The pot industry has changed dramatically since the ’60s.

The substance is about to be legalized, but the existence of dispensaries is causing a stir. We need a conciliatory information-gathering discussion with all actors, community leaders, opposing members and politicians, to discuss what it means to give full access of medical marijuana to patients.

The response by medical professionals also needs to change.

They need to get on board and become educated on how to prescribe medical marijuana.

They need to change their position if they adhere to the Hippocratic Oath.

Let us not forget that this is about patients. These patients include children who suffer from seizures, patients suffering from MS and cancer patients in need of pain relief.

Many dispensaries exist as a patient-to-patient network that has been established due to the failed Marihuana for Medical Purpose Regulations (MMPR) and has now become a sole income source for otherwise unemployable individuals due to varied disabilities.

If dispensaries are closed, there will be a loss of jobs and economic value. The market will be pushed underground again, which means people buying marijuana at parks instead of at a commercial shop, where it belongs.