Pubdate: Thu, 12 May 2016
Source: Toronto Star (CN ON)
Copyright: 2016 The Toronto Star
Contact:  http://www.thestar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/456
Author: Robert Benzie
Page: A4

WYNNE WORRIED ABOUT POT SHOPS THAT ARE POPPING UP LIKE WEEDS

Premier Kathleen Wynne is concerned about the explosion of unlicensed 
marijuana"dispensaries" opening up across the province.

With more than 90 of the illegal storefronts already up and running 
in Toronto alone, Wynne said operators are exploiting the fact that 
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is moving forward with legalization next year.

"We're in a tricky grey area right now, because we know that the 
federal government is going to be moving forward with legislation, 
but there hasn't been that discussion," the premier said Wednesday.

"That's the challenge because some of these dispensaries have set up 
and they're being set up, as I understand it, in the context of 
medical marijuana," she said.

"But I think that's the question - exactly what is the line between 
medical marijuana and recreational marijuana."

Former Toronto police chief Bill Blair, now the Liberal MP for 
Scarborough Southwest, is Trudeau's point man on modernizing Canada's 
cannabis laws.

While medicinal marijuana is legal, it is supposed to only be 
available with a prescription from a medical doctor and then supplied 
by a producer licensed by Health Canada via registered mail. There 
are 31 licensed producers in the country - 18 in Ontario - and Canada 
Post delivers prescription marijuana directly to patients, not through shops.

According to Health Canada, "only producers who are authorized to 
produce and sell to the public may sell or provide dried marijuana, 
fresh marijuana or cannabis oil to eligible persons."

"We haven't had that discussion about the difference between medical 
marijuana and recreational marijuana. There are rules in place around 
medical marijuana, but we don't have the same kind of rules in place 
on recreational marijuana. That's the conversation that has to 
happen," said Wynne.

Along with the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, the premier 
has suggested legalized recreational marijuana should be sold, like 
alcohol, at LCBO stores to keep it out of the hands of minors.

"The whole reason to legalize and move in this direction is to put a 
legal structure around marijuana, and we're just not clear at this 
point. We're just not sure exactly what that structure is going to 
look like," she said. "That's what needs to happen. Now we need to 
figure out what is the regulation around recreational marijuana. 
That's why I put forward the notion of the LCBO."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom