Visitors wandering through some of Canada's largest cities could be forgiven for assuming marijuana is legal. Dozens of storefronts have sprouted up in Vancouver recent years advertising pot for sale under the guise of medicine, and they're becoming increasingly common in Toronto and other cities.

The stores are all illegal, but the prospect of legalization under Justin Trudeau's Liberals has emboldened operators to expand and left local governments and police forces unsure of what to do.

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Dispensaries are storefront operations that sell marijuana to customers who say they have a medical need. Some operations require customers to provide medical documentation, such as a note from a doctor or other health-care professional, but others are less strict. The owner of Canada's largest chain has said he will provide up to a gram of marijuana products a day to any adult who says they are sick, without any medical documents. Some have on-site naturopaths, and at least one allows prospective patients to consult one via video chat. Unlike the legal medical marijuana system, which provides only dried pot and oil, many dispensaries sell pills, creams, cookies and other products made with cannabis.

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The City of Vancouver and its police department have taken a hands-off approach to dispensaries, intervening only if there is a risk to the public, such as sales to minors or links to organized crime. The police department says dispensaries are a “low priority,” although it has executed search warrants at roughly a dozen locations; most of those stores re-opened within weeks.

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