Advertisement

Letters To The Editor News

Reader Love and Hate: Legal weed controlled by corporate cartels

Legal weed controlled by corporate cartels

The coming Canadian marijuana-legalization regime looks like it’s going to be run by the people in power (NOW, April 14-20).

Take a look at who the first six medical grow licences were issued to and the backgrounds of the CEOs and partners in most of the licensed facilities. For a small operator without a politician in his or her back pocket, the opportunity to create and establish a small business will be out the window.

Most of us who have years of growing experience and know this plant inside out will never have the opportunity to expand our potential in this cartel-controlled country.

Scott Ford, From nowtoronto.com

Dispensing some harsh medpot truths

Unfortunately, I think your marijuana issue highlighted all the wrong things about what’s going on in dispensaries.

Not all dispensaries are equal. “Pill-bottle dispensaries” make up the lion’s share of what’s out there. A pill-bottle dispensary does not require a medical prescription for medical marijuana if you show up with a condition marijuana is known to treat, and can prove you’re sick, you’re good to score. It is these dispensaries that should have everyone worried. 

The thing on top of everyone’s legalization list should be safe and responsible access. If dispensaries show they can police themselves, we might just end up with a regulated system like Victoria’s.

Legalization is coming, but jamming it down everyone’s throat before a system has been put in place hurts everyone.

Michael Lane, Toronto

Hemp heaven

Re High Time For Hemp. Hemp cars and planes certainly deserve honourable mention as examples of innovation, despite being problematic CO2 emitters. 

However, for newsprint, why shred forests that take 75 years to grow back when growing hemp on marginalized land would yield an annual crop of fibre as well as support farmers? 

Such a hardy, versatile plant would probably need little or no chemicals to grow.

Tom Smarda, Toronto

Mulcair’s close shave turns into bloodbath

With post-Edmonton hindsight, I recently read Adria Vasil’s article on the “close shave” that Thomas Mulcair was facing at the federal NDP convention (NOW, April 7-13).

That close shave turned into a bloodbath. When I saw the results pour in on that bloody Sunday, I thought this was a party that was self-immolating. I couldn’t believe the federal NDP would consider studying this silly Leap Manifesto into nuttiness. Only champagne socialists with a total disregard for the working class could come up with such a wacky proposal. 

But as cruel as it may seem, Mulcair got what he deserved. Many say the presidency of Barack Obama has helped destroy the U.S. Republican party. I would say Justin Trudeau is doing the same to the NDP.

Andrew van Velzen, Toronto

Bloor bike lane what-ifs

Letter writer George Goldberg wonders where Wheel-Trans is supposed to stop if bike lanes on Bloor become a reality (NOW, April 14-20). 

It’s a good question, but I don’t think Goldberg need worry. Stopping briefly to discharge or pick up passengers is already allowed. Goldberg should perhaps be more concerned about those [drivers] who choose to park in a bike lane while “just waiting for someone.” 

If the curb lane is blocked by that selfish driver, what is the Wheel-Trans driver to do then? At least bicycle riders are always moving on.

Geoff Rytell, Toronto

Ghomeshi tit-for-tat

It’s apparent that letter writer Jan Burton (NOW, April 7-13) will state anything to keep the tit-for-tat going in perpetuity post-Ghomeshi.

Ghomeshi’s conduct exhibits nothing less than an unhinged propensity to thrive (primarily) on simply taking from the opposite sex.

Ghomeshi’s counsel stated how one witness “masturbated” her client after swearing off any contact with him. Or had Ghomeshi’s accuser simply (again?) succumbed to his whims?

William Gouzelis, Toronto

Racist crap straight out of the gutter

Re From Wacky To Racist, by Bernie Farber (NOW, April 14-20). My ward was recently added to Your Ward News’s distribution area. 

Why would CP deliver such a dirty hash of racist crap straight out of the sewer? 

Bernard Katz, Toronto

West-end hipster navel-gazing

I must first acknowledge that your food listings have been the source of many gastro adventures over the years. 

I am, however, very much put off by your magazine’s hyper-focus on all things west end. It’s nothing but a sign of your elitist attitude. 

You should be ashamed to call NOW a Toronto magazine. Think Free? I say BS. 

There is an east-west divide in Toronto, and your magazine contributes to a lack of free thought. 

There is more to Toronto than the navel-gazing that takes place in west-end hipster Toronto.

DZ, Toronto

Advertisement

Exclusive content and events straight to your inbox

Subscribe to our Newsletter

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

By signing up, I agree to receive emails from Now Toronto and to the Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.

Recently Posted