[420 Girl]

Despite Toronto's reputation as a counter-culture friendly city, it seems Toronto police are getting a bit raid-happy. After a summer full of nightclub raids (i.e. Club 338 once, Comfort Zone forty-three times), the police have renewed their raid-hobby. This time, though, the target wasn't a nightspot at all, but rather the legal marijuana smoking lounge, Kindred Café.

Over a dozen officers converged on the cannabis-friendly favourite at about 7 o'clock last night. Two people were arrested and four others were issued summonses for trafficking and possession of marijuana. Police then proceeded to strip the café of its goods, removing furniture, coffee machines, and drug paraphernalia. It is also believed that they seized an amount of illegal marijuana.

Located at Yonge and Wellesley, Kindred Café is a popular spot for medicinal marijuana users (and likely non-medicinal users too, but keep that quiet). The ground floor operates as a pot-free organic fair-trade coffee shop. For those seeking a "higher level of Café enjoyment", there are a number of private "meeting lounges" on the second and third floor, as well as a smoker-friendly patio.

It was alleged that there was some illegal activity taking place in the establishment, including the sale of pot-laced pastries, or as they're known in Amsterdam, Space Cakes. As the police loaded a five-tonne truck full of Kindred's contents, a group of activists had already formed, waving pot-leaf flags and protesting outside the store. Who knew stoners could be so organized?

Kindred Café is part of a strip of pot-friendly establishments commonly referred to as Yongesterdam. Others include Toronto Hemp Company, Vapor Central, Sacred Seed, and Toronto Compassion Centre. The police presence is sure to attract some unwanted attention to the low-key district and bring up questions about marijuana laws and Toronto's hostility towards counter-culture. All of these issues will be sure to be followed by the word "dude".

http://www.420magazine.com/forums/in...ed-police.html