Less than a week after Toronto police raided many of the city’s cannabis dispensaries, mayor John Tory said he’s not apologizing for the action.
“I have no problem with the legislative course we’re on, decriminalizing marijuana but the distribution system is out of control,” said Tory. “Everybody knows without exception that the distribution system following legalization will have no resemblance to what they are now.”
Tory said the raids are the city’s best attempt to make order out of chaos.
“I hope that we can keep the order until the legislation in place,” the mayor said. “The notion that people should just pop up and operate on a completely unregulated basis makes no sense.”
Tory said the city’s dispensaries have no quality control for the products they’re selling.
“I thought that it might be best to send every message that can possibly be sent, that we can’t just have this in an unregulated situation,” Tory said.
Tory had no comment on the Toronto police‘s choice to charge employees, but said while possession of small amounts of cannabis should be ignored, trafficking absolutely needs to be cracked down on.
“I don’t think there’s anybody out there who says that trafficking has suddenly become something that’s okay for people today,” Tory said. “This is drug trafficking and drug trafficking is not the same as simple possession. Until such time as the law is changed police have an obligation to enforce it.”