Hanlon’s Joint: Smoke-ins are no toke!

Article by Sarah Hanlon, 24 Hours Toronto

Black Lives Matter’s arguably successful sit-in at the Pride parade has now inspired the medical marijuana movement to use the same tactics.

Advocates are vowing to hold smoke-ins at key corners in The Six.

It’s been about a month since the Ontario government passed Bill 178, which added “prescribed substances” to the Smoke-Free Ontario Act. This addition prevents medical marijuana patients from medicating anywhere cigarettes are prohibited.

And once this bill goes into effect, cannabis lounges in the city — that have operated as community hubs for years — become even more vulnerable under the new law.

Now, medical marijuana users and advocates like Justin Loizos — a multiple sclerosis patient and director of the Cannabis Rights Coalition — are ready to take action.

Loizos and other frustrated cannabis users say they’ll be holding smoke-ins at busy intersections to demonstrate the desperate need for safe spaces for marijuana users.

On an Instagram post designed to rally patrons of pot, he writes: “We are left with no other choice to fight the nonsense… you leave us with nowhere to medicate and nothing to do but fight back.”

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