Christine Green
New Member
Mayor John Tory made no apologies for last week's raids of medical marijuana dispensaries across the city, in which 90 people were charged with trafficking-related offenses.
"I have no problem with the legislative course we're on, decriminalizing marijuana but the distribution system is out of control," said Tory in his first public comments on the issue following the raids.
"Everybody knows without exception that the distribution system following legalization will have no resemblance to what they are now."
Tory made the comments at an event at the Christie Pits on May 30 – just days after the raids conducted by city bylaw officials and Toronto Police Services.
Those raids came after Mayor Tory wrote to the Licensing and Standards Committee, asking that they contemplate a regulatory regime and also direct enforcement against the more than 100 dispensaries that have opened in Toronto neighbourhoods recently.
The dispensaries opened in anticipation of the legalization of marijuana in 2017. But under city zoning bylaws, they are not allowed to exist anywhere but in industrial zones–where medical marijuana can be legally produced.
Tory said that the raids were an attempt "to make order out of chaos... and I hope that we can keep the order until the legislation in place. The notion that people should just pop up and operate on a completely unregulated basis makes no sense."
Tory wouldn't pass judgement on the police's decision to lay criminal charges against employees of medical marijuana dispensaries.
But he said that while he agrees that those possessing a small amount of marijuana shouldn't be charged in the interim, trafficking is another matter.
"I don't think there's anybody out there who says that trafficking has suddenly become something that's okay for people today," he said.
"This is drug trafficking and drug trafficking is not the same as simple possession. Until such time as the law is changed police have an obligation to enforce it."
Tory also noted that the unregulated stores have no quality control.
"I thought that it might be best to send every message that can possibly be sent, that we can't just have this in an unregulated situation," he said.
News Moderator: Christine Green 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Mayor John Tory unapologetic for Toronto police raids on marijuana dispensaries
Author: David Nickle
Contact: (416) 493-4400
Photo Credit:
Website: Your Toronto online newspaper | Today's stories from newspapers in Toronto
"I have no problem with the legislative course we're on, decriminalizing marijuana but the distribution system is out of control," said Tory in his first public comments on the issue following the raids.
"Everybody knows without exception that the distribution system following legalization will have no resemblance to what they are now."
Tory made the comments at an event at the Christie Pits on May 30 – just days after the raids conducted by city bylaw officials and Toronto Police Services.
Those raids came after Mayor Tory wrote to the Licensing and Standards Committee, asking that they contemplate a regulatory regime and also direct enforcement against the more than 100 dispensaries that have opened in Toronto neighbourhoods recently.
The dispensaries opened in anticipation of the legalization of marijuana in 2017. But under city zoning bylaws, they are not allowed to exist anywhere but in industrial zones–where medical marijuana can be legally produced.
Tory said that the raids were an attempt "to make order out of chaos... and I hope that we can keep the order until the legislation in place. The notion that people should just pop up and operate on a completely unregulated basis makes no sense."
Tory wouldn't pass judgement on the police's decision to lay criminal charges against employees of medical marijuana dispensaries.
But he said that while he agrees that those possessing a small amount of marijuana shouldn't be charged in the interim, trafficking is another matter.
"I don't think there's anybody out there who says that trafficking has suddenly become something that's okay for people today," he said.
"This is drug trafficking and drug trafficking is not the same as simple possession. Until such time as the law is changed police have an obligation to enforce it."
Tory also noted that the unregulated stores have no quality control.
"I thought that it might be best to send every message that can possibly be sent, that we can't just have this in an unregulated situation," he said.
News Moderator: Christine Green 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Mayor John Tory unapologetic for Toronto police raids on marijuana dispensaries
Author: David Nickle
Contact: (416) 493-4400
Photo Credit:
Website: Your Toronto online newspaper | Today's stories from newspapers in Toronto
