The Shake: Who Was Behind the Toronto Raids? And the Dutch Can’t Handle German Cannabis Demand

Who was behind the raids in Toronto? Not us, say LPs. After Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders announced details of last week’s dispensary raids, there were rumors that licensed marijuana producers were behind the mass arrests. Some licensed producers had invested millions of dollars to become legitimate MMJ players, the theory went, and were unhappy that politicians had done nothing to stop the proliferation of unlicensed dispensaries in Vancouver and Toronto. But Bruce Linton, CEO of licensed producer Canopy Growth, said the notion that LPs were behind the raids is more conspiracy theory than reality. Neil Closner, CEO of Markham-based MedReleaf, said “we were not directly involved in making that happen.” 

Germany is seeing a rise in medical marijuana. A month or so back, a court ruling declared that Germany first medical marijuana patient has the right to grow his own medicine at home. Now there are 650 patients in Germany, and MMJ patients can acquire their medicine directly from a German pharmacy. The only problem: The Dutch government, which supplies Germany with its cannabis, can’t keep up with the demand. 

Controversial San Jose ballot measure fails. Voters in San Jose yesterday rejected a ballot measure that would’ve allowed virtually unlimited medical dispensaries in the city. Nearly 65 percent opposed Measure C, according to the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, meaning that only the 16 licensed dispensaries may legally operate within the city. Early support for the measure dwindled in the lead-up to the election as licensed dispensary owners and others in the industry, as well as former Mayor Chuck Reed, came out in opposition. Read Leafly’s original coverage of the yearslong battle here. 

Cannabis seller serving 55 years finally set free. Weldon Angelos, 36, walked out of federal prison last week after President Obama commuted his sentence. Former federal judge Paul Cassell, who was forced by federal law to impose the 55-year sentence, called the penalty “cruel, unjust, and irrational,” and wrote to the president asking him to commute Angelos’ sentence. Despite Obama’s recent flurry of activity to commute sentences, he’s still granted a lower percentage of clemency petitions than any president in the past century. 

New Colorado law requires schools to adopt MMJ policies. Gov. John Hickenlooper signed a bill into law on Monday that would require school districts to adopt policies that allow medical marijuana. This law only applies to students who have a license to use non-smokeable cannabis. 

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