Toronto dispensary raids prompt Desmond Cole to ask questions of race and how we view the war on drugs

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      Yesterday (May 26), Toronto police staged a massive coordinated effort targeting marijuana dispensaries across the city.

      Officers shut down 45 storefronts, arrested 90 people, and filed 186 criminal charges in what they’re calling Project Claudia, an operation which chief Mark Saunders said is ongoing.

      Vancouver advocates for marijuana reform just happened to be in town for a cannabis convention and were quick to condemn the raids. The day after the arrests, high-profile activists including Jodie and Marc Emery were among the loudest voices of dissent that gathered at Toronto police headquarters.

      The scale of the police action and its timing, less than one year ahead of when the federal Liberal government has said it will table legislation to legalize recreational marijuana, has fed debates over the logic and fairness of the raids.

      One of the most thoughtful lines of inquiry I saw online today was posed by journalist and Toronto Star columnist Desmond Cole. He asked questions about race and why so many people condemn the Toronto police force’s move against storefront dispensaries but remain quiet on similar police actions against street dealers.

      "If raiding street dealers is cool, but raiding dispensaries is not, we have different standards for the same illegal behaviour," Cole suggested.

      "Are drugs illegal because of the drugs, or because of the presumed moral character of the sellers?"

      Cole later answered readers’ questions and retweeted messages that contribute to the debate.

      (The implications of an arrest for marijuana, even when no charge is filed, is an issue the Straight has reported on in-depth.)

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