The Best Buds Society is looking to expand to Yorkton.
Paul Warnecke, the man behind the medicinal marijuana dispensary explained it was initially registered for business in 2014 with a location in Regina. They now have locations in Saskatoon and Moose Jaw and are looking to expand to Yorkton.
“We want to talk to City Council,” Warnecke told Yorkton This Week after hosting an information meeting attended by some 25 people, including four members of Council, Saturday at the Gallagher Centre. That meeting, anticipated to take place in the next few weeks, could lead to a location opening in the city by September.
Best Buds is a “society of medical cannabis patients, growers, processors and industry leaders that work together to bring patients and other Canadians the best possible medical cannabis products available on the market today,” detailed the group’s website.
“Our focus is to provide patients and people in need of medical cannabis the proper support and products they need.”
A dispensary would provide a range of products from rubbing creams to veterinary products containing cannabis to of course buds for medicinal use.
Warnecke said he would estimates about 30 per cent of those they serve turn to marijuana to deal with chronic pain, another 30 per cent for sleep issues, 10 per cent to deal with cancer and the remaining 30 per cent a varied range of health issues.
Those attending the meeting Saturday heard testimonials from a number of medicinal marijuana users, and their families.
Chad Rogers, also an employee with Best Buds, said he was in chronic pain after a workplace accident that left him needing a cane to walk, and with brain injury symptoms.
“It (marijuana) helped me in ways I probably can’t explain to you folks,” he said.
Rogers, from Regina, said following the accident he was on a cocktail of prescription drugs for pain and other symptoms.
“Medicinal marijuana has got me off all my prescription meds,” he said. “… It’s been life-changing for me.”
Rogers said one key thing Best Buds will bring to Yorkton if they locate here is “compassion” for those needing help.
Carla Murray from Carlyle said what medicinal marijuana has done for patients “sounds like born again stuff” but what it has meant to her husband has been nothing short of amazing.
A veteran, Murray’s husband suffered from both chronic pain and post-traumatic stress.
Suffering through severe pain, bouts of rage and sadness Murray said her husband was on a wide range of medications, none effective against the pain her husband suffered.
“We made a life, pain-centred, but it was a life,” she said.
Medicinal marijuana was suggested but her husband balked at using it, but with nothing else working he finally did. It worked, said Murray, noting her husband uses it rectally so he doesn’t feel it in his head as a high.
Leah Jordan from Regina said her son has a number of health issues including epilepsy and severe autism.
“We’ve moved provinces three times seeking help,” she said.
They weren’t finding it past a long list of drugs which were not addressing her son’s condition which included bouts of violence.
It was to the point medical professionals were suggesting a frontal lobotomy for her son, explained Jordan.
Then Jordan turned to medicinal marijuana for her son.
“He’s fully manageable. He fully has a quality of life,” she said. “… You’ll be amazed what this (medicinal marijuana) can do. We got our son back because of cannabis.”
Warnecke said medicinal marijuana can help a range of conditions, but access starts with a person finding a medical professional willing to prescribe its use, adding that means a doctor, dentist or licensed nurse practitioner and of course a veterinarian in the case of pet use.
