Toronto First Major Force To Ignore Simple Possession. Ontario Now "Safe Haven" For Marijuana Users, Says Fantino

Toronto police Chief Julian Fantino has told his officers to stop laying charges for simple possession of marijuana.

The decision, Fantino said in a statement yesterday, follows government inaction and court decisions that leave police wondering "whether simple possession of marijuana is an offence at all."

Tom Kaye, president of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, echoed Fantino's move and yesterday advised police leaders across the province to "use discretion in situations that involve the simple possession of marijuana."

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