Posted by Staff Writer - Toronto on 31st Mar 2017

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) has sparked outrage among its staff and customers with its recently announced brownie ban. "Effective immediately no brownies will be allowed on any TTC subways, streetcars, or buses due to the perceived risk that the brownies could contain cannabis" said CEO Andy Byford. The brownie ban follows in the wake of the TTC's recently announced ban of non-alcoholic beer.

The incidence of pot-laced brownies and public transit dates back to 2012 when two San Diego transit employees may have accidentally eaten marijuana brownies. "Products that imitate impairing substances can raise public concern if TTC employees are seen consuming such products" said a TTC spokesman. "If it looks like a brownie, and it smells like a brownie then you won't be able to eat them on the TTC" he added.

A bus driver with the TTC who wished to remain anonymous had this to say "I can't believe they're doing this, first they ban my non-alcoholic beer and now my brownies, what am I going to eat now, vegetables?".

Unions that represent TTC employees have vowed to fight this ban with one union leader saying "an attack on our members lunch boxes is tantamount to an attack on the members themselves".

Random drug and alcohol testing of TTC employees began last month and the brownie ban is just the latest step in the implementation of the TTC's new fitness for duty policies.

Ted Fleming, the founder of Partake Brewing which recently launched its craft non-alcoholic IPA on Kickstarter has vowed to fight the ban and has teamed up with Dufflet bakery and Tim Horton's to form an industry task force. They expect to have a meeting next week with Andy Byford and Toronto Mayor John Tory to discuss alternatives.