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." - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom