Canada marijuana sellers defiant despite police crackdown

By Ethan Lou
TORONTO, June 7 (Reuters) - Operators of Toronto's
unlicensed marijuana stores said on Tuesday they would defy
Canada's drug laws and continue their sales despite a police
crackdown two weeks ago that targeted nearly half of the city's
roughly 100 stores.
Representatives from industry associations and at least 35
medical marijuana stores met to discuss how to keep selling as
Canada moves toward legalizing the drug's recreational use.
Medical marijuana is legal in Canada, though selling
directly to the public is not. Currently, only a few federally
approved producers are allowed to sell medical marijuana - and
only through the mail.
Still, hundreds of shops have popped up across the country
since the Liberals came to power last year on a pledge of
recreational legalization.
The government said in April that it will introduce
legalization laws in spring 2017.
Vancouver has also started cracking down on its marijuana
stores, but those efforts were met by mostly indignant pot
purveyors adamant on remaining open.
Critics say such outlets operate without oversight and
quality control, and their prevalence in cities may expose
minors to marijuana.
At Tuesday's meeting, which was held at a marijuana-smoking
lounge and attended by about 50 people, operators whose stores
were raided told the audience what to expect. A lawyer spoke
about how retailers can best deal with police.
Some unlicensed stores have been accused of selling to
people without proper prescriptions. Some, such as the Cannabis
Culture franchise in Toronto and Vancouver, sell openly to
recreational users.
The federal government, which sets laws on both recreational
and medical marijuana, has given little direction to
municipalities on how to deal with either. Cities have used
different regulatory and enforcement methods.
A recommendation asking police to proceed with "enforcement
of all laws relating to marijuana-related retail businesses" in
certain parts of the city was on the agenda at Toronto's City
Hall on Tuesday before the meeting was postponed.
Toronto's municipal government and police could not be
immediately reached for comment.