Santa Claus is trying to stop a North Pole marijuana ban

Legalising marijuana is a political hot potato in the United States - but it appears one advocate for the Class C drug is Santa.

Marijuana was recently legalised in Alaska, but communities across the country were allowed to vote on allowing marijuana businesses to operate locally.

Voters in the North Pole (surprisingly, people do actually live there - it's a suburb of Fairbanks) decided their town would be closed for this business.

But one resident is bitterly disappointed by the outcome of the vote, called 'Proposition Seven'.

And that resident is 'Santa'.

Mr Santa Claus – originally Thomas O’Connor until he legally changed it in 2005 – uses doctor-recommended marijuana to help ease the symptoms he suffers as a result of having two types of cancer, which were diagnosed four years ago.

Santa serves as an elected city council member in the North Pole. Before the vote, he wrote on Facebook:

I am an Alaska state-registered medical cannabis patient (Cannabidiol) and have successfully been taking the oil to treat my cancer diagnosed 4 years ago. Voting NO ensures that I and many other patients can have safe, well-regulated, and local access to a dispensary in North Pole.

After the vote, he wrote:

I'm sad to report that a majority of North Pole voters voted to ban dispensaries in North Pole. Personally, I think that outcome calls into question North Pole's slogan: "Where the Spirit of Christmas Lives Year 'Round".

He added:

Perhaps, it's time for North Pole to do a little soul searching.

He also told KTUU:

I think they are not in this particular instance are not embracing the spirit of love. I think what they’re doing is engendering hate, which comes from fear.

He added that stoners wouldn't get coal in their stockings this Christmas just for smoking cannabis.

And if you were curious – Santa works as an advocate for disadvantaged children, and says his name helps with his work. And yes, he really does have a long, white beard.

Santa is also the only man legally named Santa Claus ever to live in the North Pole, and is also a monk, according to his Facebook page.

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