said researchers did not find significant declines in road safety in American states where marijuana had been legalized. Interestingly enough, they did find a drop in alcohol sales.

They also found that rates of fatal opioid overdoses went down in some places. “There is evidence to suggest that when legal cannabis is available, people substitute that for other substances,” he said.

Legal cannabis is a projected $20 billion dollar industry, do we really want to try to push this industry out of our community and be non-receptive to its financial windfall? After all, was there not a proposed Marijuana Production Facility on 2nd line that saw high profile members of our city, police, and Algoma Public Health on the Board of Directors?

We should be embracing Cannabis and encouraging growth locally , as an Award Winning grower, I can attest that World Class cannabis can be grown in our area.

It’s time to move forward and be forward thinking in Cannabis Legalization and embrace it, after all the city doesn’t really have the power to stop it.”