There was some avarice in the air as city council listened to testimonies during a public hearing for a new potential cannabis store in downtown Swift Current.

April 18, council was brought a report for a new cannabis shop looking to open up its doors at 42D Central Avenue North.

Every property owner within 75 metres was notified, and a public notice was published on the city webpage for two weeks.

This allows people to write to council, announcing support for the new business, or denouncing it for reasons they may disclose at their leisure.

Last night, it was revealed that five people wrote in with their thoughts on the new cannabis shop. Three were against the idea, while two were for it.

Three people were in attendance to present their thoughts, for and against, the opening of this third marijuana retailer.

Steven Hamm was the first during the public hearing to voice his opinion. 

"I'm here to support the new cannabis store," clarified Hamm. "Because it'll be locally owned and locally operated. In the city where life makes sense, that makes sense to me."

Hamm made it clear that he thought it best to support a business that, unlike the other two available storefronts that offer cannabis, kept the money within the community.

"We're all about shopping locally and being local," stated Hamm, ending his argument.

Hamm comprehensively illustrated many people's take on opening a locally owned storefront in a young and competitive market.

But up next was perhaps the most well-researched argument of the evening, from Bettina Pate, a practicing RN whose husband owns a four-plex in the City.

Her argument was centred around her and others' experiences, both professionally and familiarly, around cannabis and the detrimental effects it can have.

"Marijuana has a tendency to decrease motivation and increase suicidal tendencies," stated Pate. "I will give you three examples."

Pate went on to describe her encounters in her time as a nurse with people who had become addicted to smoking marijuana. She exhumed the difficulties it creates for those who struggle to motivate themselves, instead of falling into the trap of smoking pot all day.

"My colleague and fellow RN, who works here in the mental health unit at the hospital, reports an increase in young adults around 20 to 30-year-olds who are presenting to her unit with depression and other mood and personality disorders," recited Pate. "A lot of these young adults generally have not had a previously diagnosed mental illness, and when they're encountered counselling with the nurses there on mental health, it seems to come out that they do enjoy smoking marijuana with their friends most of the day."

She made sure to stipulate that there is a difference between poor life choices and illness, but that the effects are still visible to her as a nurse.

She expanded, saying that the RN who told her about these cases explained that drug-induced psychosis and substance use disorders were higher than when she had started, only eight years ago.

"The thing with marijuana is it often then leads to other drug use," reminded Pate. "Just three weeks ago, it was shortly after I had seen that there would be a public hearing, I thought 'do I go? Do I not go?', when I had this personal encounter with this young lady who was twenty."

Pate described how this young woman admitted that she had been using crystal meth and smoking marijuana.

"I asked her if she had thoughts of hurting herself," recalled Pate. "She nodded yes, and when asked why, she said 'I don't want to be here again. When I asked why not, she said 'I have nothing to live for'."

Pate went on to describe how her son has struggled with cannabis use in the past and recently had his driver's license suspended for five months, following being caught driving while impaired.

To round off her argument against the opening of the shop, she reiterated to council how marijuana use can lead to decreased motivation, decreased purpose, hopelessness, helplessness, depression and suicidal ideations.

"As council members, I know that you cannot stop people from making poor decisions," relented Pate. "Or what they do in their personal time, but I ask you to deny this application and make the right choice for our community."

The impassioned compassionate nurse had also sent two studies on the negative effects of cannabis use to council in an email, that she encouraged them to go over.

Last to speak, was the hopeful would-be proprietor of the new business, Chris Kozel.

Kozel was a little uneasy, a fact he admitted to.

"In all honesty, this hearing is something unlike anything I've ever done before," admitted Kozel. "As I'm sure you can tell I’m nervous as all heck right now."

But Kozel steeled himself and presented his argument to council as to why he should be granted permission to proceed with his plan to open up.

"I hope to be able to open this store because it is going to be locally owned and operated," told Kozel. "I felt that it would be a good idea to get into the market here, because again, locally owned and operated is always best and I would like to keep the money here in the community."

Kozel explained that he already had done work in the marijuana world, as he and his mother are both fully licensed by Health Canada and work together to operate a cannabis greenhouse.

"That's when I realized that both stores here in Swift Current were just large conglomerate-owned businesses," detailed Kozel.

He explained how like many others, he took off to Alberta for years where he worked to get his tickets in trade, and that when he came back he used the skills he had acquired to help serve his neighbours and friends amongst his community.

"I'm just a simple guy, I'm very motivated," argued Kozel. "I have a small plumbing operation I run off of our farm. Once legalization happened, I convinced my mom, and she turned her greenhouse into something a little more profitable to help the family."

But Kozel isn't just a dreamer ignorant of the dark side of the industry he is looking to get into.

"I'm well aware of all the legal ramifications of the industry," assured Kozel. "I'm well aware that for some people, it's not the best for them, but it is a personal choice."

Kozel then spoke about how he would like to be a part of the business community in Swift Current and thanked council for considering his application.

With that, council thanked all three members of the community who came and made their case for and against the new storefront.

Council will have time to take these and all the other available factors into consideration as they decide the fate of the application on May 30.