RE:Did you see those meathead protesters
Complaints, health concerns prompted Toronto pot shop raids, police chief says
Protesters hijack news conference, shout questions as chief tries to explain storefront raids
By Andrew Lupton, CBC News Posted: May 27, 2016 7:21 AM ET Last Updated: May 27, 2016 2:39 PM ET
Chief Mark Saunders says there needs to be a regulated government standard for selling marijuana 1:23
A group of protesters tried to hijack a Toronto police news conference Friday where Chief Mark Saunders at times struggled to explain a series of police raids that took place Thursday at storefront marijuana dispensaries.
Saunders, speaking over questions shouted at him by protesters, said a series of raids on Toronto marijuana dispensaries yesterday came in response to "significant complaints" from community members.
More than 90 people were arrested and 186 charges were laid as a result of the raids. Search warrants were executed at 43 storefront shops, where police said marijuana was being sold illegally.
Police also seized 269 kilograms of dried marijuana and a large quantity of marijuana edibles, including cookies and candy.
The city's licensing and standards department, which worked with police on the raids, laid 79 charges for zoning violations and 31 charges for selling food without a proper licence.
Saunders said the arrests came in response to concern from community members. He said the stores were selling marijuana products — everything from cookies to drinks — with inaccurate information about how much THC they contained.
"This is no regulatory process behind this," said Saunders. "You don't know if you go to one store and purchase one brownie, or one muffin or cupcake. You go to the next store, how much THC is in this one versus that one? You don't know … it's a genuine health concern."
'Measured approach'
As Saunders tried to take questions from the media, protesters shouted questions at him. Some were removed. Other protesters gathered outside police headquarters during the news conference. Some, including the man dubbed the Prince of Pot, Mark Emery, carried placards that read "Dispensaries are Indispensable."
Saunders said the raids were a "measured approach" to community concerns about the proliferation of storefront pot dispensaries, which have popped up in multiple Toronto neighbourhoods in recent months.
Of the 90 people arrested Thursday, two remained in custody Friday: one had an outstanding warrant, while the other had firearm charges in another province.
Members of the Toronto police drug squad executed search warrants at numerous marijuana dispensaries just after noon Thursday in a series of raids dubbed Project Claudia.
With new federal regulations expected to come next year, storefront marijuana dispensaries continue to operate in a grey area, with store owners saying they are providing an essential service for patients who rely on the drug for pain relief.
City staff, however, say only sellers licensed by Health Canada, operating from an industrially zoned area and distributing their product through the mail, can operate legally.
Many of the protesters who shouted questions at Saunders claimed medicinal marijuana sellers licensed by Health Canada aren't able to meet the needs of patients who rely on the drug. The protesters' complaints include everything from poor product quality to problems getting the products delivered in the mail.
They also decried the raids as a waste of police resources that will make it more difficult for people in need to access marijuana.
Saunders said the dispensaries raided Thursday may be in business with the intention of helping patients who use their products for medicinal reasons, but without the proper licence, they're violating current laws.
"Knowingly selling without a licence issued by Health Canada is unlawful: you can't be doing it," he said
There have also been concerns that many dispensaries are selling their product without a doctor's prescription. A CBC reporter bought pot from a Toronto dispensary earlier this month without a prescription.
Mayor John Tory had promised a crackdown after dispensaries began popping up across the city. Earlier this month, the licensing and standards department issued notices to landlords, warning them of stiff fines if the dispensaries aren't shut down.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said marijuana will be legalized, but the laws won't change until next year.
You all have a good weekend now...
