With Toronto recently cracking down on dispensaries in the city, they are doing more than just ticketing/fining retail shops that sell cannabis, they are warning the landlords that own these properties to shut down the operations as well.
Sixty-four landlords have been given warning letters by the city, in which they were told that the dispensaries operating out of their properties had to be shut down within three days. Tammy Robinson, licensing and standards division spokeswoman, says “If we laid charges, it would be a summons to court,” but she made no comment on whether these would be served over the holiday weekend.
An Osgoode law professor thinks many of these dispensaries are in fact operating legally. Professor Alan Young says that “In my opinion, dispensaries which restrict sales to documented medical patients are not illegal and protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedom.” Robinson says that the city remains firm in their stance, “Medical marijuana dispensaries are not allowed under the city’s zoning by-law,” she insists.
Toronto Mayor John Tory says that he won’t single out any particular dispensary after the crackdown he has initiated. Although the mayor says he is in favour of legalization in general, he is taking a rather aggressive approach in a quick amount of time. The city has been pressured by Licensed Producers to go after the rivaling private dispensaries, and Toronto has complied while the dispensaries wait to see what will happen next.