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Marc Spooner, a University of Regina professor who ran for the NDP in the 2011 federal election, said the misrepresentation of the federal government’s plan is only one issue with the survey. He said the fact that it’s not limited to Saskatchewan Internet Protocol (IP) addresses means people from across Canada — and potentially other countries — can take the survey.

“It’s very vulnerable to being hacked,” Spooner said. “There’s actually a term for that; it’s called ‘freeping,’ and that’s when a group from a certain viewpoint purposely distorts an online poll or survey.”

Spooner said a recent instance of freeping that captured widespread attention was when the online community decided to choose the name “Boaty McBoatface” for a British research vessel.

“There are many ways they could have constructed this survey to avoid this,” he said of the survey’s potential vulnerabilities. “Right now, as a measure of Saskatchewan’s attitudes, this survey is invalid.”

Spooner said there’s “no way of knowing” if people completing the survey are Saskatchewan residents and it shouldn’t be used to form public policy in its current form.

When the StarPhoenix requested a follow-up interview on these potential vulnerabilities, a statement was again provided instead.

“We would encourage Dr. Spooner or anyone else that has questions or concerns to contact us at cannabisreform@gov.sk.ca,” it stated.

Jessica Playford, an employee at Skunk Funk Smoker’s Emporium in Saskatoon, said the inconsistency between the federal government’s position and the information in the provincial survey could result confusion.

“How are we going to know what’s going to be happening … if they’re being told one thing and it’s actually going to be another way?” she said.

“False information is going to be fed through the community like crazy and then people are going to lose faith in the government more than they already have.”

The survey closes Oct. 6.

mmodjeski@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/MorganM_SP