The battle goes on… fighting Errorism!
Marco’s Editorial
Here we are, recovering from the holiday season and getting ready for Spannabis in Barcelona Spain. This year will be extremely special as Treating Yourself, now published in Spanish, will be available to those in attendance.
This year I will be accompanied by my assistant Mark. This will be Mark’s first visit to an International event pertaining to cannabis. We will be present at the Spannabis show and then plan a fleeting visit to Amsterdam, where I plan to introduce him to a score of fascinating people.
With regard to local events, there is going to be a Toronto City council meeting centred on vapour lounges operating within the city. There are a total of seven vapour lounges in Toronto, one of which is owned and run by me and my business partner, Kelly. It was our local councillor Mark Grimes who put forth the review of such lounges, stating that our type of business bring drugs and “prostitution” to the neighbourhood. This is a ridiculous statement to make, especially when you can easily find crack addicts on the streets, who could do with support rather than being used as a tool for shutting down a vapour lounge. His statement is borderline unforgivable and spells ignorance, especially when deal- ing with medical marijuana users.
Prostitution and drugs have been a problem along the lakeshore for decades and it’s of no fault or cre- ation of Vape On The Lake. As a matter of fact, since we have opened up, our neighbour has stated that there is less of a problem with drugs or prostitution. He conveyed this information to the police, who have stopped in to ask about us. I believe that patients and social users should have a safe envi- ronment where they can partake without having to worry about being robbed. The atmosphere in the lounge is exceedingly non-threatening, highly sociable and relaxed – place that most people would love to hang out in.
The confusing part is that there are numerous strip bars, taverns and massage parlours open on the Lakeshore but vapour lounges are deemed unacceptable? It’s a crying shame that one person’s igno- rance should cause so much trouble due to his position in the local council. When we get through this hearing, I hope that we make one more step towards educating both Councillor Grimes and those who are not in favour. Once again, it’s time to advocate for the utilization of medical cannabis in a neigh- bourhood haunted by crack and the illegal sale of prescription drugs. That’s the only crime being com- mitted here – that there is clearly no support system in place.
I will keep everyone posted because if all goes well, we could become regulated and supported politi- cally. It’s a shame that Canada, viewed for its left wing ideologies, is now moving into darker times.
I will report back on Spannabis upon my return and hope that everyone stays healthy, happy and med- icated. Until next time,
Take care and peace,