Pubdate: Fri, 14 Oct 2016 Source: Toronto Star (CN ON) Copyright: 2016 The Toronto Star Contact: http://www.thestar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/456 Author: Mark Conlin Page: 14 POT DISPENSARIES NEEDED, WANTED Re Pot store optics, ethics questionable, Sept. 16 I'm a medical marijuana patient and I believe that I'm being discriminated against. The reason we're seeing so many dispensaries opening is because patients - your neighbours, friends, family members, coworkers - want them. The system as it stands is wrong. Everyone from top to bottom knows that medical cannabis patients have chosen to disregard the hypocrisy of a system set up to support corporate investment, not patient need or accessibility. Dispensaries, while varied in their respective individual operations, are evolving into professional, modern clinics. Many provide patients access to medical professionals, either online or on-site. In the absence of regulations, dispensaries - as an industry - have raised and continue to raise the bar in terms of providing the professional services and medicine that we, as patients and Canadian citizens, have the right to expect. Mark Conlin, West Kelowna, B.C. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt