The Supreme Court of Canada has refused an application to
hear an appeal of the $9,150 fine levied against Michael Schmidt in connection
with his defiant marketing of raw milk.
Public health officials have been trying since November,
2006, to stop Schmidt from marketing raw milk because they believe it risks
sickening consumers.
Schmidt has circumvented the law by selling shares in his
cows to his customers. When that ploy failed, he sold shares in his farm to his
customers and so far that’s been how he has continued to deliver unpasteurized milk
to those customers.
Schmidt has made the most of his soapbox, speaking at events
as far away as Europe and featured often by Canada’s largest-audience media
outlets.
By comparison, these same media have seldom reported on
raw-milk food poisonings across the United States.
The Supreme Court said in dismissing Schmidt’s application
that consumer preferences are not a constitutional issue.
Schmidt told reporters immediately after the Supreme Court
announcement that he intends to continue to campaign in favour of raw milk.
He said the battle will shift from the courts to efforts to
sway public opinion to change the regulations.
When one of more of Schmidt's raw-milk customers gets sick, he ought to be forced to pay all of the medical and related bills.
