In December, after just three weeks in business, the Pacifico Life marijuana dispensary at 444 Bloor St. W. was shut down by the building’s landlord. It paid the price for operating outside the current federal law governing the sale of that drug. The government has promised changes to the law including decriminalization, regulation, and retail level access. Meanwhile, not too far away at Bathurst and Queen streets, the City of Toronto awaits federal approval to open a supervised injection drug site, where users like heroin addicts can get help if things go awry with their injection (such as an overdose) and get counselling and treatment. In both cases, it’s a waiting game for the federal government to act.  Read more

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Bloor Street citizens have their say

By Geremy Bordonaro

The December 22 shutdown of Pacifico Life had us wondering: what do people think of having a marijuana dispensary in their neighbourhood? So, we hit Bloor Street on January 12, not too far from where Pacifico Life had been, to find out. We asked people what they thought of the shutdown, and of dispensaries in general. What follows is a round-up of what we learned.  Read more

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Pacifico Life (444 Bloor St. W.), a marijuana dispensary, opened its Toronto doors late last month with a mission “to educate, empower, and alleviate”. The Hamilton-based business sells many different products derived from the plant, including bath bombs, lip salves, oils, and soaps. It also dispenses the flower itself, but only for medical use. The plant is sourced from 100 growers, some as far as away as British Columbia.  Read more

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The Toronto Police Service’s recent crackdown on 45 pot dispensaries, many of which are just steps from the Annex, signals the City of Toronto’s frustration with the federal government’s lack of progress on the decriminalization of marijuana, as well as the need for a framework regulating the production, distribution, and sale of the green bud. Although a Liberal campaign promise to amend the decriminalization of pot is expected to be realized in 2017, entrepreneurs have already begun to establish a thriving retail market.  Read more

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Bellevue Square Park was the site of a month-long crime blitz this fall. Perry King/Gleaner News

By Perry King

Out of the 68 arrests that were made in a Kensington-area drug blitz, police Sergeant Jeff Zammit remembers one arrest that bothered him.  Read more

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