Update : Toronto Police are using new tactics to close dispensaries. The new strategies are designed to generate less media attention and negative publicity. Click here to read more!

On Thursday May 26th a significant number of Medical Marijuana dispensaries were raided by the Toronto Police force.

In many instances the raids were conducted on closed businesses. Many of the businesses were closed willingly in response to letters mailed to the landlords of the dispensaries on May 18th 2016.

In most (if not all) of the instances of forceful raids by Toronto police, property damage, heavy handed tactics including tactics usually reserved for illegal drug raids were used.

This petition is intended to not only raise awareness of the overly zealous and indiscriminate actions of the City of Toronto, under direction of Mayor John Tory but to draw parallels to previous instances of over zealous, over eager and borderline illegal targeting of businesses and citizens in the interest of a quick and inexpensive fix.

During the 2010 G20 summit in Toronto, tactics similar in nature and spirit were taken by the Toronto Police to produce quick results with the least amount of effort and red tape possible. This meant that they acted fast to get the highest results possible. Actions that are now seen to be completely illegal (especially for Mark Fenton who was the most senior officer charged with a crime).

Not only does bypassing grey areas of the law to get quick results rattle public confidence in due process, the accuracy of bureaucracy and most importantly the lessons we as citizens of Toronto should have learned by past experiences, such as the G20 protests, police corruption, provincial and federal political spending scandals, should always be in our peripheral.

Stipulations made here are by no means meant to vindicate the current state of dispensaries in Toronto. The objective here is for us to stand up and clearly join our voices of concern towards nonobjective, biased and over zealous tactics strategies and actions by the City of Toronto and the Toronto Police.

There are processes in place already to audit, lay bylaw infractions and verify current processes are being followed to the current legal infrastructure for dispensaries in Toronto (and Canada for that matter). Other provinces and municipalities are able to implement robust, thought-out and calmly implemented policies and procedures to deal with the rise of dispensaries in Canada. Why cant Toronto?

We want awareness for what quite simply was a knee jerk reaction. We don't want this to happen again and we want proper processes to be followed with all the bureaucratic (non police) tools in place to weed out those that may not be following the law (as it is now). Those dispensaries that have followed the rules have earned the right to at least have their voice heard.

 How to support this cause :

1. Sign this petition
2. Find your local city councillor by visiting the city of Toronto website here : http://bit.ly/1HjUuA5
3. Contact your city councillor by email or phone and voice your opinion.
4. Contact Mayor John Tory and voice your opinion