Toronto councillor Jim Karygiannis is requesting permission to have a city representative involved in the Federal government’s legalization process.
So far, the Liberal’s have said only provincial and territorial governments and stakeholders will be involved, but Karygiannis said legalization will ultimately be an issue dealt with by cities and wants them to have a voice at the table.
Karygiannis said, unchecked, dispensaries in Toronto will grow “like weeds,” and needs to be stymied before it gets out of hand.
“I would want to make sure that they are not close to educational institutions,” he said. “Kids going to school and people buying marijuana, the two don’t mix.”
The councillor will present a motion to Toronto city hall asking for a municipal representative on the government’s legalization task force, if he is successful, Karygiannis will then write to the federal government requesting Toronto’s inclusion.
As Canada’s largest city, Karygiannis said he’s confident the Liberals will respect his request for involvement.
“You can’t have a decision affecting 10 per cent of the country’s population without involving Toronto in the process,” he said.