Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
The debate around Toronto's pot shops will have to wait a few more months as the city has deferred official discussions about the matter until October.
In a letter sent to the Licensing and Standards Committee last month, Mayor John Tory asked the executive director to work with the chief medical officer of health and police to review a possible regulatory framework for marijuana dispensaries.
The group was asked to report back on their findings at today's meeting and but the report now won't be received until Oct. 25.
Coun. Jim Karygiannis — who is on the committee - was joined by Michael Price McLellan of the Toronto Dispensaries Coalition and medical marijuana patient and advocate Jesse Beardsworth Monday. They told reporters prior to the meeting at city hall that the crackdown on marijuana dispensaries was a "knee-jerk reaction to a couple hundred emails."
"Let's not forget what happened - there was a letter from the mayor to the committee and within a month, we raided the dispensaries," Karygiannis said.
In late May, Toronto police raided 43 pot shops across the city in an attempt to crack down on the dispensaries as part of a initiative dubbed 'Project Claudia.'
Ninety people were arrested as a result of the raids.
"We need to ask if the money we've spent on the Project Claudia is well spent," Karygiannis said. "If we're going to respect our tax dollars, this is one of the things we need to ask ourselves."
Karygiannis said he doesn't know how much money the city spent on the raids but that it was likely a "substantial amount."
"This is something we might have to ask at the meeting, but when you put that amount of police officers at $60 to $70 an hour, and that amount of by law officers at $50 an hour - that's quite a substantial amount. That was not money well spent," he said.
"I have a lot of respect for the Chief (Saunders) and I like a lot of the ways he thinks, but on this, we do not see eye to eye," he continued.
Tory said the dispensaries have raised concerns in the neighbourhoods where they operate.
"We respect the federal government's decision to legalize possession of marijuana for non-medical purposes. Going forward, the city has a responsibility to ensure this emerging industry operates responsibly, without a negative impact on the health and safety of our residents and neighbourhoods," the mayor's letter to the committee read.
The federal government has vowed to introduce legislation that would legalize the recreational use of marijuana by the spring and is expected to revise its Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulation (MMPR) by August 24, 2016. The committee has asked that the executive director report back by Oct. 25 to discuss the outcomes of the federal government's revised regulations.
Through the MMPR, there are only 18 federally licensed producers in Ontario and only three of those producers are in Toronto.
The city says that the storefront marijuana dispensaries that have popped up across the city are violating federal laws and city bylaws.
"It is illegal to sell marijuana unless you have a license given to you by Health Canada. I have never minced my words on this. I said the investigation would continue and this is the result of what I said," Saunders said last week after four more pot shops were raided.
"If you have dispensaries and they are open then your chances of going to court and being charged and convicted are very high. I strongly recommend that you stop selling marijuana in dispensaries right now because they are all unlawful."
McLellan, of the Toronto Dispensaries Coalition, said Monday that he and the other speakers plan to present the committee with a "collaborative approach" rather than an "enforcement approach."
He suggested marijuana dispensaries, if regulated, restrict access to minors, install signage that warns of the "negative interaction" between alcohol and pot, and find ways that stores can be presented to the public without hiding — such as the use of frosted glass storefront windows.
McLellan also rejected the idea of marijuana being distributed by LCBO — as once suggested by Premier Kathleen Wynne - once legalized.
"There's misinformation going around, by media, pundits and bureaucrats," Kevin Hall, the founder of Chronic Pain Toronto and sufferer of chronic pain since 2008, told reporters. "If you go by evidence based, there's very little public harm by these places of access. If the public was more informed I think they would be much more supportive."
When it was decided that the item be deferred until October, Hall called the decision a "failure of free speech."
"As you've seen with Vancouver and Victoria, they have gone ahead with this consultation process, yet Toronto has not," Hall said. "So we hope that the city, Mayor Tory, will step up and listen to the voice of patients."
Tory reiterates support for recent raids on pot shops
Following a meeting with Mayor Tory at Queen's Park, Wynne told reporters that the province is waiting on federal regulation on marijuana before taking any further action.
Tory also reiterated his support for the recent raids on marijuana dispensaries by Toronto police.
"We saw the number of dispensaries go from 20 to 100. I don't know what number it would have ended up at," he said. "In the absence of federal legislation, we felt we had to take some action to investigate licensing - which is all that is going on. I sort of similarily asked the law enforcement officials if they could take a look at what they thought they should do, but obviously understanding that I have no control over that."
"The one option that was not acceptable to me was leaving things the way they were."
Tory added that he was not in charge of when and how the raids took place, and that Toronto police and zoning officers acted "on their own accord."
Coun. Giorgio Mammoliti, who sits on the committee, told reporters outside the meeting that the federal government is "pawning off" duties on marijuana legalization to municipalities.
"Let Trudeau listen to everybody here and have them filter out a more substantial report for municipalities to deal with this. That's how it should be done. This is a federal issue," he said.
"Trudeau should not sit on his hands on this. He's the one who has made the suggestion, he's the one who should deal with it...This report says city staff are not ready for it."
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Debate On Marijuana Shops Operating In Toronto Deferred Until October
Author: Rachael D'Amore & Codi Wilson
Contact: newsonline@ctv.ca
Photo Credit: Ernest Doroszuk
Website: CTV News Toronto
In a letter sent to the Licensing and Standards Committee last month, Mayor John Tory asked the executive director to work with the chief medical officer of health and police to review a possible regulatory framework for marijuana dispensaries.
The group was asked to report back on their findings at today's meeting and but the report now won't be received until Oct. 25.
Coun. Jim Karygiannis — who is on the committee - was joined by Michael Price McLellan of the Toronto Dispensaries Coalition and medical marijuana patient and advocate Jesse Beardsworth Monday. They told reporters prior to the meeting at city hall that the crackdown on marijuana dispensaries was a "knee-jerk reaction to a couple hundred emails."
"Let's not forget what happened - there was a letter from the mayor to the committee and within a month, we raided the dispensaries," Karygiannis said.
In late May, Toronto police raided 43 pot shops across the city in an attempt to crack down on the dispensaries as part of a initiative dubbed 'Project Claudia.'
Ninety people were arrested as a result of the raids.
"We need to ask if the money we've spent on the Project Claudia is well spent," Karygiannis said. "If we're going to respect our tax dollars, this is one of the things we need to ask ourselves."
Karygiannis said he doesn't know how much money the city spent on the raids but that it was likely a "substantial amount."
"This is something we might have to ask at the meeting, but when you put that amount of police officers at $60 to $70 an hour, and that amount of by law officers at $50 an hour - that's quite a substantial amount. That was not money well spent," he said.
"I have a lot of respect for the Chief (Saunders) and I like a lot of the ways he thinks, but on this, we do not see eye to eye," he continued.
Tory said the dispensaries have raised concerns in the neighbourhoods where they operate.
"We respect the federal government's decision to legalize possession of marijuana for non-medical purposes. Going forward, the city has a responsibility to ensure this emerging industry operates responsibly, without a negative impact on the health and safety of our residents and neighbourhoods," the mayor's letter to the committee read.
The federal government has vowed to introduce legislation that would legalize the recreational use of marijuana by the spring and is expected to revise its Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulation (MMPR) by August 24, 2016. The committee has asked that the executive director report back by Oct. 25 to discuss the outcomes of the federal government's revised regulations.
Through the MMPR, there are only 18 federally licensed producers in Ontario and only three of those producers are in Toronto.
The city says that the storefront marijuana dispensaries that have popped up across the city are violating federal laws and city bylaws.
"It is illegal to sell marijuana unless you have a license given to you by Health Canada. I have never minced my words on this. I said the investigation would continue and this is the result of what I said," Saunders said last week after four more pot shops were raided.
"If you have dispensaries and they are open then your chances of going to court and being charged and convicted are very high. I strongly recommend that you stop selling marijuana in dispensaries right now because they are all unlawful."
McLellan, of the Toronto Dispensaries Coalition, said Monday that he and the other speakers plan to present the committee with a "collaborative approach" rather than an "enforcement approach."
He suggested marijuana dispensaries, if regulated, restrict access to minors, install signage that warns of the "negative interaction" between alcohol and pot, and find ways that stores can be presented to the public without hiding — such as the use of frosted glass storefront windows.
McLellan also rejected the idea of marijuana being distributed by LCBO — as once suggested by Premier Kathleen Wynne - once legalized.
"There's misinformation going around, by media, pundits and bureaucrats," Kevin Hall, the founder of Chronic Pain Toronto and sufferer of chronic pain since 2008, told reporters. "If you go by evidence based, there's very little public harm by these places of access. If the public was more informed I think they would be much more supportive."
When it was decided that the item be deferred until October, Hall called the decision a "failure of free speech."
"As you've seen with Vancouver and Victoria, they have gone ahead with this consultation process, yet Toronto has not," Hall said. "So we hope that the city, Mayor Tory, will step up and listen to the voice of patients."
Tory reiterates support for recent raids on pot shops
Following a meeting with Mayor Tory at Queen's Park, Wynne told reporters that the province is waiting on federal regulation on marijuana before taking any further action.
Tory also reiterated his support for the recent raids on marijuana dispensaries by Toronto police.
"We saw the number of dispensaries go from 20 to 100. I don't know what number it would have ended up at," he said. "In the absence of federal legislation, we felt we had to take some action to investigate licensing - which is all that is going on. I sort of similarily asked the law enforcement officials if they could take a look at what they thought they should do, but obviously understanding that I have no control over that."
"The one option that was not acceptable to me was leaving things the way they were."
Tory added that he was not in charge of when and how the raids took place, and that Toronto police and zoning officers acted "on their own accord."
Coun. Giorgio Mammoliti, who sits on the committee, told reporters outside the meeting that the federal government is "pawning off" duties on marijuana legalization to municipalities.
"Let Trudeau listen to everybody here and have them filter out a more substantial report for municipalities to deal with this. That's how it should be done. This is a federal issue," he said.
"Trudeau should not sit on his hands on this. He's the one who has made the suggestion, he's the one who should deal with it...This report says city staff are not ready for it."
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Debate On Marijuana Shops Operating In Toronto Deferred Until October
Author: Rachael D'Amore & Codi Wilson
Contact: newsonline@ctv.ca
Photo Credit: Ernest Doroszuk
Website: CTV News Toronto
